A PROSPECT OF THE Primitive Christianity as it was left by CHRIST to his APOSTLES BY THE Apostles to their Disciples Saint Polycarp and Holy Ignatius Both Contemporaries with and Disciples to the Holy Evangelist and Apostle Saint JOHN Whose Lives follow in this short Treatise together with their famous Epistles written to several Churches Translated according to the best Copies out of the Original Greek into English By Thomas Elborowe Vicar of Chiswick in the County of Middlesex In the SAVOY Printed by Tho. Newcomb for William Grantham at the Sign of the Black Bear in Westminster-Hall 1668. TO THE REVEREND FATHER in GOD ROBERT Lord Bishop of Worcester My Lord I Have been your debter these many years and although I was perswaded formerly to appear in print in a short Exposition upon the Book of Common-Prayer yet that small and imperfect piece did seek protection from the wings of another It is my happiness now to make choice of a Subject most proper and fit for your Lordships Patronage wherein Christianity and the Fence about it the Vine and the Hedge are so delineated according to the Primitive Patterns that this present age wherein we live may blush and stand amazed to see how much short they are in the practise of that Religion which they profess and be ashamed of themselves that they of the first Age should be Christians indeed whilst too many of this are onely Christians in Name It hath been very well observed by the Antient Fathers and as much by these two as by any Holy Polycarp and Divine Ignatius who fly to the sacred wings of your Lordships protection to secure them from a second Martyrdom which the unkind world may threaten them withall That Religion consists more in practice than in speculation and is rather an Occupation than a meer Profession But I will detain your Lordship no longer from the reading of them in our plain English whom you have so often conversed with in their own Language Thus having discharged a small part of my debt which yet your Acceptance will double upon me I remain your Lordships debter still ever praying for your Lordships health and happiness Your dutiful and obedient Son Thomas Elborowe The Life and Death of Saint POLYCARP Martyr Bishop of the Church of Smyrna and Disciple to Saint John the Evangelist POlycarp was a man of an excellent Spirit an eminent Christian fruitful in every good work the Disciple of the blessed Apostle and Evangelist Saint John not onely instructed by the Apostles in the Doctrine of Christianity and continually conversant amongst them who had seen Christ in the flesh but he was by the Apostles themselves ordained Bishop of the Church of Smyrna in Asia He was that famous Angel so much commended for his Pietie Patience and Constancie Revel 2. 8 9 10. when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very great persecutions disturbed and vexed all Asia and fell very heavie upon that City where he was then Metropolitan Irenaeus who was Polycarps Disciple makes mention of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his conversation with John and gives him this Style that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That blessed and Apostolical Presbyter He further reports of him thus that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made Bishop over the Church of Smyrna in Asia by the Apostles themselves Tertullian shewing how the Apostolical Churches derived their Successions mentioned Polycarp placed over the Church of Smyrna by John He is styled by Eusebius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a person very familiar with the Apostles and is said by the sâ—me author to have obtained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Episcopacie of the Church of Smyrna by the joynt suffrage of those who had seen the Lord and were his Ministers Jerom says he was a Disciple of John the Apostle and by him ordained Metropolitan Bishop of Smyrna for he was Totius Asiae Princeps the Prince of all Asia Gildas saith he was Egregius Pastor Christi testis an excellent Pastour and Witness of Christ The very heathens thinking to disgrace him the more did give him this honourable Eulogie that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Doctor of Asia the Father of the Christians This godly Professor and great Prelate lived to a very great age and finishing his life by a glorious Martyrdom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did as it were seal up by his Martyrdom and put a Period to the persecution which then raged This happened under the reign of Marcus Aurelius Philosophus and Lucius Verus Roman Emperours Very memorable things are recorded of this great Saint and Martyr by Eusebius to whom I refer my Reader This briefly touching Polycarp himself I come now to speak as briefly of his Works and Writings Divers are by divers attributed to him Some make mention of many Tracts Homilies and Epistles which he wrote and of One entire Book composed by him upon the Death of Saint John the Evangelist his Master Suidas mentions Epistles written by him to Dionysius the Areopagite and to several Churches Irenaeus who was his Disciple mentions Epistles written by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To neighbour Churches and to certain of the Brethren But these shall not be a matter of my further enquirie whether so or not so I shall now give you a brief account out of some of the Ancients touching this Epistle of his written to the Philippians Photius reports it to be read publickly in Churches his word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and gives it out to be an Epistle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 full of many admirable Admonitions clear and plain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the Ecclesiastical form of interpretation then used Jerom styles it Epistolam valdè utilem a very useful Epistle and reports it to be read in the Churches of Asia to his very time Irenaeus saith it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a most full and complete Epistle out of which all who are willing to learn and have any care or value for their Salvation may learn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the exact form of Faith and Doctrine of Truth Eusebius says the very same out of Irenaeus Sophronius and Suidas style it an Epistle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very admirable Maximus the Scholiast reports him to have written Epistles to the Philippians but that is supposed a mistake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Epistle so excellent for the building of us up in Faith and Love and in whatever may adorn Christian Profession I now offer to the charitable and courteous Reader translated into English out of that Greek copie which was published by the Right Reverend Prelate and learned Antiquarie Doctor Vsher Primate of Ireland and printed at Oxford Anno Dom. 1644. The Epistle of Saint Polycarp Bishop of Smyrna and holy Martyr to the Philippians POLYCARP and the Presbyters with him to the Church of God within the Diocess of
Love failing in no good gift most becoming God and fruitful in holiness which is at Smyrna in Asia be very much joy in the immaculate Spirit by the Word of God I Glorifie the God Jesus Christ who hath filled you with Wisdom For I understand that ye are perfected in an immoveable faith and are as persons fastened with nails to the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ both in flesh and in spirit and well-grounded in love by the bloud of Christ having a full assurance in our Lord who was truly of the stock of David according to the flesh the Son of God according to the will and power of God truly born of a Virgin baptized by John that he might fulfil all righteousness and who truly suffered for us in the flesh under Pontius Pilate and Herod the Tetrarch From the fruit of whom we are even from his divinely blessed Passion that he might by his Resurrection lift up an ensign to all ages to the Saints and to all who do believe in him whether they be Jews or Gentiles in one body of his Church For he suffered all these things for us that we might be saved And he truly suffered as also he truly raised up himself neither did he suffer onely in appearance as some infidels affirm who themselves are onely in appearance and according to their wisdom shall it happen unto them being incorporeal and daemoniacks For I my self saw him in the flesh after his Resurrection and do believe that he is risen And when he came to those who were with Peter he said unto them Take hold of me handle me and see me for I am not an incorporeal spirit And straightway they touched him and believed in him being convinced by his flesh and by his spirit And hereupon they contemned death for they found themselves to be above it And after his Resurrection he eat and drank with them as one in the flesh though he was in spirit united to the Father Touching these things Beloved I admonish you however I know ye are already of this perswasion I do it to preserve you from beasts in the shape of men whom it is necessarie for you not to entertain but to avoid as much as possible Onely pray for them if happily they may repent which is a thing very difficult But Jesus Christ who is our true life hath the power of this But if these things were done by our Lord onely seemingly then am I also seemingly in bonds And why have I yielded up my self to be put to death why to the fire to the sword to the beasts but because to be nigh to the sword is to be nigh to God and to be inclosed with beasts is to be compassed about with God Only in the Name of Jesus Christ do I endure all things that I may suffer with him who is himself made a perfect man and now strengtheneth me Whom some ignorant men denie but they are rather denied by him being more the Preachers of death than of truth whom neither the Prophets have perswaded nor the Law of Moses nor yet the Gospel hitherto nor those suffrings of ours which are according to man For they are of the same mind concerning us But what would it advantage me should any man speak in my praise and yet blaspheme my Lord denying him to have taken flesh upon him For he who confesseth not this hath perfectly denied him and puts him to death But I am unwilling to write down their infidel names neither may I make any particular remembrance of them until they shall happily repent into a belief of the Passion which is our Resurrection Let no man be deceived For if things in heaven and the glory of Angels and Rulers visible and invisible believe not in the bloud of Christ it will be even unto them condemnation He who receiveth it may receive it Let place puff up no man for Faith and Charity is All and nothing is to be preferred before them But observe those who are otherwise opinioned of the grace of Jesus Christ which came unto us how contrary they are to the judgement of God They have no regard at all of Charity they neither care for the Widow nor Orphan nor any afflicted person be he bond or free hungry or thirstie They absent themselves from the Eucharist and Prayer because they will not confess the Eucharist to be the flesh of our Saviour Jesus Christ which suffered for our sins and which the Father by his goodness raised from death to life Therefore contradicting this gift of God and disputing about it they die but it would be better for them to Love it that they may rise again It is very convenient that ye abstain from such persons and that ye have no converse with them neither privately nor publikely But that ye give heed unto the Prophets and chiefly to the Gospel wherein the Passion is made manifest unto us and the Resurrection is completed But avoid Divisions as the beginning of evils And be all of you observant of the Bishop as Jesus Christ was observant of the Father and observe the Presbyterie as the Apostles and Reverence the Deacons as the command of God Let no man presume to do any thing belonging to the Church without the Bishop And let that Eucharist onely be accounted firm which is either performed by the Bishop himself or by his Licence Where the Bishop shall appear there let the multitude be for where Jesus Christ is there is the Catholique Church It is neither lawful to baptize nor to keep the Love-feast without the Bishop but whatever he shall approve of that is well-pleasing to God that so every thing which is done may be firm and established Furthermore it is a blessed thing to grow sober and whilst we have opportunity to return to God by repentance It is a becoming thing to know God and the Bishop He who honoureth the Bishop is honoured of God but he who doth any thing without the Bishops approbation performs a service to the Devil Therefore let all things abound among you in grace for ye are worthy Ye have every way refreshed me and Jesus Christ will refresh you Ye have loved me both when I was absent and present God will requite you and if ye patiently endure all things for his sake ye shall enjoy him Ye did well in that ye gave an honourable reception to Philon Rheus and Agathopus as the Ministers of God-Christ who have accompanied me for the Word of God They also give thanks unto the Lord for you because ye have every way refreshed them Nothing which ye have done to them shall be lost as to you I could offer up this my spirit upon the service of your Souls and upon the same account carry about these my bonds which ye have neither despised nor been ashamed of neither will Jesus Christ the perfect faith be ashamed of you Your Prayer reached as far as to the Church which is in Antioch
to God will perfect me that I may obtain that Lot to which I was chosen flying to the Gospel as to the flesh of Jesus and to the Apostles as to the Presbyterie of the Church We love also the Prophets because they preached the Gospel and did hope in him and expect him in whom also believing they were saved in the Unitie of Jesus Christ being holy men worthy to be beloved and most worthy of admiration born witness of by Jesus Christ being his Martyrs and numbred up together in the Gospel of the common hope But if any man preach Judaism to you hear him not For it is better to hear Christianism from one circumcised than Judaism from one uncircumcised But if both of them speak not of Jesus Christ they are to me as Pillars and Monuments of dead men whereon the names of men onely are written Flie therefore evil arts and the frauds of the prince of this world lest being troubled with his opinion ye be weakned in charitie Be all of you made up into one with an undivided heart I thank my God that I have a good Conscience as concerning you and that no man hath wherof to glory either privately or publikely that I have been burdensom to any either in little or much And I beseech all to whom I have spoken that they possess not this as a Testimonie And although some would seduce me according to the flesh yet my spirit which is from God is not seduced He knows whence it comes and whither it goes and is a reproover of secrets I have cried in the midst of you I have spoken it with a loftie voice Attend unto the Bishop and the Presbyterie and the Deacons And though some have suspected me to have spoken these things as foreknowing the Division of some yet he is my witness for whom I am a Prisoner that I have not been taught it by man but the Spirit preached it saying these things Do nothing without the Bishop Keep your flesh as the Temple of God Love Vnitie Flie divisions Be ye followers of Jesus Christ as he himself is of the Father Therefore I did what was proper for me as a man perfected unto Unitie But where there is division and wrath God dwelleth not Therefore the Lord pardons all Penitents if they shall return by Repentance to the Vnitie of God and the Council of the Bishop I believe the Grace of Jesus Christ who will loose every bond from you And I exhort you to do nothing with contention but according to the Discipline of Christ For I have heard some speaking in this wise That if I find it not amongst the Antients I do not believe the Gospel And when I replied to them That it is written They answered me It lies before us But Jesus Christ is to me Antiquitie and the Records not to be touched are his Cross and his Death and his Resurrection and the Faith which is by him in which things I would be justified through your Prayers Honourable are the Priests but more honourable the High-priest to whom are committed the Holies of Holies and with whom alone are deposited the hidden things of God He is the Door of the Father by whom Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and the Prophets and Apostles and Church of God have entered All these things are for the Unitie of God But the Gospel hath something in it chiefly valueable and that is The Presence of our Lord Jesus Christ his Passion and Resurrection For the beloved Prophets preached of him but the Gospel is the Perfection of incorruption All things together are excellent if ye believe in Love But seeing that through your Prayers according to the bowels which ye have in Christ Jesus the Church which is at Antioch of Syria as is told to me is at peace it becomes you as the Church of God to ordain a Minister to go thither as an Embassadour upon the Embasie of God to joy together with them that they are made one and to glorifie his Name Blessed in Jesus Christ shall that man be who shall be accounted worthy of such a Ministery and ye your selves shall be glorified This is not impossible for the Name of God if ye have but a will to it as some neighbour Churches also have sent Bishops others Presbyters and Deacons As for Philo the Deacon of Cilicia he is a man that hath given a good Testimonie and now ministers to me in the Word of God together with Rheus Agathopus a choyce man who accompanies me from Syria having renounced this life these also bear testimonie to you and I give thanks to God for you because ye have received them as the Lord you But they who have dishonoured them may obtain Redemption by the Grace of Jesus Christ The Love of the Brethren who are at Troas saluteth you whence also I write unto you by Burrus who was sent along with me from the Ephesians and the Smyrneans for the Word of honour The Lord Jesus Christ will honour them in whom they hope in flesh soul faith love and unanimitie Farewel in Christ Jesus our common Hope Ignatius to the Philadelphians To the Trallians Ignatius who is also Theophorus to the holy Church beloved of God the Father of Jesus Christ which is in Trallis of Asia elect and divine having obtained peace in the flesh and bloud by the Passion of Jesus Christ our hope and the Resurrection grounded upon him which I salute in fulness in an Apostolical Style wishing much joy I Have known you to have a blameless understanding not to be severed in Patience and that not by use but by nature as Polybius your Bishop hath manifested to me who by the will of God and of Jesus Christ was at Smyrna and did so congratulate me a Prisoner for Jesus Christ that I did view over your whole multitude in him Therefore receiving from him that good disposition of mind which is according to God I gloried finding you as I had known you the followers of God For in regard ye are subject to the Bishop as to Jesus Christ ye appear to me not to live as men but to live according to Jesus Christ who died for us that believing in his death ye may escape death Therefore it is necessary as ye do to do nothing without the Bishop but that ye be subject to the Presbyterie as to the Apostles of Jesus Christ our Hope in whom we should be found having our conversation It behooves the Deacons also being the Mysterie of Jesus Christ to please all men every manner of way For they are not the Ministers of meats and drinks but Ministers of the Church of God Therefore it is necessary for them to avoid accusations as fire Let all in like manner reverence the Deacons as Jesus Christ and the Bishop being the Son of the Father and the Presbyters as the Council of God and companie of the Apostles Without these a Church is not called Of whom I am perswaded
he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a testimony of his faith towards God condemned to beasts Chrysostom saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he was familiarly conversant with the Apostles nourished up together with them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that he was by them esteemed worthy of so great a Principality meaning undoubtedly the Episcopacie of the Church of Antioch for he says presently after that he was not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worthy of so great a Principality but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he obtained that dignity from those holy persons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the hands of the blessed Apostles themselves were laid upon his holy head Theodoret says he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a most famous Doctor of the Church and that he received 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Grace of the High-priesthood by the right hand of glorious Peter and that after he had governed the Church of Antioch he was crowned with Martyrdom Jerom says he was the third Bishop of the Church of Antioch after Saint Peter the Apostle Socrates says the same and that he was very much a companion of the Apostles He is styled by Evagrius I 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Divine Ignatius Gildas in his time said that the British Clergy were not onely not good enough to be accounted Priests but scarce good enough to be esteemed mean Christians in comp râ—son of him Scaliger s ys he was Vir singulari eruditione a man of singular Learning Neander says he was Vir magni spiritus fidei zeli a man of a great spirit faith and zeal Baronius styles him Copiosam Apostolicarum traditionum Apothecam fortémque adversus haereticos armaturam A copious Store-house of Apostolical traditions and a strong armour against heretiques He suffred a glorious Martyrdom under the Emperour Trajan and being brought bound from Antioch to Rome was condemned to be devoured by beasts Here I conclude touching Ignatius himself I come now to speak something of his Writings It is the judgement of learned men that many Epistles are ascribed to him which were never written by him but were the Epistles of some latter supposititious writers who did imitate his Style which are these Epistles following 1. The Epistle written from Philippi to the Church of Tarsus 2. The Epistle written from Philippi to the Church of Antioch 3. The Epistle written from Philippi to Heron Deacon of the Church of Antioch 4. The Epistle written to the Philippians touching Baptism which Epistle makes mention of several Feasts the Quadragesimal Fast and the Passion week to be observed and from this very passage Mr John Calvin took his occasion to speak against the Epistles of Ignatius or rather against that Epistle now his objection being against that which is not numbred amongst the Genuine Epistles can make no thing against those Epistles of his which will hereafter appear to be Genuine 5. An Epistle written from Antioch to Maria Cassobolita is ascribed to Ignatius 6. Two Epistles written to Saint John the Evangelist 7. One short Epistle written to the blessed Virgin Mary these are all ascribed to Ignatius Indeed in the forementioned Epistles we may meet with much of Ignatius Spirit Style Method Matter and his very Expressions yet they are not accounted his Genuine Epistles and in regard they are not received for the true Epistles of Ignatius nor found in that Sylloge or Collection made by Polycarp at the end of his Epistle to the Philippians therefore though I have translated them I have forborn the publishing of them and yet there are many excellent things in them very much conducing to Christianity Having hitherto given a brief account of those Epistles which are supposed false I come now to make enquiry after those which are without all question true First that Ignatius wrote Epistles is not to be questioned unless we will also question all Antiquitie for the Ancient Fathers of the Church make frequent mention of his Epistles and fetch Citations out of them as being of great moment and good authority Eusebius by name tells us expresly what Epistles Ignatius wrote and from whence he wrote them and to whom Whilst he was at Smyrna and upon his voyage to Rome he wrote Epistles from Smyrna to the Ephesians Magnesians Trallians and Romans when he was gon from Smyrna to Troas he wrote from Troas to the Church of Philadelphia to the Church of Smyrna and to Polycarp Here we have the just number of those Epistles which were accounted his being seven in all Well though we have found out the seven Epistles which were his yet we have not brought our search to the full point the proper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for there were several Copies of these Epistles found in several Libraries and Manuscripts by the diligent search of able and learned men fitted for such an imployment Now of these Copies some were corrupt and interpolate such were the Epistles published in Greek with the Vulgar Latine version by the Right Reverend Father in God Bishop Vsher Primate of Ireland and by him printed at Oxford Anno Dom. 1644. Master Isaac Vossius published the same in an Edition of his which was printed at Amsterdam Anno Dom. 1646. I believe Master John Calvin the Centuriators Doctor Whitaker and some others made their Exceptions and Objections against these Epistles and justly enough rejecting them as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 refuse and adulterate stuff for their quarrel was not against the Epistles of Ignatius but against the corruptions and interpolations inserted and put into his Epistles And this is the opinion of Doctor Rivet Calvinum non in Ignatium sed in quisquilias nanias depravatorum Ignatii invectum esse That Calvin inveighed not against Ignatius but against those who corrupted and depraved him But besides these there is a later truer and more refined Copie wherein are the very Epistles of Ignatius found out by the diligent search of Master Isaac Vossius all in Greek the Epistle to the Romans only excepted which is called the Laurentiâ—n Copy because it was found in the Library of Lawrence de Medicis and published by the said Isaac Vossius together with the forementioned Edition printed at Amsterdam Anno Dom. 1646. which Copy agrees word for word with two ancient Latine Manuscripts lately found out by the Right Reverend Bishop Vsher one in the publike Library of Gunwel and Caius Colledge in Cambridge the other in the private Library of Doctor Richard Montague late Bishop of Norwich both which Manuscripts are printed with the Edition of Bishop Vsher Anno Dom. 1644. This is judged to be the most true pure and incorrupt Copy of Ignatius which is now exstant containing in it all that ever was cited by the Ancient Fathers out of Ignatius and agreeing very exactly with the exemplar used by Eusebius more then 1300 years ago in so much that Doctor Blundel upon the sight of
together awake together as the Stewards Assessors and Ministers of God Do things pleasing to him whom ye fight for and whose souldiers ye are from whom ye expect your salarie Let none among you be found a desertor of his Colours Let your Baptism arm you Faith be your helmet Love your spear Patience your whole armour and your Works your gage that ye may receive a reward worthy of you Therefore bear patiently in meekness one with another as God bears with you Let me enjoy you always But in that the Church which is in Antioch of Syria is at peace through your Prayers as it is manifested to me I was therefore the more cheerful and intent upon the things of God without distraction that by any means I may through sufferings enjoy God and be found your Disciple at the Resurrection O Polycarp most blessed of God it becomes thee to gather together a Council most becoming God and to appoint some worthy person whom ye esteem highly in love whom ye look upon as a diligent man fit to be called a Messenger of God and that this honour be bestowed upon him To go into Syria there to spread abroad your forward Charitie to the glory of Christ A Christian hath no power over himself but is to attend the things of God When ye shall have dispatched this business tho work shall be ascribed to God and to you For I believe that through Grace ye are prepared for so good a work pleasing to God and knowing how compendiously ye are capable of truth I have exhorted you in few Letters But because I cannot write unto all the Churches in regard I am suddenly to sail from Troas to Neapolis as I am commanded thou shalt write to those other Churches who art possessed with the mind of God that they do the same thing That they who are able may send footposts others Epistles by thy Messengers that ye may all be glorified by an eternal work as thou art worthy I salute all by name and the wife of Epitropus with her whole house and her childrens I salute my beloved Attalus I salute him who shall be accounted worthy to go into Syria I pray that the grace which is in our God Jesus Christ may be always with him In whom do ye continue permanent in the Unitie and Visitation of God I salute Alke a name desireable to me Farewel in the Lord. To Polycarp To the Ephesians Ignatius who is also Theophorus to the Church blessed in the greatness of God the Father with all fulness praedetermined before ages to be ever permanent unto glory immutable united elect by real sufferings through the will of the Father and Jesus Christ our God To the Church worthy of all blessedness which is in Ephesus of Asia be very much joy in Jesus Christ and in immaculate grace APproving of thy name in God highly beloved which ye have possessed by a just title according to the faith and love which is in Christ Jesus our Saviour I exhort you to continue followers of God and that being re-inlivened by the bloud of God ye perfect that work which is so suitable to you For ye heard that I was a prisoner from Syria for the common Name and Hope and that I hoped through your Prayers that I should be inabled to fight with beasts at Rome that so I might become through Martyrdom a Disciple of him Who offered up himself to God for us an oblation and sacrifice I have compendiously apprehended your very numerous multitude in the name of God by Onesimus your Bishop in the flesh whose charitie is beyond expression whom I beseech you to love according to Jesus Christ and all of you to be like unto him Blessed be he who hath bestowed so worthy a Bishop upon you so worthy of him And I pray that my fellow servant Burrus who is your Deacon every way blessed according to God may continue to the honour of you and the Bishop Crocus also who is worthy of God and of you whom I have received as the Exemplar of your Charity hath refreshed me in all things as the Father of Jesus Christ will also give refreshing unto him and to Onesimus and Burrus and Euplus and Fronton in whom I have viewed you all in love I would enjoy you always if I might be worthy of it Therefore it becomes you every way to glorifie Jesus Christ who glorifies you that being perfected and knit up in one and the same subjection and being of one mind and one judgement ye may all speak the same thing and being subject to the Bishop and the Presbytery may be sanctified in all things I do not give commands to you as if I my self was a person considerable for though I am a Prisoner for his Name yet am I not perfected in Christ Jesus For now I begin to be a Disciple and speak to you as my fellow teachers For it is meet that I should be admonished by you in faith instruction patience and long sufferance But in regard my charity towards you would not suffer me to be silent I have therefore taken the first hold of this opportunity to exhort you to concur in the judgement of God As Jesus Christ himself who is our incomparable life did follow the judgement of his Father and the Bishops designed to the ends of the earth follow the judgement of Jesus Christ Therefore it is a comely thing for you to concur in the judgement of the Bishop as also ye do for your Presbytery most worthy of praise and of God is so adapted to the Bishop as strings are fitted to the harp in so much that Jesus Christ is celebrated through your Unanimity and Agreement in love Ye are all made up man by man into one Chorus and keeping the Melodie of God which is Vnitie ye shall with one voyce glorifie the Father by Jesus Christ that he may also hear you and acknowledge you by what you do to be the members of his Son So that it is profitable for you to continue in immaculate Unitie that ye may always be partakers of God If I in so short a time have gained so great a conformableness in manners with your Bishop which is spiritual and not after the manner of men how can I estimate of your happiness who are continually united to him as the Church to Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ to the Father that all things may be consonant in unity Let no man be deceived If any man is not within the Altar he is deprived of the bread of God For if the Prayer of one or two is so effectual how much more effectual is the Prayer of the Bishop and all the Church He therefore that will not come into one place or joyn with the Congregation is a proud man and hath separated himself and it is written That God resisteth the proud Therefore let us endeavour to be in subjection to the Bishop that so we may be God's Subjects And
one is returned to him Be not deceived by strange opinions nor old fables which are unprofitable For if we still live according to the Law and Judaism we confess that Grace is not received For the most divine Prophets lived according to Jesus Christ and therefore they were persecuted being inspired by his Grace that they might work a perswasion in those who were not perswaded that there is one God who manifested himself by Jesus Christ his Son who is his eternal Word not coming forth from Silence who in all things pleased him that sent him Therefore if they who were conversant in the works of old time came to the Newness of Hope not Sabbatizing any longer but living according to the Dominical life of that day whereon our life did rise again through him and through his death whom some deny through which mysterie we have received both to Believe and also to endure with Patience that we may be found the Disciples of Jesus Christ our onely Master how shall we be able to live without him whom the Prophets being his Disciples looked for in Spirit as their Master and because they justly expected him he when he was come raised them from the dead Therefore let not us be insensible of his Goodness for if he should retribute to us according to what we do we should cease to be Therefore being made his Disciples let us learn to live like Christians For he who is called by any other name than this is not of God Therefore put away from you the evil leaven which is old and corrupt and be ye changed into the New Leaven which is Jesus Christ Be ye seasoned in him that none of you be corrupted for ye shall be disproved by your savour It is an absurd thing to profess Jesus Christ and yet to Judaize for Christianism hath not believed into Judaism but Judaism into Christianism that every tongue believing might be gathered unto God But these things my Beloved not because I have known any of you to be such but because though I am lesser then you I would have you to be preserved that ye may not fall into the snares of a vain opinion but may have a full assurance in the Nativity Passion and Resurrection effected in that season when Pontius Pilate was governour all truly and firmly accomplished by Jesus Christ our hope from which hope may none of you be perverted I would every way enjoy you if I may be worthy for though I am in bonds yet am I not to be compared to one of you who are at libertie I know ye are not puffed up for ye have Jesus Christ among you And I know the more I praise you it doth but shame you so much the more as it is written The just man is an accuser of himself Make it your endeavour to be confirmed in the determinations of the Lord and the Apostles that whatever ye do may be prosperous both in flesh and spirit Faith and Love in the Son and in the Father and in the Spirit in the beginning and the end together with your most venerable Bishop and your Presbyterie which is as a spiritual Crown decently platted and the Deacons who are according to God Be subject to the Bishop and one to another as Jesus Christ to the Father according to the flesh and the Apostles to Christ and to the Father and the Spirit that there may be unitie both carnal and spiritual Knowing that ye are full of God I have exhorted you but in few words Remember me in your Prayers that I may obtain God and that Church which is in Syria from whence I am not worthy to be called For I very much want your Prayer united in God and your Love that the Church which is in Syria may be accounted worthy to be watered by your Church The Ephesians from Smyrna salute you whence also I write unto you being present to the glorie of God as also ye are who have refreshed me in all things together with Polycarp the Bishop of the Smyrneans The other Churches also salute you in the honour of Jesus Christ Be strong in the concord of God being possessed with a discerning Spirit which is Jesus Christ To the Magnesians To the Philadelphians Ignatius who is also Theophorus to the Church of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ which is in Philadelphia of Asia which hath obtained mercy is settled in the concord of God rejoycing in the Passion of our Lord indiscernably and fully assured of his Resurrection in all mercy which I salute in the bloud of Jesus Christ for she is my eternal and permanent joy chiefly if they continue united with the Bishop and the Presbyters with him and the Deacons manifested to be according to the Sentence of Jesus Christ whom he hath firmly established according to his own will by his holy Spirit WHich Bishop I have known to have obtained the Ministerie for the common good not by himself nor by men nor out of vain-glorie but by the love of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ whose mild temper I have been amazed at for by his silence he can do more than they who speak vain things For ye are as harmoniously agreeing in commands as the harp and the strings Therefore my Soul blesseth that sentence of his which is according to God knowing that it is vertuous and perfect and that he cannot be moved nor provoked to anger being in all the meekness of the Living God Being therefore the children of light and truth flie division evil doctrines Where the Pastour is do ye as sheep follow him for many wolves who seem worthy of credit do by an evil delectation lead captive persons running to God but through your unitie they shall have no place Depart from evil herbs which Jesus Christ doth not cultivate for they are not the Plantation of the Father Not that I have found any Division amongst you but a Resining us from the Dreggs So many as are of God and of Jesus Christ are with the Bishop and so many Penitents as come over into the Unitie of the Church shall be of God that they may live according to Jesus Christ My brethren be not deceived If any man follows him who is the maker of Schism he is no inheritour of the Kingdom of God If any man walks about in a strange opinion he is not conformable to the Passion Let it be your endeavour therefore to use one Eucharist for there is One flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ and one Cup for the Unitie of his bloud One Altar as One Bishop with the Presbyterie and Deacons my fellow servants that whatever ye do ye may do according to God My brethren I am very much poured out in Love towards you and exceedingly rejoycing strengthen you yet not I but Jesus Christ for whom I am in bonds and therefore am the more affraid because I am not yet taken out of the world But your Prayer