50 MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION 



and as indicating the origin of certain heresies 

 which at length grew to dangerous proportions, of 

 which we will learn presently. 



Justin Martyr. — A Christian Father who stands 

 out prominently about the middle of the second 

 century, is Justin Martyr. He was born in Pales- 

 tine, in the province of Samaria. As a young 

 man he went to Alexandria to be educated. He 

 studied the philosophical systems of the day, but 

 found no satisfaction. At length, while meditating 

 in a lonely place, he was met by an aged Christian, 

 who taught him. the truth as it is in Jesus, and 

 Justin became a believer. All his powers were 

 now devoted to the Church. He travelled from 

 place to place, teaching the religion of the Saviour, 

 and finally settled at Rome. While there he be- 

 came useful in combating certain heresies which 

 had arisen, but his great work was his ''Apolo- 

 gies for the Christian Faith." These were writings 

 designed to convince the more educated heathen 

 of the truth of Christianity, and must have been 

 invaluable aids to the. Church's progress, although 

 the public disputations and the writings of Justin 

 exposed him to especial danger. He was be- 

 headed in a. d. 165. 



Polycarp. — Among the most amiable of all the 

 Fathers was Polycarp, the Bishop of Smyrna. He 

 seems to have been a man of the same sort as his 

 teacher, St. Tohn, and to have imbibed much of 



