# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1849 11 13_S46
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

46

wearied zeal and his faithfulness aroused the bitterest hatred against him, both of the heathen and of the Jews, and when, under the two emperors Marcus Aurelius Antoninus and Lucius Verus, a violent persecution broke out against the Christians, the unbelieving rabble at Smyrna did not delay to demand the death of Polycarp. The Roman proconsul there yielded to this demand, and the bishop was in the utmost peril of his life. Nevertheless he wanted to remain in the city, and only by the representations of his friends was he prevailed upon to take up his abode in a remote house in the country.

Three days before his arrest he had a dream in which he saw his pillow burning. He recognized therein a foreshadowing of his martyr's death and said to those about him: "I shall be condemned to the fire." On the news that he was being sought for everywhere in order to seize him, he betook himself to another country house. Yet his abode was betrayed. It was already late in the night when the officers broke into his dwelling. Polycarp, who had gone to rest in an upper chamber, went down to them at once when he received word of their arrival, conversed with them, and refreshed them with food and drink. The officers of justice were astonished at the great age and the undaunted courage of the venerable old man. He begged for yet an hour for free and public prayer, and prayed with such fervent devotion and holy zeal that two hours passed in it, and the hearers were thereby filled with deep emotion, and likewise were struck with great amazement by the presence of his mind. Many of the officers repented that they had allowed themselves to be employed to seek out so venerable an old man.

When Polycarp was led away, the officers set him upon an ass, and brought him toward the city. This happened, as is commonly believed, on the Saturday before the holy feast of Easter. The magistrate of that time, Herod, and his father Nicetes, drove out to meet him and had him get up into the carriage beside them. They began a conversation with him, and asked him what evil he found in it, if one sacrificed to the emperor and thereby preserved his life. Polycarp was silent at first. But when they pressed for an answer, he testified to them that he could not resolve to do this. The result of this was that they began to abuse him violently, and thrust him down from the carriage with such violence that he had a hard fall and was badly wounded in the leg. But Polycarp soon rose again from his fall and, with a composed mind, ran as briskly beside the carriage as if no harm had befallen him. After his arrival at Smyrna he was led into the circus. Hardly had he entered it when a voice was heard from heaven: "Be of good courage, Polycarp, and quit thyself like a man!" No one saw the person speaking, but the Christians who were present there heard the voice. He was then set before the proconsul, who urged him to recant, and to consider his great age. Yea, he at last pressed him still further and said: "Swear, and revile Christ, and thou shalt be set at perfect liberty." But Polycarp answered with calmness and composure: "Eighty and six years have I served Christ without interruption*), and he hath never done me the least harm; how then should I revile and blaspheme my King, who hath redeemed me and hath won salvation for me?" The proconsul threatened him: "I have wild beasts at hand, to which I will have thee cast, if thou dost not change thy purpose." Polycarp answered: "Let them come! It is well with me to attain perfection through the sufferings of death." The proconsul continued: "I will have thee burned alive, if the ravening beasts are a contemptible thing to thee, and thou dost not declare thyself otherwise." Thereupon the pious martyr broke out in these words: "Thou threatenest me with a fire that burns for a short time, and soon is quenched again; but thou knowest not the fire of the judgment to come and of the everlasting punishments, which is prepared for the ungodly in the world to come." After these and several other memorable words, which the aged martyr uttered with undaunted and joyful courage, the proconsul at last gave the command to proclaim three times in succession in the circus: "Polycarp hath confessed that he is a Christian." Hardly had this been done when the multitude of the heathen and Jews raised a terrible outcry over it, and urgently pressed the heathen priest Philip who was present to let a lion loose upon Polycarp. But since Philip could not or would not give his consent to this, the people insisted that Polycarp should be burned alive, and themselves made the necessary preparations for it; the Jews especially were most active herein. When everything was made ready, Polycarp laid his girdle and his garments aside, drew off his shoes, and prepared himself for his approaching martyrdom. They then laid everything that belonged to the stake about him, and wanted to fasten him to a stake after the usual custom. But Polycarp declined this, and said to those standing by: "Let me stand thus, for He who gives me the needful strength to endure the fury of the flames will also give me strength to stand firm upon this pile." Thereupon he lifted his eyes toward heaven and prayed: "LORD, almighty God! thou Father of Jesus Christ, thy blessed and beloved Son, through whom we have received the grace to know thee aright! Thou God of the angels and heavenly powers! Thou God of all creatures and of the whole race of the righteous, who live before thy face! I praise thee that thou hast let me live to see this day and this hour, when I am to come into the number of thy witnesses in blood, and to drink of the cup of suffering of Jesus Christ, in the hope of eternal life, both of soul and body, and in the communion of the Holy Ghost. Ah, that I may be offered unto thee today as an acceptable sacrifice, as thou, O God, who art true indeed and canst not lie, hast prepared it beforehand, and shown it beforehand, and now fulfilled it. Therefore I praise thee, and thank thee, and glorify thy name with the eternal and heavenly High Priest Jesus Christ, thy beloved Son, with whom, to thee and the Holy Ghost, be honor and praise now and unto all eternity, Amen!"

*) Many historians reckon these years from the time when Polycarp, who was a heathen by birth, was converted to Christianity, and hold that he was more than a hundred years old when he suffered martyrdom.

After the completion of this prayer the wood which was heaped up round about the martyr was kindled in various places. The flame leaped up on high and made, as it were, a vault or arch around Polycarp, who stood in the midst of this vault without being consumed by the flames; which the Christians present recognized as a miracle. A pleasant fragrance spread from the pile, as if sweet-smelling incense had been cast into the flame. When the persecutors perceived that the flame had not wholly consumed Polycarp, they grew impatient, and called to the executioner to give him the death-stroke. He pierced him through with a dagger. It is related that, after the martyr was pierced through, the blood flowed so abundantly from his body that the fire was quenched by it. At the urgent solicitation of the Jews, who would not permit the body of Polycarp any burial, it was at last wholly burned. Nothing remained of it but a few bones, which the Christians carefully gathered and laid in the earth.

Counsel for Christians to Whom the Devil Holds Up Their Sins, and Whom He Thereby Seeks to Bring to Despair.

Concerning this Luther writes: "The devil is a liar, that is true, but he can lie better than any ordinary bad liar, and more artfully than a man can understand; for he takes before him a truth which one cannot deny, and sharpens his lies therewith, so that one cannot defend himself. It was the pure truth when he struck Judas to the heart, that he had betrayed innocent blood; that Judas could not deny, it was the truth: but that was a lie, that he bade him despair of God. Yet he sharpened such despair through the truth so mightily that Judas must go hence upon it and hang himself. Matt. 27:5. Acts 1:18. No, dear brother, there the devil does not lie, when he holds up to us our open evil works and life; there he has