the New Teftament.

73

the perfons to whom St. Paul wrote what is called the Epiftle to the Ephefians," that inftead of unμovEVEL 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 Christian religion.

z §. v. p. 48, 49.

2 Προσφυγων τῳ ευαγγελίῳ, ὡς σαρκι Ιησού, και τοις αποτόλοις, ὡς πρεσβυτεριῳ της εκκλησίας. Και τους προφητας δε αγαπωμεν, δια TO και αυτούς εις το

ευαγγελιον

that by

6

(

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

he,

ευαγγελιον κατηγγελκεναι και εις αυτον ελπίζειν, και αυτον αναμενειν. Commentators have given a variety of opinions to account for Ignatius calling the Gospel σαρξ Ιησού. 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 fhadow, and Chrift the fubftance, 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 Gospel, as if Jefus were still 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 fenfe of the author.

§. viii. p. 51, 52.

he, "I believe nothing but what I find in the ancients, (or, according to ano

ther reading, the archives) viz. in the Gofpel, I answered, but it is there written. And thereby I brought them to acknowledge that they would believe "From thefe paffages thus

C

c I will fubjoin this difficult paffage, on which the commentators are fo much at variance, in order that the reader may, without further trouble, examine the translation which I have given above. Επει ηκουσα τινων λεγοντων ότι εαν μη εν τοις αρχαιοις, (or, ace cording to a different reading, αρχείοις) ευρώ, εν τῷ ευαγγελίω, 8 πιςεύω. Και λεγοντος μου αυτοις, ότι γεγραπται, απεκρίθησαν μοι, ὅτι προκειται. Ignatius, in the preceding fixth fection, had exhorted the Philadelphians to beware of thofe, who produced every kind of Jewish tenet, but were absolutely filent concerning Jefus Chrift. I translate therefore the laft words ri Tроnaiτal, Itaque propofitum eft, namely, credere; and underftand the paffage in this manner, that in their difputations they should truft exclufively to the decifions of the Gofpel, and endeavour to convince their opponents therefrom with all gentlenefs.-A fimilar pasfage is found in Epictetus, in Arriani differtation. Epit. Lib. iv. cap. 5. edit. Joan. Uptoni, tom. i. P. 599. He had taught in the preceding part, we should conftantly live agreeably to nature," and adds, Τούτο γαρ εσιν, å αει προκειται τῳ καλῳ και αγαθῷ·

"that

2

much

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 alfo many fentiments and expreffions, which appear to have been borrowed from the Scriptures of our New Testament.-In the epiftle 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 almost in the fame manner, Rom. i. 3, 4.-To the Ephefians he writes, "The crofs 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

d §. i. p. 2.

e §. xviii. p. 32.

St.

the New Teftament.

77

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 mafs, which is Chrift."-In the epiftle to Polycarp3, he recommends that he should 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.

z §. v. p. 16.

h See Lardner's Credibility of the G. H. vol. ii.

P. 70-85.

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

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

See Lardner, Numb. 43.

St.