s one who lays down his life, or who suffers death, for the sake of his religion. The word is Greek, μαρτυς, and properly signifies a witness. It is applied, by way of eminence, to those who suffered in witness of the truth of the gospel. The Christian church has abounded in martyrs, and history is filled with accounts of their singular constancy and fortitude under the most cruel torments which human nature was capable of suffering. The primitive Christians were accused by their enemies of paying a sort of divine worship to the martyrs. Of this we have an instance in the answer of the church of Smyrna to the suggestion of the Jews, who, on the martyrdom of St 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, however, they answered, "We can neither forsake Christ, nor worship any other; for we worship him as the Son of God; but we love the martyrs as the disciples and followers of the Lord, for the great affection they have shown to their King and Master." The primitive Christians believed that the martyrs enjoyed singular privileges; that upon their death they were immediately admitted to enjoy the beatific vision, whilst other souls waited for the completion of their happiness till the day of judgment; and that God would grant chiefly to their prayers the hastening of his kingdom, and the shortening of the times of persecution. The churches built over the graves of the martyrs, and called by their names, in order to preserve the memory of their sufferings, were distinguished by the title martyrnum confessio, or memoria. The festivals of the martyrs are of very ancient date in the Christian church, and may be carried back at least to the time of St Polycarp, who suffered martyrdom about the year of Christ 168. On these days the Christians met at the graves of the martyrs, and offered up prayers and thanksgivings to God for the examples afforded them; they also celebrated the eucharist, and gave alms to the poor, which, together with a pious oration or sermon, and reading the acts of the martyrs, formed the spiritual exercises of these anniversaries.