much is clear, that in the time of Ignatius there exifted certain writings of the Evangelifts and Apoftles, formed into a collection. Their nature and number however is uncertain, fince he has given us no catalogue of them.

In these epiftles are also many fentiments and expreffions, which appear to have been borrowed from the Scriptures of our New Testament.-In the epistle to the community at Smyrna, Ignatius fays of Jefus, That he was according to the flesh, truly of the family of David, and a fon of God, according to the will and power of God." St. Paul speaks of him almoft in the fame manner, Rom. i. 3, 4.-To the Ephefians he writes, "The cross of Chrift is a ftumbling block unto unbelievers; but to us falvation and eternal life. Where is now the wife, and the profound inquirer? Where is the boafting of them that are called learned?”

e

St. Paul makes the fame remark on the evangelical doctrine, 1 Cor. i. 18-31.

-Ignatius exhorts the Magnefians in almoft the very words of St. Paul, 1 Cor. v. 7. 8. "Caft away the evil leaven, which is become old and four; and be transformed into a new mass, which is Chrift. In the epiftle to Polycarp, he recommends that he fhould exhort the men "to love their wives, even as Chrift loves his church." This excellent command is found in Eph. v. 25. -The many other paffages in which the New Teftament is faid to have been quoted, have either only a very diftant fimilitude, or are evidently different.

Ignatius may therefore be produced as a clear evidence for the Epistle of

f §. x. p. 42.

§. v. p. 16.

h See Lardner's Credibility of the G. H. vol. ii. p. 70-85.

i As for example, in Lardner, Numb. 2, 3, 4, 5, 7,

9, 13, 17, 18, 27, 31, 36, 38, 42.

k See Lardner, Numb. 43.

St.

St. Paul to the Ephefians, and that in his time exifted a collection of evange lical and apoftolical writings;-we may also with probability conclude from his Epiftle, that the Epiftle to the Romans, and the first Epistle to the Corinthians, were at that period already written.

5. Polycarp.

POLYCARP was an immediate dif ciple of St. John the Apoftle, by whom he was also appointed to the bishoprick of Smyrna'. According to the information of Irenæus", he left behind him various writings. But none of them are come down to us except his epiftle to the Philippians; and even this is no longer entire in the Greek original ".

In

1 See Irenæus, Lib. iii. cap. 3. §. 4. Eufebius, Lib. iii. cap. 36. p. 130. and Hieronymus De vir. illuftr. cap. 13.

m In Eufebius, Lib. v. cap. 20.

■ It stands in Cotelerius, vol. ii. p. 186-189; and the old Latin verfion, which contains the entire epistle,

In this work he teftifies exprefsly, that St. Paul had written an Epiftle to the Philippians, in which he ftrengthened their faith, hope, and love towards God, Chrift and their neighbour.

Paul," fays he, "not only preached in person to you the true doctine, but also when abfent wrote epiftles to you, by the study of which you will be able to edify yourselves in the faith which has been delivered to you." And in another place he expreffes his aftonishment at the covetoufnefs of Valens, one of their prefbyters. "But," he adds,

P

I have never obferved, nor ever heard the fame of you, among whom Paul preached. On the contrary, he

p. 190-191. Both may be seen in the Edit. of Frey, p. 143-161.-The teftimonies of the above-mentioned authors, and the paffages cited by them, place the au thenticity of this epiftle beyond all doubt.-If the fragments, which are called Refponfiones, (in Coteler. 1. cit. p. 205. 6. and in Frey, p. 162-164) were the genuine production of Polycarp, they might be confidered as an evident teftimony for the authenticity of the four Gofpels.

• §. iii. p. 146. 47.

P §. ix. p. 150.

makes

makes mention of you in the beginning of his Epistle, and boasts of you in all communities."-He cites alfo exprefsly, although not by name, a paffage from St. Paul's first Epistle to the Corinthians, vi. 2. An nefcimus quia fancti mundum judicabunt? ficut Paulus docet.-In like manner he appeals to the command which stands in the Holy Scriptures, "Be ye angry in fuch a manner that ye do not fin; and let not the fun go down upon your wrath." Confido, vos bene exercitatos effe in Sacris litteris.--Ut his fcripturis dictum eft, Irafcimini et nolite peccare; et fol non occidat fuper

See Philipp. i. 3-5. In the former of these two paffages the Plural number stands in the Greek, öçέγραψεν επιςολας. But it is by no means uncommon to use this word in the plural number, although only a fingle epistle is meant. Comp. Cotelerii not. in loc.Lardner supposes that Polycarp in this place intended not only the Epistle to the Philippians, but also both the Epiftles of St. Paul to the Theffalonians. Credibility, vol. ii. p. 91. 2. r §. xi. p. 159.

$ §. xii. p. 159. iracundiam