church of Smyrna, to whom the epistle in the Revelation is

sent.

But though we should not be able precisely to settle the time of Polycarp's birth, or death, it is evident from the testimonies here alleged, that he was a disciple of John; appointed bishop of Smyrna by him, if not also by some other apostles joining with him therein; and that he had conversed with several who had seen the Lord.

Irenæus assures us, Polycarp had written divers letters. The loss of the writings of such a person cannot but be lamented. And I think it somewhat likely, that Eusebius and Jerom had seen nothing of his, beside the epistle to the Philippians.

There is scarce any doubt or question among learned men about the genuineness of this epistle of Polycarp, though there have been exceptions taken to a passage or two of it, as if they were additions and interpolations. Indeed, the epistle we still have well answers to the apostolical character of Polycarp himself, and agrees with the character given of his epistle by Irenæus, and the observation of Eusebius, that he had therein quoted the first epistle of Peter, and not the second. It has also the passages expressly quoted from it by Eusebius. It ought therefore to be received and respected as his, without hesitation.

It is certain this epistle was written after the death of Ignatius, and, as is generally supposed, soon after it. Basnage indeed denies that there is any proof of this. However I shall place it here in the year next after the death of Ignatius, A. D. 108.

The former and larger part of this epistle we have in its original Greek. The tenth, eleventh, and twelfth sections (of which there are thirteen in the whole) are now extant only in an ancient Latin version, which is entire, and contains the whole epistle.

The Relation of the Martyrdom of Polycarp, written by the church of Smyrna, of which he was bishop, is an excellent piece; which may be read with pleasure by the English reader in the archbishop of Canterbury's Collection of the apostolical Fathers. As there are in it some quotations of the books of the New Testament, or references to them, I shall give an account of it when I have made my collections out of Polycarp's epistle to the Philippians. The greatest part of that relation is inserted by

P H. E. 1. 3. c. 36. p. 108.

Annal. 110. sect. 4, 6.

Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical History; and it is preserved elsewhere entire.

There are some fragments called Responsiones, ascribed to St. Polycarp; in which the four evangelists, and the characters of their gospels, are distinctly mentioned. These fragments were first published by Feuardentius in his Irenæus, from Victor of Capua, a writer of the sixth century, and have been since several times republished byt others. But we have already observed it to be somewhat likely, that there was nothing remaining of Polycarp in the time of Eusebius and Jerom, beside his epistle to the Philippians. Du Pin" says plainly, there is a good deal of reason to think these fragments are supposititious. And our most reverend Metropolitan, having observed that, beside the great distance of Victor Capuanus, the first collector of them from the time of Polycarp, he has given, upon some other occasions, manifest proofs of his little care and judgment in distinguishing the works of the ancient fathers who lived any long time before him; and that the passages themselves ascribed to St Polycarp, are little agreeable to the apostolical age, concludes: All these 'considerations have justly restrained learned men from giving any credit to those fragments, or from receiving them as belonging in any wise to so ancient an author.' They will therefore be no farther taken notice of here. I proceed to consider the testimonies of the only remaining piece of this father.

In St. Polycarp's short epistle to the Philippians are many texts of the New Testament, though but few books cited, or expressly named. However, of these in the first place.

Books of the New Testament quoted by Polycarp.

N. T.

I. 1 Cor. vi. 2. "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?”

↑ L. iv. c. 15.

Martyr. et alibi.

T. 2. p. 203.

t

POLYCARP.

I. Ch. xi. Dow we not know that the saints shall judge the world? as Paul teaches,'

Apud Patr. Apost. Cotel. v. ii. Ruinart, Act. Ap. Grabe, Irenæ. p. 205. et Patres Apost. "Il y a bien de l'apparence, que ce sont des choses supposées. Bibl. Eccl. en Polycarpe. Discourse concerning the treatises of his collection. Ch. 3. sect. 14. • An nescimus, quia sancti mundum judicabunt? sicut Paulus docet.

N. T.

II. Eph. iv. 26. "Be ye* angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath."

POLYCARP.

II. Ch. xii. For I trust that ye are well exercised in the holy scriptures. -As in these scriptures it is said: Be ye angry, and sin not. And, Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.'

It is true, the first of these directions is the same with that, Ps. iv. 4, "Stand in awe, and sin not;" which in the Septuagint version is, Οργίζεσθε, και μη αμαρτάνετε, • Be angry, and sin not.' But as the latter advice is no where in the Old Testament, and both these precepts are together in the epistle to the Ephesians, it seems to me, that Polycarp does expressly refer the Philippians to St. Paul's epistle to the Ephesians, and calls it scripture. If this be so, then we see, that the writings of the New Testament had now the name of sacred writings,' or 'holy scriptures,' and that they were much read by christians in general.

III. Chap. iii. For neither I, nor any one like me, can come up to the wisdom of the blessed and renowned Paul, who, when absent," wrote to you letters, [an epistle, A. B. Wake,] into which if you look, you will be able to edify yourselves in the faith which has been delivered to you.'

Ch. xi. But I have neither perceived nor heard any such thing to be in you, among whom the blessed Paul laboured, who are in the beginning of his epistle: for he glories in you in all the churches, which then alone knew God.'

In the former of these two passages the original Greek word, which I have rendered letters,' is in the plural number. But thereby some understand only an epistle, and so it is rendered by the archbishop in his excellent translation. And it is certain that the original word is sometimes used in the plural number for only one epistle. Understand it so here, and we have at least an express testimony for the epistle of Paul to the Philippians. But comparing these two passages together, I am apt to think, that by epistles' Polycarp intends the epistle to the

6

Οργίζεσθε, και μη ἁμαρτάνετε· ὁ ἥλιος μη επιδυετω επι τῳ παροργισμα y Ut his scripturis dictum est: Irascimini, et nolite peccare. Et, Sol non occidat super iracundiam vestram.

υμων.

Ὃς και απων ὑμιν εγραψεν επιτολας, εις &ς εαν εγκύπτητε, κ. λ. In quibus laboravit beatus Paulus; qui estis in principio epistolæ ejus. De vobis etenim gloriatur in omnibus ecclesiis, quæ Deum tunc solæ cogno

verunt.

b Vid. Coteler. in loc.

opinion of Salmeron. Vid. Usser. Notas ad h. 1.

This was the

Philippians, and also both the epistles to the Thessalonians. For in this last passage he seems to quote these words, 2 Thess. i. 4, "So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God." Nor is it at all unlikely that Polycarp might consider the epistles directly sent to the Thessalonians, as written likewise to the Philippians; they being also in the same province of Macedonia, of which Thessalonica was the capital city.

And though the word in the first passage should be limited to one epistle, that directly to the Philippians, yet this latter passage is so clear for the second to the Thessalonians, that we are in a manner obliged to understand Polycarp to suppose the Philippians concerned in those epistles.

Words of the New Testament, and allusions, without the name of the book or writer.

N. T.

IV. Matth. v. 3. " Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. v. 7. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. 10. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Matth. vii. 1. "Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2. And with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."

Luke vi. 20. "Blessed be ye poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 36. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. 37. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged. Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven. 38. For with the same measure that ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”

d

POLYCARP.

IV. Ch. ii.' But remembering what the Lord said teaching: Judge not, that ye be not judged: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: be ye merciful, that ye may obtain mercy: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. to you again. And, Blessed are the poor, and they that are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of God.'

Μνημονευοντες δε ών ειπεν ὁ Κύριος διδασκων. κ. λ.

I have put down in the margin the original words of these two last passages, and of the corresponding texts in Matthew, to be compared as a specimen of the agreement between the originals. It would be too tedious to do so all along, without some special reason. But in the other places there is also a like agreement in the originals with what appears in the translations.

We have in divers of these passages words of our Lord, with a mark of reference, The Lord hath said,' though no historian or evangelist is expressly named.

N. T.

IX. Acts ii. 24. "Whomi God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death."

X. Rom. xiii. 9. “And if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, name

POLYCARP.

IX. Ch. i. Whom God hath raised, having loosed the pains of hell.'

X. Ch. iii. Led on by love toward God, and Christ, and toward our neighbour: for if any man has these

• Και μη εισενέγκης ήμας εις πειρασμον. ἡμας εις πειρασμον.

1 Μη εισενεγκειν

8 Το μεν πνευμα προθυμον, ἡ δε σαρξ ασθενης. * Καθώς εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος" το μεν πνευμα προθυμον, ἡ δε σαρξ ασθενης. * Ον ὁ θεος ανετησε, λυσας τας ωδίνας τε θάνατο .

* Ον εγειρεν ὁ Θεός, λυσας τας ωδίνας τε αδέ.