for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men
shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil
against you falsely, for my sake: rejoice, and be exceeding glad:
because your reward is very great in heaven."*

* Matt. v.

But, before leaving these to consider the glory of others, we must
remark that, although they are all martyrs, they do not, on that
account, all enjoy the same degree of glory. They are all stars; but
"star differeth from star in glory." Each martyr is clothed in his
own brightness, which is great in proportion to the intensity of his
love for God, and the amount of suffering endured for Him. Some were
simply put to death, without any additional torture. Others were
imprisoned, scourged, and then put to death; while others again were
tortured for days, weeks, and even months, with the most frightful
torments. Again, some came to their martyrdom totally devoid of any
previous virtue; some even loaded with sin, and unbaptized: but they
received a baptism of blood--which made them pure, and deserved for
them the high honors of heaven. Nevertheless, the glory that
surrounds such is far inferior to that which surrounds those who,
like St. John the Baptist, St. Peter, St. Paul, St. Andrew, and a
host of others, came to their martyrdom loaded with the merits of a
life spent in the practice of heroic virtue.

CHAPTER XVIII.

THE GLORY OF THE DOCTORS AND CONFESSORS.

Let us now turn our eyes to another bright throng. It is composed of
the Doctors and Confessors of the Church. These too, as well as the
martyrs, enjoy the high honors of haven. Here we meet again the
Apostles, who were filled with the Holy Ghost, and instructed the
infant Church in all truth. There, too, are their worthy successors
in the ministry--such men as St. John Chrysostom, St. Augustine, St.
Gregory, St. Thomas, and a multitude of others--whose vast intellects
were stored with the knowledge of God. They gained a signal victory
over the devil--who is the father of lies. By their eloquence, and by
their writings, they enlightened the Church, not only in their day,
but for all time to come. They are now crowned with the peculiar
glory which is promised to all such: "They that are learned shall
shine as the brightness of the firmament: and they that instruct many
unto justice, as the stars for all eternity."*

* Dan. xii. 3.

But you must not imagine that the great lights of Christianity, suc