May I receive from Thee, O GOD, at all times, the rules of my behaviour on these occasions.

GOD judges otherwise than we do of these things. He knows the good He intends to bring out of evil,-either for the sanctification of the righteous,-conversion of the wicked, by His goodness in bearing with them,-or leaving them without excuse.

One single soul is worth the utmost pains of the greatest Minister of CHRIST. But, then, let us take care, when it is brought into the fold, that he be a better Christian than before,-that he be not two-fold more the child of hell than before.

OXFORD,

The Feast of St. Simon and St. Jude.

[FOURTH EDITION.]

These Tracts are continued in Numbers, and sold at the price of 2d. for each sheet, or 7s. for 50 copies.

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RECORDS OF THE CHURCH.

No. I.

THE HOLY CHURCH THROUGHOUT ALL THE WORLD DOTH

ACKNOWLEDGE THEE.

ST. IGNATIUS, Bishop of Antioch, and Martyr, is reported to have been the child whom CHRIST took into His arms, in order to give His disciples a pattern of Christian humbleness. But, however this was, he certainly was a disciple and friend of the Apostles, particularly St. Peter and St. John.t

St. Peter and St. Paul are said to have laid on him their hands, and made him Bishop of Antioch. In A. D. 106, when he had been Bishop nearly forty years, the persecuting Emperor Trajan came to Antioch; and on finding Ignatius resolute in confessing the faith of CHRIST, he ordered him to be carried prisoner to Rome, and there thrown to the beasts in the idolatrous heathen shows, a command which was strictly obeyed. During his journey, he wrote letters to various Churches, by way of taking leave of them, and to confirm them in Christian zeal, love, and unity; and these by God's good providence are preserved to us. They are especially valuable to us at the present day, as showing us how important it is, in the judgment of this blessed Martyr, to honor and obey our Bishops. They are as follows.

VOL. I.

A

Epistle of Ignatius, the friend of St. Peter and St. John, and Bishop of Antioch, on the way to Martyrdom, to the Ephesians.

IGNATIUS, also called Theophorus, to her who is blessed in the greatness and fulness of God the Father; to the predestinate before all worlds to be ever in marvellous glory unchangeable, united, and elect through the true Passion, through the will of the FATHER and JESUS CHRIST our GOD; to the truly beatified Church, which is in Ephesus of Asia, all health in JESUS CHRIST and in unspotted grace.

I. I WELCOME in GOD's behalf that well-beloved name, which

ye have attained in all righteousness, according to the Faith and Love which is in JESUS CHRIST our SAVIOUR, for that being followers of God, and kindling the inward flame by the Blood of GOD, ye have perfectly accomplished the work that belonged to you, when ye heard that I came bound from Syria, for the common name and hope; trusting through your prayers to fight with beasts at Rome, that so by suffering I may become indeed the Disciple of Him "who gave Himself to God, an offering and Sacrifice for us." How many ye be, that be called by the name of GOD, I have heard from Onesimus, whose love is beyond all words, your Bishop according to the flesh; whom I beseech you, by JESUS CHRIST, to love, and that ye would all be like unto him. And blessed be God, who has granted unto you, who are so worthy of him, to enjoy such a Bishop.

II. As to my fellow-servant Burrhus, who is your most blessed Deacon, in things pertaining to GOD, I pray that he may abide with you to the honour both of you and of your Bishop. And Crocus, also, worthy both of GOD and you, whom I have received as the sample of your love, has in all things refreshed me, as the FATHER of our LORD JESUS CHRIST shall also refresh him; together with Onesimus, and Burrhus, and Euplus, and Fronto, in seeing whom I have seen the love of you all. And may I always have joy of you, if I be worthy of it! It is there

fore fitting that you should by all means glorify JESUS CHRIST, who hath glorified you: that by a uniform obedience, “ Ye may be perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same judgment; and may all speak the same thing:" and that being subject to your Bishop, and his Presbytery, ye may be sanctified in all things.

III. These things I prescribe to you, not as if I were somebody; for though I am bound for His name, I am not yet perfect in CHRIST JESUS. But now I begin to learn, and I speak to you as Fellow-Disciples together with me. For I ought to have been stirred up by you in Faith, in Admonition, in Patience, in Long-suffering. But forasmuch as Charity suffers me not to be silent towards you, I have first taken upon me to exhort you, that ye would all concur in the mind of GOD. For JESUS CHRIST, our inseparable Life, is the Mind of the FATHER; like as the Bishops appointed even unto the utmost bounds of the earth, are after the mind of JESUS CHRIST.

IV. Wherefore it will become you to concur in the mind of your Bishops, as also ye do. For your famous Presbytery, worthy of God, is knit as closely to its Bishop, as the strings to a harp. Therefore by your unanimity and harmonious love JESUS CHRIST is sung; and each of you taketh part in the chorus: that so, being attuned together in one mind, and taking up the song of GOD, ye may with one voice, and in a perfect unity, sing to the FATHER by JESUS CHRIST; to the end that by this means He may both hear you, and perceive by your works, that ye are indeed the members of His SoN. Wherefore it is profitable for you to live in blameless unity, that so ye may always have fellowship with GOD.

V. For if I in this little time have held such communion with your Bishop, I mean not earthly, but spiritual; how much more must I think you blessed, who are so joined to him, as the Church is to JESUS CHRIST, and JESUS CHRIST to the FATHER; that so all things may agree in the same unity? Let no man deceive himself; if a man be not within the ALTAR, he faileth of the BREAD OF GOD. For if the prayer of one or two be of such force, as we are told, how much more that of the Bishop and the whole

Church? He, therefore, that does not come together into the same place with it, is proud, and has already condemned himself. For it is written," God resisteth the proud." Let us take heed, therefore, that we do not set ourselves against the Bishop, that we may be set under God.

VI. And the more any seeth his Bishop keep silence, the more let him reverence him. For whomsoever the master of the house sendeth to his own household, we ought so to receive, as we would him that sent him. It is plain then that we ought to look to the Bishop, even as to the LORD himself. And truly Onesimus himself doth greatly commend your good order in GoD: in that ye all live according to the truth, and that no heresy dwelleth among you, but ye hearken to no man above JESUS CHRIST, speaking to you in truth.

VII. For some there are who carry about the name of Christ in deceitfulness, and do many things unworthy of God; whom ye must flee, as ye would wild beasts. For they are ravening dogs, which bite secretly ; against whom ye must guard yourselves, as hardly to be cured. There is one Physician, both Fleshly and Spiritual; Begotten, not Made; God incarnate; true Life in 1Death; both of Mary and of God; first made subject to suffering, then liable to suffer no more.

VIII. Wherefore let no man deceive you; as indeed neither are ye deceived, being wholly the servants of Gon. For inasmuch as there is no contention nor strife among you, to trouble you, surely ye live according to God's Will. My soul be for yours; and I myself the expiatory offering for your church of Ephesus, so famous to all ages. They that are of the flesh cannot do the works of the spirit; neither they that are of the spirit the works of the flesh; as also faith cannot do the works of unfaithfulness; neither unfaithfulness the works of faith. But even those things which ye do according to the flesh are spiritual; forasmuch as ye do all things in JESUS CHRIST.

IX. Nevertheless I have heard of some who have gone to you, having perverse doctrine; whom ye did not suffer to sow among you; but stopped your ears, that ye might not receive those things that were sown by them: as being the stones of the tem