_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_. This was the first step made in the _Christian_ religion towards the veneration of the Martyrs: and tho it did not yet amount to an unlawful worship; yet it disposed the _Christians_ towards such a further veneration of the dead, as in a short time ended in the invocation of Saints.