(NOTE: The electronic text obtained from The Electronic Bible Society was
not completely corrected. EWTN has corrected all discovered errors.)
THIS FILE CONTAINS:
Spurious Epistles of Ignatius of Antioch:
1. To the Tarsians
2. To the Antiochians
3. To Hero, a deacon of Antioch
4. To the Philippians
5. Of Mary the Proselyte at Neapolis to Ignatius
6. To the same Mary
7. To St. John the Apostle
8. A Second to St. John
9. To the Virgin Mary, with reply from the same
SPURIOUS EPISTLES OF IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH
THE EPISTLE OF IGNATIUS TO THE TARSIANS
Ignatius, who is also called Theophorus, to the Church which is at Tarsus,
saved in Christ, worthy of praise, worthy of remembrance, and worthy of
love: Mercy and peace from God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, be
ever multiplied.
CHAP. I.--HIS OWN SUFFERINGS; EXHORTATION TO STEDFASTNESS.
FROM Syria even unto Rome I fight with beasts not that I am devoured by
brute beasts, for these, as ye know, by the will of God, spared Daniel, but
by beasts in the shape of men, in whom the merciless wild beast himself
lies hid, and pricks and wounds me day by day. But none of these hardships
"move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself,"(1) in such a way as to
love it better than the Lord. Wherefore I am prepared for [encountering]
fire, wild beasts, the sword or the cross, so that only I may see Christ my
Saviour and God, who died for me. I therefore the prisoner of Christ, who
am driven along by land and sea, exhort you: "stand fast in the faith,"(2)
and be ye steadfast, "for the just shall live by faith;"(3) be ye
unwavering, for "the Lord causes those to dwell in a house who are of one
and the same character."(4)
CHAP. II.--CAUTIONS AGAINST FALSE DOCTRINE.
I have learned that certain of the ministers of Satan have wished to
disturb you, some of them asserting that Jesus was born [only(5)] in
appearance, was crucified in appearance, and died in appearance; others
that He is not the Son the Creator, and others that He is Himself God over
all.(6) Others, again, hold that He is a mere man, and others that this
flesh is not to rise again, so that our proper course is to live and
partake of a life of pleasure, for that this is the chief good to beings
who are in a little while to perish. A swarm of such evils has burst in
upon us.(7) But ye have not "given place by subjection to them, no, not for
one hour."(18) For ye are the fellow-citizens as well as the disciples of
Paul, who "fully preached the Gospel from Jerusalem, and round about unto
Illyricum,"(9) and bare about "the marks of Christ" in his flesh.(10)
CHAP. III.--THE TRUE DOCTRINE RESPECTING CHRIST.
Mindful of him, do ye by all means know that Jesus the Lord was truly
born of Mary, being made of a woman; and was as truly crucified. For, says
he, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of the Lord
Jesus."(11) And He really suffered, and died, and rose again. For says
[Paul], "If Christ should become passible, and should be the first to rise
again from the dead."(12) And again, "In that He died, He died unto sin
once: but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God."(13) Otherwise, what
advantage would there be in [becoming subject to] bonds, if Christ has not
died? what advantage in patience? what advantage in [enduring] stripes? And
why such facts as the following: Peter was crucified; Paul and James were
slain with the sword; John was banished to Patmos; Stephen was stoned to
death by the Jews who killed the Lord? But, [in truth,] none of these
sufferings were in vain; for the Lord was really crucified by the ungodly.
CHAP. IV.--CONTINUATION.
And [know ye, moreover], that He who was born of a woman was the Son of
God, and He that was crucified was "the first-born of every creature,"(14)
and God the Word, who also created all things. For says the apostle, "There
is one God, the Father, of whom are all things; and one Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom are all things."(1) And again, "For there is one God, and one
Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus;"(2) and, "By Him were
all things created that are in heaven, and on earth, visible and invisible;
and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist."(3)
CHAP. V.--REFUTATION OF THE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED ERRORS.
And that He Himself is not God over all, and the Father, but His Son,
He [shows when He] says, "I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and to
my God and your God."(4) And again, "When all things shall be subdued unto
Him, then shall He also Himself be subject unto Him that put all things
under Him, that God may be all in all."(5) Wherefore it is one [Person] who
put all things under, and who is all in all, and another [Person] to whom
they were subdued, who also Himself, along with all other things, becomes
subject [to the former].
CHAP. VI.--CONTINUATION.
Nor is He a mere man, by whom and in whom all things were made; for
"all things were made by Him."(6) "When He made the heaven, I was present
with Him; and I was there with Him, forming [the world along with Him], and
He rejoiced in me daily."(7) And how could a mere man be addressed in such
words as these: "Sit Thou at My right hand?"(8) And how, again, could such
an one declare: "Before Abraham was, I am?"(9) And, "Glorify Me with Thy
glory which I had before the world was?"(10) What man could ever say, "I
came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that
sent Me?"(11) And of what man could it be said, "He was the true Light,
which lighteth every man that cometh into the world: He was in the world,
and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His
own, and His own received Him not?"(12) How could such a one be a mere man,
receiving the beginning of His existence from Mary, and not rather God the
Word, and the only-begotten Son? For "in the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was with God,(13) and the Word was God."(14) And in another place,
"The Lord created Me, the beginning of His ways, for His ways, for His
works. Before the world did He found Me, and before all the hills did He
beget Me."(15)
CHAP. VII.--CONTINUATION.
And that our bodies are to rise again, He shows when He says, "Verily I
say unto you, that the hour cometh, in the which all that are in the graves
shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live."(16)
And [says] the apostle, "For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and
this mortal must put on immortality."(17) And that we must live soberly and
righteously, he [shows when he] says again, "Be not deceived: neither
adulterers, nor effeminate persons, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
nor fornicators, nor revilers, nor drunkards, nor thieves, can inherit the
kingdom of God."(18) And again, "If the dead rise not, then is not Christ
raised; our preaching therefore is vain, and your faith is also vain: ye
are yet in your sins. Then they also that are fallen asleep in Christ have
perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men
most miserable. If the dead rise not, let us eat and drink, for to-morrow
we die."(19) But if such be our condition and feelings, wherein shall we
differ from asses and dogs, who have no care about the future, but think
only of eating, and of indulging(20) such appetites as follow after eating?
For they are unacquainted with any intelligence moving within them.
CHAP. VIII.--EXHORTATIONS TO HOLINESS AND GOOD ORDER.
May I have joy of you in the Lord! Be ye sober. Lay aside, every one of
you, all malice and beast-like fury, evil-speaking, calumny, filthy
speaking, ribaldry, whispering, arrogance, drunkenness, lust, avarice,
vainglory, envy, and everything akin to these. "But put ye on the Lord
Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts
thereof."(21) Ye presbyters, be subject to the bishop; ye deacons, to the
presbyters; and ye, the people, to the presbyters and the deacons. Let my
soul be for theirs who preserve this good order; and may the Lord be with
them continually!
CHAP. IX.--EXHORTATIONS TO THE DISCHARGE OF RELATIVE DUTIES.
Ye husbands, love your wives; and ye wives, your husbands. Ye children,
reverence your parents. Ye parents, "bring up your children in the nurture
and admonition of the Lord."(22) Honour those [who continue] in virginity,
as the priestesses of Christ; and the widows [that persevere] in gravity of
behaviour, as the altar of God. Ye servants, wait upon your masters with
[respectful] fear. Ye masters, issue orders to your servants with
tenderness. Let no one among you be idle; for idleness is the mother of
want. I do not enjoin these things as being a person of any consequence,
although I am in bonds [for Christ]; but as a brother, I put you in mind of
them. The Lord be with you!
CHAP. X.--SALUTATIONS.
May I enjoy your prayers! Pray ye that I may attain to Jesus. I
commend unto you the Church which is at Antioch. The Churches of
Philippi,(1) whence also I write to you, salute you. Philo, your deacon, to
whom also I give thanks as one who has zealously ministered to me in all
things, salutes you. Agathopus, the deacon from Syria, who follows me in
Christ, salutes you. "Salute ye one another with a holy kiss."(2) I salute
you all, both male and female, who are in Christ. Fare ye well in body, and
soul, and in one Spirit; and do not ye forget me. The Lord be with you!
THE EPISTLE OF IGNATIUS TO THE ANTIOCHIANS
Ignatius, who is also called Theophorus, to the Church sojourning in
Syria, which has obtained mercy from God, and been elected by Christ, and
which first(1) received the name Christ, [wishes] happiness in God the
Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
CHAP. I.--CAUTIONS AGAINST ERROR.
THE Lord has rendered my bonds light and easy since I learnt that you
are in peace, that you live in all harmony both of the flesh and spirit. "I
therefore, the prisoner of the Lord,(2) beseech you, that ye walk worthy of
the vocation wherewith ye are called,"(3) guarding against those heresies
of the wicked one which have broken in upon us, to the deceiving and
destruction of those that accept of them; but that ye give heed to the
doctrine of the apostles, and believe both the law and the prophets: that
ye reject every Jewish and Gentile error, and neither introduce a
multiplicity of gods, nor yet deny Christ under the pretence of
[maintaining] the unity of God.
CHAP. II.--THE TRUE DOCTRINE RESPECTING GOD AND CHRIST.
For Moses, the faithful servant of God, when he said, "The Lord thy God
is one Lord,"(4) and thus proclaimed that there was only one God, did yet
forthwith confess also our Lord when he said, "The Lord rained upon Sodom
and Gomorrah fire and brimstone from the Lord."(5) And again, "And God(6)
said, Let Us make man after our image: and so God made man, after the image
of God made He him."(7) And further "In the image of God made He man."(8)
And that [the Son of God] was to be made man [Moses shows when] he says, "A
prophet shall the Lord raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me."(9)
CHAP. III.--THE SAME CONTINUED.
The prophets also, when they speak as in the person of God, [saying,]
"I am God, the first [of beings], and I am also the last,(10) and besides
Me there is no God,"(11) concerning the Father of the universe, do also
speak of our Lord Jesus Christ. "A Son," they say, has been given to us, on
whose shoulder the government is from above; and His name is called the
Angel of great counsel, Wonderful, Counsellor, the strong and mighty
God."(12) And concerning His incarnation, "Behold, a virgin shall be with
Child, and shall bring forth a Son; and they shall call his name
Immanuel."(13) And concerning the passion, "He was led as a sheep to the
slaughter; and as a lamb before her shearers is dumb, I also was an
innocent lamb led to be sacrificed."(14)
CHAP. IV.--CONTINUATION.
The Evangelists, too, when they declared that the one Father was "the
only true God,"(15) did not omit what concerned our Lord, but wrote: "In
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him,
and without Him was not anything made that was made."(16) And concerning
the incarnation: "The Word," says [the Scripture], "became flesh, and dwelt
among us."(17) And again: "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the
son of David, the son of Abraham."(18) And those very apostles, who said
"that there is one God,"(19) said also that "there is one Mediator between
God and men."(1) Nor were they ashamed of the incarnation and the passion.
For what says [one]? "The man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself"(2) for the
life and salvation of the world.
CHAP. V.--DENUNCIATION OF FALSE TEACHERS.
Whosoever, therefore, declares that there is but one God, only so as to
take away the divinity of Christ, is a devil,(3) and an enemy of all
righteousness. He also that confesseth Christ, yet not as the Son of the
Maker of the world, but of some other unknown(4) being, different from Him
whom the law and the prophets have proclaimed, this man is an instrument of
the devil. And he that rejects the incarnation, and is ashamed of the cross
for which I am in bonds, this man is antichrist.(5) Moreover, he who
affirms Christ to be a mere man is accursed, according to the [declaration
of the] prophet,(6) since he puts not his trust in God, but in man.
Wherefore also he is unfruitful, like the wild myrtle-tree.
CHAP. VI.--RENEWED CAUTIONS.
These things I write to you, thou new olive-tree of Christ, not that I
am aware you hold any such opinions, but that I may put you on your guard,
as a father does his children. Beware, therefore, of those that hasten to
work mischief, those "enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is
destruction, whose glory is in their shame."(7) Beware of those "dumb
dogs," those trailing serpents, those scaly(8) dragons, those asps, and
basilisks, and scorpions. For these are subtle wolves,(9) and apes that
mimic the appearance of men.
CHAP. VII.--EXHORTATION TO CONSISTENCY OF CONDUCT.
Ye have been the disciples of Paul and Peter; do not lose what was
committed to your trust. Keep in remembrance Euodias,(10) your deservedly-
blessed pastor, into whose hands the government over you was first
entrusted by the apostles. Let us not bring disgrace upon our Father. Let
us prove ourselves His true-born children, and not bastards. Ye know after
what manner I have acted among you. The things which, when present, I spoke
to you, these same, when absent, I now write to you. "If any man love not
the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema."(11)
Be ye followers of me.(12) My soul be for yours, when I attain to Jesus.
Remember my bonds.(13)
CHAP. VIII.--EXHORTATIONS TO THE PRESBYTERS AND OTHERS.
Ye presbyters, "feed the flock which is among you,"(14) till God shall
show who is to hold the rule over you. For "I am now ready to be
offered,"(15) that I "may win Christ."(16) Let the deacons know of what
dignity they are, and let them study to be blameless, that they may be the
followers of Christ, Let the people be subject to the presbyters and the
deacons. Let the virgins know to whom they have consecrated themselves.
CHAP. IX.--DUTIES OF HUSBANDS, WIVES, PARENTS, AND CHILDREN.
Let the husbands love their wives, remembering that, at the creation,
one woman, and not many, was given to one man. Let the wives honour their
husbands, as their own flesh; and let them not presume to address them by
their names.(17) Let them also be chaste, reckoning their husbands as their
only partners, to whom indeed they have been united according to the will
of God. Ye parents, impart a holy training to your children. Ye children,
"honour your parents, that it may be well with you."(18)
CHAP. X.--DUTIES OF MASTERS AND SERVANTS.
Ye masters, do not treat your servants with haughtiness, but imitate
patient Job, who declares, "I did not despise(19) the cause(20) of my man-
servant, or of my maid-servant, when they contended with me. For what in
that case shall I do when the Lord makes an inquisition regarding me?"(21)
And you know what follows. Ye servants, do not provoke your masters to
anger in anything, lest ye become the authors of incurable mischiefs to
yourselves.
CHAP. XI.--INCULCATION OF VARIOUS MORAL DUTIES.
Let no one addicted to idleness eat,(22) lest he become a wanderer
about, and a whoremonger. Let drunkenness, anger, envy, reviling, clamour,
and blasphemy "be not so much as named among you."(23) Let not the widows
live a life of pleasure, lest they wax wanton against the word.(24) Be
subject to Caesar in everything in which subjection implies no [spiritual]
danger.
Provoke not those that nile over you to wrath, that you may give no
occasion against yourselves to those that seek for it. But as to the
practice of magic, or the impure love of boys, or murder, it is superfluous
to write to you, since such vices are forbidden to be committed even by the
Gentiles. I do not issue commands on these points as if I were an apostle;
but, as your fellow-servant, I put you in mind of them.
CHAP. XII.--SALUTATIONS.
I salute the holy presbytery. I salute the sacred deacons, and that
person most dear to me,(1) whom may I behold, through the Holy Spirit,
occupying my place when I shall attain to Christ. My soul be in place of
his. I salute the sub-deacons, the readers, the singers, the doorkeepers,
the labourers? the exorcists, the confessors.(3) I salute the keepers of
the holy gates, the deaconesses in Christ. I salute the virgins betrothed
to Christ, of whom may I have joy in the Lord Jesus.(4) I salute the people
of the Lord, from the smallest to the greatest, and all my sisters in the
Lord.
CHAP. XIII.--SALUTATIONS CONTINUED.
I salute Cassian and his partner in life, and their very dear children.
Polycarp, that most worthy bishop, who is also deeply interested in you,
salutes you; and to him I have commended you in the Lord. The whole Church
of the Smyrnaeans, indeed, is mindful of you in their prayers in the Lord.
Onesimus, the pastor of the Ephesians, salutes you. Damas,(5) the bishop of
Magnesia, salutes you. Polybius, bishop of the Trallians, salutes you.
Philo and Agathopus, the deacons, my companions, salute you, "Salute one
another with a holy kiss."(6)
CHAP. XIV.--CONCLUSION.
I write this letter to you from Philippi. May He who is alone
unbegotten, keep you stedfast both in the spirit and in the flesh, through
Him who was begotten before time(7) began! And may I behold you in the
kingdom of Christ! I salute him who is to bear rule over you in my stead:
may I have joy of him in the Lord! Fare ye well in God, and in Christ,
being enlightened by the Holy Spirit.
THE EPISTLE OF IGNATIUS TO HERO A DEACON OF ANTIOCH
Ignatius, who is also called Theophorus, la Hero, the deacon of Christ, and
the servant of God, a man honoured by God, and most dearly loved as well as
esteemed, who carries Christ and the Spirit within him, and who is mine own
son in faith and love: Grace, mercy, and peace from Almighty God, and from
Christ Jesus our Lord, His only-begotten Son, "who gave Himself for our
sins, that He might deliver us from the present evil world,"(1) and
preserve us unto His heavenly kingdom.
CHAP. I.--EXHORTATIONS TO EARNESTNESS AND MODERATION.
I EXHORT thee in God, that thou add [speed] to thy course, and that
thou vindicate thy dignity. Have a care to preserve concord with the
saints. Bear [the burdens of] the weak, that "thou mayest fulfil the law of
Christ."(2) Devote(3) thyself to fasting and prayer, but not beyond
measure, lest thou destroy thyself(4) thereby. Do not altogether abstain
from wine and flesh, for these things are not to be viewed with abhorrence,
since [the Scripture] saith, "Ye shall eat the good things of the
earth."(5) And again, "Ye shall eat flesh even as herbs."(6) And again,
"Wine maketh glad the heart of man, and oil exhilarates, and bread
strengthens him."(7) But all are to be used with moderation, as being the
gifts of God. "For who shall eat or who shall drink without Him? For if
anything be beautiful, it is His; and if anything be good, it is His."(8)
Give attention to reading,(9) that thou mayest not only thyself know the
laws, but mayest also explain them to others, as the earnest servant(10) of
God. "No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life,
that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier; and if a man
also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned except he strive
lawfully."(11) I that am in bonds pray that my soul may be in place of
yours.
CHAP. II.--CAUTIONS AGAINST FALSE TEACHERS.
Every one that teaches anything beyond what is commanded, though he be
[deemed] worthy of credit, though he be in the habit of fasting, though he
live in continence, though he work miracles, though he have the gift of
prophecy, let him be in thy sight as a wolf in sheep's clothing,(12)
labouring for the destruction of the sheep. If any one denies the cross,
and is ashamed of the passion, let him be to thee as the adversary himself.
"Though he gives all his goods to feed the poor, though he remove
mountains, though he give his body to be burned,"(13) let him be regarded
by thee as abominable. If any one makes light of the law or the prophets,
which Christ fulfilled at His coming, let him be to thee as antichrist. If
any one says that the Lord is a mere man, he is a Jew, a murderer of
Christ.
CHAP. III.--EXHORTATIONS AS TO ECCLESIASTICAL DUTIES.
"Honour widows that are widows indeed."(14) Be the friend of orphans;
for God is "the Father of the fatherless, and the Judge of the widows."(15)
Do nothing without the bishops; for they are priests, and thou a servant of
the priests. They baptize, offer sacrifice,(16) ordain, and lay on hands;
but thou ministerest to them, as the holy Stephen did at Jerusalem to James
and the presbyters. Do not neglect the sacred meetings(1) [of the saints];
inquire after every one by name. "Let no man despise thy youth, but be thou
an example to the believers, both in word and conduct."(2)
CHAP. IV.--SERVANTS AND WOMEN ARE NOT TO BE DESPISED.
Be not ashamed of servants, for we possess the same nature in common
with them. Do not hold women in abomination, for they have given thee
birth, and brought thee up. It is fitting, therefore, to love those that
were the authors of our birth (but only in the Lord), inasmuch as a man can
produce no children without a woman. It is right, therefore, that we should
honour those who have had a part in giving us birth. "Neither is the man
without the woman, nor the woman without the man,"(3) except in the case of
those who were first formed. For the body of Adam was made out of the four
elements, and that of Eve out of the side of Adam. And, indeed, the
altogether peculiar birth of the Lord was of a virgin alone. [This took
place] not as if the lawful union [of man and wife] were abominable, but
such a kind of birth was fitting to God. For it became the Creator not to
make use of the ordinary method of generation, but of one that was singular
and strange, as being the Creator.
CHAP. V.--VARIOUS RELATIVE DUTIES.
Flee from haughtiness, "for the Lord resisteth the proud."(4) Abhor
falsehood, for says [the Scripture], "Thou shalt destroy all them that
speak lies."(5) Guard against envy, for its author is the devil, and his
successor Cain, who envied his brother, and out of envy committed murder.
Exhort my sisters to love God, and be content with their own husbands only.
In like manner, exhort my brethren also to be content with their own wives.
Watch over the virgins, as the precious treasures of Christ. Be long-
suffering,(6) that thou mayest be great in wisdom. Do not neglect the poor,
in so far as thou art prosperous. For "by alms and fidelity sins are purged
away."(7)
CHAP. VI--EXHORTATIONS TO PURITY AND CAUTION.
Keep thyself pure as the habitation of God. Thou art the temple of
Christ. Thou art the instrument of the Spirit. Thou knowest in what way I
have brought thee up. Though I am the least of men, do thou seek to follow
me, be thou an imitator of my conduct. I do not glory in the world, but in
the Lord. I exhort Hero, my son; "but let him that glorieth, glory in the
Lord."(8) May I have joy of thee, my dear son, whose guardian may He be who
is the only unbegotten God, and the Lord Jesus Christ! Do not believe all
persons, do not place confidence in all; nor let any man get the better of
thee by flattery. For many are the ministers of Satan; and "he that is
hasty to believe is light of heart."(9)
CHAP. VII.--SOLEMN CHARGE TO HERO, AS FUTURE BISHOP OF ANTIOCH.
Keep God in remembrance, and thou shalt never sin. Be not double-
minded(10) in thy prayers; for blessed is he who doubteth not. For I
believe in the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in His only-begotten
Son, that God will show me, Hero, upon my throne. Add speed, therefore,(11)
to thy course. I charge thee before the God of the universe, and before
Christ, and in the presence of the Holy Spirit, and of the ministering
ranks [of angels], keep in safety that deposit which I and Christ have
committed to thee, and do not judge thyself unworthy of those things which
have been shown by God [to me] concerning thee. I hand over to thee the
Church of Antioch. I have commended you to Polycarp in the Lord Jesus
Christ.
CHAP. VIII.--SALUTATIONS.
The bishops, Onesimus, Bitus, Damas, Polybius, and all they of Philippi
(whence also I have written to thee), salute thee in Christ. Salute the
presbytery worthy of God: salute my holy fellow-deacons, of whom may I have
joy in Christ, both in the flesh and in the spirit. Salute the people of
the Lord, from the smallest to the greatest, every one by name; whom I
commit to thee as Moses did [the Israelites] to Joshua, who was their
leader after him. And do not reckon this which I have said presumptuous on
my part; for although we are not such as they were, yet we at least pray
that we may be so, since indeed we are the children of Abraham. Be strong,
therefore, O Hero, like a hero, and like a man. For from henceforth thou
shalt lead(12) in and out the people of the Lord that are in Antioch, and
so "the congregation of the Lord shall not be as sheep which have no
shepherd."(13)
CHAP. IX.--CONCLUDING SALUTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS.
Salute Cassian, my host, and his most serious-minded partner in life,
and their very dear children, to whom may "God grant that they find mercy
of the Lord in that day,"(1) on account of their ministrations to us, whom
also I commend to thee in Christ. Salute by name all the faithful in Christ
that are at Laodicea. Do not neglect those at Tarsus, but look after them
steadily, confirming them in the Gospel. I salute in the Lord, Maris the
bishop of Neapolis, near Anazarbus. Salute thou also Mary my daughter,
distinguished both for gravity and erudition, as also "the Church which is
in her house."(2) May my soul be in place of hers: she is the very pattern
of pious women. May the Father of Christ, by His only-begotten Son,
preserve thee in good health, and of high repute in all things, I to a very
old age, for the benefit of the Church of God! Farewell in the Lord, and
pray thou that I may be perfected.
THE EPISTLE OF IGNATIUS TO THE PHILIPPIANS
Ignatius, who is also called Theophorus, to the Church of God which is at
Philippi, which has obtained mercy in faith, and patience, and love
unfeigned: Mercy and peace from God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ,
"who is the Saviour of all men, specially of them that believe."(1)
CHAP. I.--REASON FOR WRITING THE EPISTLE.
BEING mindful of your love and of your zeal in Christ, which ye have
manifested towards us we thought it fitting to write to you, who display
such a godly and spiritual love to the brethren,(2) to put you in
remembrance of your Christian course,(3) "that ye all speak the same thing,
being of one mind, thinking the same thing, and walking by the same rule of
faith,"(4) as Paul admonished you. For if there is one God of the universe,
the Father of Christ, "of whom are all things;"(5) and one Lord Jesus
Christ, our [Lord], "by whom are all things;"(5) and also one Holy Spirit,
who wrought(6) in Moses, and in the prophets and apostles; and also one
baptism, which is administered that we should have fellowship with the
death of the Lord;(7) and also one elect Church; there ought likewise to be
but one faith in respect to Christ. For "there is one Lord, one faith, one
baptism; one God and Father of all, who is through all, and in all."(8)
CHAP. II.--UNITY OF THE THREE DIVINE PERSONS.
There is then one God and Father, and not two or three; One who is; and
there is no other besides Him, the only true [God]. For "the Lord thy God,"
saith [the Scripture], "is one Lord."(9) And again, "Hath not one God
created us? Have we not all one Father?(10) And there is alSO one Son, God
the Word. For "the only-begotten Son," saith [the Scripture], "who is in
the bosom of the Father."(11) And again, "One Lord Jesus Christ."(12) And
in another place, "What is His name, or what His Son's name, that we may
know?"(13) And there is also one Paraclete.(14) For "there is also," saith
[the Scripture], "one Spirit,"(15) since "we have been called in one hope
of our calling."(16) And again, "We have drunk of one Spirit,"(15) with
what follows. And it is manifest that all these gifts [possessed by
believers] "worketh one and the self-same Spirit."(17) There are not then
either three Fathers,(18) or three Sons, or three Paracletes, but one
Father, and one Son, and one Paraclete. Wherefore also the Lord, when He
sent forth the apostles to make disciples of all nations, commanded them to
"baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost,"(19) not unto one [person] having three names, nor into three
[persons] who became incarnate, but into three possessed of equal honour.
CHAP. III.--CHRIST WAS TRULY BORN, AND DIED,
For there is but One that became incarnate, and that neither the Father
nor the Paraclete, but the Son only, [who became so] not in appearance or
imagination, but in reality. For "the Word became flesh."(20) For "Wisdom
builded for herself a house."(21) And God the Word was born as man, with a
body, of the Virgin, without any intercourse of man. For [it is written],
"A virgin shall conceive in her womb, and bring forth a son."(22) He was
then truly born, truly grew up, truly ate and drank, was truly crucified,
and died, and rose again. He who believes these things, as they really
were, and as they really took place, is blessed. He who believeth them not
is no less accursed than those who crucified the Lord. For the prince of
this world rejoiceth when any one denies the cross, since he knows that the
confession of the cross is his own destruction. For that is the trophy
which has been raised up against his power, which when he sees, he
shudders, and when he hears of, is afraid.
CHAP. IV.--THE MALIGNITY AND FOLLY OF SATAN.
And indeed, before the cross was erected, he (Satan) was eager that it
should be so; and he "wrought" [for this end] "in the children of
disobedience."(1) He wrought in Judas, in the Pharisees, in the Sadducees,
in the old, in the young, and in the priests. But when it was just about to
be erected, he was troubled, and infused repentance into the traitor, and
pointed him to a rope to hang himself with, and taught him [to die by]
strangulation. He terrified also the silly woman, disturbing her by dreams;
and he, who had tried every means to have the cross prepared, now
endeavoured to put a stop to its erection;(2) not that he was influenced by
repentance on account of the greatness of his crime (for in that case he
would not be utterly depraved), but because he perceived his own
destruction [to be at hand]. For the cross of Christ was the beginning of
his condemnation the beginning of his death, the beginning of his
destruction. Wherefore, also, he works in some that they should deny the
cross, be ashamed of the passion, call the death an appearance, mutilate
and explain away the birth of the Virgin, and calumniate the [human] nature
s itself as being abominable. He fights along with the Jews to a denial of
the cross, and with the Gentiles to the calumniating of Mary,(4) who are
heretical in holding that Christ possessed a mere phantasmal body.(5) For
the leader of all wickedness assumes manifold(6) forms, beguiler of men as
he is, inconsistent, and even contradicting himself, projecting one course
and then following another. For he is wise to do evil, but as to what good
may be he is totally ignorant. And indeed he is full of ignorance, on
account of his voluntary want of reason: for how can he be deemed anything
else who does not perceive reason when it lies at his very feet?
CHAP. V.--APOSTROPHE TO SATAN.
For if the Lord were a mere man, possessed of a soul and body only, why
dost thou mutilate and explain away His being born with the common nature
of humanity? Why dost thou call the passion a mere appearance, as if it
were any strange thing happening to a [mere] man? And why dost thou reckon
the death of a mortal to be simply an imaginary death? But if, [on the
other hand,] He is both God and man, then why dost thou call it unlawful to
style Him "the Lord of glory,"(7) who is by nature unchangeable? Why dost
thou say that it is unlawful to declare of the Lawgiver who possesses a
human soul, "The Word was made flesh,"(8) and was a perfect man, and not
merely one dwelling in a man? But how came this magician into existence,
who of old formed all nature that can be apprehended either by the senses
or intellect, according to the will of the Father; and, when He became
incarnate, healed every kind of disease and infirmity?(9)
CHAP. VI.--CONTINUATION.
And how can He be but God, who raises up the dead, sends away the lame
sound of limb, cleanses the lepers, restores sight to the blind, and either
increases or transmutes existing substances, as the five loaves and the two
fishes, and the water which became wine, and who puts to flight thy whole
host by a mere word? And why dost thou abuse the nature of the Virgin, and
style her members disgraceful, since thou didst of old display such in
public processions,(10) and didst order them to be exhibited naked, males
in the sight of females, and females to stir up the unbridled lust of
males? But now these are reckoned by thee disgraceful, and thou pretendest
to be full of modesty, thou spirit of fornication, not knowing that then
only anything becomes disgraceful when it is polluted by wickedness. But
when sin is not present, none of the things that have been created are
shameful, none of them evil, but all very good. But inasmuch as thou art
blind, thou revilest these things.
CHAP. VII.--CONTINUATION: INCONSISTENCY OF SATAN.
And how, again, does Christ not at all appear to thee to be of the
Virgin, but to be God over all,(11) and the Almighty? Say, then, who sent
Him? Who was Lord over Him? And whose will did He obey? And what laws did
He fulfil, since He was subject neither to the will nor power of any one?
And while you deny that Christ was born,(12) you affirm that the unbegotten
was begotten, and that He who had no beginning was nailed to the cross, by
whose permission I am unable to say. But thy changeable tactics do not
escape me, nor am I ignorant that thou art wont to walk with slanting and
uncertain(1) steps. And thou art ignorant who really was born, thou who
pretendest to know everything.
CHAP. VIII.--CONTINUATION: IGNORANCE OF SATAN.
For many things are unknown(2) to thee; [such as the following]: the
virginity of Mary; the wonderful birth; Who it was that became incarnate;
the star which guided those who were in the east; the Magi who presented
gifts; the salutation of the archangel to the Virgin; the marvellous
conception of her that was betrothed; the announcement of the boy-
forerunner respecting the son of the Virgin, and his leaping in the womb on
account of what was foreseen; the songs of the angels over Him that was
born; the glad tidings announced to the shepherds; the fear of Herod lest
his kingdom should be taken from him; the command to slay the infants; the
removal into Egypt, and the return from that country to the same region;
the infant swaddling-bands; the human registration; the nourishing by means
of milk; the name of father given to Him who did not beget; the manger
because there was not room [elsewhere]; no human preparation [for the
Child]; the gradual growth, human speech, hunger, thirst, journeyings,
weariness; the offering of sacrifices and then also circumcision, baptism;
the voice of God over Him that was baptized, as to who He was and whence
[He had come]; the testimony of the Spirit and the Father from above; the
voice of John the prophet when it signified the passion by the appellation
of "the Lamb;" the performance of divers miracles, manifold healings; the
rebuke of the Lord ruling both the sea and the winds; evil spirits
expelled; thou thyself subjected to torture, and, when afflicted by the
power of Him who had been manifested, not having it in thy power to do
anything.
CHAP. IX.--CONTINUATION: IGNORANCE OF SATAN.
Seeing these things, thou wast in utter perplexity.(3) And thou wast
ignorant that it was a virgin that should bring forth; but the angels(1)
song of praise struck thee with astonishment, as well as the adoration of
the Magi, and the appearance of the star. Thou didst revert to thy state of
[wilful] ignorance, because all the circumstances seemed to thee
trifling;(4) for thou didst deem the swaddling-bands, the circumcision, and
the nourishment by means of milk contemptible:(5) these things appeared to
thee unworthy of God. Again, thou didst behold a man who remained forty
days and nights without tasting human food, along with ministering gels at
whose presence thou didst shudder, when first of all thou hadst seen Him
baptized as a common man, and knewest not the reason thereof. But after His
[lengthened] fast thou didst again assume thy wonted audacity, and didst
tempt Him when hungry, as if He had been an ordinary man, not knowing who
He was. For thou saidst, "If thou be the Son of God, command that these
stones be made bread."(6) Now, this expression, "If thou be the Son," is an
indication of ignorance. For if thou hadst possessed real knowledge, thou
wouldst have understood that the Creator can with equal ease both create
what does not exist, and change that which already has a being. And thou
temptedst by means of hunger(7) Him who nourisheth all that require food.
And thou temptedst the very "Lord of glory,"(8) forgetting in thy
malevolence that "man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that
proceedeth out of the mouth of God." For if thou hadst known that He was
the Son of God, thou wouldst also have understood that He who had kept
his(9) body from feeling any want for forty days and as many nights, could
have also done the same for ever. Why, then, does He suffer hunger? In
order to prove that He had assumed a body subject to the same feelings as
those of ordinary men. By the first fact He showed that He was God, and by
the second that He was also man.
CHAP. X.--CONTINUATION: AUDACITY OF SATAN.
Darest thou, then, who didst fall "as lightning from the very highest
glory, to say to the Lord, "Cast thyself down from hence(11) [to Him] to
whom the things that are not are reckoned as if they were,(12) and to
provoke to a display of vainglory Him that was free from all ostentation?
And didst thou pretend to read in Scripture concerning Him: "For He hath
given His angels charge concerning Thee, and in their hands they shall bear
Thee up, lest thou shouldest dash Thy foot against a stone?"(13) At the
same time thou didst pretend to be ignorant of the rest, furtively
concealing what [the Scripture] predicted concerning thee and thy servants:
"Thou shalt tread upon the adder and the basilisk; the lion and the dragon
shall thou trample under foot."(14)
CHAP. XI.--CONTINUATION: AUDACITY OF SATAN.
If, therefore, thou art trodden down under the feet of the Lord, how
dost thou tempt Him that cannot be tempted, forgetting that precept of the
lawgiver, "Thou shall not tempt the Lord thy God?"(1) Yea, thou even
darest, most accursed one, to appropriate the works of God to thyself, and
to declare that the dominion over these was delivered to thee.(2) And thou
dost set forth thine own fall as an example to the Lord, and dost promise
to give Him what is really His own, if He would fall down and worship
thee.(3) And how didst thou not shudder, O thou spirit more wicked through
thy malevolence than all other wicked spirits, to utter such words against
the Lord? Through thine appetite(4) was thou overcome, and through thy
vainglory wast thou brought to dishonour: through avarice and ambition dost
thou [now] draw on [others] to ungodliness. Thou, O Belial, dragon,
apostate, crooked serpent, rebel against God, outcast from Christ, alien
from the Holy Spirit, exile from the ranks of the angels, reviler of the
laws of God, enemy of all that is lawful, who didst rise up against the
first-formed of men, and didst drive forth [from obedience to] the
commandment [of God] those who had in no respect injured thee; thou who
didst raise up against Abel the murderous Cain; thou who didst take arms
against Job: dost thou say to the Lord, "If Thou wilt fall down and worship
me?" Oh what audacity! Oh what madness! Thou runaway slave, thou
incorrigible(5) slave, dost thou rebel against the good Lord? Dost thou say
to so great a Lord, the God of all that either the mind or the senses can
perceive, "If Thou wilt fall down and worship me?"
CHAP. XlI.--THE MEEK REPLY OF CHRIST.
But the Lord is long-suffering, and does not reduce to nothing him who
in his ignorance dares [to utter] such words, but meekly replies, "Get thee
hence, Satan.''(6) He does not say, "Get thee behind Me," for it is not
possible that he should be converted; but, "Begone, Satan," to the course
which thou hast chosen. "Begone" to those things to which, through thy
malevolence, thou hast been called. For I know Who I am, and by Whom I have
been sent, and Whom it behoves Me to worship. For "thou shall worship the
Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve."(7) I know the one [God]; I am
acquainted with the only [Lord] from whom thou hast become an apostate. I
am not an enemy of God; I acknowledge His pre-eminence; I know the Father,
who is the author of my generation.
CHAP. XIII.--VARIOUS EXHORTATIONS AND DIRECTIONS.
These things, brethren, out of the affection which I entertain for you,
I have felt compelled to write, exhorting you with a view to the glory of
God, not as if I were a person of any consequence, but simply as a brother.
Be ye subject to the bishop, to the presbyters, and to the deacons. Love
one another in the Lord, as being the images of God. Take heed, ye
husbands, that ye love your wives as your own members. Ye wives also, love
your husbands, as being one with them in virtue of your union. If any one
lives in chastity or continence, let him not be lifted up, lest he lose his
reward. Do not lightly esteem the festivals. Despise not the period of
forty days, for it comprises an imitation of the conduct of the Lord. After
the week of the passion, do not neglect to fast on the fourth and sixth
days, distributing at the same time of thine abundance to the poor. If any
one fasts on the Lord's Day or on the Sabbath, except on the paschal
Sabbath only, he is a murderer of Christ.
CHAP. XIV.--FAREWELLS AND CAUTIONS.
Let your prayers be extended to the Church of Antioch, whence also I as
a prisoner am being led to Rome. I salute the holy bishop Polycarp; I
salute the holy bishop Vitalius, and the sacred presbytery, and my fellow-
servants the deacons; in whose stead may my soul be found. Once more I bid
farewell to the bishop, and to the presbyters in the Lord. If any one
celebrates the passover along with the Jews, or receives the emblems of
their feast, he is a partaker with those that killed the Lord and His
apostles.
CHAP. XV.--SALUTATIONS. CONCLUSION.
Philo and Agathopus the deacons salute you. I salute the company of
virgins, and the order of widows; of whom may I have joy! I salute the
people of the Lord, from the least unto the greatest. I have sent you this
letter through Euphanius the reader, a man honoured of God, and very
faithful, happening to meet with him at Rhegium, just as he was going on
board ship. Remember my bonds(8) that I may be made perfect in Christ. Fare
ye well in the flesh, the soul, and the spirit, while ye think of things
perfect, and turn yourselves away from the workers of iniquity, who corrupt
the word of truth, and are strengthened inwardly by the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ.
THE EPISTLE OF MARIA THE PROSELYTE TO IGNATIUS
MARY OF CASSOBELAE(1) TO IGNATIUS
Maria, a proselyte of Jesus Christ, to Ignatius Theophorus, most blessed
bishop of the apostolic Church which is at Antioch, beloved in God the
Father, and Jesus: Happiness and safety. We all(2) beg for thee joy and
health in Him.
CHAP. I.--OCCASION OF THE EPISTLE.
Since Christ has, to our wonder,(3) been made known among us to be the
Son of the living God, and to have become man in these last times by means
of the Virgin Mary,(4) of the seed of David and Abraham, according to the
announcements previously made regarding Him and through Him by the company
of the prophets, we therefore beseech and entreat that, by thy wisdom,
Maris our friend, bishop of our native Neapolis,(5) which is near
Zarbus,(6) and Eulogius, and Sobelus the presbyter, be sent to us, that we
be not destitute of such as preside over the divine word as Moses also
says, "Let the Lord God look out a man who shall guide this people, and the
congregation of the Lord shall not be as sheep which have no shepherd."(7)
CHAP. II.--YOUTH MAY BE ALLIED WITH PIETY AND DISCRETION.
But as to those whom we have named being young men, do not, thou
blessed one, have any apprehension. For I would have you know that they are
wise about the flesh, and are insensible to its passions, they themselves
glowing with all the glory of a hoary head through their own s intrinsic
merits, and though but recently called as young men to the priesthood.(9)
Now, call thou into exercise(10) thy thoughts through the Spirit that God
has given to thee by Christ, and thou wilt remember(11) that Samuel, while
yet a little child, was called a seer, and was reckoned in the company of
the prophets, that he reproved the aged Eli for transgression, since he had
honoured his infatuated sons above God the author of all things, and bad
allowed them to go unpunished, when they turned the office of the
priesthood into ridicule, and acted violently towards thy people.
CHAP. III.--EXAMPLES OF YOUTHFUL DEVOTEDNESS.
Moreover, the wise Daniel, while he was a young man, passed judgment on
certain vigorous old men,(12) showing them that they were abandoned
wretches, and not [worthy to be reckoned] elders, and that, though Jews by
extraction, they were Canaanites in practice. And Jeremiah, when on account
of his youth he declined the office of a prophet entrusted to him by God,
was addressed in these words: "Say not, I am a youth; for thou shalt go to
all those to whom I send thee, and thou shalt speak according to all that I
command thee; because I am with thee."(13) And the wise Solomon, when only
in the twelfth year of his age,(14) had wisdom to decide the important
question concerning the children of the two women,(15) when it was unknown
to whom these respectively belonged; so that the whole people were
astonished at such wisdom in a child, and venerated him as being not a mere
youth, but a full-grown man. And he solved the hard questions of the queen
of the Ethiopians, which had profit in them as the streams of the Nile
[have fertility], in such a manner that that woman, though herself so wise,
was beyond measure astonished.(1)
CHAP. IV.--THE SAME SUBJECT CONTINUED.
Josiah also, beloved of God, when as yet he could scarcely speak
articulately, convicts those who were possessed of a wicked spirit as being
false in their speech, and deceivers of the people. He also reveals the
deceit of the demons, and openly exposes those that are no gods; yea, while
yet an infant he slays their priests, and overturns their altars, and
defiles the place where sacrifices were offered with dead bodies, and
throws down the temples, and cuts down the groves, and breaks in pieces the
pillars, and breaks open the tombs of the ungodly, that not a relic of the
wicked might any longer exist.(2) To such an extent did he display zeal in
the cause of godliness, and prove himself a punisher of the ungodly, while
he as yet faltered in speech like a child. David, too, who was at once a
prophet and a king, and the root of our Saviour according to the flesh,
while yet a youth is anointed by Samuel to be king.(3) For he himself says
in a certain place, "I was small among my brethren, and the youngest in the
house of my father."(4)
CHAP. V.--EXPRESSIONS OF RESPECT FOR IGNATIUS.
But time would fail me if I should endeavour to enumerate(5) all those
that pleased God in their youth, having been entrusted by God with either
the prophetical, the priestly, or the kingly office. And those which have
been mentioned may suffice, by way of bringing the subject to thy
remembrance. But I entreat thee not to reckon me presumptuous or
ostentatious [in writing as I have done]. For I have set forth these
statements, not as instructing thee, but simply as suggesting the matter to
the remembrance of my father in God. For I know my own place,(6) and do not
compare myself with such as you. I salute thy holy clergy, and thy Christ-
loving people who are ruled under thy care as their pastor. All the
faithful with us salute thee. Pray, blessed shepherd, that I may be in
health as respects God.
THE EPISTLE OF IGNATIUS TO MARY AT NEAPOLIS, NEAR ZARBUS.
Ignatius, who is also called Theophorus, to her who has obtained mercy
through the grace of the most high God the Father, and Jesus Christ the
Lord, who died far us, to Mary, my daughter, most faithful, worthy of God,
and bearing Christ [in her heart], wishes abundance of happiness in God.
CHAP. I.--ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF HER EXCELLENCE AND WISDOM.
SIGHT indeed is better than writing, inasmuch as, being one(1) of the
company of the senses, it not only, by communicating proofs of friendship,
honours him who receives them, but also, by those which it in turn
receives, enriches the desire for better things. But the second harbour of
refuge, as the phrase runs, is the practice of writing, which we have
received, as a convenient haven, by thy faith, from so great a distance,
seeing that by means of a letter we have learned the excellence that is in
thee. For the souls of the good, O thou wisest(2) of women resemble
fountains of the purest water; for they allure by their beauty passers-by
to drink of them, even though these should not be thirsty. And thy
intelligence invites us, as by a word of command, to participate in those
divine draughts which gush forth so abundantly in thy soul.
CHAP. II.--HIS OWN CONDITION.
But I, O thou blessed woman, not being now so much my own master as in
the power of others, am driven along by the varying wills of many
adversaries,(3) being in one sense in exile, in another in prison, and in a
third in bonds. But I pay no regard to these things. Yea, by the injuries
inflicted on me through them, I acquire all the more the character of a
disciple, that I may attain to Jesus Christ. May I enjoy the torments which
are prepared for me, seeing that "the sufferings of this present time are
not worthy [to be compared] with the glory which shall be revealed in
us."(4)
CHAP. III.--HE HAD COMPLIED WITH HER REQUEST.
I have gladly acted as requested in thy letter,(5) having no doubt
respecting those persons whom thou didst prove to be men of worth. For I am
sure that thou barest testimony to them in the exercise of a godly
judgment,(6) and not through the influence of carnal favour. And thy
numerous quotations of Scripture passages exceedingly delighted me, which,
when I had read, I had no longer a single doubtful thought respecting the
matter. For I did not hold that those things were simply to be glanced over
by my eyes, of which I had received from thee such an incontrovertible
demonstration. May I be in place of thy soul, because thou lovest Jesus,
the Son of the living God. Wherefore also He Himself says to thee, "I love
them that love Me; and those that seek Me shall find peace."(7)
CHAP. IV.--COMMENDATION AND EXHORTATION.
Now it occurs to me to mention, that the report is true which I heard
of thee whilst thou wast at Rome with the blessed father(8) Linus, whom the
deservedly-blessed Clement, a hearer of Peter and Paul, has now succeeded.
And by this time thou hast added a hundred-fold to thy reputation; and may
thou, O woman! still further increase it. I greatly desired to come unto
you, that I might have rest with you; but "the way of man is not in
himself."(9) For the military guard [under which I am kept] hinders my
purpose, and does not permit me to go further. Nor indeed, in the state I
am now in, can I either do or suffer anything. Wherefore deeming the
practice of writing the second resource of friends for their mutual
encouragement, I salute flay sacred soul, beseeching of thee to add still
further to thy vigour. For our present labour is but little, while the
reward which is expected is great.
CHAP. V.--SALUTATIONS AND GOOD WISHES.
Avoid those that deny the passion of Christ, and His birth according to
the flesh: and there are many at present who suffer under this disease. But
it would be absurd to admonish thee on other points, seeing that thou art
perfect in every good work and word, and able also to exhort others in
Christ. Salute all that are like-minded with thyself, and who hold fast to
their salvation in Christ. The presbyters and deacons, and above all the
holy Hero, salute thee. Cassian my host salutes thee, as well as my sister,
his wife, and their very dear children. May the Lord sanctify thee for
evermore in the enjoyment both of bodily and spiritual health, and may I
see thee in Christ obtaining the crown!
THE EPISTLE OF IGNATIUS TO ST. JOHN THE APOSTLE
Ignatius, and the brethren who are with him, John the holy presbyter.
WE are deeply grieved at thy delay in strengthening us by thy addresses
and consolations. thy absence be prolonged, it will disappoint many of us.
Hasten then to come, for we believe that it is expedient. There are also
many of our women here, who are desirous to see Mary [the mother] of Jesus,
and wish day by day to run off from us to you, that they may meet with her,
and touch those breasts of hers which nourished the Lord Jesus, and may
inquire of her respecting some rather secret matters. But Salome also, [the
daughter of Anna,] whom thou lovest, who stayed with her five months at
Jerusalem, and some other well-known persons, relate that she is full of
all graces and all virtues, after the manner of a virgin, fruitful in
virtue and grace. And, as they report, she is cheerful in persecutions and
afflictions, free from murmuring in the midst of penury and want, grateful
to those that injure her, and rejoices when exposed to troubles: she
sympathizes with the wretched and the afflicted as sharing in their
afflictions, and is not slow to come to their assistance. Moreover, she
shines forth gloriously as contending in the fight of faith against the
pernicious conflicts of vicious(1) principles or conduct. She is the lady
of our new religion and repentance,(2) and the handmaid among the faithful
of all works of piety. She is indeed devoted to the humble, and she humbles
herself more devotedly than the devoted, and is wonderfully magnified by
all, while at the same time she suffers detraction from the Scribes and
Pharisees. Besides these points, many relate to us numerous other things
regarding her. We do not, however, go so far as to believe all in every
particular; nor do we mention such to thee. But, as we are informed by
those who are worthy of credit, there is in Mary the mother of Jesus an
angelic purity of nature allied with the nature of humanity.(3) And such
reports as these have greatly excited our emotions, and urge us eagerly to
desire a sight of this (if it be lawful so to speak) heavenly prodigy and
most sacred marvel. But do thou in haste comply with this our desire; and
fare thou well. Amen.
A SECOND EPISTLE OF IGNATIUS TO ST. JOHN.
His friend(1) Ignatius to John the holy presbyter.
IF thou wilt give me leave, I desire to go up to Jerusalem, and see the
faithful(2) saints who are there, especially Mary the mother, whom they
report to be an object of admiration and of affection to all. For who would
not rejoice to behold and to address her who bore the true God from hers
own womb, provided he is a friend of our faith and religion? And in like
manner [I desire to see] the venerable James, who is surnamed Just, whom
they relate to be very like Christ Jesus in appearance,(4) in life, and in
method of conduct, as if he were a twin-brother of the same womb. They say
that, if I see him, I see also Jesus Himself, as to all the features and
aspect of His body. Moreover, [I desire to see] the other saints, both male
and female. Alas! why do I delay? Why am I kept back? Kind(5) teacher, bid
me hasten [to fulfil my wish], and fare thou well. Amen.
THE EPISTLE OF IGNATIUS TO THE VIRGIN MARY
Her friend(1) Ignatius to the Christ-bearing Mary.
THOU oughtest to have comforted and consoled me who am a neophyte, and
a disciple of thy [beloved] John. For I have heard things wonderful to tell
respecting thy [son] Jesus, and I am astonished by such a report. But I
desire with my whole heart to obtain information concerning the things
which I have heard from thee, who wast always intimate and allied with Him,
and who wast acquainted with [all] His secrets. I have also written to thee
at another time, and have asked thee concerning the same things. Fare thou
well; and let the neophytes who are with me be comforted of thee, and by
thee, and in thee. Amen.
REPLY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN TO THIS LETTER.
The lowly handmaid of Christ Jesus to Ignatius, her beloved fellow-
disciple.
THE things which thou hast heard and learned from John concerning Jesus
are true. Believe them, cling to them, and hold fast the profession of that
Christianity which thou hast embraced, and conform thy habits and life to
thy profession. Now I will come in company with John to visit thee, and
those that are with thee. Stand fast in the faith,(2) and show thyself a
man; nor let the fierceness of persecution move thee, but let thy spirit be
strong and rejoice in God thy Saviour.(3) Amen.
Taken from "The Early Church Fathers and Other Works" originally published
by Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co. in English in Edinburgh, Scotland beginning in
1867. (ANF 1, Roberts and Donaldson.) The digital version is by The
Electronic Bible Society, P.O. Box 701356, Dallas, TX 75370, 214-407-WORD.
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