"Fraudati non sunt sacro baptismate Christi, Fons quibus ipsa sui sanj^uinis uuda fuit; Et quicquid sacri fert mystica forma lavacri, Id totuni iniplevit gloria martyrii."
'• They are not deprived of the sacred baptism of Christ who, mstead of a ioni, are washed in their own blood ; for whatever benefit accrues to any by the mystical rite of the sacred laver, is all fulfilled by the glorj' of mar- tyrdom," The martyrs were supposed to enjoy very singular privileges ; in some ages the doctrine was taught that immediatelj^ on death they passed to the enjoyment of the beatific vision, for which other Chris- tians were required to wait till the day of judgment; and that God would grant to their prayers the hasten- ing of his kingdom and the shortening the times of per- secution.— Farrar, Eccles. Did. s, v.
Martyriarius is the name, in the Roman Catholic Church, of the keeper of sacred 7-elics. The relics of martyrs are most generally kept under the principal altar of the church.
Martyrion. See Martyriuji.
Martyrium. The name of a church built over the grave of a martyr, or called by his name to preserve the memor%' of him, had usually the distinguishing title of martyrium, or memoria murtyrum. Instances of this kind of designation occur with great frequency in the writings of Eiisebius, Augustine, etc. Eusebius calls the church which was built by Constantine on Calvary, in memory of Christ's passion and resurrection, Martyrium Salratoris.
Martyrology {Acta Martynm) is (1) with the Protestant a catalogue or list of those who have suffered martyrdom for their religion, including the history- of their lives and sufferings ; but (2) with those who be- lieve in the adoration and intercession of saints and martyrs, a calendar of martyrs and other saints arranged in the order of months and days, and intended partly to be read in the public services of the Church, partly for the guidance of the devotion of the faithful towards the saints and martyrs. The use of the martyrology is com- mon both to the Latin and Greek Churches, In the latter it is called Menologion (q, v.).
Eusebius of Caesarea was the first who wrote an ex- tensive history of the Christian martyrs; it was trans- lated into Latin by St, Jerome, but has been long irre- coverably lost, St, Jerome's own worlv on the same subject — the oldest one now extant — is regarded as the great martyrology of the Latin Church [it is published
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in the eleventh volijme of the collected edition of his works by Vallars] ; but it is little used in comparison with later compilations of idle legends and pretended miracles. The latest Greek martyrology or menology extant dates from the 9th century. It \vas prepared by order of emperor Basilius Macedo (8G7-88G), and was published in 1727 by cardinal Urbini. In the mediae- val period, martyrologies were issued in England by Venerable Bede ; in France by Floras, Ado, and Usuard ; and in Germany by St. Gall, Nolter, and Kabanus Mau- rus. The so-called " Koman Martyrology" {Martyrolo- fjinm Romanum) is designed for the entire Church, both East and West, and was published by authoritv of Gregory XIII, with a critical commentary by the cele- brated cardinal Baronius, in 1580. A still more critical edition was issued by the learned Jesuit Herebert Kos-. weid. The Protestant Church possesses many accounts of martyrs ; but as a true martj'rology in English, from a Protestant stand-point, we may mention Fox's Book of Martijrs. See Martyrs ; Martyrdom.
Martyrology is (3) also applied to the painted or written catalogues in the Roman churches, containing the foundations, obits, prayers, and masses to be said each day. See Acta Martyrum.
Martyrs, those who lay down their life or suffer death for the sake of their religion. In accordance with the primitive Greek sense of the word, i. e. a witness [see Martyr], it is appUed by Christian writers to such as suffer in testimony of the truth of the Gospel or its doctrines. The Christian Church has abounded with martyrs, and history is tilled with surprising accounts of their singular constancy and fortitude under the most cruel torments that human nature is capable of suffering. Tlie primitive Christians were accused by their enemies of paying a sort of divine worship to martyrs. Of this we liave an instance in the answer of the Church of Smyrna to the suggestion of the Jews, who, at the mar- tyrdom of Polycarp, desired the heathen judge not to suffer the Christians to carry off his body, lest they should leave their crucified Master, and worship him in his stead. To this they answered, "We can neither forsake Christ nor worship any other, for we worship him as the Son of God ; but love the martyrs as the dis- ciples and followers of the Lord, for the great affection they have shown to their King and Master." A like answer was given at the martyrdom of Fructuosus in Spain; for when the judge asked Eulogius, his deacon, whether he would not worship Fructuosus, as thinking that, though he refused to worship the heathen idols, lie might yet be inclined to worship a Christian mar- tyr, Eulogius replied, " I do not worship Fructuosus, but him whom Fructuosus worships." The courage and constancy of the sufferers naturally enough won the highest admiration from their brethren in the faith ; and so it came to be held a special privilege to receive the martyr's benediction, to kiss his chains, to visit him in prison, or to converse with him ; and as it was held by the primitive Christians that the martyrs enjoyed very singular privileges with God [see Martyrdom], it came to be held also that their great and superabun- dant merit might, in the eyes of the Church, compen- sate for the laxity and weakness of less perfect breth- ren, and thus gradually a practice of intercession arose, which linally degenerated into the granting of indul- gences, etc., as now common in the Ivoman Catholic Church. See iNDULCiEXCEs ; Invocation.