They also declared thatthe sum total of their guilt or error amounted to no morethan this: they had met regularly before dawn on afixed day to chant verses alternately amongthemselves in honor of Christ as if to a godÉ This made me decide it was all the morenecessary to extract thetruth by torture from two slave-women, whom theycall deaconesses. I found nothing but a degeneratesort of cult carried to extravagant lengths. I have therefore postponed any further examination andhastened to consult you.
Pliny theYounger, Letters 10.96