The truth is, when I first named Ignatius for a witness in tlie cause I am pleading for, I little thought of tliat excursion which I have occasion- ally been drawn out unto. When first I cast an eye, some few months since, upon the dissertations of the learned doctor in defence of episcopacy, and saw it so chequered with Greek and Latin, so full of quotations divine and human, I began to think tliat he dealt with his adversaries "hastisque, clypeisque, et saxis grandibus," that there would be no standing before his shower of arguments. But after a little serious perusal, I must take leave to say that I was quickly of another mind ; with the reason of wliich change of thoughts, could I once obtain the leisure of a few days or hours, 1 should quickly, God willing, acquaint them who are concerned in aftairs of this nature. In the meantime, if the reader will pardon me tliis digression, having gi\ en him an account of my thoughts concerning the epistles of Ignatius, I sliall, in a procedure upon my first intention, bring forth some testimonies from him, " et valeant quantum valero possunt."
He seems, in the first place, to speak sufiicicntly clearly to the death of » Ter. Add. v. 9, 15, etc.
A PREFACE TO THE READER. 57
Christ for his church, for believers, in a peculiar manner ; which is one con- siderable bottom and foundation of the truth we plead for : Epist, ad Trail, [cap. viii.], Thiah /JbifirjTa! 'xa.^riiLaTMv (^XoiS-ov'), xai dyd'rrrjg uurnv ijv riydrrrjaiv rt/j-ac, dov: kaurov 'Zi^l 7j,'j,uv Xutpov, ha tw aifJ^aTi aurov xadu^/gr) y},'Jba,; rrakaiag dvaasZilac, xa! ^oijii/ rj/Ji^Tv 'japda^yirai, ixiXXovrag, oaov oOSf-w, drroXXuadai v-li r^g sv r,[j,7v xa.xla,c.
And again, Epist. ad. Philad. [cap. ix.] : By Christ, saith he, eJayiXOov ' A^pad/j,, '/.ai 'isadx, xai 'laxdii, Mwcr^j, xui 6 sufM'Trac rZv <7rPO(prjTCov YCgoj, xa! ot GrvXoi Tov x6a/xou oi d'TtosroXoi , xai fj \iu/j,pi^ rou XoiaTou v-ttid rig (^(piavrig Xoyui) ^^'syis TO oixiTov a\ij.a, ha avrriv i^ayoedgrj- with many the like expressions. His con- fidence also of the saints' perseverance, for whom Christ tlius died, he doth often profess. Speaking of the faith of the gospel, he adds : Taura 6 yvoitg sv 'xX?iPo(po^la xai TncTihaag /xazapiog, MO'n-so ovv xai bfLug (piXodsoi xai (piXoysiaToi idTS, h '7tXrjPo(pooia rr^g sXTribog u/jluv, rig sxToa'rrivai /ubr}8svl bjUbuv yivr\rai.
And again more clearly and fully to the same purpose, Epist. ad Smyrn. [cap. i.J: 'Ei'djjo'a ydo u,'xac xarnprie,a'sticug sv dxivr}ru) tigth, uavso xadriXoi/j^i- vovg sv Tui arau^uj rov Ku^ioii rj/jjcov 'Irjsou Xaicrou, aasxi n xa/ -Trvsv/^ari xai rjdparr- (x'svovg sv dyd'Trrj sv t(Z aiiLari roD Xpia-ou, <7rs'TTXrjPQpOPr,[J,'svoug w; dXriOH:^ etc. And this confirmation and establishment in believing he ascribes not to their manly considerations, but to the grace of Ciirist, exclusively to any of their own strength, Epist. ad Smyrn. [cap. iv.] : Hdvra, saith he of him- self, v-TTO/Msvaj did X^isrhv, sig to c!u/J>'jahh aiiTw, ah-oh //.£ svduva/xouvTog, ou ydp fiot TosouTOv cds\iog.
To the same purpose, and with the same confident persuasion, he speaks, Epist. ad Ephes., [cap. ix.] ; —
'P-jGiTai xjiMocg 'Iriaovg Xoiotoc, 6 ^e/xsXidoffag ui^dg stI Triv irsrsav, ug Xldovg sxXsx- Tovg suap,UyoXoyov/MSvoug sig oixoboixriv ^siav nanog, dva(pSiJOfMsvcug sig rd u-^rj did XpKSToii, TOV iiTso rifjjoijv STUVPOJ^svTog, c^ohuj ypu/j^svovg rip ' Ayioj ^^^L/,«.aT/, etc.
And again in the same epistle [cap. xiv.] : ' A^y^'^ 'Q^^^i '!riffrig, TsXog 8s dyd'zri' Ta 6s duo sv 'svorrjri ysvofisva Qsou civdowzov d-rroTsXiT' Td ds ciXXa irdvra sig xaXoxccya^iav dxoXovdd sen.
And in his last epistle [ad Rom. cap. vii.], he gives us that noble expres- sion of his OAvn assurance: 'O sfiog s^uig sgTavPurai, xai ohx sstiv sv s,u,oi tu^ (piXouv Ti' vdojp ds ^Siv dXXc/j^svov sv s/j,ol, sffcuSsv /xot X'sysi, Asiioo tjoj tov Uar'soa' where we leave the holy soul until the same God gather us to him and the rest of the spirits of just men made perfect.
And this was the language, these were the expressions, of this holy man; which what they discover of his judgment on the case under considera- tion is left to the learned reader to consider. This I am certain, our ad- versaries have very little cause to boast of the consent of the primitive Christians with them in the doctrine of apostas}', there being in these most ancient Avriters after the apostles, about the things of our religion, not the least shadow cast upon it for its refreshment.
Add, in the next place, the most ancient of the Latins, Tertullian, that great storehouse of all manner of learning and knowledge. Saith he, " Quemadmodum nobis arrhabonera spiritus reliquit, ita et a nobis arrha- bonem carnis accepit, et vexit in coelum, pignus totius summfe illuc redi- gendje," TertulL, De Resur. The certain salvation of the whole mystical body of Christ, with whom he hath that communion as to give them his Spirit, as he took their flesh (for he took upon him flesh and blood, because the children were partakers of the same), is evidently asserted ; which he could not do who thought that any of those on whom he bestowed his Spirit might perish everlastingly.
And again, De Prsescripti. advers. Ha^ret. : "In pugna pugilum et gla-
58 A PREFACE TO THE READER.
(liatorum, plerunique non quia fortis est, vincit quis, aut quia non potest vinci ; sccl quoniam illo qui vietus est, nullis virilnis fuit : adeo idem ille victor bene vulenti postea comparatus, etiain supcratusroct'dit. Non aliter hcerescs de quorundam iiifirniitatibus haboiit quod valent, nihil valentes si in bene valcnteni fidoni incurrant. Solent quidem isti intirniinos ctiam de quibusdam personis ab lireresi captis a-dificari in ruinani ; quare ille vel ilia, fidelissimi, prudentissirai, et usitatissimi in ecclesia, in illam jjartem transi- erunt ? Quis hoc dicens non ipse sibi respondet, neque prudentes, nequo fideles, nequo usitatos a)stimandos quos ha>resis potuit demutare?" He plainly denies them to have been believers (that is, truly, thorouo;hly, pro- perly so) who fall into pernicious heresies to their destruction.