From: Subject: Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. I Date: Tue, 12 Sep 2006 06:07:46 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; type="text/html"; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0000_01C6D631.C4C69CD0" X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.2962 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0000_01C6D631.C4C69CD0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-01/anf01-38.htm Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. I

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The Martyrdom of Ignatius

The = Martyrdom of=20 Ignatius

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When Trajan, not long since,1=20 succeeded to the empire of the Romans, Ignatius, the disciple of John = the=20 apostle, a man in all respects of an apostolic character, governed the = Church of=20 the Antiochians with great care, having with difficulty escaped the = former=20 storms of the many persecutions under Domitian, inasmuch as, like a good = pilot,=20 by the helm of prayer and fasting, by the earnestness of his teaching, = and by=20 his [constant2=20 spiritual labour, he resisted the flood that rolled against him, fearing = [only]=20 lest he should lose any of those who were deficient in courage, or apt = to suffer=20 from their simplicity.3=20 Wherefore he rejoiced over the tranquil state of the Church, when the=20 persecution ceased for a little time, but was grieved as to himself, = that he had=20 not yet attained to a true love to Christ, nor reached the perfect rank = of a=20 disciple. For he inwardly reflected, that the confession which is made = by=20 martyrdom, would bring him into a yet more intimate relation to the = Lord.=20 Wherefore, continuing a few years longer with the Church, and, like a = divine=20 lamp, enlightening every one's understanding by his expositions of the=20 [Holy4=20 ] Scriptures, he [at length] attained the object of his desire.

For Trajan, in the ninth5=20 year of his reign, being lifted up [with pride], after the victory he = had gained=20 over the Scythians and Dacians, and many other nations, and thinking = that the=20 religious body of the Christians were yet wanting to complete the = subjugation of=20 all things to himself, and [thereupon] threatening them with persecution = unless=20 they should agree to worship daemons, as did all other nations, thus = compelled=20 all who were living godly lives either to sacrifice [to idols] or die. = Wherefore=20 the noble soldier of Christ [Ignatius], being in fear for the Church of = the=20 Antiochians, was, in accordance with his own desire, brought before = Trajan, who=20 was at that time staying at Antioch, but was in haste [to set forth] = against=20 Armenia and the Parthians. And when he was set before the emperor = Trajan, [that=20 prince] said unto him, "Who art thou, wicked wretch, who settest thyself = to=20 transgress our commands, and persuadest others to do the same, so that = they=20 should miserably perish? "Ignatius replied, "No one ought to call = Theophorus=20 wicked; for all evil spirits have departed from the servants of God. But = if,=20 because I am an enemy to these [spirits], you call me wicked in respect = to them,=20 I quite agree with you; for inasmuch as I have Christ the King of heaven = [within=20 me], I destroy all the devices of these [evil spirits]." Trajan = answered, "And=20 who is Theophorus? "Ignatius replied, "He who has Christ within his = breast."=20 Trajan said, "Do we not then seem to you to have the gods in our = mind,=20 whose assistance we enjoy in fighting against our enemies? "Ignatius = answered,=20 "Thou art in error when thou callest the daemons of the nations gods. = For there=20 is but one God, who made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that = are in=20 them; and one Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, whose kingdom = may I=20 enjoy." Trajan said, "Do you mean Him who was crucified under Pontius = Pilate?=20 "Ignatius replied, "I mean Him who crucified my sin, with him who was = the=20 inventor of it, and who has condemned [and cast down] all the deceit and = malice=20 of the devil under the feet of those who carry Him in their heart." = Trajan said,=20 "Dost thou then carry within thee Him that was crucified? "Ignatius = replied,=20 "Truly so; for it is written, `I will dwell in them, and walk in them.'" = Then=20 Trajan pronounced sentence as follows: "We command that Ignatius, who = affirms=20 that he carries about within him Him that was crucified, be bound by = soldiers,=20 and carried to the great [city] Rome, there to be devoured by the = beasts, for=20 the gratification of the people." When the holy martyr heard this = sentence, he=20 cried out with joy, "I thank thee, O Lord, that Thou hast vouchsafed to = honour=20 me with a perfect love towards Thee, and hast made me to be bound with = iron=20 chains, like Thy Apostle Paul." Having spoken thus, he then, with = delight,=20 clasped the chains about him; and when he had first prayed for the = Church, and=20 commended it with tears to the Lord, he was hurried away by the savage = cruelty=20 of the soldiers, like a distinguished ram the leader of a goodly flock, = that he=20 might be carried to Rome, there to furnish food to the bloodthirsty = beasts.

Wherefore, with great alacrity and joy, through his desire to suffer, = he came=20 down from Antioch to Seleucia, from which place he set sail. And after a = great=20 deal of suffering he came to Smyrna, where he disembarked with great = joy, and=20 hastened to see the holy Polycarp, [formerly] his fellow-disciple, and = [now]=20 bishop of Smyrna. For they had both, in old times, been disciples of St. = John=20 the Apostle. Being then brought to him, and having communicated to him = some=20 spiritual gifts, and glorying in his bonds, he entreated of him to = labour along=20 with him for the fulfilment of his desire; earnestly indeed asking this = of the=20 whole Church (for the cities and Churches of Asia had welcomed the holy = man=20 through their bishops, and presbyters, and deacons, all hastening to = meet him,=20 if by any means they might receive from him some spiritual gift), but = above all,=20 the holy Polycarp, that, by means of the wild beasts, he soon = disappearing from=20 this world, might be manifested before the face of Christ.

And these things he thus spake, and thus testified, extending his = love to=20 Christ so far as one who was about to secure heaven through his good = confession,=20 and the earnestness of those who joined their prayers to his in regard = to his=20 [approaching] conflict; and to give a recompense to the Churches, who = came to=20 meet him through their rulers, sending letters of thanksgiving to them, = which=20 dropped spiritual grace, along with prayer and exhortation. Wherefore, = seeing=20 all men so kindly affected towards him, and fearing lest the love of the = brotherhood should hinder his zeal towards the Lord, while a fair door = of=20 suffering martyrdom was opened to him, he wrote to the Church of the = Romans the=20 Epistle which is here subjoined.

(See the Epistle as formerly given.)

Having therefore, by means of this Epistle, settled, as he wished, = those of=20 the brethren at Rome who were unwilling [for his martyrdom]; and setting = sail=20 from Smyrna (for Christophorus was pressed by the soldiers to hasten to = the=20 public spectacles in the mighty [city] Rome, that, being given up to the = wild=20 beasts in the sight of the Roman people, he might attain to the crown = for which=20 he strove), he [next] landed at Troas. Then, going on from that place to = Neapolis, he went [on foot] by Philippi through Macedonia, and on to = that part=20 of Epirus which is near Epidamnus; and finding a ship in one of the = seaports, he=20 sailed over the Adriatic Sea, and entering from it on the Tyrrhene, he = passed by=20 the various islands and cities, until, when Puteoli came in sight, he = was eager=20 there to disembark, having a desire to tread in the footsteps of the = Apostle=20 Paul. But a violent wind arising did not suffer him to do so, the ship = being=20 driven rapidly forwards; and, simply expressing his delight over the = love of the=20 brethren in that place, he sailed by. Wherefore, continuing to enjoy = fair winds,=20 we were reluctantly hurried on in one day and a night, mourning [as we = did] over=20 the coming departure from us of this righteous man. But to him this = happened=20 just as he wished, since he was in haste as soon as possible to leave = this=20 world, that he might attain to the Lord whom he loved. Sailing then into = the=20 Roman harbour, and the unhallowed sports being just about to close, the = soldiers=20 began to be annoyed at our slowness, but the bishop rejoicingly yielded = to their=20 urgency.

They pushed forth therefore from the place which is called Portus; = and (the=20 fame of all relating to the holy martyr being already spread abroad) we = met the=20 brethren full of fear and joy; rejoicing indeed because they were = thought worthy=20 to meet with Theophorus, but struck with fear because so eminent a man = was being=20 led to death. Now he enjoined some to keep silence who, in their fervent = zeal,=20 were saying that they would appease the people, so that they should not = demand=20 the destruction of this just one. He being immediately aware of this = through the=20 Spirit, and having saluted them all, and begged of them to show a true = affection=20 towards him, and having dwelt [on this point] at greater length than in = his=20 Epistle, and having persuaded them not to envy him hastening to the = Lord, he=20 then, after he had, with all the brethren kneeling [beside him], = entreated the=20 Son of God in behalf of the Churches, that a stop might be put to the=20 persecution, and that mutual love might continue among the brethren, was = led=20 with all haste into the amphitheatre. Then, being immediately thrown in, = according to the command of Caesar given some time ago, the public = spectacles=20 being just about to close (for it was then a solemn day, as they deemed = it,=20 being that which is called the thirteenth in the Roman tongue, on which = the=20 people were wont to assemble in more than ordinary numbers ), he was = thus cast=20 to the wild beasts close, beside the temple, that so by them the desire = of the=20 holy martyr Ignatius should be fulfilled, according to that which is = written,=20 "The desire of the righteous is acceptable [to God]," to the effect that = he=20 might not be troublesome to any of the brethren by the gathering of his = remains,=20 even as he had in his Epistle expressed a wish beforehand that so his = end might=20 be. For only the harder portions of his holy remains were left, which = were=20 conveyed to Antioch and wrapped in linen, as an inestimable treasure = left to the=20 holy Church by the grace which was in the martyr.

Now these things took place on the thirteenth day before the Kalends = of=20 January, that is, on the twentieth of December, Sura and Senecio being = then the=20 consuls of the Romans for the second time. Having ourselves been = eye-witnesses=20 of these things, and having spent the whole night in tears within the = house, and=20 having entreated the Lord, with bended knees and much prayer, that He = would give=20 us weak men full assurance respecting the things which were done, it = came to=20 pass, on our filling into a brief slumber, that some of us saw the = blessed=20 Ignatius suddenly standing by us and embracing us, while others beheld = him again=20 praying for us, and others still saw him dropping with sweat, as if he = had just=20 come from his great labour, and standing by the Lord. When, therefore, = we had=20 with great joy witnessed these things, and had compared our several = visions=20 together, we sang praise to God, the giver of all good things, and = expressed our=20 sense of the happiness of the holy [martyr]; and now we have made known = to you=20 both the day and the time [when these things happened], that, assembling = ourselves together according to the time of his martyrdom, we may have=20 fellowship with the champion and noble martyr of Christ, who trode under = foot=20 the devil, and perfected the course which, out of love to Christ, he had = desired, in Christ Jesus our Lord; by whom, and with whom, be glory and = power to=20 the Father, with the Holy Spirit, for evermore! Amen.

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