victor's church

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

Their names are Constantino, Dionysius, John, Maximian, Malchus, Martin- ian, and Serapion. This fable took its rise from a misapprehension of the words, "They fell asleep in the Lord'* — i.e. died.

Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)

Sources & notes

Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.

Common questions

What does “victor's church” mean?

Their names are Constantino, Dionysius, John, Maximian, Malchus, Martin- ian, and Serapion. This fable took its rise from a misapprehension of the words, "They fell asleep in the Lord'* — i.e. died.

Is “victor's church” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.