Conformity of the ecclesiastical discipline of the Reformed churches of France with that of the primitive Christians written by M. La Rocque ... ; render'd into English by Jos. Walker.

XXXIII.

In each Church there shall Memorials be made of all re∣markable things in Matters of Religion; and a Minister shall be deputed to each Colloque, to receive and carry them to the Provincial, and from thence to the National Synod.

CONFORMITY.

Pope Fabian, who finished his Days by a Glorious Mar∣tyrdom for the Cause of Jesus Christ, during the Persecu∣tion of Decius, about the year of Christ 250. Pope Fabian, * 1.1 I say, Established persons to Collect the Acts of Martyrs, as is to be seen in the Pontifical Book commonly attri∣buted to Damasus; and it may truly be said, this was the

principal subject our Discipline aimed at in the Article which we Examine, as appears by this Establishment of the National Synod of Privas, in the year 1612. The Provinces shall be exhorted carefully to recollect the Histories of Pastors, and other Believers, which in these last times have suffer'd for the Truth of the Son of God; and such Me∣moirs shall be sent to Geneva to be made publick.

In the same Pontifical of Damasus, * 1.2 which I but now spoke of, it is observ'd, That St. Clement, Disciple of the Apostles, had a long time before Fabian, divided the se∣ven quarters of the City of Rome, to seven faithful persons of the Church, that each might exactly enquire in his District, the Acts of Martyrs, in the number of which he was put himself, * 1.3 about the year our Lord 100. Pope Anterus, Predecessor to Fabian, did near-hand the same as was done by Clement: But if that was done in the Church of Rome, it was also practised in divers others. St. Cyprian testifies, it was practised by that of Africa, in his 37th Epistle, where he ordains, That the Day of the Death of Martyrs should be taken account of, to the end to celebrate their Memory. It is in this regard Tertul∣lian speaks, * 1.4 des Fastes, of the Feasts of the Church; and the Letter of the Church of Smyrna, touching the Mar∣tyrdom of St. Pollycarp, gives us also a proof of the thing now in question, and which ought to be looked upon as the Original of what we call Martyrologies, which com∣prehend not the Martyrs of one Church only, but gene∣rally of all, as can be discover'd, in which 'tis thought Eusebius first laboured.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Tom. 1. Co••il. p. 113••.
• * 1.2

  Ubi supra. p. 30.
• * 1.3

  Ib. p. 110.
• * 1.4

  De Coron. c. 13.