was, "Away with the impious," (or the atheists, such they generally called and accounted the Christians;) "let Polycarp be sought for." The good man was not disturbed at the news, but resolved to endure the brunt; till his friends, knowing his singular usefulness, and that our Lord had given leave to his disciples, when persecuted in one city, to flee to another, prevailed with him to withdraw into a neighbouring village; where, with a few companions, he continued day and night in prayer, earnestly interceding with Heaven (as aforetime it had ever been his custom) for the peace and tranquillity of all the churches in the world. Three days before his apprehension, falling at night, as he was at prayer, into a trance, he dreamed that his pillow was on fire, and burned to ashes; which, when he awakened, he told his friends was a prophetic presage that he should be burned alive for the cause of Christ. In the mean time he was everywhere narrowly sought for; upon notice whereof his friends persuaded him to retire into another village; whither he was no sooner come, but his enemies were at hand, who, seizing upon a couple of youths, (one of whom by stripes they forced to a confession,) were by them conducted to his lodging. Entering the house at evening, they perceived him to be in bed in an upper room; and though, upon notice beforehand of their

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coming, he might easily have saved himself by slipping into another house, yet he refused, saying, "The will of the Lord be done." Understanding his persecutors were there, he came down and saluted them with a very cheerful and gentle countenance; insomuch, that they who had not hitherto known him, wondered to behold so venerable a person, of so great age, and so grave and composed a presence; and what needed all this stir to hunt and take this poor old man ? He, nothing concerned, ordered a table to be spread, and provisions to be set upon it, inviting them to partake of them, and only requesting for himself, that in the mean while he might have one hour for prayer. Leave being granted, he rose up, and betook himself to his devotions, wherein he had such mighty assistances of divine grace, that he continued praying nearly two hours together, heartily recommending to God the case of all his friends and acquaintance, whether great or little, honourable or ignoble, and the state of the Catholic Church throughout the world; all that heard him being astonished at it, and many of them now repenting that so divine and venerable an old man should be put to death.

His prayer being ended, and they ready to depart, he was set upon an ass, and conducted into the city. As they were upon the road, they were met by Herod and his

father Nicetes, who indeed were the main springs of the persecution, and had put the tumult into motion. By them Polycarp was taken up into their chariot, where they both, by plausible insinuations, sought to undermine his constancy; asking him what great harm there was in saying, My lord the emperor, and in sacrificing, by which means he might escape. This was an usual way of attempting the Christians; not that they made any scruple to acknowledge the emperor to be their lord, (none were so forward, so earnest to pay all due subjection and reverence to princes,) but because they knew that the Romans, too apt to flatter the ambition of their emperors into a fondly usurped divinity, by that title usually understood God, as Tertullian tells them; in any other notion of the word, they could as freely as any call him Lord; though, as he adds, even Augustus himself modestly forbade that title to be ascribed to him.

St. Polycarp returned no answer to their demand, till importunately urging him, he replied, that he would not at any rate comply with their persuasions. Frustrated of the ends which they had upon him, they now lay aside their dissembled friendship, and turn their kindness into scorn and reproaches; thrusting him out of the chariot with so much violence, that he bruised his thigh with the fall. Whereat nothing daunted,

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as if he had received no hurt, he cheerfully hastened on to the place of his execution, under the conduct of his guard; whither when they were come, and a confused noise and tumult was arisen, a voice came from heaven, (heard by many, but none seen who spake it,) saying, "Polycarp, be strong, and quit thyself like a man." Immediately he was brought before the public tribunal, where a great shout was made; all rejoicing that he was apprehended. The proconsul asked him, whether he was Polycarp; which being confessed, he began to persuade him to reRegard," said he, "thy great age; swear by the genius of Cæsar; repent, and say with us, Take away the impious." These were their usual terms and proposals to Christians, who stoutly refused to swear by the emperor's genius; upon which account the heathens generally traduced them as traitors and enemies to the state; though, to wipe off that charge, they openly professed, that though they could not swear in this way, (their genii being accounted deities, whom the Christians knew to be but demons, and cast out at every turn,) yet they scrupled not to swear by the emperor's safety, a thing more august and sacred than all the genii in the world.

The holy martyr looking about the stadium, and with a severe countenance beholding the crowd, beckoned to them with his

hand, sighed and looked up to heaven, saying, (though quite in another sense than they intended,) "Take away the impious." The proconsul still persuaded him to swear, with promise to release him; withal urging him to blaspheme Christ; for with that temptation they were wont to assault Christians, and thereby to try the sincerity of their renegados; a course which Pliny tells us he observed towards apostate Christians; though he withal confesses, that none of them that were really Christians could ever be brought to it. The motion was resented with a noble scorn, and drew from Polycarp this generous confession: "Fourscore and six years I have served him, and he never did me any harm; how, then, shall I now blaspheme my King and my Saviour?" But nothing will satisfy a malicious misguided zeal: the proconsul still importuned him to swear by Cæsar's genius; to whom he replied, " Since you are so vainly ambitious that I should swear by the emperor's genius, as you call it, as if you knew not who I am, hear my free confession: I am a Christian. If you have a mind to learn the Christian religion, appoint me a time, and I will instruct you in it." The proconsul advised him to persuade the people: he answered, "To you I rather choose to address my discourse; for we are commanded by the laws of our religion to give to princes, and the powers ordained of God,