The

Smyrna, speaks also of another, which was written, ἰδίως τῷ ταύτης προηγουμένῳ Πολυκάρπῳ. The ancient Fathers ascribe this Epistle to Ignatius as well as the rest; and therefore the same evidence which is deemed conclusive in the one case, must also be admitted in the other. Polycarp, at the close of his Epistle to the Philippians, describes the Epistles of Ignatius as "treating of faith and patience, and of all things pertaining to edification in the Lord Jesus." They are written in an animated, but inflated style; and bespeak a mind stored with the knowledge of Christ and the Gospel, rather than with the treasures of human learning. They breathe the genuine spirit of Christian devotion; they enforce the purest precepts; and abound in flowing exhortation to faith in the Redeemer, and obedience to his commands. Epistle to Polycarp sets forth the character and duties of the Christian minister in the most lively and interesting colours. It exhorts him to watchfulness; to prayer and meditation; to public and private intercourse with his flock; it admonishes him to inquire into their peculiar condition and circumstances, and lays down certain rules relative to marriage and the duties of the married state. All the other Epistles, with the exception of that to the Romans, turn, for the most part, upon the same subjects. They open with an introductory greeting to the members of the church to which they are addressed; insist strongly upon the blessings of church union, public worship, and submission to ecclesiastical rulers; exhort all men to constant prayer for themselves and others; warn them against false teachers; and inculcate the paramount importance of faith, repentance, and good works. As the Epistle to the Romans exhibits most forcibly the feelings of the pious Bishop, and the temper of mind in which he was preparing to suffer for the cause of Christ, we shall give it entire from Grabe's Spicilegium:

Ἰγνάτιος, ὁ καὶ Θεοφόρος, τῇ ἠλεημένῃ ἐν μεγαλειότητι πατρὸς ὑψίστου καὶ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ μόνου υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, ἐκκλησίᾳ ἠγαπημένῃ καὶ πεφωτισμένῃ ἐν θελήματι τοῦ θελήσαντος τὰ πάντα, ἅ ἐστιν κατὰ ἀγάπην Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν, ἥτις καὶ προκάθηται ἐν τόπῳ χωρίου Ῥωμαίων, ἀξιόθεος, ἀξιοπρεπής, ἀξιομακάριστος, ἀξιέπαινος, ἀξιεπίτευκτος, ἀξιόαγνος, καὶ προκαθημένη τῆς ἀγάπης, χριστώνυμος, πατρώνυμος, ἣν καὶ ἀσπάζομαι ἐν ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, υἱοῦ πατρὸς, κατὰ σάρκα καὶ πνεῦμα ἡνωμένοις πάσῃ ἐντολῇ αὐτοῦ, πεπληρωμένοις χάριτος Θεοῦ ἀδιακρίτως, καὶ ἀποδιϋλισμένοις ἀπὸ παντὸς ἀλλοτρίου χρώματος, πλεῖστα ἐν Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν ἀμώμως χαίρειν.

Ἐπεὶ εὐξάμενος Θεῷ ἐπέτυχον ἰδεῖν ὑμῶν τὰ ἀξιόθεα πρόσωπα, ὡς καὶ πλέον ἢ ᾐτούμην λαβεῖν, δεδεμένος ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ἐλπίζω ὑμᾶς ἀσπάσασθαι, ἐάν περ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ ᾖ τοῦ ἀξιωθῆναί με εἰς τέλος εἶναι ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἀρχὴ εὐοικονόμητός ἐστιν, ἐάν περ χάριτος ἐπιτύχω, εἰς τὸ τὸν κληρόν μου ἀνεμποδίστως ἀπολαβεῖν. Φοβοῦμαι γὰρ τὴν ὑμῶν ἀγάπην, μὴ αὐτή με ἀδικήσῃ· ὑμῖν γὰρ εὐχερές ἐστιν, ὃ θέλετε ποιῆσαι· ἐμοὶ δὲ δύσκολόν ἐστιν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐπιτυχεῖν, ἐάν περ ὑμεῖς φείσεσθέ μου. Οὐ γὰρ θέλω ὑμῖν ἀνθρωπαρεσκῆσαι, ἀλλὰ Θεῷ ἀρέσαι, ὥσπερ καὶ ἀρέσκετε. Οὐ γὰρ ἐγὼ

ποτε ἔξω καιρὸν τοιοῦτον, Θεοῦ ἐπιτυχεῖν· οὔτε ὑμεῖς, ἐὰν σιωπήσητε, κρείττονι ἔργῳ ἔχετε ἐπιγραφῆναι. Ἐὰν γὰρ σιωπήσητε ἀπ ̓ ἐμοῦ, ἐγὼ γενήσομαι Θεοῦ· ἐὰν δὲ ἐρασθῆτε τῆς σαρκός μου, πάλιν ἔσομαι τρέχων. Πλέον μοι μὴ παράσχησθε τοῦ σπονδιασθῆναι Θεῷ, ὡς ἔτι θυσιαστήριον ἕτοιμόν ἐστιν, ἵνα ἐν ἀγάπῃ χορὸς γενόμενοι, ᾄσητε τῷ πατρὶ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ὅτι τὸν ἐπίσκοπον Συρίας ὁ Θεὸς κατηξίωσεν εὑρεθῆναι εἰς δύσιν ἀπὸ ἀνατολῆς μεταπεμψάμενος. Καλὸν τὸ δῦναι ἀπὸ κόσμου πρὸς Θεὸν, ἵνα εἰς αὐτὸν ἀνατείλω· οὐδέποτε ἐβασκάνατε οὐδένα, ἄλλους ἐδιδάξατε" ἐγὼ δὲ θέλω, ἵνα κἀκεῖνα βέβαια ᾖ, ἃ μαθητεύοντες ἐντέλλεσθε. Μόνον μοι δύναμιν αἰτεῖσθε, ἔσωθέν τε καὶ ἔξωθεν, ἵνα μὴ μόνον λέγω, ἀλλὰ καὶ θέλω ἵνα μὴ μόνον λέγωμαι Χριστιανὸς, ἀλλὰ καὶ εὑρεθῶ. Ἐὰν γὰρ καὶ εὑρεθῶ, καὶ λέγεσθαι δύναμαι, καὶ τότε πιστὸς εἶναι, ὅταν κόσμῳ μὴ φαίνωμαι. Οὐδὲν φαινόμενον, αἰώνιον. Τὰ γὰρ βλεπόμενα, πρόσκαιρα· τὰ δὲ μὴ βλεπόμενα, αἰώνια. Ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, ἐν πατρὶ ὤν, μᾶλλον φαίνεται. Οὐ σιωπῆς μόνον τὸ ἔργον, ἀλλὰ μεγέθους ἐστὶν ὁ Χριστιανισμός.

Ἐγὼ γράφω ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις, καὶ ἐντέλλομαι πᾶσιν, ὅτι ἐγὼ ἑκὼν ὑπὲρ Θεοῦ ἀποθνήσκω, ἐάν περ ὑμεῖς μὴ κωλύσητε. Παρακαλῶ ὑμᾶς, μὴ εὔνοια ἄκαιρος γένησθέ μοι. Αφετέ με θηρίων εἶναι βορὰν, δι' ὧν ἔνεστιν Θεοῦ ἐπιτυχεῖν. Σῖτός εἰμι Θεοῦ, καὶ δι ̓ ὀδόντων θηρίων ἀλέθομαι, ἵνα καθαρὸς ἄρτος εὑρεθῶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Μᾶλλον κολακεύσατε τὰ θηρία, ἵνα μοι τάφος γένωνται, καὶ μηδὲν καταλίπωσι τοῦ σώματός μου, ἵνα μὴ κοιμηθεὶς βαρύς τινι γένωμαι. Τότε ἔσομαι μαθητὴς ἀληθῶς τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὅτε οὐδὲ τὸ σῶμά μου ὁ κόσμος ὄψεται. Λιτανεύσατε τὸν Χριστὸν ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ, ἵνα διὰ τῶν ὀργάνων τούτων θυσία εὑρεθῶ. Οὐχ ὡς Πέτρος καὶ Παῦλος διατάσσομαι ὑμῖν· ἐκεῖνοι ἀπόστολοι· ἐγὼ κατάκριτος. Ἐκεῖνοι ἐλεύθεροι· ἐγὼ δὲ μέχρι νῦν δοῦλος. ̓Αλλ' ἐὰν πάθω, ἀπελεύθερος Ἰησοῦ, καὶ ἀναστήσομαι ἐν αὐτῷ ἐλεύθερος. Νῦν μανθάνω δεδεμένος μηδὲν ἐπιθυμεῖν κοσμικὸν ἢ μάταιον.

̓Απὸ Συρίας μέχρι Ῥώμης θηριομαχῶ διὰ γῆς καὶ θαλάσσης, νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας, δεδεμένος δέκα λεοπάρδοις, ὅ ἐστιν στρατιωτῶν τάγμα, οἱ καὶ εὐερ γετούμενοι χείρους γίνονται. Ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἀδικήμασιν αὐτῶν μᾶλλον μαθητεύομαι. Αλλ' οὐ παρὰ τουτο δεδικαίωμαι. Ὀναίμην τῶν θηρίων τῶν ἐμοὶ ἡτοιμασμένων, καὶ εὔχομαι, ἕτοιμα μοι εὑρεθῆναι, ἃ καὶ κολακεύσω, συντό μως με καταφαγεῖν, οὐχ ὥσπερ τινῶν δειλαινόμενα οὐχ ἥψαντο. Καν αὐτὰ δὲ ἄκοντα μὴ θελήσῃ, ἐγὼ προσβιάσομαι. Συγγνώμην μοι ἔχετε τί μοι συμφέρει, ἐγὼ γινώσκω. Νῦν ἄρχομαι μαθητὴς εἶναι. Μηδέν με ζηλώσῃ τῶν ὁρατῶν καὶ ἀοράτων, ἵνα Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐπιτύχω. Πῦρ καὶ σταυρὸς, θηρίων τε συστάσεις, ἀνατομαὶ, διαιρέσεις, σκορπισμοὶ ὀστέων, συγκοπὴ μελῶν, ἀλησμοὶ ὅλου τοῦ σώματος, κακαὶ κολάσεις τοῦ διαβόλου ἐπ' ἐμὲ ἐρχέσθωσαν· μόνον ἵνα Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐπιτύχω. Οὐδὲν μοι ὠφε λήσει τὰ τερπνὰ τοῦ κόσμου, οὐδὲ αἱ βασιλεῖαι τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου· μᾶλλον μοι ἀποθανεῖν εἰς Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν, ἢ βασιλεύειν τοῦ περάτων τῆς γῆς. Τί γὰρ ὠφελεῖται ἄνθρωπος, ἐὰν κερδήσῃ τὸν κόσμον ὅλον, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ζημιωθῇ ; Ἐκεῖνον ζητῶ, τὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀποθανόντα· ἐκεῖνον θέλω,

τὸν δι' ἡμᾶς ἀναστάντα. Ὁ δὲ τοκετός μοι ἐπίκειται. Συγγνωτέ μοι, ἀδελφοί· μὴ ἐμποδίσητέ μοι ζῆσαι· μὴ θελήσητέ μοι ἀποθανεῖν, τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ θέλοντα εἶναι· κόσμῳ μὴ χαρήσησθε. "Αφετέ με καθαρὸν φῶς λαβεῖν. Ἐκεῖ παραγενόμενος, ἄνθρωπος Θεοῦ ἔσομαι· ἐπιτρέψατέ μοι μιμητὴν εἶναι τοῦ πάθους τοῦ Θεοῦ μου. Εἴ τις αὐτὸν ἐν ἑαυτῷ ἔχει, νοησάτω ὃ θέλω, καὶ συμπαθείτω μοι, εἰδὼς τὰ συνέχοντά με.

Ὁ ἄρχων τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου διαρπάσαι με βούλεται, καὶ τὴν εἰς Θεόν μου γνώμην διαφθεῖραι. Μηδεὶς οὖν τῶν παρόντων ὑμῶν βοηθείτω αὐτῷ. Μᾶλλον ἐμοῦ γίνεσθε, τουτέστιν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Μὴ λαλεῖτε Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, κόσμον δὲ ἐπιθυμεῖτε. Βασκανία ἐν ὑμῖν μὴ κατοικείτω. Μηδ' ἂν ἐγὼ παρὼν παρακαλῶ ὑμᾶς, πείσθητέ μοι· τούτοις δὲ μᾶλλον πείσθητε, οἷς γράφω ὑμῖν. Ζῶν γράφω ὑμῖν, ἐρῶν τοῦ ἀποθανεῖν. Ὁ ἐμὸς ἔρως ἐσταύρωται, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἐμοὶ πῦρ φιλόϋλον· ὕδωρ δὲ ζῶν καὶ λαλοῦν ἐν ἐμοὶ, ἔσωθέν μοι λέγον· δεῦρο πρὸς τὸν πατέρα. Οὐχ ἥδομαι τροφῇ φθορᾶς, οὐδὲ ἡδο ναῖς τοῦ βίου τούτου. ̓́Αρτον Θεοῦ θέλω, ἄρτον οὐράνιον, ἄρτον ζωῆς, ὅς ἐστιν σὰρξ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, τοῦ γενομένου ἐν ὑστέρῳ ἐκ σπέρματος Δαβὶδ καὶ ̓Αβραάμ καὶ πόμα Θεοῦ θέλω, τὸ αἷμα αὐτοῦ, ὅ ἐστιν ἀγάπη ἄφθαρτος, καὶ ἀένναος ζωή. Οὐκ ἔτι θέλω κατὰ ἀνθρώπους ζῇν. Τοῦτο δὲ ἔσται, ἐὰν ὑμεῖς θελήσητε. Θελήσατε, ἵνα καὶ ὑμεῖς θεληθῆτε. Δι' ὀλίγων γραμμάτων αἰτοῦμαι ὑμᾶς, πιστεύσατέ μοι. Ἰησοῦς δὲ Χριστὸς ὑμῖν ταῦτα φανερώσει, ὅτι ἀληθῶς λέγω. Τὸ ἀψευδὲς στόμα, ἐν ᾧ ὁ πατὴρ ἐλάλησεν ἀληθῶς. Αιτήσασθε περὶ ἐμοῦ, ἵνα ἐπιτύχω. Οὐ κατὰ σάρκα ὑμῖν ἔγραψα, ἀλλὰ κατὰ γνώμην Θεοῦ. Ἐὰν πάθω, ἠθελήσατε· ἐὰν ἀποδοκιμασθῶ, ἐμισήσατε.

Μνημονεύετε ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ ὑμῶν τῆς ἐν Συρίᾳ ἐκκλησίας, ἥτις ἀντὶ ἐμοῦ ποιμένι τῷ Θεῷ χρῆται. Μόνος αὐτὴν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ἐπισκοπήσει, καὶ ἡ ὑμῶν ἀγάπη. Ἐγὼ δὲ αἰσχύνομαι ἐξ αὐτῶν λέγεσθαι. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἄξιός εἰμι, ὢν ἔσχατος αὐτῶν, καὶ ἔκτρωμα. Αλλ' ἠλέημαί τις εἶναι, ἐὰν Θεοῦ ἐπιτύχω. Ασπάζεται ὑμᾶς τὸ ἐμὸν πνεῦμα, καὶ ἡ ἀγάπη τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν, τῶν δεξαμένων με εἰς ὄνομα Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, οὐχ ὡς παροδεύοντα· καὶ γὰρ αἱ μὴ προσήκουσαί μοι τῇ ὁδῷ, τῇ κατὰ σάρκα, κατὰ πόλιν με προῆγον.

Γράφω δὲ ὑμῖν ταῦτα ἀπὸ Σμύρνης δι' Ἐφεσίων τῶν ἀξιομακαρίστων. Ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἅμα ἐμοὶ σὺν ἄλλοις πολλοῖς Κρόκος, τὸ ποθητόν μοι ὄνομα. Περὶ τῶν προελθόντων με ἀπὸ Συρίας εἰς Ρώμην εἰς δόξαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, πιστεύω ὑμᾶς ἐπεγνωκέναι, οἷς καὶ δηλώσατε ἐγγύς με ὄντα. Πάντες γάρ εἰσιν ἄξιοι τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ὑμῶν, οὓς πρέπον ὑμῖν ἐστιν κατὰ πάντα ἀναπαῦσαι. Ἔγραψα δὲ ὑμῖν ταῦτα, τῇ πρὸ ἐννέα καλανδῶν Σεπτεμβρίων, τουτἐστιν Αὐγούστου εἰκάδι τρίτῃ. Εῤῥωσθε εἰς τέλος ἐν ὑπομονῇ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. ̓Αμήν.

The testimony of Ignatius to the divine appointment of Episcopacy is full and unequivocal; as well as to three orders, of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, in the primitive Church. Without these orders, he says expressly, that "no Church can exist" (Epist. Trall. 3.); and the

respective duties of each, and the reverence due to them, are inculcated in a variety of passages. See Epist. Ephes. iii. 6. Magnes. ii. 3, 6, 7, 13. Trall. ii. 3, 7, 13. Phil. i. 4, 7, 10. Smyrn. viii. 9, 12. Pol. iv. 5, 6, et passim. Equally explicit are his declarations of those fundamental doctrines of Christianity—the divinity, humanity, and atonement of Christ; and he takes every occasion of combating the rising heresy of the Docete, who maintained that Christ was a phantom, and suffered only in appearance. The attentive reader will have observed several allusions of this kind in the Epistle to the Romans, which it is therefore needless to particularise. In that to the Ephesians, besides the inscription which speaks of Christ as GOD, and other equally direct assertions of his divinity, the following sentence occurs in §. 7: Εἷς ἰατρός ἐστιν σαρκικός τε καὶ πνευματικὸς, γεννητὸς καὶ ἀγέννητος, ἐν σαρκὶ γενόμενος Θεός, ἐν θανάτῳ ζωὴ ἀληθινὴ, καὶ ἐκ Μαρίας καὶ ἐκ Θεοῦ, πρῶτον παθητὸς καὶ τοτε ἀπαθής. So again, in c. 18. Ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστὸς ἐκυοφορήθη ὑπὸ Μαρίας κατ' οἰκονομίαν Θεοῦ, ἐκ σπέρματος μὲν Δαβίδ, πνεύμασος δὲ ἁγίου. It may be observed, by the way, that these citations not only attest the divine nature of Christ, but completely refute an assertion of the Unitarians, that "Justin is the first writer who mentions the miraculous conception." The pre-existence of our Lord is expressly asserted in Epist. Magnes, §. 6; and, to close our authorities with one of peculiar weight, he is represented to Polycarp (§. 3.) as "beyond all time, eternal, invisible," and as "suffering in various ways

for our sakes."

In

Of the early editions of Ignatius, including the Editio Princeps by Pace, notice has already been taken. Among those published since that of Vossius, in 1648, the best are those of Salvinus (8vo.) and Smith (4to.), both printed at Oxford in 1708 and 1709 respectively. The latter contains some previously unedited notes of Pearson. the collection of Cotelerius the student is presented with the whole of the interpolated Epistles, as well as the ancient Latin versions; together with the Vindiciae Ignatianæ, and a variety of matter connected with the Ignatian controversy.

THEOLOGICAL STUDIES.

MR. EDITOR,-I cannot make you a better return for the pleasure with which I perused the Synopsis of Theological Studies digested by Bishop Lloyd, and published in your Number for June, than by referring you to the school in which he was instructed, and transcribing the syllabus of Bishop Randolph's Course of Lectures, delivered by him, while he occupied the chair of the Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford. I subjoin the list of the books to which he referred in the course of his argument, or which he recommended to the attention of his hearers. The syllabus will show the comprehensive scheme of these Lectures: I wish it were in my power to exhibit the clear and elegant language, the luminous arrangement, the erudition, and the theology, which distinguished them, and which must ever remain in the memory of those who heard them. It was hardly possible to study in such a school without improvement,

or without being impressed with the sound principles which form the character of the English Divine. I can scarcely now anticipate such a pleasure, but I know of few things, which, in the present state of English theology, could render more honour to the name of Randolph, or more service to the Church of which he was the constant defender, than the publication of these Lectures.

I add a list of books recommended to the use of Candidates for Orders, by Bishop Randolph, immediately after his translation to Bangor, in 1806.

I remain your very faithful Servant,

No. XII. BISHOP RANDOLPH'S LIST.

Heads of a Course of Lectures in Divinity.

LECTURE I.

M.

Introduction-Distribution of the subject-Divinity, either Philosophical or Revealed-Philosophical Divinity, either internal or external; either of which may be considered as pure, or as mixed with revealed truths.

Revealed Divinity-1, Historical; 2, Critical; or 3, Doctrinal-the Historical divisible into four great periods, besides the historical evidence of the authenticity of the Christian Religion and of the Scriptures-The Critical, either explanatory or corrective; the former explanatory, 1, of the Text; 2, of Customs and Manners; 3, of Opinions.

Doctrinal Divinity consists, 1, of Doctrines of Faith; 2, of Moral Duty.

From the above branches considered together arises another, which may be called Argumentative Divinity; including the necessity and use of RevelationUse of reason in matters of Religion-Nature of Evidence from PropheciesMiracles-Internal Doctrines, &c.

Encheiridion Theologicum-Jones on the Canon-Pearson on the Creed—Wells's Geography-Stillingfleet's Origines Sacra-Wheatly on the Common Prayer— Burnet on the Articles-The Homilies.

LECTURE II.

PART I.-Philosophical or Natural Religion.

First question concerning the Being of a God.-This proved, 1, from the marks of design and from the order and beauty visible in the world; 2, confirmed by universal consent; 3, proved scientifically, from the relation of cause and effect; 4, from internal consciousness; 5, from the necessity of a final as well as efficient cause-Objections from the notion of a material cause answered.

Confirmation of the above arguments from Scripture—

Ray on the Creation-Cudworth's Intellectual System.

LECTURE III.

Natural Attributes of the Deity-Unity of God-Arguments for it-Objection from the supposed general consent of antiquity in the contrary opinion answered. Eternity of God-Spirituality of God-Infinite power of God displayed in

the Creation.

Writings of Maimonides.

LECTURE IV.

Providence of God-in the natural, and moral world-General-Particular --Other attributes included in his Omnipotence.