I am reading through John Stott's classic work The Cross of Christ. In the book he quotes John Foxe concerning Ignatius, bishop of Antioch in Syria. It could be debated whether or not his admonition to his followers, to not attempt to sercure his release, was grounded. Nonetheless, his devotion to Jesus and willingness to suffer for the sake of Christ shames me:

"Let fire and the cross, let the companies of wild beasts, let breaking of boens and tearing of limbs, let the grinding of the whole body, and all the malice of the devil, come upon me; be it so, if only I may gain Christ Jesus!" (Stott, John. The Cross of Christ, p.77)

On page 30 of Flavel's Mystery of Providence we encounter the names of Polycarp and Dionysius the Areopagite. We are told that the fire would not touch them. A longer account is given of Polycarp's martyrdom by John Foxe in his classic Foxes Book of Martyrs. That account can be read here. A much more concise account is given by William Howitt:


From The History of the Supernatural in All Ages and Nations: And in All Churches ... By William Howitt