ious stones, and things of value.
Thus shall he do in the most strong holds_ or temples;--_and he shall cause
them to rule over many, and divide the land_ among them _for a possession_.
Now this came to pass by degrees in the following manner.

_Gregory Nyssen_ [2] tells us, that after the persecution of the Emperor
_Decius_, _Gregory_ Bishop of _Neocaesarea_ in _Pontus_, _instituted among
all people, as an addition or corollary of devotion towards God, that
festival days and assemblies should be celebrated to them who had contended
for the faith_, that is, to the _Martyrs_. And he adds this reason for the
institution: _When he observed_, saith _Nyssen_, _that the simple and
unskilful multitude, by reason of corporeal delights, remained in the error
of idols; that the principal thing might be corrected among them, namely,
that instead of their vain worship they might turn their eyes upon God; he
permitted that at the memories of the holy Martyrs they might make merry
and delight themselves, and be dissolved into joy_. The heathens were
delighted with the festivals of their Gods, and unwilling to part with
those delights; and therefore _Gregory_, to facilitate their conversion,
instituted annual festivals to the _Saints_ and _Martyrs_. Hence it came to
pass, that for exploding the festivals of the heathens, the principal
festivals of the _Christians_ succeeded in their room: as the keeping of
_Christmas_ with ivy and feasting, and playing and sports, in the room of
the _Bacchanalia_ and _Saturnalia_; the celebrating of _May-day_ with
flowers, in the room of the _Floralia_; and the keeping of festivals to the
Virgin _Mary_, _John_ the Baptist, and divers of the Apostles, in the room
of the solemnities at the entrance of the Sun into the signs of the
_Zodiac_ in the old _Julian_ Calendar. In the same persecution of _Decius_,
_Cyprian_ ordered the passions of the Martyrs in _Africa_ to be registred,
in order to celebrate their memories annually with oblations and
sacrifices: and _Felix_ Bishop of _Rome_, a little after, as _Platina_
relates, _Martyrum gloria consulens, constituit at quotannis sacrificia
eorum nomine celebrarentur_; "consulting the glory of the Martyrs, ordained
that sacrifices should be celebrated annually in their name." By the
pleasures of these festivals the _Christians_ increased much in number, and
decreased as much in virtue, until they were _purged and made white_ by the
persecution of _Dioclesian_. Th