stake even as the chief ram taken from a large flock, to be a burnt offering acceptable to GoD, lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, "O LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, FATHER of Thy well-beloved and blessed SON JESUS CHRIST, through whom we have attained to the knowledge of Thee; Thou GoD of Angels and of Powers, and of every creature, and of the whole generation of the just who live before Thee; I bless Thee that Thou hast accounted me worthy of this day and hour, that I might receive my portion in the number of Thy witnesses, and drink of the cup of Thine Anointed, unto the resurrection of both body and soul unto eternal life, through the incorruption of the HOLY SPIRIT; amongst which blessed martyrs may I be accepted before Thee this day for a rich and acceptable sacrifice, even as Thou hast foreordained, foreshown, and now accomplished, the true and unfailing GOD. For this and for all Thy doings, I praise Thee, I bless Thee, I glorify Thee, through the eternal High Priest, JESUS CHRIST, Thy well-beloved SON, through whom be glory to Thee with Him in the HOLY SPIRIT, both now and for evermore. Amen." And when he had pronounced in a loud voice his Amen, having finished his prayer, they whose office it was kindled the fire, and a great flame flashed forth; and we, to whom the sight was vouchsafed, beheld truly a mighty marvel, who have been to this end preserved, that we might declare to the rest the things which were done. For the fire taking the shape of a doom, like the sail of a ship when filled with wind, compassed all round the body of the martyr; and he appeared in the middle, not like burning flesh, but like gold and silver tried in the furnace. Yea, we perceived too such a sweet odour as from the breath of frankincense, or some other precious perfume. In the end, therefore, when the ungodly saw that his body could not be consumed of the fire, they commanded an executioner to go near to him, and thrust his sword into him. Which when he had done, there issued forth such a stream of blood, that it quenched the fire; and all the multitude marvelled that there was such a difference between the unbelievers and the elect. Of them was this man one, and the most remarkable in all our time, being Bishop of the Catholic Church that is in Smyrna, and an 1 Matt. xx. 22, 23. xxvi. 39. 42. John xviii. 11. Apostolic and prophetic Teacher. For never word came from his mouth, but it has been, or shall be fulfilled. But the envious and wicked Adversary of the generation of the righteous, when he saw the mightiness of his testimony, and his blameless conversation from the first, and how that he was now crowned with the crown of immortality, and had borne away a prize that could not be spoken against, contrived that his poor body might not be obtained by us, though many much desired to secure it, and to communicate' over his holy remains. For some suggested to Nicetes, the father of Herod, and brother of Alce, that he should persuade the governor not to give up his body, "lest," said he, "they leave the Crucified and take to worshipping this fellow." And these things they said as instigated and supported by the Jews, who even watched us when some of us were about to take his body from the fire, for they little knew how impossible it was for us either to forsake the worship of CHRIST, who suffered for the salvation of the whole world of them that be saved, or to pay worship to any other. For to Him truly we pay adoration, forasmuch as He was the Son of God; but the martyrs, as the disciples and followers of the LORD, we revere as they deserve, for their incomparable loyalty to their King and Master, praying that we may be made their partners and their fellow-disciples. Then the centurion, seeing the earnestness of the Jews, laid out the body and burnt it, as was their custom; and so we afterwards gathered up his bones, more valued than stones of much price, and purer than fine gold, and laid them up in a fitting treasure-house. There assembling, as we may, in joy and in triumph, the LORD shall grant unto us to celebrate the birth-day2 of his martyrdom, both to the remembering of them who wrestled before in the cause, and the training and preparing of those that shall come after. 1 That is, probably, to meet for prayer and the celebration of the Eucharist with the body in their sight. The same feeling has shown itself almost in all ages, in the interment of the dead in the church and churchyard. 2 The Church always celebrated the day of martyrdom as that on which the Saint was truly born, and not what we call the birth-day. The following translation from an old writer may serve to explain this view: "We celebrate not the day of birth, since it is the entrance to sorrow and all trials; but it is the day of death we celebrate, as the laying down of all sorrows, and the escape from all trials. We celebrate the day of death, because these die not when they seem to Comment. in Job, lib. 3. die." Such is the story of the blessed Polycarp, who, being (with them of Philadelphia) the twelfth who has given his testimony in Smyrna, is made alone the especial subject of all men, so that even by the Gentiles is he spoken of in every place, having been not only a notable teacher, but also a chief witness; whose confession, rendered as it was according to the Gospel of CHRIST, all men desire to imitate. For by his patient endurance he triumphed over the unjust ruler, and thus having won the garland of immortality, and rejoicing with the Apostles, and all Saints, he glorifieth God and the FATHER, and blesseth our LORD, who is both the Governor of our bodies, and the Shepherd of the Catholic Church throughout the world. Ye requested, therefore, that these circumstances should be detailed to you at length, and we have now briefly signified them through our brother Marcus. Therefore after ye have understood these things, send our letter about to our brethren also, in the regions beyond you, that they too may glorify the LORD, who maketh choice out of His own servants, who is able by His grace and free gift to bring all of you unto His eternal kingdom, through His only begotten SON JESUS CHRIST, to whom be glory, honour, dominion, and greatness for ever. Amen. Salute ye all the Saints. They that are with us salute you; and Evarestus, who hath written this, with all his house. The blessed Polycarp gave his testimony on the 2nd of the month Xanthicus, on the 26th of March, on the Great Sabbath ', at the eighth hour. He was apprehended by Herod, in the High Priesthood of Philip of Tralles, in the proconsulship of Stratius Quadratus, in the everlasting reign of JESUS CHRIST, to whom be glory, honour, greatness, and a throne eternal, from generation to generation. Amen. We pray you, brethren, to be strong, walking by the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST, (with whom be glory to God, both FATHER and HOLY SPIRIT for the salvation of the elect Saints,) even as the blessed Polycarp suffered, in whose steps may we be found in the kingdom of JESUS CHRIST. There is some doubt what this great sabbath was; but it seems most probable that was that which came between the days of our LORD's passion and resurrection, a fitting time for His followers to enter into His rest. This letter Gaius took from Irenæus, the disciple of Polycarp, being himself also a friend of Irenæus. And I Socrates, of Corinth, have transcribed it from the copy of Gaius. Grace be with all men. And I, again, Pionius, have copied from the above written, Polycarp himself in a vision having showed me where the manu scripts were, as I shall declare in the sequel, after I had long sought for them; and so I gathered them, when now by length of time almost worn out, that so the LORD JESUS CHRIST may gather me also with His elect; to whom be glory, with the FATHER and HOLY GHOST, for ever and ever. Amen. It appears that one Pionius place, Smyrna, in the Decian Thus ends this ancient history. suffered martyrdom at the same persecution, which happened eighty years after this in which Polycarp suffered. The name and death of this martyr are mentioned by Eusebius in connection with that of Polycarp, and it seems probable that the full account of his sufferings was appended to the MS. which has been here translated. We may therefore infer, that this was the man, who had so diligently and faithfully transcribed the history of his fellow-countryman ; and that, having carefully conned his sacred lesson, and thus given courage to his fearfulness, and strength to his weakness, he at length by God's grace was enabled to withstand the like tortures, "not accepting the deliverance, that he might obtain a better resurrection." [NEW EDITION.] These Tracts are continued in Numbers, and sold at the price of 2d. for each sheet, or 7s. for 50 copies. LONDON: PRINTED FOR J. G. F. & J. RIVINGTON, ST. PAUL'S CHURCH YARD, AND WATERLOO PLACE. 1840. GILBERT & RIVINGTON, Printers, St. John's Square, London. The following Works, all in single volumes, or pamphlets, and recently published, will be found more or less to uphold or elucidate the general doctrines inculcated in these Tracts : Bp. Taylor on Repentance, by Hale.-Rivingtons. Bp. Taylor's Golden Grove.-Parker, Oxford. Vincentii Lirinensis Commonitorium, with translation.-Parker, Oxford. Pusey on Cathedrals and Clerical Education.-Roake & Varty. Pusey on Baptism (published separately).-Rivingtons. Newman's Sermons, 4 vols.-Rivingtons. Newman on Romanism, &c.-Rivingtons. The Christian Year.-Parker, Oxford. Perceval on the Roman Schism.-Leslie. Bishop Jebb's Pastoral Instructions.-Duncan. Bp. Andrews' Devotions. Latin and Greek.-Pickering. Herbert's Poems and Country Pastor. Evans's Scripture Biography.—Rivingtons. Le Bas' Life of Archbishop Laud.-Rivingtons. Jones (of Nayland) on the Church. Bp. Bethell on Baptismal Regeneration.-Rivingtons. Bp. Beveridge's Sermons on the Ministry and Ordinances.—Parker, Oxford. Bp. Jolly on the Eucharist. Fulford's Sermons on the Ministry, &c.-Rivingtons. A Catechism on the Church.-Parker, Oxford. Russell's Judgment of the Anglican Church.-Baily. Larger Works which may be profitably studied. Wall on Infant Baptism.-Do. Pearson on the Creed.-Do. Leslie's Works.-Do. Bingham's Works.-Straker, London. Palmer on the Liturgy.—University Press. Palmer on the Church.-Rivingtons. Hooker, ed. Keble.-Rivingtons. |