Mankindcanhardlybetoooftenreminded，thattherewasonceamannamedSocrates，betweenwhomandthelegalauthoritiesandpublicopinionofhistimetheretookplaceamemorablecollision。
Borninanageandcountryaboundinginindividualgreatness，thismanhasbeenhandeddowntousbythosewhobestknewbothhimandtheage，asthemostvirtuousmaninit;whileweknowhimastheheadandprototypeofallsubsequentteachersofvirtue，thesourceequallyoftheloftyinspirationofPlatoandthejudiciousutilitarianismofAristotle，\"imastridicolorchesanno，\"thetwoheadspringsofethicalasofallotherphilosophy。Thisacknowledgedmasterofalltheeminentthinkerswhohavesincelived—whosefame，stillgrowingaftermorethantwothousandyears，allbutoutweighsthewholeremainderofthenameswhichmakehisnativecityillustrious—wasputtodeathbyhiscountrymen，afterajudicialconviction，forimpietyandimmorality。Impiety，indenyingthegodsrecognisedbytheState;indeedhisaccuserasserted（seetheApologia）thathebelievedinnogodsatall。Immorality，inbeing，byhisdoctrinesandinstructions，a\"corruptorofyouth。\"Ofthesechargesthetribunal，thereiseverygroundforbelieving，honestlyfoundhimguilty，andcondemnedthemanwhoprobablyofallthenbornhaddeservedbestofmankindtobeputtodeathasacriminal。
Topassfromthistotheonlyotherinstanceofjudicialiniquity，thementionofwhich，afterthecondemnationofSocrates，wouldnotbeananti—climax：theeventwhichtookplaceonCalvaryrathermorethaneighteenhundredyearsago。ThemanwholeftonthememoryofthosewhowitnessedhislifeandconversationsuchanimpressionofhismoralgrandeurthateighteensubsequentcenturieshavedonehomagetohimastheAlmightyinperson，wasignominiouslyputtodeath，aswhat？Asablasphemer。Mendidnotmerelymistaketheirbenefactor;
theymistookhimfortheexactcontraryofwhathewas，andtreatedhimasthatprodigyofimpietywhichtheythemselvesarenowheldtobefortheirtreatmentofhim。Thefeelingswithwhichmankindnowregardtheselamentabletransactions，especiallythelaterofthetwo，renderthemextremelyunjustintheirjudgmentoftheunhappyactors。Thesewere，toallappearance，notbadmen—notworsethanmencommonlyare，butratherthecontrary;menwhopossessedinafull，orsomewhatmorethanafullmeasure，thereligious，moral，andpatrioticfeelingsoftheirtimeandpeople：theverykindofmenwho，inalltimes，ourownincluded，haveeverychanceofpassingthroughlifeblamelessandrespected。Thehigh—priestwhorenthisgarmentswhenthewordswerepronounced，which，accordingtoalltheideasofhiscountry，constitutedtheblackestguilt，wasinallprobabilityquiteassincereinhishorrorandindignationasthegeneralityofrespectableandpiousmennowareinthereligiousandmoralsentimentstheyprofess;andmostofthosewhonowshudderathisconduct，iftheyhadlivedinhistime，andbeenbornJews，wouldhaveactedpreciselyashedid。OrthodoxChristianswhoaretemptedtothinkthatthosewhostonedtodeaththefirstmartyrsmusthavebeenworsementhantheythemselvesare，oughttorememberthatoneofthosepersecutorswasSaintPaul。
Letusaddonemoreexample，themoststrikingofall，iftheimpressivenessofanerrorismeasuredbythewisdomandvirtueofhimwhofallsintoit。Ifeveranyone，possessedofpower，hadgroundsforthinkinghimselfthebestandmostenlightenedamonghiscontemporaries，itwastheEmperorMarcusAurelius。Absolutemonarchofthewholecivilisedworld，hepreservedthroughlifenotonlythemostunblemishedjustice，butwhatwaslesstobeexpectedfromhisStoicalbreeding，thetenderestheart。Thefewfailingswhichareattributedtohimwereallonthesideofindulgence：whilehiswritings，thehighestethicalproductoftheancientmind，differscarcelyperceptibly，iftheydifferatall，fromthemostcharacteristicteachingsofChrist。Thisman，abetterChristianinallbutthedogmaticsenseofthewordthanalmostanyoftheostensiblyChristiansovereignswhohavesincereigned，persecutedChristianity。Placedatthesummitofallthepreviousattainmentsofhumanity，withanopen，unfetteredintellect，andacharacterwhichledhimofhimselftoembodyinhismoralwritingstheChristianideal，heyetfailedtoseethatChristianitywastobeagoodandnotaneviltotheworld，withhisdutiestowhichhewassodeeplypenetrated。Existingsocietyheknewtobeinadeplorablestate。