of the people was inflamed to such a degree that in the year 1780 it was dangerous for a Catholic to be publicly known as such, and the metropolis of England was threatened with destruction by a lawless and fanatical mob. But let us examine the martyrs set down by Fox, as suffering in this persecution.

The first is thus recorded. "Victor, bishop of Rome, suffered martyrdom in the first year of the third century, A. D. 201, though the "circumstances are not ascertained."-Four paragraphs further on he adds:-" Victor, the bishop of Rome, wanting to impose a particular "mode of keeping Easter there, it occasioned some disorders among "the Christians. In particular Irenæus wrote him a synodical epistle "in the name of the Gallic churches. This zeal in favour of Chris"tianity pointed him (Irenæus) out as an object of resentment to the emperor, and he was accordingly beheaded in A. D. 202." From this account the reader is lead to suppose, by the introduction of the adverb "there," that this bishop of Rome meditated an innovation in the practice of the church in his own particular diocess, and that the zeal of St. Irenæus, in resisting this attempt of the holy pope, brought the wrath of the heathen emperor upon him, and was the cause of his martyrdom. But a moment of reflection must shew the absurdity of this story of John Fox. Victor is stated to have been the first sufferer, as he was martyred in 201, and Irenæus was not put to death till the year following. How then could his "zeal in favour of Christianity,' in opposing the bishop of Rome, who is also stated to have been a godly martyr for Christianity, point him out as an object of resentment to the heathen emperor? Can any one be so besotted as to imagine that this emperor, who was intent upon the destruction of Christianity, cared one jot about the disputes between the head and members of the system? No man of common sense, we are sure, will entertain 'such an idea. What would it interest "Protestant ascendency" at this day,” whether Easter was kept by the Catholics at one time in Ireland and at another in England, and that one of the bishops of that church was more zealous in arguing the question than any of the others? The intolerant spirit of "Protestant ascendency" is opposed to the whole system of Catholicism, not to an individual member or abstract part of it, and so it was with Pagan ascendency in the time of the heathen emperors. St. Irenæus was an object of resentment, not for disputing with the bishop of Rome, but for his great abilities and influence in converting the Pagans from their idolatrous superstitions to the divine truths of the Catholic church.

Mr. Echard, in his Ecclesiastical History, says, "The Christian religion had now (A. D. 201) diffused itself through all the known "parts of the world; but more fully and triumphantly in the vast Roman empire, where it was most violently opposed, and met with the "most terrible conflicts. Christians were now in the cities, towns and villages, in the camp, in the senate, in the palace, and in all places, "besides the pagan temples and theatres; and that in such numbers "and multitudes, that Tertullian assures us, that if they had unanimously retired to any other country, the empire would have become a mere desert and solitude." This astonishing progress of an indivisible and undeviating rule of faith among all ranks of people, and of

all nations, notwithstanding the horrid persecutions of the Pagans, the malice of the Jews, and the treacherous attacks of heretics, must, we think, carry conviction of its divine nature, and be considered a proof of the existence of an omnipotent and all-powerful Being. The holy pope Victor was a very watchful guardian of this divine faith, detecting and condemning many heresies that sprung up in his pontificate. He also wished to bring about an uniformity in the time of celebrating Easter, but not to impose a particular mode of keeping it, as the Book of Martyrs insinuates. At this time Mr. Butler writes, "the "churches of Lesser Asia kept it with the Jews on the 14th day of "the first moon after the vernal equinox, on whatever day of the week "it fell. The Roman church, and all the rest of the world, kept Easter always on the Sunday immediately following the fourteenth day." This was a matter of discipline, and not of faith, but still unity was

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considered necessary, and Victor was desirous to effect it. Pope Anicetus allowed the Asiatics to follow their own custom even at Rome; but Soter required that when at Rome they should do as Rome did. Several councils were held in different parts of the world, and the decisions were in favour of the Roman custom. Some of the Asiatic bishops, however, defended their custom as derived from St. Philip, St. John the evangelist, and St. Polycarp. Victor, seeing them obstinate, thought to bring them round by excommunication, from which he was dissuaded by St. Irenæus, and died soon after. This is the correct history of the affair of keeping Easter, so far as Victor was concerned, which Fox would make us believe was an attempt at imposition on the part of this pope, and the cause of St. Irenæus's martyrdom. After the death of Victor, Fox places "Leonidas, the father of the "celebrated Origen, beheaded for being a Christian." Next follows a confused account of other martyrs, of whose names and sufferings we can trace no account in the authors before us. Then comes the following paragraph: "Irenæus, bishop of Lyons, was born in Greece, "and received a Christian education. It is generally supposed that "the account of the persecutions at Lyons was written by himself. "He succeeded the martyr Pothinus as bishop of Lyons, and ruled his "diocese with great propriety: he was a zealous opposer of heresies in "general, and wrote a celebrated tract against heresy about A. D. 187." Here then we have it acknowledged by John Fox, that this "godly 66 martyr," was not only an orthodox Christian, but likewise "lous opposer of heresies in general, and wrote a celebrated tract "against heresy." Now, as heresy is defined by Dr. Johnson to be "An opinion of private men different from that of the Catholic and "orthodox church," John Fox and his editors, the "few plain Christians," who tell the public, in their address, that they "have united "themselves for the purpose of diffusing among their fellow-believers 66 a KNOWLEDGE and LOVE of the GENUINE PRINCIPLES OF "CHRISTIANITY, and CONSEQUENTLY (they add), a hatred and "abhorrence of the crimes and corruptions of POPERY and its professors," ought most certainly to have pointed out WHAT THE DOCTRINES WERE that this "zealous opposer of heresies in general" defended. For how can their fellow-believers obtain a "knowledge of the genuine "principles of Christianity," unless they are laid down before them for their information? And how can they "love" these principles while they are ignorant of them? To tell the reader that this martyr wrote a celebrated tract against heresy," without telling him the substance of the work, is saying nothing; it is leaving him as much in the dark as ever. But unfortunately this system of suppression, where information is essentially necessary to obtain a knowledge of truth, has been invariably followed by the adversaries of Catholicism, until the people of this country have been cheated out of their faith, and their understandings bewildered, while they imagine themselves gifted with a superiority of intellectual wisdom above their fellow-creatures. Fox says Irenæus wrote a tract," which means a small book, against heresy in general. Now the fact is, this work was a very elaborate one, and consisted of five books. In the first the learned father and martyr gives a long list of heresies. In the second he confutes them

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from scripture, and from the miracles performed in his day in the Catholic church, which the heretics could never perform. In the third he advances tradition, against the heretics. In the fourth he pursues the same subject, and answers the objections of those who denied the incorruptible resurrection of the body. And in the fifth,'

he explains the mysteries of the church, the fall of man, the consequence of it, the incarnation, the resurrection, &c. These books were written chiefly againt the execrable doctrines of the Gnostics, and of Valentinus, a priest, who fell by pride and jealousy, because another was preferred before him to a bishopric in Egypt. Valentinus had been a Platonic philosopher, and revived the errors of Simon Magus, adding to them many other absurd fictions, as of thirty Æones or ages, a kind of inferior deities, &c. As an author, Irenæus was well versed in the scripture, perfectly understood the Pagan poets, and was tho→ roughly acquainted with the systems and arguments of the heretics. St. Irenæus was a Greek by birth, and received his instructions in the Christian faith from St. Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, who was a disciple of St. John the evangelist, and suffered martyrdom in the fourth persecution, as we have mentioned. Consequently, the doctrines held by this orthodox Christian bishop, and "zealous opposer of heresies in general," must have been received from the apostles, and were therefore genuine. Let us now see then what these doctrines were.

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On the contested points regarding the authority, marks, visibility, apostolicity, and infallibility of the Church, and primacy of the pope, which' Catholics now and always did maintain, St. Irenæus writes: "Things "being thus made plain (the descent of doctrine from the apostles) it "is not from others that truth is to be sought, which may be readily "learned from the church. For to this church, as into a rich repository, the apostles committed whatever is of divine truth, that each 66 one, if so inclined, might thence draw the drink of life. This is the way to life all other teachers must be shunned as thieves and rob-' "bers. For what? Should there be any dispute on a point of smalt "moment, must not recourse be had to the most ancient churches, "where the apostles resided, and from them collect the truth?" Adv. "Hæreses, lib. 1. c. iv. p. 205. Edit. Oxonii, 1702.

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It is a duty to obey the priests of the church, who hold their suc"cession from the apostles, and who, with that succession, received; agreeably to the will of the Father, the sure pledge of truth. But as "to those who belong not to that leading succession, in whatever place they may be united, they should be suspected, either as heretics, or as schismatics, proudly extolling, and pleasing themselves, or as hy pocrites actuated by vain glory or the love of lucre. But they who impugn the truth, and excite others to oppose the church of God, "their fate is with Dathan and Abiron; while schismatics, who violate "the church's unity, experience the punishment which fell on king Jeroboam." Ibid. l. iv. c. xliii. p. 343, 344.

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The church, extended to the boundaries of the earth, received her "faith from the apostles, and their disciples.-Having received it, she "carefully retains it, as if dwelling in one house, as possessing one soul, "and one heart: the same faith she delivers and teaches, with one ac"cord, and as if gifted with one tongue: for though in the world there

"be various modes of speech, the tradition of doctrine is one and the same. In the churches of Germany, in those of Spain and Gaul, in "those of the East, of Egypt, and of Africa, and in the middle regions, "is the same belief, the same teaching. For as the world is enlight"ened by one sun, so does the preaching of one faith enlighten all men, that are willing to come to the knowledge of truth. Nor, among "the pastors of the church, does he that is eloquent deliver other doc"trine-for no one is above his master-nor he that is weak in speech « diminish the truth of tradition. Faith being one, cannot be affected "by the powers or the want of utterance." Adversus Hæreses, l. 1. c. ii. iii. p. 45, 46. Ed. Oxon. 1702.

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God placed in his church apostles, prophets, doctors; and the " whole operation of the spirit, of which they do not partake, who are "not united to the church; but, by their own bad designs and actions, they deprive themselves of life. For where the church is, there is "the spirit of God; and where this spirit is, there is the church, and "all grace: the spirit is truth." Ibid. l. 111. c. xl. p. 266. Vide l. iv. c. 62. "The heretics, of whom I have been speaking, came long after those 'bishops, to whom the apostles committed the care of their churches, "and they ran into devious paths, foreign from the truth. But they, "who adhered to the church, continued to profess, with all nations, "the doctrine, which the apostles had delivered, with one and the same "faith, believed in one God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; meditating on the same precepts; upholding the same ordinances, expecting the coming of the Lord, and the salvation of men. The teaching of the "church is true and stable, shewing to all men the same one path of " salvation; for to her has been committed the light and the wisdom "of God. As the wise man says: (Prov. c. 1.) she uttereth her voice in "the streets; she crieth on the highest walls; she speaketh without ceasing "in the city gates. Every where the church proclaims the truth; she "is the candlestick with the seven lamps; (Exod. xxv.) bearing the "light of Christ." Adv. Hæreses, l. v. c. 20. p. 430.

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"The church, receiving her doctrine from Christ and his apostles, " and alone preserving it through all regions, delivered it down to her "children. Hence it becomes our duty, to afford every assistance against the assaults of heretics; to withdraw those that are in error, "and to strengthen the weak; in order, that they hold fast the faith, "which they received from that church, which has preserved it invio"late." Adv. Hær. Præf. lib. v. p. 392.

"The apostolic faith, manifested to the whole world, they, who "would behold truth, may see in every church; and we can enumerate those bishops, who were appointed by the apostles, and their 66 successors, down to ourselves, none of whom taught, or even knew, "the wild opinions of these men (heretics). Had the apostles really possessed any secret doctrines, which the perfect only were to hear, surely they would have communicated them to those, to whom they entrusted their churches. However, as it would be tedious to “enumerate the whole list of successions, I shall confine myself to that "of Rome, the greatest, and most ancient, and most illustrious church, "founded by the glorious apostles, Peter and Paul; receiving from them "her doctrine, which was announced to all men, and which, through