lected a great number. But although this work is nearly as large as all the other writings of the apoftolical fathers taken together, yet we cannot difcover in it any where a fingle fcriptural book cited exprefsly, and by

name.

4. Ignatius.

IGNATIUS was Bishop of Antioch; at the command of the Emperour Trajan, because he could not be prevailed on to renounce Christianity, he was conducted to Rome in the year of Chrift, 106, in order to fight with wild beafts exhibited at the public games; he remained conftant, and was torn to pieces by lions in the amphitheatre. His feven genuine epiftles ftand in Cotelerius, vol. ii. p. 11-42, and in Frey's edit. immediately after the epif

• Befides the Original, which is written in the Greek language, there is extant also an ancient Latin verfion, which is found in Cotelerius, p. 124-131.

1

tles

t

tles of Clement, p. 1-73. These are tolerably well purified from modern interpolations. I fay tolerably well, for even the smaller edition appears in certain places, to be ftill fufpicious.-In all these epiftles, only a single book of the New Teftament is exprefsly named by him, which is St. Paul's Epistle to the Ephefians. Among the advantages belonging to the Ephefians, which Ignatius notices in his epiftle to this community", he diftinguishes this in particular, that they had received the knowledge of the mystery of the holy Paul. "You are," fays he, "fellowpartners in the mystery of the holy Paul-who in his whole Epiftle, makes honourable mention of you, as true

t See Jacobi Ufferii differtationes de Ignatii Epiftolis, in Cotelerius, vol. ii. p. 199. feq. but particularly, Joannis Pearfonii Vindicia Ignatianæ, ibid. p. 251. fq. and Joan. Clerici. diff. de Ignatii Epiftolis ; ibid. p. 501. fq. and Prof. Schroeckh's Ecclefiaftical Hiftory, vol. ii. p. 337. of the Original.

u §. xii. p. 49.

F 4

members

members of Jefus Chrift"." St. Paul naines the important doctrine to the publication of which he was peculiarly called, that is, the doctrine of the equal participation of the grace of God through Jefus by the Heathens and Jews, the Mystery, the heretofore unknown do@trine, μυσήριον *. On this account Ignatius calls the Ephefians Fellow-partners in the mystery of Paul, (Παυλου συμμύσας) and reminds them of the praises which the Apoftle had frequently beftowed on them in his Epiftle; that he might thereby excite in them a noble ambition.--We have therefore in this paffage an express evidence for the Epiftle of St. Paul to the Ephefians. For the fuppofition of the author of the "Letter concerning

* Παύλου συμμεται του ἡγιασμένου, ός εν παση επιτολή μνημονυει ύμων εν Χρισῳ Ιησου. That μνεμο VEVELV Sometimes means to make honourable mention of one is well known; should a proof of this be required, I refer the reader to Lardner, Credibility, vol. ii. p. 70.

* Rom. xvi. 25, 26. Ephef. iii. 3—9.

the

fians',

the perfons to whom St. Paul wrote what is called the Epiftle to the Ephe" that instead of μnuovεve muft be read μνημονεύω, is a conjecture which not only contradicts (as Lardner has obferved on the cited paffage) all manufcripts, but deftroys alfo the whole connection of the twelfth fection.

In the epiftle to the Philadelphians", he gives them as it were an account of the fources from which he had drawn his faith. "I flee to the Gospel, as to the body of Chrift; and to the Apoftles, as to the prefbytery of the church. Let us alfo refpect the Prophets; for they likewife published to men, that they should ground their hope on the Gospel and on Jefus, and expect his coming." Every one will acknowledge

that

y See Benson's Hiftory of the first planting of the Chriftian religion.

z §. v. p. 48, 49.

* Προσφυγων των ευαγγελιῳ, ὡς σαρκι Ιησού, και τοις αποτόλοις, ὡς πρεσβυτεριῳ της εκκλησίας. Και τους προφητας δε αγαπωμεν, δια Το και αυτούς εις το

ευαγγελιου

that by

'the Prophets,' Ignatius means the writings of the Prophets of the Old Teftament. Without doubt then he underftands by the Gospel,' the writings of the Evangelifts; and by the Apoftles,' the writings of the Apostles. --- Again, when he warns them against a love of difputation, and exhorts them to act in all things according to the doctrine of Chrift, he represents to them his own example. Hearing fome perfons declare," faid

b

he,

ευαγγελιον κατηγγελκέναι και εις αυτόν ελπίζειν, και αυτον αναμενειν. Commentators have given a variety of opinions to account for Ignatius calling the Gospel cap Incov. This appears to me to be the moft natural caufe, because it promulgates the accomplishment of the promises of the Old Teftament. These are generally called the shadow, and Christ the subfance, or body. Or this may be the reason, as Le Clerc has remarked on the paffage, that he put as much confidence in the contents of the Gofpel, as if Jefus were ftill alive, and affured him of its truth.The laft words are obfcure in the way they are ufually rendered. The tranflation given above appears to me to convey the true sense of the author.

b §. viii. p. 51, 52.