apostolicfathers0201clem - Carmel Apologetics

636 EPISTLE OF S. POLYCARP.
But why impossible What has it to do with the dating by the
Christian era The contrast between the earthly king and the heavenly
king is as old as Pilate's days (John xix. 15). In the ages of persecution
the Christians were again and again brought face to face with it. The
alternative between ' Cresar is Lord ' and ' Christ is Lord ' was forced
upon their consciences, as we see from this very Letter of the Smyrnseans
(§ 8) ;
and such a mode of expression was the natural, I might
almost say, the necessary consequence.
As a matter of fact it occurs frequently in those Acts of Martyrdom
which on internal grounds we should pronounce the earliest. In Ruinart's
collection for instance, we find it in the Acts of Pionius p. 198, of
Epipodius and Alexander p. 123, [of Symphorianus p. 128]', of Maximus
p. 204, of Peter, Andrew, Paul, and Dionysia p. 207, of Lucianus
and Marcianus p. 214, of Cyprian p. 264, [of Cyrillus p. 290], [of
Genesius p. 313], of Procopius p. 387, [of Vincentius p. 406], of Agape,
Chroma, and others p. 427, of Irenaeus p. 434, of Pollio p. 436, [of
Euphus p. 439], of Crispina p. 479, [of Afra p. 484], of Serenus p.
518, [of Phileas p. 521], of Peter Balsamus p. 527, of Julius p. 570, of
Marcianus and Nicander p. 573, of Firmus and Rusticus p. 642.
Besides these Acts, which have found a place in Ruinart, many other
examples are collected by D. Blondel De Formulae Regnanie Christo in
Veterum Monunmitis Usu p. 373 sq (a.d. 1646). See also Acta
Timothei p. 13 (ed. Usener). After every allowance made for a large
percentage of spurious documents among these Acts, there must remain
a considerable number of genuine writings and even the
;
spurious were
probably in most cases composed before the date arbitrarily assigned to
the introduction of this formula. But indeed this ghost of a difiiculty
may at length be regarded as laid for ever. In the recently discovered
Acts of the Scillitan Martyrs, which are among the earliest documents
of this class (a.d. 180), and whose authenticity is
undisputed, this contrast
between the earthly and the heavenly ruler appears in its most
emphatic form. In the body of the document Speratus, the leader of
the martyrs, is represented as saying, 'Eyw -n^i' /Saa-iXuav tov vvv aiwos
ov yivcoo-KW
aivw 8k koL Xarpevw T(3 e/Aw 0€u...€7rtyiv(oo-K(u tov Kvpiov rj/xwy
Kol jSaaiXea twv /Jao-iXeW koL SeairoTrjv ttcivtcov twv iOvwv. At the close
again the date is given ; i-rrl
IlpaicrtvTOS to 13' kol KovSiavov tc3v vn-aTOiv
KOL "StaTovpvLVOv TOV dvOvTraTov, Ka$' 77/xas
8e /3acrtA.evovTOS tov Kvpiov r]fX(2v
'lr](Tov XpLaTov.
1
In those examples which I have included in square
indirectly implied, but not directly stated.
brackets the contrast is