"
Of Polycarp, whose proximity to the age and country and persons of the
apostles is thus attested, we have one undoubted epistle remaining. And
this, though a short letter, contains nearly forty clear allusions to
books of the New Testament; which is strong evidence of the respect
which Christians of that age bore for these books.
Amongst these, although the writings of St. Paul are more frequently
used by Polycarp than any other parts of Scripture, there are copious
allusions to the Gospel of St. Matthew, some to passages found in the
Gospels both of Matthew and Luke, and some which more nearly resemble
the words in Luke.
I select the following as fixing the authority of the Lord's prayer, and
the use of it amongst the primitive Christians: "If therefore we pray
the Lord, that he will forgive us, we ought also to forgive."
"With supplication beseeching the all-seeing God not to lead us into
temptation."
And the following, for the sake of repeating an observation already
made, that words of our Lord found in our Gospels were at this early day
quoted as spoken by him; and not only so, but quoted with so little
question or consciousness of doubt about their being really his words,
as not even to mention, much less to canvass, the authority from which
they were taken:
"But remembering what the Lord said, teaching, Judge not, that ye be not
judged; forgive, and ye shall be forgiven; be ye merciful, that ye may
obtain mercy; with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you
again.
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