And he TRULY suffered; as also he TRULY raised up himself not as some infidels say that he SEEMED to suffer. I forewarn you of those beasts, who are in the shape of men; whom you ought not only not [Sect. 4]. to receive, but if possible not even to meet with. Only you ought to pray for them-if they may be converted,-which is a difficult case. But Jesus Christ, our true life, has power to save to the uttermost." A humble and thankful sense of the unspeakable value of Christ, leads naturally to this charity, and the want of it leaves men always, under the appearance of candour, to a cruel insensibility of heart and an undistinguished scepticism. It seems, that these heretics, with the usual artifices of such persons, laboured to work themselves into the good graces of Ignatius. He sees through their designs and says," for what does it profit me, if any man commend me, and yet blaspheme my Lord, [Sect. 5.] denying him to have come in the flesh? They separate from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they confess not the Eucharist to be the body of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who suffered for our sins. They who contradict the gift of God, die in their reasonings." Union with the Bishop he strenuously insists on. "It is not lawful without the Bishop, to baptize, or to make a love feast." [Sect. 6.] [Sect. 7 & 8.] We see the practice of true Christians in those times. They carefully separated themselves from heretics: they beheld their views with horror: they stuck close to Christ. His Godhead, Manhood, Atonement, Priesthood, were inestimably precious in their eyes. They could not allow those to be Christians at all, who denied the fundamentals: In fine, they preserved order and close connection with their pastors: they did nothing in religion without them. These were the means of protecting truth among them and the long course of evangelical prosperity in these Churches, under God, may be ascribed to the use of these means. One letter only remains to be mentioned, that to Polycarp. It contains a just picture of pastoral integrity, wisdom, and charity: The whole of it deserves to be studied by all ministers. The more holy any Pastor is, the more will he be sensible of the need of divine wisdom and strength. The disadvantages in which a poor sinful worm is involved, who has to contend against the united powers of the world and the devil, against the corrupt workings of his own nature, the open opposition of the profane, and the faults of God's own people, cannot even be conceived by a mere secular Clergy, intent only on ease and preferment, or, at best, on literary indulgences and external decorum: as little will they be conceived by those ambitious and turbulent teachers, who are so swallowed up in political dreams, as to forget that Christ's kingdom is not of this world. "I exhort thee, by the grace with which thou art clothed, to apply thyself to thy course of duty; and to [Sect. 1.] admonish all, that they may all be saved. Do justice to thy station in all diligence, both temporal and spiritual: Be studious of that best of blessings, unity: Bear all, as also the Lord doth thee: Bear with all in charity, as indeed thou also dost. Find time for prayer without ceasing: Ask for more understanding than thou hast at present: Watch, and possess a spirit ever attentive: Speak to each separately, as Almighty God shall enable thee to do: Bear the diseases of all, as a perfect combatant:-The more labour, the more reward. If thou love only the obedient disciples, thou evidencest no grace: Rather [Sect. 2.] bring into orderly subjection the turbulent through meekness: Every wound is not cured by the same method of application-Watch as a divine wrestler: Thy [prize] is immortality and eternal life.-Let not those who seem experienced Christians, and are yet unsound in the faith, stagger thee: Stand firm as an anvil con[Sect. 3.] tinually struck. It is the character of a great wrestler to be mangled, and yet to conquer:-Be more [earnest] than thou art :-Consider the times; and expect Him who is above all time, who is unconnected with time, the invisible one made visible for us, the impassible, but passible for us; who bore all sorts of sufferings for us. Let not widows be neglected: Next to the Lord, do thou take care of them: Let nothing be done without [Sect. 4.] thy cognizance: Do thou nothing without the mind of God. Let assemblies be more frequently held: Seek out all by name: Despise not slaves of either sex; yet let them not be puffed up, but serve more faithfully to the glory of God, that they may obtain a better liberty from God: Let them not desire to be set at liberty at the charge of the Church, lest they be found slaves of lust. If any can remain in chastity for the honour of the Lord, let them do so without boasting. If they boast, they are lost and if the man set himself up above the Bishop, he is lost. It behoves the married to enter into that connection with the consent of the Bishop, that the marriage may be after the will of God, and not to fulfil the lusts of the flesh." [Sect. 5.] * From Troas, Ignatius, being brought to Neapolis, passed by Philippi through Macedonia, and that part of Epirus, which is next to Epidamnus. Having found a ship in one of the sea-ports, his conductors sailed over the Adriatic; and thence, entering into the Tuscan sea, and passing by several islands and cities, at length they came in view of Puteoli, which being shown to him, he hastened to go forth, desirous to tread in the steps of the Apostle Paul; but a violent wind arising would not permit him to accomplish this design. His attendants, the relaters of the martyrdom, say, that the wind then became favourable for one day and night; and that they were hurried on contrary to their wishes: THEY sorrowed at the thought of being separated from him: but HE rejoiced in the prospect of soon leaving the world and departing to his Lord, whom he loved :—They sailed into the Roman port Ostia; and the impure sports being nearly at an end, the soldiers began to be offended with his slowness; but the Bishop joyfully complied with their hastiness. Ostia was some miles from Rome; and he was met by the Roman Christians, who intimated their strong desire for his preservation. Some of them probably had influence with the great; and they were willing to try it: Ignatius, however, was inflexible. He was brought to Rome, and presented to the prefect of the city. When he was led to execution, he was attended by a number of the brethren, and was allowed to join in prayer with them. And he prayed to the Son of God † in behalf * [Martyrium S. Ignat. c. 5.] + I use the expression of the narrative: let the reader make the obvious inference for himself. Martyrdom of the Churches,-that he would put a stop to the persecution, and continue the love of the brethren of Ignatius: toward each other. He was then led into the 6. amphitheatre, and speedily thrown to the wild [c. beasts. He had here also his wish: The beasts were his grave: A few bones only were left, which the deacons gathered, carefully preserved, and afterwards buried at Antioch. A.D. 107. The writers thus conclude: "We have made known to you both the day and the time of his martyrdom,-that being assembled together according to that time, [c. 7.] we may jointly commemorate the magnanimous martyr of Christ,* who trode under foot the devil, and completed the course which he had devoutly wished in Christ Jesus our Lord, by whom and with whom all glory and power be to the Father with the blessed Spirit for ever. Amen." Usher has preserved, or rather restored to us also an epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians. It breathes the same spirit as those of his fellow-disciple, but has less pathos and vigour of sentiment. Citations from it will be needless. He begs the Philippians to communicate to him what they knew of Ignatius, whom they had seen at Philippi, after his departure from Smyrna. We hence see how the Churches then formed one large fraternity, abstracted from partial views of supporting little factions and interests. He exhorts them to obey the word of righteousness, and to exercise all patience, which they had seen exemplified in Ignatius, and in others among themselves, and in Paul himself, and the rest of the Apostles: for these loved not this present world, but him, who died and was raised again by God for us. By his account it appears, that the Philippians still retained the Christian spirit. One of the Presbyters, Valens, together with his wife, had sinned through covetousness. Would to God such spots in the pastoral character were as singular in our times! Polycarp beautifully expresses his charitable concern for them, and exhorts them, in affectionate sympathy, to endeavour to restore their spiritual health. These facts and observations throw some light on the [κοινωνῶμεν τῷ αθλητῆ καί γενναίῳ μαρτυρι Χρίσου.] * persecution of Trajan; on the spirit of Christians so far as it can be collected at that time; on the martyrdom of Ignatius; and on the signal glory which God was pleased to diffuse around it among the Churches. CHAP. II. THE HISTORY OF CHRISTIANS DURING THE REIGNS OF Death of A.D. 117. TRAJAN died in the year 117. The latter part of his reign had been employed in his great military expedition into the East, whence he lived not to return. His exploits and triumphs fall not within my Trajan province: I have no concern with him except in that line, in which to a Christian he must appear to the greatest disadvantage; and out of which, it were heartily to be wished, that he had ever given any evidence of a desire to remove. His successor, Adrian, appears not to have issued any persecuting edicts. But the iniquity of his predecessor survived; and Adrian's silent acquiescence for a time, gave it sufficient scope to exert itself in acts of barbarity.* In the mean time the Gospel spread more and more. A number of apostolical persons demonstrated by their conduct, that the Spirit, which had influenced the Apostles, rested upon them. Filled with divine charity, they distributed their substance to the poor, and travelled into regions, which, as yet, had not heard the sound of the Gospel: and having planted the faith, they ordained pastors, committed to them the culture of the new ground, and then passed into other countries. Hence numbers, through grace, embraced the doctrine of salvation, at the first hearing, with much alacrity. It is natural to admire here the power of the Holy Spirit of God in the production of so pure and charitable a temper; to contrast it with the illiberal selfishness too prevalent even among the best in our days; and to regret how little is done for the propagation of the Gospel through the world, by nations whose aids of commerce The persecution of the second year of Adrian, is commonly called the Fourth Persecution of the Christians. + Euseb. b. iii, c. 33. |