At last, when the lawless men saw that the fire could not consume his body, they ordered an executioner to approach and thrust a dagger into him. When he did so, a dove and a great quantity of blood came out, so that the fire was extinguished. The entire crowd was amazed that there was such a difference between the unbelievers and the elect.
One of the elect was this most wonderful martyr, Polycarp, who in our time became an apostolic and prophetic teacher and bishop of the catholic Church in Smyrna. For every word that came from his mouth was fulfilled and will be fulfilled.