Vl"« PROLEGOMENA. 



the subject of gross and repeated, though at the 

 same time of futile and contradictory misrepre- 

 sentations on the part of infidels, which tend to 

 throw disgrace on religion, by ascribing fictitious 

 vices to its legitimate supporters. Hence the 

 true history of the Saints is necessary to correct 

 falsehood. 3rdly and lastly. The Saints whose 

 lives are here described, comprehend the apos- 

 tolical preachers of the Christian Religion, to 

 whom. Christ left the charge and care of his 

 Church— the Apostles, Popes, Martyrs, Bishops, 

 the founders of the Religious Orders, the Saints 

 and the Clergy in general, who have lived to 

 honor God and instruct man, of whom all the 

 great Councils of the Church were composed, by 

 which her Doctrines, founded on a just under- 

 standing of the holy Scriptures, guided by the 

 Spirit of God, have been determined, expounded, 

 and given forth for our general edification. They 

 constitute the visible Church of Christ on Earth, 

 whose head is the Pope for the time being, the 

 centre of unity, the descendant of St. Peter. 

 This Church, called Catholic from its univer- 

 sality, and Roman from the place of the Holy 

 See, exhibits perpetually those particular attri- 

 butes or marks, by which all Christians in 

 common agree, and profess in their creed to 

 believe, that the true church shall be dis- 

 tinguished when they declare their belief in 



