the least among them. Nevertheless, by the will of God, I have been thought worthy of this honour; not for that I think I have deserved it, but by the grace of God; which I wish may be perfectly given unto me, and through your prayers I may attain unto God. And therefore that your work may be fully accomplished both upon earth and in heaven, it will be fitting, and for the honour of God, that your church. appoint some worthy delegate, who being come as far as Syria, may rejoice, together with them, that they are in peace; and that they are again restored to their former state, and have again received their proper body. Wherefore I should think it a worthy action to send some one from you with an epistle to congratulate with them their peace in God; and that through your prayers they have now gotten to their harbour. For inasmuch as ye are perfect yourselves, you ought to think those things that are perfect. For when you are desirous to do well, God is ready to enable you thereunto. XII. The love of the brethren that are at Troas salute you; from whence I write to you by Burrhus, whom ye sent with me, together with the Ephesians, your brethren; and who has in all things refreshed And I would to God that all would imitate him, as being a pattern of the ministry of God. May his grace fully reward him! I salute your very worthy bishop, and your venerable presbytery; and your deacons, my fellow-servants, and all of you in general, and every one in particular, in the name of Jesus Christ, and in his flesh and blood; in his passion and resurrection, both fleshly and spiritually; and in the unity of God with you. Grace be with you, and patience, for evermore. me. d XIII. I salute the families of my brethren, with their wives and children; and the virgins that are called widows. Be strong in the power of the Holy Ghost. Philo, who is present with me, salutes you. I salute the house of Tavias, and pray that it may be strengthened in faith and charity, both of flesh and spirit. I salute Alcé, my wellbeloved, together with the incomparable Daphnus, and Eutechnus, and all by name. Farewell in the grace of God. To the Smyrnæans from Troas. THE EPISTLE OF ST. IGNATIUS ΤΟ ST. POLYCARP. Ignatius, who is also called Theophorus, to Polycarp, bishop of the church which is at Smyrna; their overseer, but rather himself overlooked by God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ; all happiness. I. HAVING known that thy mind towards God is fixed, as it were, upon an immovable rock, I exceedingly give thanks that I have been thought worthy to behold thy blessed' face, in which may I always rejoice in God. Wherefore, I beseech thee by the grace of God, with which thou art clothed, to press forward in thy course, and to exhort all others, that they may be saved. Maintain thy place, with all care both of flesh and spirit: make it thy endeavour to preserve unity, than which nothing is better. Bear with all men, even as the Lord with thee. Support all in love, as also thou dost. "Pray without ceasing:" ask more understanding than what thou already hast. Be watchful, having thy spirit always awake. Speak to every one according as God shall enable thee. Bear the infirmities of all, as a perfect combatant. Where the labour is great, the gain is the more. II. If thou shalt love the good disciples, what thank is it? But rather do thou subject to thee those that are mischievous, in meekness. Every wound is not healed with the same plaster: if the accessions of the disease be vehement, mollify them with soft remedies: be in all things, "wise as a serpent, but harmless as a dove." For this cause thou art composed of flesh and spirit, that thou mayest mollify those things that appear before thy face. And as for those that are not seen, pray to God that he would reveal them unto thee, that so thou mayst be wanting in nothing, but mayst abound in every gift. The times demand thee, as the pilots the winds, and he that is tossed in a tempest the haven where he would be, that thou mayest attain unto God. Be sober, as the combatant of God; the crown* proposed to thee is immortality and eternal life, concerning which thou art also fully a Of the Smyrnæans. d Be at leisure, &c. Is much. Super Vid. Voss. in loc. aliter Vet. Lat. Interpr. The diseases. ST. IGNATIUS's EPISTLE TO ST. POLYCARP. 119 persuaded. I will be thy surety in all things, and my bonds, which thou hast loved. с III. Let not those that seem worthy of credit, but teach other doctrines, disturb thee. Stand firm and immovable as an anvil when it is beaten upon. It is the part of a brave combatant to be wounded, and yet to overcome. But especially we ought to endure all things for God's sake, that he may bear with us. Be every day better than other consider the times; and expect him, who is above all time, eternal, invisible, though for our sakes made visible; impalpable, and impassible, yet for us subjected to sufferings, enduring all manner of ways for our salvation. IV. Let not the widows be neglected: be thou, after God, their guardian. Let nothing be done without thy knowledge and consent: neither do thou any thing but according to the will of God: as also thou dost, with all constancy. Let your assemblies be more full : inquire into all by name. Overlook not the men and maid-servants : neither let them be puffed up; but rather let them be the more subject, -to the glory of God, that they may obtain from him a better liberty. Let them not desire to be set free at the public cost, that they be not slaves to their own lusts. V. Flee evil arts; or rather, make not any mention of them. Say to my sisters that they love the Lord; and be satisfied with their own husbands, both in the flesh and spirit. In like manner, exhort my brethren, in the name of Jesus Christ, that they love their wives, even as the Lord the church. If any man can remain in a virgin state, to 5 the honour of the flesh of Christ, let him remain without boasting; but if he boast, he is undone. And if he desire to be more taken notice of than the bishop, he is corrupted. But it becomes all such as are married, whether men or women, to come together with the consent of the bishop, that so their marriage may be according to godliness, and not in lust. Let all things be done to the honour of God. VI. Hearken unto the bishop," that God also may hearken unto you. My soul be security for them that submit to their bishop, with their presbyters, and deacons. And may my portion be together with theirs in God. Labour with one another; contend together, run together, suffer together, sleep together, and rise together; as the stewards, and assessors, and ministers of God. Please him under whom ye war, and from whom ye receive your wages. Let none of you be found a deserter; but let your baptism remain as your arms-your faith as your helmet-your charity as your spear-your patience as your whole • Amaze thee. b Beaten. Vid. Annot. Vossii et Coteler. in loc. • More studious, diligent. d Being well settled. Vid. Annot. Coteler. in loc. f Or, trades. Observe, from the foregoing section, that Ignatius here speaks not to Polycarp, but through him to the church of Smyrna. armour. Let your works be your charge," that so you may receive a suitable reward. Be long-suffering, therefore, towards each other in meekness, as God is towards you. Let me have joy of you in all things. VII. Now forasmuch as the church of Antioch in Syria is, as I am told, in peace through your prayers, I also have been the more comforted, and without care in God-if so be that by suffering I shall attain unto God, that, through your prayers, I may be found a disciple of Christ. It will be very fit, O most holy Polycarp, to call a select council, and choose some one whom ye particularly love, and who is patient of labour, that he may be the messenger of God; and that going unto Syria, he may glorify your incessant love, to the praise of Christ. A Christian has not the power of himself, but must always be at leisure for God's service. Now this work is both God's and yours, when ye shall have perfected it. For I trust, through the grace of God, that ye are ready to every good work that is fitting for you in the Lord. Knowing therefore your earnest affection to the truth, I have exhorted you by these short letters." VIII. But forasmuch as I have not been able to write to all the churches, because I must suddenly sail from Troas to Neapolis-(for so is the command of those to whose pleasure I am subject)-do you write to the churches that are near you, as being instructed in the will of God, that they also may do in like manner. Let those that are able send messengers, and let the rest send their letters by those who shall be sent by you; that you may be glorified to all eternity, of which you are worthy. I salute all by name, particularly the wife of Epitropus, with all her house and children. I salute Attalus, my wellbeloved. I salute him who shall be thought worthy to be sent by you into Syria. Let grace be ever with him, and with Polycarp, who sends him. I wish you all happiness in our God, Jesus Christ; in whom continue, in the unity and protection of God. I salute Alcé, my wellbeloved. Farewell in the Lord. To Polycarp. That which is committed to your custody to keep secure. to himself. work. b It has been manifested unto me. Viz. To the Smyrnæans, and this Vid. Voss. in loc. In the eternal PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE OF THE MARTYRDOM OF ST. IGNATIUS, AND OF THE FOLLOWING RELATION OF IT, WRITTEN BY THOSE WHO WERE PRESENT AT HIS • SUFFERINGS. Of the life of St. Ignatius-Whence he was called Theophorus-That he never saw Christ, but was converted to Christianity by the apostles; and by them made bishop of Antioch-How he behaved himself in that station-Of his death-Why he was sent from Antioch to Rome, in order to his suffering there-Metaphrastes's account of the effect which his death wrought upon the emperor Trajan, rejected-How the persecution of the Christians came to be mitigated about the time that he suffered-An inquiry into the time of his martyrdom. 1. In the foregoing chapter I have given such an account of the epistles of St. Ignatius as seemed necessary to vindicate the authority of them, and to remove those prejudices which some had of late endeavoured to raise against them. I am now to pass from the writings of this holy man, to his truly great and heroical sufferings: an account whereof is in the next place subjoined, in the relation of those who accompanied him from Antioch to Rome, and were the eye-witnesses of his martyrdom. 2. But before I come to the consideration of this last and noblest part of his life, I cannot but think it will be expected from me to give some account of the foregoing passages of it; that so we may have at once a full view of this great saint, and perceive by what steps he prepared himself for so constant and glorious a death. 3. And here it will be necessary for me, in the first place, to consider the character which he gives of himself in the beginning of all his epistles, and, which he freely asserted before the emperor himself, at his examination; namely, that of Theophorus. Now this, according to the different pronunciation of it, may be expounded after a different manner; and signify either a person carried by God, or else a divine person; one who carries God in his breast. And in both these significations we find this name to have been given to this holy man. 4. For, first, as to the former signification, we are told, by some of the writers of his life, that St. Ignatius was the child whom our blessed Saviour took in his arms, and set before his disciples as a pattern of humility, when he told them that "unless they should be converted, and become as little children, they should in no wise enter into the kingdom of God ;" and that from thence he took the name of Theophorus, one who was borne, or carried by God. And thus not only 16 • Acts of Ignatius, num. iv. v. Matt. xviii. 3. 121 |