one of the most ancient fathers of the Christian church, was born towards the end of the reign of Nero, probably at Smyrna; where he was educated at the expense of Calista, a noble matron distinguished by her piety and charity. He was unquestionably a disciple of St John the Evangelist, and conversed familiarly with other of the apostles. When of a proper age, Bucolus ordained him a deacon and catechist of his church; and upon his death he succeeded him in the bishopric, to which he is said to have been consecrated by St John, who also directed his Apocalypse, among others, to him, under the title of the angel of the church of Smyrna. At length the controversy about the observation of Easter beginning to grow high between the eastern and western churches, he went to Rome to discourse with those who were of the opposite party. The fee was then possessed by Anicetus, with whom he had many conferences, that were carried on in the most peaceable and amicable manner; and though neither of them could bring the other to embrace his opinion, they both retained their own sentiments without violating that charity which is the great law of their religion.

Whilst at Rome he particularly opposed the heresies of Marcian and Valentinius. His conduct on this occasion is related by Irenæus; who informs us, that when Polycarp passed Marcian in the street without speaking, Marcian said, "Polycarp, own us!" To which he replied with indignation, "I own thee to be the first-born of Satan." Irenæus adds, that when any heretical doctrines were spoken in his presence, he would stop his ears and say, "Good God! to what times hast thou referred me, that I should hear such things!" and immediately left the place. He was wont to tell, that St John, going into a bath at Ephesus, and finding Cerinthus the heretic in it, immediately started back without bathing, crying out, "Let us run away, lest the bath should fall upon us while Cerinthus the enemy of truth is in it." Polycarp governed the church of Smyrna with apostolic purity, till he suffered martyrdom in the 7th year of Marcus Aurelius; the manner of which is thus related.

The persecution waxing hot at Smyrna, and many having sealed their faith with their blood, the general cry was, "Away with the impious; let Polycarp be sought for." Upon which he privately withdrew into a neighbouring village, where he continued for some time praying night and day for the peace of the church. He Polycarp was thus employed, when one night he fell into a trance, and dreamed that his pillow took fire, and was burnt to ashes; which, when he awoke, he told his friends was a preface that he should be burnt alive for the cause of Christ. Three days afterwards, in order to escape the incessant search for him, he retired into another village: his enemies, however, were at hand, who seized upon two youths (one of whom they forced by stripes to a confession), by whom they were conducted to his lodging. He might have saved himself by getting into another house; but he submitted, saying, "The will of the Lord be done." He therefore came down from his bed-chamber, and saluting his persecutors with a serene and cheerful countenance, he ordered a table to be set with provisions, invited them to partake of them, and only requested for himself, one hour for prayer; after which he was set upon an ass, and conducted towards Smyrna. On the road he met Herod an irremediable justice of the province, and his father, who were the principal instigators of the persecution. Herod took him up into his chariot, and strenuously endeavoured to undermine his constancy; but having failed in the attempt, he thrust him out of the chariot with so much violence and indignation that he bruised his thigh with the fall. When at the place of execution, there came, as is said, a voice from heaven, saying, "Polycarp, be strong, and quit thyself like a man." Before the tribunal he was urged to swear by the genius of Caesar. "Repent (says the proconsul), and say with us, take away the impious." Whereupon the martyr looking round at the crowd with a severe and angry countenance, beckoned with his hand, and looking up to heaven, said with a sigh, in a very different tone from what they meant, "Take away the impious." At last, confessing himself to be a Christian, the crier thrice proclaimed his confession, and the people shouted, "This is the great doctor of Asia, and the father of the Christians; this is the destroyer of our gods, that teaches men not to do sacrifice, or worship the deities." When the fire was prepared, Polycarp requested not to be nailed, as usual, but only tied to the stake; and after a short prayer, which he pronounced with a clear and audible voice, the executioner blew up the fire, which incraeing to a mighty flame, "Behold a wonder seen (says my author) by us who were purposely referred, that we might declare it to others; the flames disposing themselves into the resemblance of an arch, like the sails of a ship swelled with the wind, gently encircled the body of the martyr, who stood all the while in the midst, not like roasted flesh, but like the gold or silver purified in the furnace, his body sending forth a delightful fragrancy, which like frankincense or some other costly spices, presented itself to our senses. The infidels, exasperated by the miracle, commanded a spearman to run him through with a sword: which he had no sooner done, but such a vast quantity of blood flowed from the wound as extinguished the fire; when a dove was seen to fly from the wound, which some suppose to have been his soul, clothed in a visible shape at the time of its departure (A)." The Christians endeavoured to carry off his body entire, but were not allowed by the irremediable, who commanded it to be burnt to ashes. The bones, however, were gathered up, and decently interred by the Christians.

Thus died St Polycarp, the 7th of the kalends of May, A.C. 167. The amphitheatre on which he suffered was mostly remaining not many years ago; and his tomb, which is in a little chapel in the side of a mountain, on the south-east of the city, was solemnly visited by the Greeks on his festival day; and for the maintenance and repairing of it, travellers were wont to throw a few aspersions into an earthen pot that stands there for the purpose. He wrote some homilies and epistles, which are now lost, except that to the Philippians, which is a truly pious and Christian piece, containing short and useful precepts and rules of life, which St Jerome informs us was even in his time read in the public assemblies of the Asiatic churches. It is singularly useful in proving the authenticity of the books of the New Testament; for he has several passages and expressions from Matthew, Luke, the Acts, St Paul's Epistle to the Philippians, Ephesians, Galatians, Corinthians, Romans, Thessalonians, Colossians, 1st Timothy, 1st Epistle of St John, and 1st of Peter; and makes particular mention of St Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians. Indeed his whole Epistle consists of phrases and sentiments taken from the New Testament (B).