Must we believe that the mention on several occasions of the Catholic Church is an indication of later touches? We might get rid of this difficulty if the phrase -q Ka&oXiKri iKKXijaia had not already occurred in Ignatius, and moreover in his Epistle to the Smyrnjeans (viii. 2), with the mean- ing of ' universal Church,' geographically universal, in contrast to ' local Church.' This same geo- graphical meaning is the one which the Martyrium Polycarpi retains in all the passages where the Church qualified by 'Catholic' is that which is over the whole inhabited world (KaSoXiK^ = KaTa TTjK oUov/iifrif ; Martyrium Polycarpi, inscriptio, viii. 1, xix. 2). Once only (xvi. 2) the Church seems to be qualified by ' Catholic' as a legitimate predicate : Polycarp is called iirlaicoTToi t^s iv 'S/j.vpi'Ti KofloXiK^ iKK\ijaiai. This is the earliest example of the use of Ka$o\iK6s in contrast with aipeTiKdi. This early occurrence may be surprising, but it is clear that every formula appears some- where as the need for it arises. At the time of Polycarp the heretics were fairly numerous and so far separated from the great Church that the great Church distinguished itself from them by calling itself 'the Catholic' There is therefore no reason for seeing signs of interpolation in the use of KadoXmdi with this new meaning.
We need not be surprised that the Martyrium Polycarpi takes up the task of comparing the Passion of Christ and the martyrdom of the bishop. It endeavours to show that the martyrdom is 'ac- cording to the Gospel ' (i. 1, xix. 1). It is a model martyrdom, and the author explains this by say- ing that Polycarp ' waited to be given up, as the Lord also did ' {inpU^evev yap tVa irapaooOrj, cjs Kal 6 Kt'ipios), to teach the faithful not to think only of their individual safety, but to think of all the brethren (i. 2). He waited to be given up, i.e. he did not accuse himself and present himself before the magistrate of his own free will. The ardour of the faithful had to be restrained in times of persecution, and they had to be warned against presumption. The author of the Martyrium Polycarpi explains it (4) : ' But one man, Quintus by name, a Phrygian newly arrived from Phrygia, when he saw the wild beasts, turned coward. He it was who had forced himself and some others to come forward of their own free will. . . . For this cause therefore, brethren, we praise not those who deliver themselves up, since the Gospel doth not so teach us.' It is impossible to establish a
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comparison between the death of Christ and the death of a martyr. Tlie Christ ' suH'ered for the salvation of tlie wliole worhi of those that are saved — suH'ered tliouyh faultless for sinners' (xvii. 2). We love the martyrs because they are ' the disciples and the imitators of the Lord, and they are worthj' of our love for their ' unconquer- able tidelity to their real kin^ and their master. May we share their fate and be tlieir co-disciples' (xvii. 3).
2. Writings and doctrine. — We noted above that Irena>us mentions several letters of Polycarp, either to churches or to individuals. It is not impossible that Irena'us really knew several letters of l^olycarp. Only one has been i>reserved, bow- ever — the letter of Polycarp to the Philippians.
We know that Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, during the journey that led him a prisoner to Kome, stopped at Smyrna. We have a letter of Ignatius to the Smyrna'ans, in which the juisoner, on arriving at Troas, thanks them for the kindness w ith whicli they received him : ' You have lavished all kinds of comforts on me : may Jesus Christ reward you for it ! Both far and near you have shown me your kindness : I pray God to recom- pense you' (ltd Siniirn. i.\. 2). Ignatius thanks them also for the welcome which they accorded to his three companions (x. 1). He requests them to send a messenger to Antioch with a letter con- gratulating the Christians of Antioch on having restored concord in their church (xi. 2). We maj' note in passing that a similar letter must have been written by the bishop of Smyrna. Further, Ignatius wrote : ' I salute the bishop worthy of God {a.(nrd^o/j.ai rhv a^ibdeov EtriaKOTrov), who is your bishop.' He adds several other salutations to certain Christians of Smyrna whom he names — Tavia, AIke, Daphnos, Kuteknos (13). In the Martyrium Polycai-pi, xvii. 2, an Alee is men- tioned, whose brother Niketes is an influential Smyrn^an pagan, and very hostile to the Chris- tians. Before leaving Troas, Ignatius wrote his epistle to ' Polycarp, bishop of the church of the Smyrnaeans.' The tone of this letter recalls the Pastoral Epi.stles : Ignatius gives Polycarp advice, as Paul did to Timothy, but in it the authority of Ignatius is tempered by a tender reverence for the bishop of Smyrna, who was evi- dently still a young man. 'I give exceeding glory,' says Ignatius to Polycarp, ' that it hath been vouchsafed me to see thy blameless face' (ad Polyc. i. 1). And again : ' In all things I am de- voted to thee — I and my bonds which thou didst cherish ' (ii. 3). We must be careful not to think that the virtues which Ignatius recommends to Polycarp are so many virtues wanting in the latter ! Ignatius insists that the Christians of Smyrna should send a messenger to Antioch : ' It becometh thee, most blessed Polycarp, to call together a godly council and to elect some one among you who is very dear to you and zealous also, who shall be tit to bear the name of God's courier — to appoint him, I say, that he may go to Syria and glorify your zealous love unto the glory of God ' (vii. 2). Ignatius apologizes for not being able to write to all tlie churches. ' Thou shalt write to the churches in front, as one possessing the mind of God, to the intent that they al.so may do this same thing' (viii. 1). The letter ended with salutations to some Smyrnajan Cliristians, the house of Epitropos, Attalos, and Alke once more. We shall see how the Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians tits in with the story of Ignatius.