Plebem and

perdere jus

tum.

11. And the wind continuing favourable to us, in one day and a night, we indeed were unwillingly hurried on, as sorrowing to think of being separated from this holy martyr: but to him it happened justly, according to his wish, that he might go the sooner out of the world, and attain unto the Lord whom he loved. Wherefore sailing into the Roman port, and those impure sports being almost at an end, the soldiers began to be offended at our slowness; but the Bishop with great joy complied with their hastiness.

12. Being therefore soon forced away from the port so called, we forthwith met the brethren; (for the report of what concerned the holy martyr was spread abroad) who were full of fear and joy: for they rejoiced in that God had vouchsafed them the company of Theophorus; but were afraid, when they considered, that such a one was brought thither to die. Now some of these he commanded to hold their peace, who were the most zealous for his safety, and said, that they would appease the people, that they should not desire the destruction of • Quietare the justi Who presently knowing this by the spirit, non expetere and saluting all of them, he desired them that they would shew a true love to him; disputing yet more with them than he had done in his Epistle, and persuaded them not to envy him who was hastening unto the Lord. And so, all the brethren kneeling down, he prayed to the Son of God in behalf of the Churches, that he would put a stop to the persecution, and continue the love of the brethren towards each other: which being done, he was with all haste led into the amphitheatre, and speedily, according to the command of Cæsar before given, thrown in, the end of the spectacles being at hand. For it was then a very solemn day, called in the Roman tongue the 13th of the calends of January, upon which the people were ordinarily wont to be gathered together. Thus was he delivered to the cruel beasts, near the temple by wicked men: that so the desire of the holy martyr

Ignatius might be accomplished; as it is written, "the desire of the righteous is acceptable;" [Prov. x. 24,] namely, that he might not be burthensome to any of the brethren, by the gathering of his relics, but might be wholly devoured by them; according as in his Epistle he had before wished, that so his end might be. For only the greater and harder of his holy bones remained; which were carried to Antioch, and there put up in a napkin, as an inestimable treasure left to the Church by the grace which was in the martyr.

13. Now these things were done the 13th of the calends of January, that is the 20th day of December; Sura and Synecius being the second time Consuls of the Romans; of which we ourselves were eye witnesses: and being the night following watching with tears in the house, praying to God with our bended knees, that he would give us weak men some assurance of what had been before done; it happened, that falling into a slumber, some of us on the sudden saw the blessed Ignatius standing by us and embracing us: others beheld the blessed martyr praying for us: others as it were dropping with sweat, as if he were just come from his great labour, and standing by the Lord.

tes sanctum.

him blessed.

14. Which when we saw, being filled with joy, and comparing the visions of our dreams with one another, we glorified God, the giver of all good things, and being assured of the blessedness of the saint; we have made; Beatificam known unto you both the day and time: that being as- Fronouncing sembled together according to the time of his martyrdom, we may communicate with the combatant, and most valiant martyr of Christ; who trod under foot the devil, and perfected the course he had piously desired, in Christ Jesus our Lord; by whom, and with whom, all glory and power be to the Father, with the blessed Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.

16

A DISCOURSE

CONCERNING

THE MARTYRDOM OF ST. POLYCARP,

AND THE EPISTLE WRITTEN BY THE CHURCH OF SMYRNA CONCERNING IT.

That there were heretofore several called by the name of Polycarp. Both the country and parentage of St. Polycarp uncertain. What he was before his conversion; and by whom converted. He is made Bishop of Smyrna by the Apostles. How he behaved him. self in that office. The great veneration which the Christians had for him. Of his journey to Rome, and what he did there. The testimony of St. John concerning him-Rev. ii. 8. Of the time of St. Polycarp's martyrdom. What persecutions the Church then laboured under. Of the Epistle of the Church of Smyrna con. cerning his sufferings; and the value which the ancients put upon it. Of the miracle that is said to have happened at his death. What his age was when he suffered. What the day of his suffer. ing. In what place he was put to death. Of the authority of the present Epistle, and its translation into our own language.

1. The Epistle of the Church of Smyrna, (the next piece that follows in the present collection) however it makes mention of some others that suffered, at the same time with St. Polycarp, for the faith of Christ; yet insisting chiefly upon the particulars of his passion, and being designed by that Church to communicate to all the world the glorious end of their heloved Bishop, and most worthy and constant martyr of Christ: I shall observe the same method in treating of this, that I did in discoursing of the acts of St. Ignatius before; and speak somewhat of the life of St. Polycarp first, before I come to consider the account that is here given us of his death.

2. That there were several of the name of Polycarp heretofore, and who must therefore carefully be distinguished from him of whom we are now to discourse, has

OF THE MARTYRDOM OF ST. POLYCARP.

183

Prol. ad Var.

b Le Moyne Prol. ad Var. Sacr.

been evidently shewn by the late learned editora of his Le Moyne Epistle. As for our Polycarp, the disciple of St. John, Sacr. and the great subject of the present martyrology, we have little account, either what was his country, or who his parents. In general we are told that he was born somewhere in the East; as Le Moyneb thinks not far from Antioch; and perhaps in Smyrna itself, says our learned Dr. Cave.c Being sold in his childhood, he bought by a certain noble matron whose name was Ca- 112. So the listo; and bred up by her, and at her death made heir tyrology. to all her estate; which though very considerable, he soon spent in works of charity and mercy.d

was

Life of St. Polycarp, p.

Roman Mar

d Le Moyne,

Cave, &c.

3. His Christianity he received in his younger years from Bucolus, Bishop of Smyrna; by whom being made Deacone and Catechist of that Church, and discharging Ibid.

e

those offices with great approbation, he was, upon the ƒ Irenæus death of Bucolus, made Bishop of Smyrna by the Apos- lib. iii. cap.3. tles; and particularly by St. Johns whose disciple, to- Eccles.lib.iv. gether with Ignatius, he had before been.

Euseb. Hist.

cap. 14. Vid. Tentzel. Exerc.select. de

Tertul de

ret. c. 32.

tyrol. Rom.

the Church

4. How considerable a reputation he gained by his relye.iii. $5. wise administration of this great office, we may in some Præser. Hameasure conclude from that character which his very Hieron. de Script. in Poenemies gave of him at his death; when crying out that lyc. Vid Mar he should be thrown to the Lions, they laid this to him Jan. xxvi. as his crime, but which was indeed his chiefest honour; h Epistle of this say they, is the Doctor of Asia, the father of the of Smyrna, Christians, and the overthrower of our Gods: and when he was burnt, they persuaded the Governor not to suffer his friends to carry away any of his remains, lest, say they, the Christians forsaking him that was crucified, should begin to worship Polycarp.

5. Nor was it any small testimony of the respect which was paid to him, that (as we are told in this Epistle) the Christians would not suffer him to pull off his own clothes, but strove who should be the most forward to do him service; thinking themselves happy if they could but come to touch his flesh. For, says the Epistle, he was truly

num. xii.

i Ibid. num.

xvii.

j De Script. in Polycarp.

terp. Græc.

Prol. ad Var.
Sacr.

adorned with such a good conversation, as made all men pay a more than ordinary respect to him.

6. Hence St. Hierome i calls him the prince of all Sophron. In Asia; Sophronius, the 'Agxnvos, or chief ruler; perhaps, Le Moyne says a learned man,k in opposition to the Asiarchæ of the Heathen spoken of in this Epistle: signifying thereby, that as they were among the Gentiles, the heads of their sacred rites, and presided in the common assemblies and spectacles of Asia; so was Polycarp among the Christians. a kind of universal Bishop, or Primate; the prince and head of the Churches in those parts.

Eccles, lib.iv.

dap. 14.

7. Nor was his care of the Church confined within the bounds of the Lesser Asia, but extended even unto Rome Euseb. Hist. itself, whither we are told he went upon the occasion of the Quartodeciman Controversie, then on foot between the Eastern and Western Churches, and which he hoped to have put a stop to, by his timely interposition with those of Rome. But though Anicetus and he could not agree upon that point, each alleging Apostolical tradition to warrant them in their practice: yet that did not hinVid. Vales. der but that he was received with all possible respect Euseb. Eccl. there; and officiated in their Churches m in presence of

Annot. ad

Hist. lib. iv.

wel. Exercit.

cap 14. Tent the Bishop, and communicated with him in the most de Plycarp. sacred mysteries of Religion."

Six.

Le Moyne Prolegom. ad Var. Sacr.

• Apnd Eub. loc. cit.

8. While he was at Rome, he remitted nothing of his concern for the interests of the Church; but employed his time partly in confirming those who were sound in the faith, and especially in drawing over those who were not, from their errors. In which work how successful he was, his own scholar Irenæus particularly recounts

to us.

9. What he did after his return, and how he discharged his pastoral office to the time of his martyrdom, we have little farther account; nor shall I trouble myself with the stories which Pionius P without any good grounds has ApudTentzel. Exercit. recorded of the life of this holy man. But that he still 76, &c. continued with all diligence to watch over the flock of

Select. iv. p.