The Marrow of Ecclesiastical History, Irenaeus
IRENAEVS
The Life of Irenaeus, who dyed An. Chrsti. 182.
IRenaeus was born in Asia, of Greek Parents,His birth and education. as both his name and writings do declare. In his younger years he was scholar to, and a constant hearer of Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna. In his riper years he went into France, and was Ordained Minister by Photinus Bishop of Lyons, Ordained Minister.and some other Presbyters. At this time the Church of Christ was in great trouble, both by reason of the Persecution raised by foraign Enemies, but especially by reason of Errors,His zeal against Heresies. and Sects which then sprung up in that time, against which he diligently laboured, and wrote much. His Nature did well agree with his Name for he was a great lover of Peace, and endeavoured to the uttermost to procure Unity when Controversies arose in the Church: And therefore when the great controversie about keeping Easter day was renewed, and Victor the Bishop of Rome would have excommunicated the Eastern Churches as Schismaticks for disagreeing with him therein: Irenaeus with other Brethren of the French Church,He was studious of peace. being sorry to see contentions amongst Brethren for such a trifle, met together in a Councel, and by common consent wrote Letters unto Victor, subscribed with their names, intreating him to alter his purpose, and not to proceed to Excommunicate his Brethren for that matter; and although themselves agreed with him in observing the same time, yet by many strong arguments and reasons, they exhorted him not to deal so rigorously with those who followed the custom of their Country in observing another day. He wrote also diverse other Letters abroad concerning the same contention, declaring the Excommunication of Victor to be of none effect.
After the Martyrdom of Photinus, He is made Bishop of …y…ons in France.he was made Bishop of Lyons where he continued about the space of 23 years: By his frequent, faithful, and powerful Preaching, and by his holiness of life, he brought most of that City from Gentilism to the knowledge and service of the true God. But the common Enemy of mankinde envying the progress of the Gospel,Satans malice and the salvation of so many Souls, beside the publick Persecution, stirred up a spirit of Error, and falsehood in some Hereticks: as Montanus, Theodosius, Alcibiades, and Maximilla, whereby he greatly disturbed the Peace of the Church.His zeal against Heresies. Hereupon Irenaeus, and his fellow-Laborers, to shew their care of the Brethren, sent abroad large Epistles of things done amongst them: They sent also the Tenets of Montanus into Asia with their judgements upon them. They wrote likewise Letters to Eleutherius, then Bishop of Rome, He is sent to Rome.desiring him heartily to endeavour to keep the Church in unity; and when they could finde no fitter a person for so weighty a business, they made choice of Irenaeus for his holiness gravity, and sincerity, whom they knew to be willing to undergo all travel, danger, and labour for Christs cause, and the Churches good: Him therefore they sent to Rome, writing by him in this manner.
Father Eleutherius▪ we with you health in all things, and always in God: We have requested Irenaeus our Brother, and fellow Laborer, to deliver these Letters, whom we pray you to accept of as a zealous follower of the will of Christ, &c.
This Irenaeus wrote five Books against the Heresies of his times,His writings. which are yet extant; in the first of which dilating upon the infinite profundity of matter invented by Valentinus, mixed with many Errors, he discloseth openly the malice of the Heretick, being clo…ked, and concealed, as it were a Serpent hid in his den: For revealing their profane ceremonies, and detestable mysteries, he writeth thus:The prophaneness of Here…icks. Some (saith he) prepare their Wedding Chamber, and accomplish the service to be said over them that are to be consecrated with charmed words: And having thus done, they call it a Spiritual Marriage, conformable to the caelestial copulation. Some bring them to the water, and in Baptising say thus: In the Name of the unknown Father of all things, In the Truth, Mother of all things, and in him which descended upon Jesus. Some others pronounce Hebrew words, to the end that young Converts might be the more amazed. And in his third Book, he wrote that Valentinus came to Rome, in the time of Hyginus, ninth Bishop in succession after the Apostles:The immutability of Cerdon. And also Cerdon another Heretick, who sometimes protested the true Faith, and privily taught the contrary: Afterward he confessed his error, and yet again being reprehended for the corrupt Doctrin which he had taught, he refrained the company of the Brethren: He taught that God preached in the Law, and Prophets, was not the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. That Christ was known, but the Father of Christ was unknown, &c. After him succeeded Marcion of Pontus, a shameless blasphemer, which encreased this Doctrine.
He tels us also in his second Book that the working of Miracles was frequent in his time.Miracles continued in the Church. Some of the Brethren (saith he) and sometimes the whole Church of some certain place, by reason of some urgent cause, by Fasting, and Prayer, have brought to pass that the spirits of the dead have returned into their bodies; and so by the earnest Prayers of the Saints, they have been restored again to life, and have lived with us many years. Some by the like means have expelled Devils, so that they which were delivered from evill spirits, have embraced the Faith, and were received into the Church▪ Others have the Spirit of Prophesie to fore-know things to come: they see Divine Dreams, and Prophetical Visions: Others cure the sick, and diseased, and by laying on of their hands restore them to health. For the gratious gifts of the Holy Ghost are innumerable, which the Church dispersed through the whole World, having received, dispenseth daily in the Name of Jesus Christ, crucified under Pontus Pilat, to the benefit of the Gentiles, &c.
Whilst he was Bishop of Lyons, the state of the Church was very unquiet, troublesome and full of danger, because the Romane Emperour had not called in the Edicts of the fourth Persecution: But in this dangerous time,His courage and painfulness. Irendus was valiant, laboured exceedingly by Prayer, Preaching, Disputing, Instructing, and Reproving with patience and wisdom: Seeking the lost; strengthening the weak; recalling the wandring; binding up the broken-hearted, and confirming those that were strong: Whereupon Tertullian saith, Tanta vitae integritate, & Doctrine sinceritate gregi is praesidet, &c. He governed the flock of Christ with such integrity of life, and sincerity of Doctrine, that he was loved exceedingly by his own, and feared by others: But in the latter end of Marcus Antoninus Verus, God sent Peace to his Church, so that the Christians lived securely: held Councels, and did Preach freely: as also in the raign of Commodus, who succeeded him:A great Persecution. But in the raign of Severus the next Emperor, he being a bloody and cruel man, was raised the fifth Persecution against the Church, to the Martyrdom of many thousands: but especially it raged at Lyons, in so much as the blood of the slaughtered Christians ran down the streets; and at last this blessed Saint, with many other of his flock were carried between two hils, where was a Cross on the one hand, and an Idol of the other, where they were put to their choice, to go either to the Cross to suffer, or to the Idol to live; but they chose the Cross,His martyrdom. where they all constantly suffered Martyrdom, about the year 182. Irenaeus being about the age of 60 years; or as some say 90.
He used to compare the Hereticks and Schismaticks of his time to Aesops Dog,His sayings. that lost the substance of Religion, whilst they gaped too earnestly after the shadow.
Considering the vanity of all earthly things, he said, What profit is there in that honour which is so short-lived, as that perchance it was not yesterday, neither will be to morrow? And such men as labor so much for it, are but like froth, which though it be uppermost, yet is unprofitablest.
Erasmus thinks that he wrote in Latin: but Hierom reckons him amongst the Greek Fathers: and even till this day some of his Works are extant in Greek, which shews him to be a Grecian.
Varia scripsit,His works. sed soli qain que libri adversus Haereses eodie supersunt.