place, the powers of Satan are destroyed, and his mischief is dissolved by the unity of your faith. Nothing is better than peace; by which all war is abolished, whether of heavenly or of earthly things. 14. Of all which nothing is hid from you, if ye have perfect faith and charity in CHRIST JESUS, which are the beginning and end of life: the beginning, faith; the end, charity. And these two, being in unity, are of GOD. And all other things which concern a holy life are the consequence of these. No man, who professes the true faith, sins: neither doth he, who hath charity, hate. The tree is made manifest by its fruit. So they who profess themselves to be Christians, shall be made known by their deeds. For now (Christianity) is not the work of an outward profession, but (shows itself) in the power of faith, if a man be found (faithful) unto the end. 15. It is better to be silent, and to be; than to say (a man is a Christian) and not to be. It is good to teach, if he who speaks, acts. He therefore is the only Master, who spake, and it was done. And even those things, which he did in silence," are worthy of the FATHER. He that possesses the word of JESUS is truly able to hear even his silence, that he may be perfect: and may both do according to what he speaks, and be known by those things of which he is silent. There is nothing hid from GoD: but even our secret things are nigh unto him. Let us therefore do all things as becomes those who have GoD dwelling in them; that we may be his temple; and he may be one GoD within us; as also he is, and will manifest himself before our faces, by those things for which we justly love him. 16. Be not deceived, my brethren. Those who corrupt houses (by adultery) shall not inherit the kingdom of GOD. If therefore they who do this according to the flesh, have suffered death; how much more shall he die, who by his wicked doctrine corrupts the faith of GOD, for which CHRIST was crucified? He that is thus defiled, shall depart into unquenchable fire; and in like manner he that hearkens to him. • Matt. xii. 33. Ps. xxxiii. 9. Those actions which CHRIST performed in all humility. i 1 Cor. x. 8. 17. For this cause did the LORD receive ointment upon his head, that he might breathe (the breath of) immortality into his Church. Be not ye therefore anointed with the evil savor of the doctrine of the Prince of this world. Let him not take you captive from the life that is set before you. And why are ye not all wise, seeing ye have received the knowledge of GOD, which is JESUS CHRIST. Why do we perish in our folly, ignorant of the gift which the LORD hath truly sent us? 18. Let my life be sacrificed for the doctrine of the eross, which is a stumbling-block to them that believe not, but to us is salvation and life everlasting." Where is the wise? Where is the disputer? Where is the boasting of those who are called men of understanding? For our God JESUS CHRIST was borne in the womb of Mary, according to the dispensation of GOD, of the seed of David, yet by the HOLY GHOST. He was born, and was baptized, that through his passion, he might purify water (to the washing away of sin). 19. And the Prince of this world knew not the virginity of Mary, and him who was born of her, and the Ps. xlv. 7. cxxxiii. 2. m 1 Cor. i. 18-23, 24. 1 Compare John xx. 22. n 1 Cor. i. 20. • It was a favorite notion with the early Christian writers, that Mary was espoused to Joseph before the birth of JESUs, that his being born of a virgin might escape the knowledge of Satan. Thus THEOPHILUS, the sixth bishop of Antioch, in the Latin version of his Commentary on St. Matthew's Gospel, i. 18. has this observation, "Quare non ex simplici virgine, sed ex desponsatâ concipitur CHRISTUS? Primò, ut per generationem Josephi origo Mariæ monstraretur; secundò, ne lapidaretur à Judæis ut adultera: tertiò, ut in Ægyptum haberet solatium viri: quartò, ut partus ejus falleret diabolum, putantem JESUM de uxoratâ, non de Virgine natum." [Why was CHRIST conceived not of a mere virgin, but of one betrothed? First, that the origin of Mary might be shown by the genealogy of Joseph: secondly, lest she should be stoned by the Jews for an adultress: thirdly, that in Egypt she might have the comfort of her husband's company: fourthly, that her delivery might deceive the devil, causing him to think JESUS the son of a married woman, not of a virgin."] JEROME ascribes this very reason to Ignatius, "Martyr Ignatius etiam quartam addit causam cur à desponsatâ conceptus sit, ut partus, inquiens, ejus celaretur à diabolo, dum eum putat non de virgine sed de uxore generatum." [The Martyr Ignatius adds also a fourth reason why he was conceived of one betrothed, saying that it was that her delivery might be concealed from the devil, he being led to think her child the offspring not of a virgin but of a wife.] BASIL, in his Sermon on the Nativity of CHRIST, death of the LORD: three mysteries every where noised abroad, yet done by GoD in silence. How then was he manifested to the world? A star shone in heaven above all other stars; and its light was inexpressible; and its novelty struck terror. All the rest of the stars, with the sun and moon, were the chorus to this star; and that sent forth its light above all. And there was trouble, whence this novelty came, so unlike to all the others. Hence all (the power of) magic was dissolved; and every bond of wickedness was destroyed: ignorance was taken away; the old kingdom was abolished; GOD being made manifest in the form of a man, for the renewal of eternal life. Thence began what God had prepared. From thenceforth all things were disturbed, forasmuch as he designed to abolish death. 20. But if JESUS CHRIST shall give me grace through your prayers, and it be his will, I purpose in a second Epistle, which I am about to write to you, to declare more fully to you the dispensation of which I have now begun to speak, unto the new man, which is JESUS CHRIST: both in his faith and charity; in his suffering, and in his resurrection, especially if the LORD shall make it known unto me by revelation :P since ye all individually come together in common in one faith, and in one JESUS CHRIST, who was of the race of David according to the flesh, the Son of man, and the Son of GOD: obeying your Bishop and the Presbytery with an entire affection: breaking one bread, which is the medicine of immortality; our antidote, that we should not die, but live for ever in JESUS CHRIST. 21. My soul be for yours, and for those whom ye have sent, for the glory of GoD, to Smyrna, whence also I write unto you, giving thanks unto the LORD; quotes the same opinion. These passages appear to be allusions to this Epistle of Ignatius. ORIGEN, in his sixth Homily on St. Luke, translated by Jerome, says, "Eleganter in cujusdam Martyris Epistola scriptum reperi, Ignatium dico, Episcopum Antiochiæ post Petrum secundum, qui in persecutione Romæ pugnavit ad bestias, Principem sæculi hujus latuit virginitas Mariæ." [I have found it elegantly written in the epistle of a certain martyr, (I mean Ignatius, the second bishop of Antioch after Peter, who in the persecution fought with beasts at Rome,) that the virginity of Mary was hidden from the prince of this world.]-PEARSON Vindicia Ignatiana, Par. 1. cap. 2. Compare 1 Cor. xiv. 33. and loving Polycarp, even as I do you. Remember me, even as JESUS CHRIST doth remember you. Pray for the Church which is in Syria, whence I am being carried bound to Rome, being the least of all the faithful that are there, as I have been deemed worthy to be found to the glory of GoD. Farewell in God the Father, and in JESUS CHRIST, our common hope. Ignatius was bound in chains, at Antioch in Syria, and there delivered to the soldiers, to be carried to Rome, as he expresses in his Epistle to the Romans, THE EPISTLE OF IGNATIUS TO THE MAGNESIANS. IGNATIUS, who is also called Theophorus to the (Church) blessed by the grace of God the Father, in JESUS CHRIST our Saviour; in whom I salute the Church which is at Magnesia, near the Mæander; and wish it all joy, in God the Father, and in JESUS CHRIST. 1. Having heard of your well ordered love and charity in GOD, I determined, with much joy, 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 to be preferred; but especially of JESUS and the Father, in whom if we undergo all the injuries of the prince of this world, and escape, we shall enjoy GOD. 2. Seeing then that I have been thought worthy to see you, by Damas your godly and excellent Bishop, and by your worthy Presbyters, Bassus and Apollonius; and by my fellow servant Sotio the Deacon, in whom I rejoice, forasmuch as he is subject unto his Bishop as unto the grace of GoD, and to the Presbytery, as unto the law of JESUS CHRIST, (I determined to write unto you.) 3. It is your duty also not to despise the youth of your Bishop, but to yield all reverence to him, according to the power of God the Father. As also I perceive your holy Presbyters do, not considering his youthful a Compare IGNATIUS' Epist. to Ephes. Sect. 1. EUSEBIUS, Eccles. Hist. iii. 36. says that 'Ignatius wrote an Epistle to the Church in Magnesia near the Mæander, in which he makes mention of their Bishop Damas.' |