IRENJEUS, SAINT, Bishop of Lyon in Gaul, was a pupil of Poly carp, in Asia Minor ' Adv. Her.' iii. 3, § 4 ; Eusebins, 'Hist. Eccl.' v. 20), and a presbyter of Pothinus, bishop of Lyon. He carried a letter from the church of Lyon to Eloutherus, bishop of Rome, respecting some disputes which existed between them, in which he is honourably mentioned. On the martyrdom of Pothinns, at the age of ninety, in 177, Ircnreus was elected bishop of Lyon. Ile discharged the duties of his office with exemplary diligence and faithfulness, and is said to have been the means of converting many pagans to the Christian religion. The place of his birth is not known; but it Is probable from his name that he was a Greek, and from his early acquaintance with Polycarp that he was a native of Asia Minor. Critics differ considerably respecting the date of his birth : Dodwell places it about A.D. 97, Grebe about 108, Du Pin about 140, and Tillemont about 120: it was probably between the two latter dates. It is commonly supposed that ho suffered martyr dom in the begieeing of the 3rd century ; but the fact of his martyrdom has been doubted by many critics, from the silence of Tertullian, Euseblua, and most of the early fathers.
With respect to the works of Irerneue, we learn from Eusebius Excl.' v. 20), "that he wrote several letters against those who at Rome corrupted the true doctrine of the church ; one to Blastus, concerning schism; another to Florinus, concerning the monarchy, or that God is not the author of evil ; and concerning the number eight." Eueebius also mentions (v. 26) "a discourse of Irenmus against the Gentiles, entitled, 'Concerning Knowledge ; another, inscribed to a brother named Marcianne, being a demonstration of the apostolical preaching ; and a little book of divers disputations." Irenmus also wrote a letter to Victor, bishop of Rome, concerning the controversy about the time of holding Easter; and also Five Books against Heresies.' The last work is still extant ; but all the rest have perished, with the exception of a few fragments. The original
Greek of the ' Five Books against Heresies ' has also been lost ; we possess only a Latin translation of it, written in an uncouth style, which was made, according to Dodwell's computatiou (‘ Dissert. hen.' v. 9, 10), about 385. This circumstance renders the work of little value iu ascertaining the readings of the Greek Testament in the time of lrenmue, since the Latin translator appears to have quoted the text of Scripture according to the Latin version then iu use.
It is difficult to determine at what period the Five Books against Heresies' were written, but they all appear to have been composed after Irenmus became Bishop of Lyon, and to have been published at different times. Irenmus was well acquainted with heathen litera ture and the doctrines of the heretics of his time. His work is very valuable in an historical point of view, and has been highly com mended by most of the fathers; though Photius (`Dibl.' c. 120) gives rather a different opinion of it, thinking "that the purity of the faith with respect to ecclesiastical doctrines is adulterated by the false and spurious reasoniega of Irenmus.
Ireuceus was a diligent collector of apostolical traditions. , He informs us, in many parts of his work, that he was well acquainted with several persona who had been intimate with the apostles. Mauy of his traditions are of a very curious kind. He affirms that Christ was at least fifty years old at the time of his crucifixion, and he aaserts the moat extravagant opinions with regard to the Millennium. Middleton, in his Free Inquiry' (p. 45.52), has given an interesting account of many of the opinions of this father.
The life of lreumus has been written by Gervaiae, Paris, 1723. His works have been published by Erasmus, 1526; by Feuardent, 1596; by Grebe, 1702; by Maseuet, I710; and by Pfaff, 1734. Some of the fragments published for the first time by Pfaff are supposed by Lardner Credibility of the Gospel History,' Works, P. 189-191, ed. of 1831) to be spurious.