you I will make known my Speech unto you Because I called and ye would not hear I stretched out my words and ye regarded not But ye have set at nought all my Counsel and would none of my reproof I will also laugh at your Calamity and mock when your fear cometh When your Fear cometh as Desolation and your Destruction as a Whirlwind when Distress and Anguish cometh upon you Then shall ye call upon me but I will not hear you The Wicked shall seek me but they shall not find me For that they hated Knowledge and did not seek the Fear of the Lord. They would not hearken unto my Counsel They despised all my Reproof Therefore shall they eat of the Fruit of their own ways and be filled with their own Wickedness LVIII NOW God the Inspector of all things the Father of Spirits and the Lord of all Flesh who hath chosen our Lord Jesus Christ and Us by Him to be his Peculiar People grant to every Soul of Man that calleth upon his Glorious and Holy Name Faith Fear Peace Long-suffering Patience Temperance Holiness and Wisdom unto all well-pleasing in his sight through our High Priest and Protector Jesus Christ by whom be Glory and Majesty and Honour unto Him now and for Ever more Amen LIX THE Messengers whom we have sent unto you Claudius and Ephebus and Valerius and Bito with Fortunatus send back to us again with all speed in Peace and with Joy that they may the sooner acquaint us with your Peace and Concord so much pray'd for and desired by Us And that we may rejoyce in your good Order LX. THE Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you and with all others that are any where called by God and through Him To whom be Honour and Glory and Might and Majesty and Dominion by Christ Jesus from Everlasting to Everlasting Amen THE EPISTLE OF St. POLYCARP TO THE Philippians THE CONTENTS After the Salutation 1. HE Commends the Philippians for their Respect to Those who suffer'd for the Gospel and for their own Faith and Piety Numb I. 2. He exhorts Them to continue in Both And that particularly from the Consideration of the Resurrection and Judgment to come N. II. For their better accomplishing whereof He 3. Advises them to call to mind the Doctrine which St. Paul had taught them whilst He was in Person among them and after wrote to them in his Epistle N. III. The Summ of all which he now goes on particularly to set before Them I. As to Practical Duties 1. Faith Hope Charity N. III. 2. Against Covetousness N. IV. 3. The Duties of Husbands Wives Widows Ib. 4. Of Deacons Young Men Virgins N. V. 5. Of Presbyters N. VI. All which He again Inforces with the Consideration of that Account we must one day give to God of all our Actions II. As to Matters of Faith 1. What we are to Believe concerning our Saviour Christ His Nature and Sufferings N. VII 2. Of the Future Resurrection and Judgment Ib. Which being thus set forth He finally Exhorts them 1. To Prayer N. VII 2. To Stedfastness in their Faith N. VIII Inforced from the Examples of the Patience and Constancy Of Our Saviour Christ. Ib. Of his Apostles and Saints N. IX 3. To Carefulness in all Well-doing N. X. And more particularly yet from the Miscarriage of Valens who had been a Presbyter among Them He Exhorts them 4. To beware of Covetousness N. XI 5. Not to be too severe towards such Persons either in their Censures of them or Behaviour towards them N. XII He Prays for them and then Exhorts them 6. To Pray for All others Ib. And having thus done with what was Instructive of his Epistle He advises Them of his sending Ignatius's Epistles to them N. XIII And desires an Account of Him from Them N. XIV And lastly He recommends Crescens by whom he wrote this Epistle together with his Sister to their Favour and Assistance Ib. THE EPISTLE OF St. POLYCARP TO THE Philippians POLYCARP and the PRESBYTERS that are with Him to the Church of God which is at PHILIPPI Mercy unto you and Peace from God Almighty and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour be multiplied I. I REJOYCED greatly with you in our Lord Jesus Christ that ye received the Images of a true Love and accompanied as it behoved you those who were in Bonds becoming Saints which are the Crowns of such as are truly chosen by God and our Lord As also that the Root of the Faith which was preach'd from antient times remains firm in you to this day and brings forth Fruit to our Lord Jesus Christ who suffer'd himself to be brought even to the Death for our Sins Whom God hath raised up having loosed the Pains of Death Whom having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of Glory Into which many desire to enter Knowing that by Grace ye are saved not by Works but by the Will of God through Jesus Christ. II. WHEREFORE girding up the Loyns of your Mind Serve the Lord with Fear and in Truth Laying aside all empty and vain Speech and the Error of many Believing in him that raised up our Lord Jesus Christ from the Dead and hath given him Glory and a Throne at his right Hand To whom all things are made Subject Both that are in Heaven and that are in Earth whom every Creature shall worship who shall come to be the Judge of the Quick and Dead Whose Bloud God shall require of them that believe not in him but are disobedient to him But he that raised up Christ from the Dead shall also raise up us in like manner if we do his Will and walk according to his Commandments and love that which he hath loved Abstaining from all Vnrighteousness inordinate Affection and love of Money from Evil-speaking False Witness not rendring Evil for Evil or Railing for Railing or Striking for Striking or Cursing for Cursing But remembring what the Lord has taught us saying Judge not and ye shall not be judged Forgive and ye shall be forgiven Be ye merciful and ye shall obtain Mercy For with the same measure that ye meet withall it shall be measured to you again And again that Blessed are the Poor and they that are persecuted for Righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of God III. THESE things my Brethren I took not the Liberty of my self to write unto you concerning Righteousness but you your selves before encouraged me to it For neither can I nor any other such as I am come up to the Wisdom of the Blessed and Renowned Paul who being himself in Person with those who then lived did with all Exactness and Soundness teach the Word of Truth and being gone from you wrote an Epistle to you Into which if you look you
longer observing Sabbaths but living according to the Commands of the LORD in which also our Life is sprung up by Him and through his Death whom yet some deny By which Mystery we have been brought to Believe and therefore wait that we may be found the Disciples of Jesus Christ our only Master How shall we be able to live Different from Him whose Disciples the very Prophets themselves being did by the Spirit expect Him as their Master And therefore He whom they justly waited for being come raised them up from the Dead X. LET us not then be Insensible of his Goodness for should he have dealt with us according to our Works we had not now had a Being Wherefore being become his Disciples let us learn to live according to the Rules of Christianity For whosoever is called by any other name besides this He is not of God Lay aside therefore the Old and Sower and Evil Leaven and be ye changed into the New Leaven which is Jesus Christ. Be ye salted in Him lest any one among you should be Corrupted for by your smell ye shall be Judged It is Absurd to call your selves by the Name of Jesus Christ and to Judaize For the Christian Religion did not embrace the Jewish but the Jewish the Christian that so every Tongue that Believed might be gathered together unto God XI THESE things my Beloved I write unto you not that I know of any among you that lye under this Error But as one of the least among you I am desirous to forewarn you that ye fall not into the Snares of Vain Doctrine But that ye be fully instructed in the Birth and Suffering and Resurrection of Jesus Christ our Hope which was done in the Time of the Government of Pontius Pilate and that most truly and certainly and from which God forbid that any among you should be turn'd aside XII MAY I therefore have Joy of you in all things if I shall be worthy of it For though I am Bound yet am I not worthy to be compared to one of you that are at Liberty I know that ye are not puffed up for ye have Jesus Christ in your Hearts And especially when I commend you I know that ye are Ashamed as it is written The Just Man condemneth himself XIII STUDY therefore to be confirm'd in the Doctrine of our LORD and of his Apostles that so whatsoever ye do ye may prosper both in Body and Spirit in Faith and Charity in the Son and in the Father and in the Holy Spirit in the Beginning and in the End Together with your most worthy Bishop and the well-wrought Spiritual Crown of your Presbytery and your Deacons which are according to God Be subject to your Bishop and to one another as Jesus Christ to the Father according to the Flesh and the Apostles both to Christ and to the Father and to the Holy Ghost that so ye may be united both in Body and Spirit XIV KNOWING you to be full of God I have the more briefly exhorted you Be mindful of me in your Prayers that I may attain unto God And forget not the Church that is in Syria from which I am not worthy to be called For I stand in need of your Joynt-Prayers in God and of your Charity that the Church which is in Syria may be thought worthy to be nourish'd by your Church XV. THE Ephesians from Smyrna salute you from which place I write unto you Being present here to the Glory of God in like manner as you are who have in all things refresh'd me together with Polycarp the Bishop of the Smyrnaeans The rest of the Churches in the Honour of Jesus Christ salute you Farewel and be ye strengthned in the Concord of God enjoying his Inseparable Spirit which is Jesus Christ. To the MAGNESIANS THE EPISTLE OF St. IGNATIVS TO THE Trallians THE CONTENTS The Salutation Chap. I. HE acknowledges the Coming of their Bishop and his receit of their Charity by Him II. He commends them for their Orderly Subjection to their Bishop Priests and Deacons and exhorts them to continue in it III. He inforces the same Exhortation Commends their Bishop and excuses his not writing more fully to them of this Matter IV. Which he does not least he should seem to take too much upon Him And be too much exalted in his own Conceit which would be very Dangerous to Him Who is afraid even of his Over-great Desire to Suffer least it should be prejudicial to Him V. Another Reason why he did not write more largely to them is that at present they are not able to bear it VI. He warns them against Hereticks who poison the sound Word of Christ And VII Exhorts them by Humility of Mind and Unity with the Church to guard Themselves against Them VIII And this he does not that he knows of any present need they had of this Advice but to prevent any Mischief from falling upon them IX To which End he briefly sets before them the true Doctrine concerning Christ. X. And particularly exposes the Error of some who taught that he seemed only to Die but did not really Suffer XI From these he would have Them flee XII He returns again to his Exhortation of them to Unity And desires their Prayers of which he was much in need XIII Which also he begs for his Church at Antioch And having given them the Salutations of Those who were with Him and once more exhorted them to due Submission to their Bishop c. He Concludes THE EPISTLE OF St. IGNATIVS TO THE Trallians IGNATIUS who is also called THEOPHORUS to the Beloved of God the Father of JESUS CHRIST the Holy Church which is at TRALLES in Asia Elect and Worthy of God Having Peace through the Flesh and Bloud and Passion of Jesus Christ our Hope in the Resurrection which is by him Which also I salute in the Fullness of the Apostolical Character Wishing all Joy and Happiness unto it I. I HAVE heard of your Blameless and Constant Disposition through Patience which not only appears in your Outward Conversation but is habitually rooted and grounded in you In like manner as Polybius your Bishop has declared unto me Who came to me to Smyrna by the Will of God and Jesus Christ and so rejoyced together with me in my Bonds for Jesus Christ that in effect I saw your whole Church in Him Having therefore received the Testimony of your Good Will towards me for Gods sake by Him I rejoyced to find you as also I knew that ye were the Followers of God II. FOR whereas ye are subject to your Bishop as to Jesus Christ ye appear to me to live not after the manner of Men but according to Jesus Christ who died for us that so believing in his Death we might
Thought should arise in thy Heart thou wouldst be guilty of a great Sin and they who do such things follow the way of Death Look therefore to thy self and keep thy self from such a Thought For where Chastity remains in the Heart of a Righteous Man there an Evil Thought ought never to arise And I said unto him Sir Suffer me to speak a little with you He bad me Say on And I answer'd Sir If a Man shall have a Wife that is faithful in the LORD and shall catch her in Adultery shall a Man sin that continues to live still with her And he said unto me As long as he is ignorant of her Sin he commits no fault in living with her But if a Man shall know his Wife to have offended and she shall not repent of her Sin but go on still in her Fornication and a Man shall continue nevertheless to live with her he shall become guilty of her Sin and partake with her in her Adultery And I said unto him what therefore is to be done if the Woman continues on in her Sin He answered Let her Husband put her away and let him continue by himself But if he shall put away his Wife and marry another he also shall commit Adultery And I said What if the Woman that is so put away shall repent and be willing to return to her Husband shall she not be received by him He said unto me Yes and if her Husband shall not receive her he will sin and commit a great Offence against himself But he ought to receive her though an Offender if she repents only not often For to the Servants of God there is but one Repentance And for this Cause a Man that putteth away his Wife ought not to take another because she may repent This Act is alike both in the Man and in the Woman Now they commit Adultery not only who pollute their Flesh but who also make an Image If therefore a Woman perseveres in any thing of this kind and repents not depart from her and live not with her Otherwise thou also shalt be Partaker of her Sin But it is therefore commanded that both the Man and Woman should remain unmarried because such Persons may repent Nor do I in this administer any Occasion for the doing of these things so but rather that whoso has offended should not offend any more But for their former Sins God who has the Power of Healing will give a Remedy For it is he who can do all things II. I ASKED him again and said Seeing my LORD has thought me worthy with whom to dwell continually speak a few Words unto me because I understand nothing and my Heart is hardned through my former Conversation and open my Understanding because I am very dull and apprehend nothing at all And he answering said unto me I am the Minister of Repentance and give Understanding to all that repent Do's it not seem to thee to be a very wise thing to repent Because he that do's so gets a great Feeling For he feels himself to have sinn'd and done wickedly in the sight of the LORD and he remembers within himself that he has offended and repents and do's no more wickedly but do's that which is good and humbles his Soul and afflicts it because he has offended You see therefore that Repentance is a deep Sense And I said unto him For this cause Sir I enquire diligently into all things because I am a Sinner that I may know what I must do that I may live and because my Sins are many And he said unto me Thou shalt live if thou shalt keep these my Commandments And whosoever shall hear and do these Commands shall live unto God III. AND I said unto him I have even now heard from certain Teachers that there is no other Repentance besides that of Baptism when we go down into the Water and receive the Forgiveness of our Sins and that after that we must sin no more but live in Purity And he said unto me thou hast been rightly inform'd Nevertheless seeing now thou enquirest diligently into all things I will manifest this also unto thee yet not so as to give any Occasion of sinning either to those who shall hereafter believe or who have already believ'd in the LORD For neither they who have already believed or who shall hereafter believe have any Repentance of Sins but Forgiveness of them But as to those who are already called the LORD before that time appointed Repentance Because God knoweth the Thoughts of all Mens Hearts and their Infirmities and the manifold Wickedness of the Devil who is always contriving something against the Servants of God and maliciously lays Snares for them Therefore our merciful LORD had Compassion towards his Creature and appointed that Repentance and gave unto me the Power of it And therefore I say unto thee If any one after that Great and Holy Calling shall be tempted by the Devil and Sin he has but one Repentance But if he shall often sin and repent it shall not profit such a one for he shall hardly live unto God And I said Sir I am restored again to Life since I have thus diligently hearken'd to these Commands For I perceive that if I shall not hereafter add any more to my Sins I shall be saved And he said Thou shalt be saved and so shall all others as many as shall observe these Commandments IV. AND again I said unto him Sir seeing thou hearest me patiently shew me yet one thing more Tell me saith he what it is And I said If a Husband or Wife die and the Party which survives marry again do's he sin in so doing He that marries says he sins not Howbeit if he shall remain single he shall thereby gain to himself great Honour with the LORD Keep therefore thy Chastity and Modesty and thou shalt live unto God Observe from henceforth those things which I speak with thee and command thee to observe from the time that I have been deliver'd unto thee and dwell in thy House So shall thy former Sins be forgiven if thou shalt keep these my Commandments And in like manner shall all others be forgiven who shall observe these my Commandments The Fifth COMMAND Of the Sadness of the Heart And of Patience I. BE Patient says he and of an Even-Mind so shalt thou have Dominion over all Wicked Works and shalt fulfil all Righteousness For if thou shalt be Patient the Holy Spirit which dwelleth in thee shall be pure and not be darkned by any other Evil Spirit But being full of Joy shall be enlarged and feast in the Body in which it dwells and shall appear before the LORD with Joy and in great Peace But if any Anger shall over-take thee presently the Holy Spirit which is in thee will be straightned and seek to depart from thee For he is
thy Children and with all thy House thou shalt be happy And whosoever when they hear these things shall do them they also shall be happy and whatsoever they shall ask of the LORD they shall receive it IV. AND I pray'd him that he would expound unto me the Similitude of the Farm and the Lord and of the Vineyard and of the Servant that had staked the Vine-yard and of the Weeds that were pluck'd out of the Vineyard and of his Son and his Friends which he took into Counsel with him For I understood that that was the Similitude He said unto me Thou art very ready in asking Howbeit thou oughst not to ask any thing for if it be fitting to shew it unto thee it shall be shewed I answer'd him Sir Whatsoever thou shalt shew without explaining it unto me I shall in vain see it And what Similitudes thou shalt propose and not expound them I shall in vain hear them He answered me again saying Whosoever is the Servant of God and has the LORD in his Heart desires Understanding of him and receives it and he explains every Similitude and understands the Words of the LORD which need an Enquiry But they that are lazy and slow to pray doubt to seek from the LORD although the LORD be of such an extraordinary Goodness that without ceasing he giveth all things to them that ask of him Thou therefore who art strengthened by that Venerable Messenger and hast received such a powerful Gift of Prayer seeing thou art not sloathful why dost thou not now ask Understanding of the LORD and receive it I said unto him seeing I have thee present it is necessary that I should seek it of thee and ask thee for thou shewest all things unto me and speakest to me when thou art present But if I should see or hear these things when thou wert not present I would then ask the LORD that he would shew them unto me V. AND he reply'd I said a little before that thou wert subtle and bold and that thou askest the meaning of these Similitudes But because thou still persistest I will unfold to thee the Parable which thou desirest that thou mayst make it known unto all Men. Hear therefore said he and understand The Farm before mention'd denotes the whole Earth The Lord of the Farm is he who created and finished all things and gave Vertue unto them His Son is the Holy Spirit The Servant is the Son of God The Vineyard is the People whom he saves The Stakes are the Messengers which are set over them by the LORD to support his People The Weeds that are pluckt up out of the Vineyard are the Sins which the Servants of God had committed The Food which he sent him from his Supper are the Commands which he gave to his People by his Son The Friends whom he call'd to Counsel with him are the Holy Angels whom he first created The Absence of the Master of the Houshold is the Time that remains unto his Coming I said unto him Sir All these things are very excellent and wonderful and good But continued I could I or any other Man besides though never so wise have understood these things Wherefore now Sir tell me what I ask He replied ask me what thou wilt Why said I is the Son of God in this Parable put in the place of a Servant VI. Hearken said he The Son of God is not put in the condition of a Servant but in great Power and Authority And I answer'd How Sir I understood it not Because said he The Son set his Messengers over those whom the Father deliver'd unto him to keep every one of them but he himself labour'd very much and suffer'd much that he might blot out their Offences For no Vineyard can be digg'd without much Labour and Pains Wherefore having blotted out the Sins of his People he shew'd to them the Paths of Life giving them the Law which he had received of the Father You see said he that he is the LORD of his People having received all Power from his Father But why did the LORD take into Counsel his Son concerning dividing the Inheritance and the Good Angels Hear Because that Messenger hearkned to the Holy Ghost which was first of all infused into the Body in which God should dwell For his Understanding placed him in the Body as it seem'd Good to him This Body therefore into which the Holy Spirit was brought served that Spirit walking rightly and purely in Modesty nor ever defiled that Spirit Seeing therefore the Body at all times obeyed the Holy Spirit and labour'd rightly and chastly with him nor falter'd at any time that Body being wearied conversed indeed Servily but being stoutly approved with the Holy Spirit was accepted by God For such a powerful Course pleased God because he was not defiled in the Earth keeping the Holy Spirit in Council with him He called therefore his Son and the Good Angels that there might be some place of standing given to this Body which had served the Holy Spirit without Complaint least it should seem to have lost the reward of its Service For every pure Body shall receive its reward that is found without Spot in which the Holy Spirit has been appointed to dwell And thus you have now the Exposition of this Parable also VII SIR said I I now understand your Meaning since I have heard this Exposition Hearken farther said he Keep this thy Body Clean and Pure that the Spirit which shall dwell in it may bear Witness unto it and be judged to have been with thee Also take heed that it be not instill'd into thy Mind that this Body perishes and thou abuse it to any Lust. For if thou shalt defile thy Body thou shalt also at the same time defile the Holy Spirit and if thou shalt defile the Holy Spirit thou shalt not live And I said What if through Ignorance this should have been already committed before a Man heard these Words How can he attain unto Salvation who has thus defiled his Body He reply'd As for Mens former Actions which through Ignorance they have committed God only can afford a remedy unto them For all power belongeth unto him But now Guard thy self and seeing God is Almighty and Merciful he will grant a remedy to what thou hast formerly done amiss if for the time to come thou shalt not defile thy Body and Spirit For they are Companions together and the One cannot be defiled but the other will be so too Keep therefore both of them Pure and thou shalt live unto God The Sixth SIMILITUDE Of two sorts of Voluptuous Men and of their Death Defection and of the Continuance of their Pains I. AS I was sitting at home and praising God for all the things which I had seen and was thinking concerning the Commands that they were exceeding Good and Great and Honest and Pleasant and such as would certainly bring a Man to Salvation
God I intreat you that he may tarry longer both for yours and your Bishops Honour And Crocus also worthy both of God and you whom I have received as the Pattern of your Love has in all things refresh'd Me as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ shall also refresh Him together with Onesimus and Burrhus and Euplus and Fronto in whom I have as to your Charity seen all of you And may I always have Joy of you if I shall be worthy of it It is therefore fitting that by all means you should Glorifie Jesus Christ who hath Glorified you That by a Uniform Obedience ye may be perfectly joyned together in the same Mind and in the same Judgment and may all speak the same things And that being subject to your Bishop and his Presbytery ye may be wholly and thoroughly Sanctified III. THESE things I prescribe to you not as if I were some body Extraordinary For tho' 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 run together according to the Will of God For Jesus Christ our inseparable Life is the Mind of the Father as the Bishops appointed even unto the utmost Bounds of the Earth are the Mind of Jesus Christ. IV. WHEREFORE it will become you to Run together according to the Will of your Bishop as also ye do For your Famous Presbytery worthy of God is fitted as exactly to its Bishop as the Strings are to their Harp Therefore in your Concord and agreeing Charity Jesus Christ is Sung and every single Person among you makes up the Chorus That so being all Consonant in Love 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 an Unblameable Unity that so ye may always have a Fellowship with God V. FOR if I in this little time have had such a Familiarity with your Bishop I mean not a Carnal but Spiritual Acquaintance with Him How much more must I think you Happy who are so joyn'd 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 is Deprived of the BREAD of God For if the Prayer of One or Two be of such force as we are told How much more Powerful shall that of the Bishop and the whole Church be 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 our selves against the Bishop that we may be the Servants of God VI. THE more any one sees his Bishop silent the more let him Reverence him For whomsoever the Master of the House sends unto his own Houshold we ought in like manner to receive him as we would do Him that sent Him It is therefore evident that we ought to look upon the Bishop even as we would do upon the Lord Jesus And indeed Onesimus himself does greatly commend your good Order in God That you all live according to the Truth and that no Heresie dwells among you For neither do ye hearken to any one so much as to Jesus Christ speaking to you in Truth VII FOR some there are who carry about the name of Christ in Deceitfulness but do many things unworthy of God whom ye must flee as ye would do so many wild Beasts For they are ravening Wolves who devour secretly Against whom ye must guard your selves as Men hardly to be cured There is one Physician both Fleshly and Spiritual Made and not Made God incarnate True Life in Death Both of Mary and of God First Passible then Impassible even Jesus Christ our Lord. VIII WHEREFORE let no Man deceive you as indeed neither are ye deceived being wholly the Servants of God For inasmuch as there is no Contention nor Strife among you to trouble you ye must needs live according to Gods Will. My Soul be for yours and I my self the Expiatory Offering for your Church of Ephesus so Famous throughout the World 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 he that has Faith cannot be an Infidel nor he that is an Infidel have 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 stopp'd your Ears that ye might not receive those things that were sown by Them As being the Stones of the Temple of the Father prepared for his Building and drawn up on High by the Cross of Christ as by an Engine using the Holy Ghost as the Rope by which to ascend Your Faith being your Support and your Charity the way that leads unto God Ye are therefore with all your Companions in the same Journey full of God His Spiritual Temples full of Christ full of Holinss Adorn'd in all things with the Commands of Christ Through whom also I Triumph in that I have been thought worthy by this present Epistle to converse and rejoyce together with you that having regard to the other Life ye love nothing but God only X. YE do also Pray without ceasing for all Men For there is Hope of Repentance in them that they may attain unto God Let them therefore at least be instructed by your Works if they will be no other way Be ye Mild at their Anger Humble at their Boasting To their Blasphemies return your Payers To their Error your firmness in the Faith When they are Cruel be ye Gentle not endeavouring to imitate their ways Let us be their Brethren in all Kindness and Moderation but let us be Followers of the LORD If any one be more than other either injured or defrauded or despised That so no Herb of the Devil may be found in you but ye may remain in all Holiness and Sobriety both of Body and Spirit in Christ Jesus XI THE Last times
from whence I am carried Bound to Rome being the least of all the Faithful which are there as I have been thought worthy to be found to the Glory of God Fare ye well in God the Father and in Jesus Christ our common Hope Amen To the EPHESIANS THE EPISTLE OF St. IGNATIVS TO THE Magnesians THE CONTENTS After the Salutation He declares Chap. I. THE Occasion of his Writing to Them and to the other Churches that were about them And then mentions II. The Arrival of Damas their Bishop and of the rest whom They had sent unto Him III. He exhorts them to all due Reverence and Subjection to their Bishop notwithstanding He was but a Young Man and had not long been in that Great Office among them IV. Which also they must do if they will be Christians indeed V. That we must all ' ere long Die and then be for ever either Happy or Miserable VI. He exhorts them therefore to live Orderly and to maintain a Unity among each other VII And that especially by a due Subjection to their Bishop and Presbyters VIII IX.X He cautions them against false Opinions Especially those of Ebion and the Judaizing Christians XI He Apologizes for this Advice which he gave not to Reprove but to Fore-warn Them XII Whose Faith and Piety he here greatly commends And XIII Exhorts them to go on and increase in Both. XIV He desires their Prayers both for Himself and his Church at Antioch XV. And then concludes all with the Salutations of those who were present with Him at the Writing of this Epistle THE EPISTLE OF St. IGNATIVS TO THE Magnesians IGNATIUS who is also called THEOPHORUS to the Blessed Church by the Grace of God the Father in Jesus Christ our Saviour In whom I salute the Church which is at MAGNESIA near the MAEANDER and wish it all Joy in God the Father and in Jesus Christ. I. WHEN I heard of your well-order'd Love and Charity in God being full of Joy I determined forthwith to speak unto you in the Faith of Jesus Christ. For having been thought worthy to obtain a most Excellent Name in the Bonds which I carry about I salute the Churches wishing in them a Union both of the Body and Spirit of Jesus Christ our Eternal Life As also of Faith and Charity to which nothing is preferred But especially of Jesus and the Father in whom if we undergo and escape all the Injuries of the Prince of this present World we shall enjoy God II. SEEING then I have been judged worthy to see you by DAMAS your most Excellent Bishop and by your very worthy Presbyters BASSUS and APOLLONIUS and by my Fellow Servant SOTIO your Deacon in whom I rejoyce forasmuch as He is subject unto his Bishop as to the Grace of God and to the Presbytery as to the Law of Jesus Christ I determined to Write unto you III. WHEREFORE it will become you also not to take advantage of the Youth of your Bishop but to yield all Reverence to Him according to the Power of God the Father As also I perceive that your Holy Presbyters do not considering his Age which indeed to appearance is Young but as becomes those who are Prudent in God submitting to Him or rather not to Him but to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Bishop of us All. It will therefore behove you with all Sincerity to obey your Bishop in Honour of Him whose pleasure it is that ye should do so Because he that does not do so deceives not the Bishop whom he sees but affronts him that is Invisible For whatsoever of this kind is done it reflects not upon Man but upon God who knows the Secrets of our Hearts IV. IT is therefore fitting that we should not only be called Christians but be so As some call indeed their Governour Bishop but yet do all things without Him But I can never think that such as these have a good Conscience seeing they are not gather'd together thoroughly according to Gods Commandment V. SEEING then all things have an End there are these two indifferently set before Us Death and Life And every one shall dedepart unto his proper place For as there are two sorts of Coins the one of God the other of the World and each of these has its proper Inscription engraven upon it So also is it Here The Unbelievers are of this World but the Faithful through Charity have the Character of God the Father by Jesus Christ By whom if we are not readily disposed to Die unto his Passion His Life is not in Us. VI. FORASMUCH therefore as I have in the Persons before mentioned seen all of you in Faith and Charity I exhort you that ye study to do all things in a Divine Concord Your Bishop presiding in the place of God your Presbyters in the place of the Council of the Apostles And your Deacons most dear to Me being intrusted with the Ministry of Jesus Christ who was with the Father before all Ages and appeared in the End to us Wherefore taking up the same Holy Course see that ye all Reverence one another And let no one look upon his Neighbour after the Flesh but do ye all mutually love each other in Jesus Christ. Let there be nothing that may be able to make a Division among you But be ye united to your Bishop and those who Preside over you to be your Pattern and Direction in the way to Immortality VII AS therefore the LORD did nothing without the Father being united to Him neither by Himself nor yet by his Apostles So neither do ye do any thing without your Bishop and Presbyters Neither endeavour to let any thing appear rational to your selves apart but being come together into the same place have one Common Prayer One Supplication One Mind One Hope in Charity and in Joy undefiled There is One Lord Jesus Christ than whom nothing is Better Wherefore come ye all together as unto one Temple of God as to one Altar as to one Jesus Christ who proceeded from one Father and exists in One and is return'd to One. VIII BE not Deceived with Strange Doctrines nor with Old Fables which are unprofitable For if we still continue to live according to the Jewish Law we do confess our selves not to have received Grace For even the Most Holy Prophets lived according to Christ Jesus And for this cause were they persecuted being inspired by his Grace to convince the Unbelievers and Disobedient that there is one God who has 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 IX WHEREFORE if they who were conversant in those antient Things are nevertheless come to the Newness of Hope No
pleasing unto God that so whatever is done may be secure and well done IX FOR what remains it is very reasonable that we should repent whilst there is yet time to return unto God It is a good thing to have a due regard both to God and to the Bishop He that Honours the Bishop shall be Honoured of God But he that does any thing without his Knowledge Ministers unto the Devil Let all things therefore abound to you in Charity seeing ye are Worthy Ye have refresh'd me in all things so shall Jesus Christ you Ye have loved me both when I was present with you and now being absent ye cease not to do so May God be your Reward for whom whilst ye undergo all things ye shall attain unto Him X. YE HAVE done well in that ye have received Philo and Rheus and Agathopus as the Deacons of Christ our Lord Who also give Thanks unto the Lord for you forasmuch as ye have refreshed them in all things Nor shall any thing that you have done be lost to you My Soul be for yours and my Bonds which ye have not despised nor been ashamed of Wherefore neither shall Jesus Christ our perfect Faith be ashamed of you XI YOUR Prayer is come to the Church of Antioch which is in Syria From whence being sent bound with Chains becoming God I salute the Churches being not worthy to be called from thence as being 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 perfect to the End that through your Prayers I may attain unto God And therefore that your Work may be fully accomplish'd both upon Earth and in Heaven it will be fitting that your Church appoint some One to the Honour of God who being come as far as Syria may rejoyce together with them that they are in Peace and that they are again restored to their former Greatness 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 Harbor For in as much as ye are perfect your selves you ought to think those things that are perfect For when you are desirous to do well God is ready to do well to you XII THE Love of the Brethren that are at Troas salutes 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 refresh'd me And I would to God that all would imitate Him as being an Exemplar 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 Mercy and Peace and Patience for Ever-more 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 strengthned in Faith and Charity both of Flesh and Spirit I salute Alcé my Well-beloved together with the very Excellent Daphnus and Eutychus and all by Name Farewel in the Grace of God To the SMYRNAEANS from TROAS THE EPISTLE OF St. IGNATIVS TO St. Polycarp THE CONTENTS The Salutation Chap. I. HE Blesses God for the Firm Establishment of Polycarp in all Piety And gives him many particular Directions for his Improvement in it II. But especially with Relation to the Church over which he was Bishop III. IV. He continues his Advice to Him And V. Then teaches Him what Advice he should give to Others VI. In which He continues and especially inforces Unity among Themselves and Subjection to their Bishop VII He accounts to Polycarp the Peace of His Church in Syria And directs Him to appoint some Messenger to go to Antioch to rejoyce with them on that Occasion VIII He desires Polycarp to write to the same Effect to the Neighbouring Churches which He had not Himself time to do And then concludes all with his Salutation both to Polycarp and to several of the Church of Smyrna by Name THE EPISTLE OF St. IGNATIVS TO St. Polycarp IGNATIUS who is also called THEOPHORUS to Polycarp Bishop of the Church which is at Smyrna Their Overseer but rather himself Overlook'd by God the Father and the LORD Jesus Christ All Happiness I. HAVING known that thy Will towards God is fix'd as it were upon an immoveable Rock I exceedingly give Thanks that I have been thought worthy to behold thy Blessed Face in which may I always rejoyce in God Wherefore I beseech thee by the Grace of God with which thou art cloathed 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 in thy Church 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 so too II. IF thou shalt love the Good Disciples what Thank is it But rather do thou subject to thee those that are infected in Meekness Every Wound is not healed with the same Plaister If the accessions of the Disease be vehement molifie 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 mayst molifie those things that appear before thy Face But 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 may'st abound in every Gift The Times demand thee as the Mariner the Winds and he that is toss'd in a Tempest the Haven where he would be that thou may'st attain unto God Be Sober as the Combatant of God The Crown proposed to thee is Immortality and Life Eternal concerning which thou art fully perswaded I will be thy Surety in all things and my Bonds which thou hast loved III. LET not those that appear to be faithful but teach other Doctrines disturb thee Stand firm and immovable as
God and has great Power But Doubting is an Earthly Spirit and proceedeth from the Devil and has no Strēgth Do thou therefore keep the Vertue of Faith and depart from Doubting in which is no Vertue and thou shalt live unto God And all shall live unto God as many as shall do these things The Tenth COMMAND Of the Sadness of the Heart and that we must take heed not to grieve the Spirit of God that is in us I. PUT all Sadness far from thee for it is the Sister of Doubting and of Anger How Sir said I Is it the Sister of these For Sadness and Anger and Doubting seem to me to be very different from one another And he answered Art thou without Sense that thou dost not understand it For Sadness is the most mischievous of all Spirits and the worst to the Servants of God It destroys the Spirits of all Men and torments the Holy Spirit and again it saves Sir said I I am very foolish and understand not these things I cannot apprehend how it can torment and yet save Hear said he and understand They who never sought out the Truth nor enquired concerning the Majesty of God but only believed are involved in the Affairs of the Heathen And there is another lying Prophet that destroys the Senses of the Servants of God that is of those that are doubtful not of those that fully trust in the LORD Now those doubtful Persons come to him as to a Divine Spirit and enquire of him what shall befal them And this lying Prophet having no Power in him of the Divine Spirit answers them according to their Demands and fills their Souls with Promises according as they desire Howbeit that Prophet is vain and answers vain things to those who are themselves vain And whatsoever is asked of him by vain Men he answers them vainly Nevertheless he speaketh some things truly For the Devil fills him with his Spirit that he may overthrow some of the Righteous II. WHOSOEVER therefore are strong in the Faith of the LORD and have put on the Truth they are not joyned to such Spirits but depart from them But those that are doubtful and often repenting like the Heathens consult them and heap up to themselves great Sin serving Idols As many therefore as are such enquire of them upon every Occasion worship Idols and are foolish and void of the Truth For every Spirit that is given from God is not asked but having the Power of the Divinity speaks all things of its self because it comes from above from the Power of the Holy Spirit But he that being ask'd speaks according to Mens desires and concerning many other Affairs of this present World understands not the things which relate unto God For these Spirits are darkned through such Affairs and corrupted and broken As good Vines if they are neglected are oppress'd with Weeds and Thorns and at last kill'd by them So are the Men who believe such Spirits They fall into many Actions and Businesses and are void of Sense and when they think of things pertaining unto God they understand nothing at all But if at any time they chance to hear any thing concerning the LORD their Thoughts are upon their Business But they that have the Fear of the LORD and search out the Truth concerning God have all their Thoughts with the LORD They apprehend whatsoever is said to them and forthwith they understand it because they have the Fear of the LORD in them For where the Spirit of the LORD dwells there is also a great Sense added Wherefore joyn thy self to the LORD and thou shalt understand and apprehend all things III. LEARN now O Unwise Man How Sadness grieves the Holy Spirit and how it saves When a Man that is doubtful is engaged in any Affair and do's not accomplish it by reason of his Doubting this Sadness enters into him and grieves the Holy Spirit and makes him sad Again Anger when it overtakes any Man for any Business he is greatly moved and Anger possesses his Heart and he is disturb'd in his Work which he is about and afterwards repents because he did amiss Thus both Doubting and Sadness hurt the Holy Spirit Doubting because his Work did not succeed and Sadness because he angr'd the Holy Spirit Remove therefore Sadness from thy self and offend not the Holy Spirit which dwelleth in thee least he ask the LORD and depart from thee For the Spirit of the LORD which is given to us in the Flesh endures not Sadness Wherefore cloath thy self with Chearfulness which has always Favour with the LORD and thou shalt rejoyce in it For every chearful Man do's well and relishes those things that are good and despises Unrighteousness But the sad Man do's wickedly because he grieves the Holy Spirit which is given to the chearful Man And again he do's ill because he prays with Sadness unto the LORD except he first makes a thankful acknowledgment unto him of former Mercies and obtains not of God what he asks For the Prayer of a sad Man has not always Efficacy to come up to the Altar of God And I said unto him Sir Why has not the Prayer of a sad Man Vertue to come up to the Altar of God Because said he that Sadness remaineth in his Heart When therefore a Man's Prayer shall be accompanied with Sadness it will not suffer his Requests to ascend pure to the Altar of God For as Wine when it is mingled with Vinegar has not the Sweetness it had before so Sadness being mix'd with the Holy Spirit suffers not a Man's Prayer to be Pure as it would be otherwise Wherefore purifie thy self from Sadness which is Evil and thou shalt live unto God And all others shall live unto God as many as shall lay aside Sadness and put on Chearfulness The Eleventh COMMAND That the Spirits and Prophets are to be tried by their Works and of a Two-fold Spirit HE shew'd me certain Men sitting upon Benches and one sitting in a Chair And he said unto me Seest thou those who sit upon the Benches Sir said I I see them He answer'd They are the Faithful and he who sits in the Chair is an Earthly Spirit For he cometh not into the Church with the Faithful but avoids it But he joyns himself to the Doubtful and Empty and prophecies to them in hidden Places and Corners and pleases them by speaking according to all the Desires of their Hearts For that which is fitted to empty Vessels is not broken but the one agrees to the other But when such a one comes into the Company of Just Men who have the Spirit of God and they pray unto the LORD that Man is emptied because that Earthly Spirit flies from him and he is dumb and cannot speak any thing As if in a Store-House you shall stop up Wine or Oyl and among those Vessels shall place an empty Jar and shall afterwards come to open it
these there is no more place for Repentance For by reason of their present Interests they have blasphemed and denied God And for this Wickedness have lost Life And of these many are still in doubt these may yet return and if they shall quickly repent they shall have a place in the Tower but if they shall be more slow they shall dwell within the Walls but if they shall not repent they shall die As for those who had two parts of their Rods Green and the third Dry they have deny'd the LORD by their manifold sins Of these many have repented and found a place in the Tower and many have altogether departed from God These have utterly lost their Lives And some being in a doubtful state have raised up Dissentions These may yet return if they shall suddainly repent and not be with-held by their pleasures but if they shall continue in their Evil-doings they shall Die IX THEY who gave in their Rods two parts Dry and the other Green are those who have indeed been faithful but withall Rich and full of good things and thereupon have desired to be famous among those without and have thereby fallen into great Pride and began to aim at high matters and to forsake the Truth Nor did they hold fast to the Righteous but lived with Strangers and this Life seem'd the more Pleasant to them Howbeit they departed not from God but continued in the Faith only they did not exercise the Works of Faith Many therefore of these repented and began to dwell in the Tower Yet others still living among strange People and being lifted up with their Vanities have utterly fallen away from God and follow'd the Works and Wickednesses of the Heathen These kind of Men therefore are reckon'd among Strangers to the Gospel Others of these became Doubtful minded despairing by reason of their wicked doings ever to attain unto Salvation Others being Dubious stirr'd up Dissentions To these therefore and to those who by reason of their Doings are become doubtful there is still hopes of return but they must repent quickly that their Place may be in the Tower But they that repent not but continue still in their Pleasures are nigh unto Death X. As for those who gave in their Rods Green excepting their Tops which only were Dry and had Clefts These were always Good and Faithful and Approved towards â—od Nevertheless they sinn'd a little by reason of their empty Pleasures and little Disputes which they had among themselves Wherefore many of them when they heard my words repented forthwith and began to dwell in the Tower Nevertheless some grew doubtful and others to their doubtful Minds added Dissentions To these therefore there is still hope of return because they were always Good but they shall hardly be moved As for those lastly who gave in their Rods dry their Tops only excepted which alone were Green They are such as have believed indeed in God but have lived in Wickedness yet without departing from God Having always willingly Born the Name of the LORD and readily received into their Houses the Servants of God Wherefore hearing these things they return'd and without delay repented and lived in all Righteousness And some of them suffered Death others readily underwent many trials being mindful of their Evil-doings XI AND when he had ended his Explications of all the Rods he said unto me Go and say unto all Men that they Repent and they shall live unto God Because the LORD being moved with great Clemency hath sent me to preach Repentance unto all even to those who by reason of their Evil-doings deserve not to attain unto Salvation But the LORD will be Patient and keep the Invitation that was made by his Son I said unto him Sir I hope that All when they shall hear these things will repent For I trust that every one acknowledging his Crimes and taking up the fear of the LORD will return unto Repentance He said unto me Whosoever shall repent with all their Hearts and cleanse themselves from all the Evils that I have before mentioned and not add any thing more to their sins shall receive from the LORD the Cure of their former Iniquities if they shall not make any Doubt of my Commands and shall live unto God But they that shall continue to add to their Transgressions and shall still converse with the Lusts of this present World shall Condemn themselves unto Death But do thou walk in these Commands and thou shalt live unto God And whosoever shall walk in these and exercise them rightly shall live unto God And having shew'd me all these things he said I will shew thee the rest in a few days The Ninth SIMILITUDE The Greatest Mysteries of the Militant and Triumphant Church which is to be built I. AFTER I had written the Commands and Similitudes of the Shepherd the Angel of Repentance he came unto me and said to me I will shew thee all those things which the Spirit spake with thee under the Figure of the Church For that Spirit is the Son of God And because thou wert weak in Body it was not declared unto thee by the Angel until thou wert strengthened by the Spirit and encreased in force that thou mightest also see the Angel For then indeed the Building of the Tower was gloriously shewn unto thee by the Church nevertheless thou sawest all things shewn unto thee as it were by a Virgin But now thou art enlightned by the Angel but indeed by the same Spirit But thou must consider all things diligently for therefore am I sent into thine House by that Venerable Messenger that when thou shalt have seen all things powerfully thou mayst not be afraid as before And he led me to the Top of a Mountain of Arcadia and we sate upon its Top. And he shew'd me a great Plain and about it Twelve Mountains in different Figures The First was black as Soot The Second was smooth without Grass The Third was full of Thorns and Thistles The Fourth had Grass half dryed of which the upper part was green but that next the Root was dry and some of the Herbs when the Sun grew hot were dry The Fifth Mountain was very rugged but yet had green Grass The Sixth Mountain was full of Clefts some lesser and some greater and in those Clefts grew Grass not flourishing but which seem'd to be withering The Seventh Mountain had delightful Pasture and was wholly fruitful and all kinds of Cattle and of the Birds of Heaven fed upon it and the more they fed of it the more and better did the Grass grow The Eighth Mountain was full of Fountains and from those Fountains were water'd all kinds of the Creatures of God The Ninth Mountain had no Water at all but was wholly destitute of it and nourish'd deadly Serpents and destructive to Men. The Tenth Mountain was full of tall Trees and altogether shady and under the Shade of them lay Cattle