Epistle of Ignatius, the friend of St. Peter and St. John, and Bishop of Antioch, on the way to Martyrdom, to the Ephesians.

IGNATIUS, also called Theophorus, to her who is blessed in the greatness and fulness of GOD the Father; to the predestinate before all worlds to be ever in marvellous glory unchangeable, united, and elect through the true Passion, through the will of the FATHER and JESUS CHRIST our God; to the truly beatified Church, which is in Ephesus of Asia, all health in JESUS CHRIST and in unspotted grace.

I. I WELCOME in GOD's behalf that well-beloved name, which ye have attained in all righteousness, according to the Faith and Love which is in JESUS CHRIST our SAVIOUR, for that being followers of GOD, and kindling the inward flame by the Blood of GOD, ye have perfectly accomplished the work that belonged to you, when ye heard that I came bound from Syria, for the common name and hope; trusting through your prayers to fight with beasts at Rome, that so by suffering I may become indeed the Disciple of Him" who gave Himself to GOD, an Offering and Sacrifice for us." How many ye be, that be called by the name of GOD, I have heard from Onesimus, whose love is beyond all words, your Bishop according to the flesh; whom I beseech you, by JESUS CHRIST, to love, and that ye would all be like unto him. And blessed be GOD, who has granted unto you, who are so worthy of him, to enjoy such a Bishop.

II. As to my fellow-servant Burrhus, who is your most blessed Deacon, in things pertaining to GOD, I pray that he may abide with you to the honour both of you and of your Bishop. And Crocus, also, worthy both of GOD and you, whom I have received as the sample of your love, has in all things refreshed me, as the Father of our LORD JESUS CHRIST shall also refresh him; together with Onesimus, and Burrhus, and Euplus, and Fronto, in seeing whom I have seen the love of you all. And may I always have joy of you, if I be worthy of it! It is therefore fitting that you should by all means glorify JESUS

CHRIST, who hath glorified you: that by a uniform obedience, "Ye may be perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in "the same judgment; and may all speak the same thing:” and that being subject to your Bishop, and his Presbytery, ye may be sanctified in all things.

III. These things I prescribe to you, not as if I were somebody; for though I am bound for His name, I am not yet perfect in CHRIST JESUS. But now I begin to learn, and I speak to you as Fellow-Disciples together with me. For I ought to have been stirred up by you in Faith, in Admonition, in Patience, in Long-suffering. But forasmuch as Charity suffers me not to be silent towards you, I have first taken upon me to exhort you, that ye would all concur in the mind of GOD. For JESUS CHRIST, our inseparable Life, is the Mind of the FATHER; like as the Bishops, appointed even unto the utmost bounds of the earth, are after the mind of JESUS CHRIST.

IV. Wherefore it will become you to concur in the mind of your Bishops, as also ye do. For your famous Presbytery, worthy of GOD, is knit as closely to its Bishop, as the strings to a harp. Therefore by your unanimity and harmonious love JESUS CHRIST is sung; and each of you taketh part in the chorus: that so, being attuned together in one mind, and taking up the song of GOD, ye may with one voice, and in a perfect unity, sing to the FATHER by JESUS CHRIST; to the end that by this means He may both hear you, and perceive by your works, that ye are indeed the members of His Son. Wherefore it is profitable for you to live in blameless unity, that so ye may always have fellowship with GOD.

V. For if I in this little time have held such communion with your Bishop, I mean not earthly, but spiritual; how much more must I think you blessed, who are so joined to him, as the Church is to JESUS CHRIST, and JESUS CHRIST to the FATHER; that so all things may agree in the same unity? Let no man deceive himself; if a man be not within the ALTAR, he faileth of the BREAD of GOD. For if the prayer of one or two be of such force, as we are told, how much more that of the Bishop and the whole Church? He, therefore, that does not come together into the same place with it, is proud, and has already condemned himself. For it is written, "God resisteth the proud." Let us take heed, therefore,

that we do not set ourselves against the Bishop, that we may be set under GOD.

VI. And the more any seeth his Bishop keep silence, the more let him reverence him. For whomsoever the master of the house sendeth to his own household, we ought so to receive, as we would him that sent him. It is plain then that we ought to look to the Bishop, even as to the LORD himself. And truly Onesimus himself doth greatly commend your good order in GOD: in that ye all live according to the truth, and that no heresy dwelleth among you, but ye hearken to no man above JESUS CHRIST, speaking to you in truth.

VII. For some there are who carry about the name of CHRIST in deceitfulness, and do many things unworthy of God; whom ye must flee, as ye would wild beasts. For they are ravening dogs, which bite secretly; against whom ye must guard yourselves, as hardly to be cured. There is one Physician, both Fleshly and Spiritual; Begotten, not Made; God incarnate; true Life in Death; both of Mary and of God; first made subject to suffering, then liable to suffer no more.

VIII. Wherefore let no man deceive you; as indeed neither are ye deceived, being wholly the servants of GOD. For inasmuch as there is no contention nor strife among you, to trouble you, surely ye live according to GOD's Will. My soul be for yours; and I myself the expiatory offering for your church of Ephesus, so famous to all ages. They that are of the flesh cannot do the works of the spirit; neither they that are of the spirit the works of the flesh; as also faith cannot do the works of unfaithfulness; neither unfaithfulness the works of faith. But even those things which ye do according to the flesh are spiritual; forasmuch do all things in JESUS CHRIST.

as ye

IX. Nevertheless I have heard of some who have gone to you, having perverse doctrine; whom ye did not suffer to sow among you; but stopped your ears, that ye might not receive those things that were sown by them: as being the stones of the temple of the FATHER, prepared for His building; and drawn up on high by the Cross of CHRIST, as by an engine; with the HOLY GHOST as the line by which to ascend: your faith being your support, and your charity the way that leads you up unto God. Ye therefore, with all the companions of your way, are full of

GOD, of His spiritual temple, of CHRIST, of the Holy One: adorned in all things with the commands of CHRIST; through whom also I triumph, in that I have been thought worthy by this present Epistle to hold converse with you; and to joy together, that having regard to the other life, ye love nothing but GOD only.

X. Pray also without ceasing for all men; for there is hope of repentance in them, that they may attain unto GOD. Suffer them therefore to learn from you, if only from your works. Against their raging, be ye mild; against their boasting, be ye lowly-minded; against their blasphemies, oppose your prayers; against their errors, be ye "stedfast in the faith;" against their cruelty, be ye gentle: not striving to imitate them again, let us be found their brethren in all kindness, but imitators of the LORD; if any one be more than other either injured, or defrauded, or despised; that so no plant of the devil be found in you, but ye may remain in all holiness and sobriety both of body and spirit, in CHRIST JESUS.

XI. The last times are come upon us : let us therefore be very reverent, and fear the long-suffering of GOD, that it be not to us unto condemnation. For let us either fear the wrath that is to come, or be thankful for present grace; one of the two; only to be found in CHRIST JESUS, unto true life. Besides Him, let nothing be worthy of you; for whom also I bear about these bonds, those spiritual jewels in which I would to GOD, that through your prayers, I might rise again; of which may I ever partake, that I may be found in the lot of the Christians of Ephesus, who have always agreed with the Apostles, through the power of JESUS CHRIST.

XII. I know both who I am, and to whom I write; I, a man condemned; ye, such as have obtained mercy: I, exposed to danger; ye, confirmed against danger. Ye are the hosts of those that are killed for GOD; the companions of Paul in the mysteries of the Gospel; the holy martyr, the truly blessed Paul; in whose footsteps may I be found, when I shall have attained unto God; who, throughout all his Epistle, makes mention of you in CHRIST JESUS.

XIII. Let it be your care therefore to come oftener together, to give thanks and glory to GOD. For when ye meet often together in

the same place, the powers of the devil are destroyed, and his mischief is dissolved by the unity of your faith. And indeed, nothing is better than peace; by which all war, both spiritual and earthly, is abolished.

XIV. Of all which nothing is hid from you, if ye have perfect faith and charity in JESUS CHRIST, which are the beginning and end of life: the beginning, faith; the end, charity. And these two joined together, are of GOD; and on them followeth all other goodness. No man, professing a true faith, goes wrong; neither does he who has charity, hate any. manifest by its fruit;" so they who profess themselves to be Christians, shall be known by what they do. the time for profession, but for the power of faith, if a man be found faithful unto the end.

"The tree is made

For it is not now

XV. It is better for a man to hold his peace, and be a Christian; than to say he is, and not to be. It is good to teach, if what he says, he does likewise. There is therefore one master" who spake, and it was done;" and even those things which He did without speaking, are worthy of the Father. He that hath the word of JESUS, is truly able to hear His very silence, that he may be perfect; and both do according to what he speaks, and be known by those things in which he is silent. There is nothing hid from GOD, but even our secrets are nigh unto Him. Let us therefore do all things, as becomes those who have GOD dwelling in them; that we may be His temples, and He may be our GOD within us, as also He is, and will show Himself, before our faces, by those things for which we justly love Him.

XVI. Be not deceived, brethren; those that corrupt other, 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 so also shall he that hearkens unto him.

XVII. For this cause did the LORD suffer the ointment to be poured on His head; that He might breathe the breath of immortality unto His church. Be not ye therefore anointed with the evil savour of the doctrine of the prince of this world; lest he lead you away captive from the life that is set before you. And why