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This letter Gaius took from Irenæus, the disciple of Polycarp, being himself also a friend of Irenæus.
And I Socrates, of Corinth, have transcribed it from the copy of Gaius. Grace be with all men.
And I, again, Pionius have copied from the above written, Polycarp himself in a vision having shewed me where the manuscripts were, as I shall declare in the sequel, after I had long sought for them; and so I gathered them, when now by length of time almost worn out, that so the Lord Jesus Christ may gather me also with his elect; to whom be glory, with Father and Holy Ghost, for ever and ever. Amen.
Thus ends this ancient history. It appears that one Pionius suffered martyrdom at the same place Smyrna, in the Decian persecution, which happened eighty years after this in which Polycarp suffered. The name and death of this martyr are mentioned by Eusebius in connection with that of Polycarp, and it seems probable that the full account of his sufferings was appended to the MS. which has been here translated. We may therefore infer, that this was the man, who had so diligently and faithfully transcribed the history of his fellow-countryman, and that having carefully conned his sacred lesson, and thus given courage to his fearfulness, and strength to his weakness, he at length by God's grace was enabled to withstand the like tortures, "not accepting the deliverance, that he might obtain a better resurrection."
These Tracts may be had at Turrill's, No. 250, Regent Street, London.
KING, PRINTER, ST. CLEMENT'S, OXFORD.
