IRENEUS, AN ANCIENT TEACHER, AFTER MANY TORMENTS, PUT TO DEATH FOR THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, AT LYONS, IN FRANCE, ABOUT THE YEAR 210.
Ireneus, by descent an Asiatic, was born at Smyrna. In his youth he attended school, and was a disciple of Polycarp, who was appointed by the apostle John bishop of the church at Smyrna, and afterwards became a martyr, as we have already shown in the proper place. On account of his (Ireneus’) special fitness, he subsequently became bishop of the church at Lyons in France, in the place of Photinus. His erudition was so great, that Eusebius extols him more than any of the learned who lived before and in his time. Tertullian called him “the most remarkable investigator of all manner of learning.” Jerome said that he was “an apostolic man, who lived next to the time of the apostles.” Epiphanius gave him the title of a “holy and ancient divine,” yea, a “successor of the apostles.” In his ministry he was so faithful a servant in the house of the Lord, that he had the oversight not only of the church at Lyons, where he was bishop, and other churches in France, but even of some churches in Asia and Phrygia.
Concerning his death, the ancient historians have left us but little information of the time as well as of the manner of his martyrdom. We find, however, in regard to it the following words: “That, when the persecution of the Christians, under Severus, had been instituted in all the countries of the Romans, the city of Lyons, too, pursuant to the command of the Emperor, was surrounded with soldiers, and all the Christians in it put to death with the sword, or beheaded; but that Ireneus, the shepherd of them all, was sought with special diligence, and, when found, was put to death with manifold tortures, and was buried by Zacharia, his elder.” _Ex actis Procons. Perditis hoc Tantum extat. Adr. Martyrol. 28 Jun. Abr. Mell., fol. 59, col. 3, and fol. 60, col. 1, ex Hieron. Catal. Iren. idem Hieron. epist. 84 ad Magnum, and 29 ad Theodorum Euseb., lib. 4, cap. 20. Tertull. lib. Contra Valentin., cap. 5. Hieron. epist. 29. ad Theodorum and in Catal. Epiph. Haer. 24 and 31._ Also, _Joh. Gys., 1657, fol. 18, col. 3, 4_. Also, _P. J. Twisck, 3d book, for the year 210, 28th June, p. 56, col. 1_. He adds these words: “On the 28th of June, A. D. 210, in the fifth persecution, Bishop Irenus (he means to say: _Ireneus_) was put to death, together with many citizens, for the confession of Christ.”
He says of the Lord’s Supper: “There is something heavenly and something earthly; the earthly is bread, which is for the nourishment of the body, and points us to the heavenly, that is, Christ with his merits, which is the food of the soul.”
In the Revelation of John he writes that “antichrist will rise in the Latin, that is, the Roman church, and will be a Roman.” Also: “Antichrist, who is a thief and apostate, would be worshiped as God, and, though being but a servant, would be proclaimed king.” From _Histor. Georg., lib. 2. Vinc. Cal., fol. 352. P. P. Cock, fol. 59_.
HOW SEPTIMIUS FLORENS TERTULLIAN, THROUGH A CERTAIN APOLOGY, DEFENDED THE CHRISTIANS, AND SOUGHT TO HAVE THEM SPARED, ABOUT THE YEAR 204.
When the persecution of the true Christians would not cease, but increased the longer the more, the pious man Septimius Florens Tertullian wrote an apology in defense of the Christians against the heathen, in which he refuted all the slanders with which they were assailed at that time; showing that they were innocent, and were persecuted--not on account of any evil deeds, as the heathen pretended, but simply on account of their name; and that nevertheless their religion was not weakened or injured by the bitterness of the persecution, but much rather helped and strengthened by it.