(P«it#aM.,  3,  8.)

PoLvcikpcs,  a  father  and  martyr  of  ihe  church,  bom
probably  at  Smyrna  during  the  reign  of  Neio.  He  was
a  disciple  of  the  AposUe  John,  sod  was  by  hnn  «p-
poinled  biabiw  of  that  city ;  and  he  ia  tbonght  to  M
tbe  angel  of  lha  ehuicb  of  Etrayma,  to  whom  the  ep<»>
tie  in  the  second  chapter  of  Revd^tiotia  ia  addresaed.
Ignatiut  also  tfstoomed  Polycarp'bighTy,  who,  when  tho
fDrmer  wss  condemned  to  die,  comforted  and  encoura-
ged bin  in  his  snffinin^.  On  the  event  of  a  contro*
versy  between  the  Eastern  and  Westeio  churehea,
apectiog  die  pn^r  timo  for  ceMmtii^  Enator,  Poly*
caip  QDaerUMk'aioumey,M  Rome  to  confer  with  Ani-
cetus ;  but,  though  nothrns  aatisfactoiy  took  place  on
that  sdlatr,  be  violently  while  at  Rome,  opposed  tbo
heresies  of  Marcion  and  Valentinna,,  sAd  converted
many  or  their  followera.  During  the  perseentton  of
the  Christians  nnder  Marena  Auieliua,  Polycaip  saf*
fared  Aattyrdom  with  the  tnoat  heroic  fbitHnde,  A.D.
189.'  WhOn  be  was  going  to  Ihe  tames,  tbe  procoa-
■sol  offered  him  his  life  if  he  woald  bls'spheme  Uhrist,
to  which  the  verterable  pnlate  anawercd,  "Eighty  and
tilt  yecrt  %a*e  /  wrwd  Aim,  and  he  hae  ever  tretted
tntrntk  kindtiet$;  how,' then,  can  I  bUephettu  kiml'*
His  "  Epistles  to  the  Philippisns,*'  the  only  one  of  hie
pieces  which  has  been  preserved,  ia  contained  in  A^^h-
biabop  Weke'e  "  Oeiiuine  Epistlea."  The  best  edi-
tioiror  the  oKginal  ia  ihalhy  Aldrieh,  Own.,  8vo,  1708.
Another  Cdittto  appeared  from  the  aame  piesa,  br
Smith,  17U9,  4to.
