Pliny the Younger was governor of Pontus/Bithynia from 111-113 AD. We have 
a whole set of exchanges of his letters with the emperor Trajan on a variety of 
administrative political matters. These two letters are the most famous, in 
which P. encounters Christianity for the first time.

 Pliny, Letters 10.96-97

 Pliny to the Emperor Trajan

 It is my practice, my lord, to refer to you all matters concerning which I am in 
doubt. For who can better give guidance to my hesitation or inform my 
ignorance? I have never participated in trials of Christians. I therefore do not 
know what offenses it is the practice to punish or investigate, and to what 
extent. And I have been not a little hesitant as to whether there should be any 
distinction on account of age or no difference between the very young and the 
more mature; whether pardon is to be granted for repentance, or, if a man has 
once been a Christian, it does him no good to have ceased to be one; whether the 
name itself, even without offenses, or only the offenses associated with the 
name are to be punished.

 Meanwhile, in the case of those who were denounced to me as Christians, I 
have observed the following procedure: I interrogated these as to whether they 
were Christians; those who confessed I interrogated a second and a third time, 
threatening them with punishment; those who persisted I ordered executed. For 
I had no doubt that, whatever the nature of their creed, stubbornness and 
inflexible obstinacy surely deserve to be punished. There were others 
possessed of the same folly; but because they were Roman citizens, I signed an 
order for them to be transferred to Rome.

 Soon accusations spread, as usually happens, because of the proceedings going 
on, and several incidents occurred. An anonymous document was published 
containing the names of many persons. Those who denied that they were or had 
been Christians, when they invoked the gods in words dictated by me, offered 
prayer with incense and wine to your image, which I had ordered to be brought 
for this purpose together with statues of the gods, and moreover cursed 
Christ--none of which those who are really Christians, it is said, can be forced 
to do--these I thought should be discharged. Others named by the informer 
declared that they were Christians, but then denied it, asserting that they had 
been but had ceased to be, some three years before, others many years, some 
as much as twenty-five years. They all worshipped your image and the statues 
of the gods, and cursed Christ.

 They asserted, however, that the sum and substance of their fault or error 
had been that they were accustomed to meet on a fixed day before dawn and 
sing responsively a hymn to Christ as to a god, and to bind themselves by oath, 
not to some crime, but not to commit fraud, theft, or adultery, not falsify their 
trust, nor to refuse to return a trust when called upon to do so. When this was 
over, it was their custom to depart and to assemble again to partake of 
food--but ordinary and innocent food. Even this, they affirmed, they had ceased 
to do after my edict by which, in accordance with your instructions, I had 
forbidden political associations. Accordingly, I judged it all the more necessary 
to find out what the truth was by torturing two female slaves who were called 
deaconesses. But I discovered nothing else but depraved, excessive 
superstition.

 I therefore postponed the investigation and hastened to consult you. For the 
matter seemed to me to warrant consulting you, especially because of the 
number involved. For many persons of every age, every rank, and also of both 
sexes are and will be endangered. For the contagion of this superstition has 
spread not only to the cities but also to the villages and farms. But it seems 
possible to check and cure it. It is certainly quite clear that the temples, which 
had been almost deserted, have begun to be frequented, that the established 
religious rites, long neglected, are being resumed, and that from everywhere 
sacrificial animals are coming, for which until now very few purchasers could 
be found. Hence it is easy to imagine what a multitude of people can be reformed 
if an opportunity for repentance is afforded.

 Trajan to Pliny

 You observed proper procedure, my dear Pliny, in sifting the cases of those 
who had been denounced to you as Christians. For it is not possible to lay down 
any general rule to serve as a kind of fixed standard. They are not to be sought 
out; if they are denounced and proved guilty, they are to be punished, with this 
reservation, that whoever denies that he is a Christian and really proves 
it--that is, by worshiping our gods--even though he was under suspicion in the 
past, shall obtain pardon through repentance. But anonymously posted 
accusations ought to have no place in any prosecution. For this is both a 
dangerous kind of precedent and out of keeping with the spirit of our age.