had already commenced a persecution against the Christians in other parts of the empire, he now resolved to carry it on here. What it was that brought Ignatius and the emperor into imme diate contact does not appear from any thing upon record. By some it is said that Ignatius, thinking it more prudent to go than wait to be sent for, presented himself to the emperor of his own accord; and it is affirmed that a long and interesting conversation took place between them, during which Trajan expressed his surprise that Ignatius should dare to transgress the laws, as he did by professing Christianity. The latter, however, boldly defended himself, and the cause of his divine Master, declaring that "the gods of the Gentiles were nothing better than dæmonsthat there was but one Supreme Deity, who made the world--and one only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, who, though crucified under Pontius Pilate, had nevertheless destroyed him that had the power of sin and death, namely, the devil, and who would ruin the whole power and empire of the dæmons, and tread it under the feet of those who carried God in their hearts"-- in other words, who loved God and kept his commandments. The result of this bold confession was that Ignatius was cast into prison, and sentence passed upon him to this effect, that, being incurably infected with superstition, he should be conveyed in chains to Rome under a guard of soldiers, and there thrown as a prey to wild beasts. It is doubtless strange that Ignatius was not cast to the lions at Antioch, which would have saved the trouble of conveying an old man from Syria to Rome, attended by a band of soldiers, and at a great expense; but it is said that the emperor's reason for adopting this plan was a determination to make a more public example of him, as of a ringleader of the sect, and thereby deter the Christians from inculcating their doctrine and propagating their religion, which was now spreading most extensively throughout the empire: and the reason assigned is very probable, inasmuch as Rome itself was filled with them at that time.

Ignatius was so far from being dismayed by the emperor's mandate, that, it is said, on hearing it he exclaimed, "I thank thee, O Lord, that thou hast condescended to honour me with thy love, and hast thought me worthy, with thy apostle Paul, to be found in chains," which he then embraced, and having fervently prayed for the church of which he was the pastor, and

IGNATIUS'S JOURNEY TO ROME, AND MARTYRDOM. 201

recommended it to the care and protection of the chief shepherd, he surrendered himself into the hands of the military guard. This consisted of ten soldiers, by whom he was in the first instance conducted to Seleucia, a sea-port town of Syria, about sixteen miles from Antioch. Thence they sailed to Smyrna, where Ignatius was allowed an interview with Polycarp, whose history we shall notice in the next lecture; and, during his residence at Smyrna, he was visited by the elders of all the Asiatic churches. It is probable that Ignatius stopped some time at Smyrna, perhaps waiting a favourable wind; for while there he wrote letters to several churches, as the Ephesians, the Magnesians, the Trallians, &c., encouraging them to steadfastness in the faith-besides which he addressed an epistle to the church of Rome, apprising them of his present situation and of his readiness to meet his approaching martyrdom.

His escort, a little impatient at their stay at Smyrna, now set sail for Troas, where on his arrival his spirit was refreshed by the welcome tidings that persecution had ceased in the church of Antioch. Here also several churches in the surrounding neighbourhood sent their messengers to convey to him their united salutations, and from Troas he also despatched two epistles, one to the church in Smyrna, which Eusebius tells us was accompanied by a private communication to Polycarp, recommending to his care and inspection the church at Antioch, and the other to the church of Philadelphia. From Troas they sailed to Neapolis-and proceeded thence to Philippi, where they were entertained with all imaginable kindness and courtesy, and conducted forwards on their Journey, passing on foot through Macedonia and Epirus, till they came to Epidaurum, a city of Dalmatia, where again taking shipping they sailed through the Adriatic, and arrived at Rhegium, a sea-port town of Italy.

The Christian brethren at Rome, having been apprised of Ignatius's coming, had been daily expecting his arrival, and accordingly, as in the case of Paul, they went out to meet him on his approach to the city and received him with a mixture of joy and sorrow. But, when some of them intimated that possibly the populace might be dissuaded from desiring his death, he is said to have expressed a pious indignation, entreating them not

to cast any obstacles in his way, nor do any thing to hinder him in his course, now that he was hastening to his crown. The interval allowed him before his martyrdom was spent chiefly in prayer for the peace and prosperity of the churches. In order that his punishment might be the more signal and impressive, one of their solemn festivals, the Saturnalia, was fixed upon for the day of his execution, when it was their custom to entertain the people with the contests of gladiators and the hunting and fighting of wild beasts. Accordingly, on the 20th of December, A. D. 107, Ignatius was brought forth into the amphitheatre, and, the lions being let loose upon him, they quickly dispatched their meal, leaving nothing but a few of his bones, which were gathered up by two of the deacons of the church at Antioch who had been the companions of his journey, and by whom they were transported to his native place.*

His epistles are very interesting remains of ecclesiastical antiquity; but they are valuable to us, in the present day, chiefly on account of the numerous quotations which are found in them from the books of the New Testament, furnishing satisfactory evidence that those books were then in existence and were appealed to by Christians as constituting a part of divine revelation. For instance, he has referred to the epistle to the Ephesians and expressly ascribed it to the apostle Paul. In the next place, there are plain allusions in his writings to the Gospels of Matthew and of John; whether he has referred to the Gospel of Luke is doubtful. The other references found in his writings relate to the Acts of the Apostles-the Epistle to the Romans-first and second to the Corinthians, the Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, first to the Thessalonians, second to Timothy, the epistle to Titus, that to Philemon, and that to the Hebrews, the first epistle of Peter, and the first and third epistles of John.†

* For a copious account of Ignatius, the reader is referred to Tillemont's Memoires pour servir a l'Histoire de l'Eglise, tom. ii. part ii. p. 42-80. Several others also have employed their pens on this subject, as may be seen in the Biblioth. Græc. of Fabricus, lib. V. cap. I. p. 38, where likewise the different editions of the Epistles of Ignatius are enumerated, and a view is taken of the disputes amongst the learned to which they have given rise. On this subject, however, I shall have occasion to enter somewhat more at large in a subsequent lecture.

+ Lardner's Works, vol. ii. 73-94.

MARTYRDOM OF SIMEON CLEOPHAS.

203

Of the letters of Ignatius there are extant two editions, a larger and a smaller one; but it is the opinion of the learned that the smaller is the genuine and the larger interpolated. I know that doubts have been entertained of the genuineness of both these editions-but Dr. Lardner, who has examined the subject with great care, inclines to the affirmative side of the question, and thinks the testimony of Irenæus, of Origen, and of Eusebius, all of whom have mentioned them, connected with the internal characters of great simplicity and piety, are evidence in their favour.

The time of writing these epistles is determined by that of his martyrdom; for they were written after Ignatius was condemned to be cast to the wild beasts, and while he was going a prisoner from Antioch to Rome; but whether that took place in the year 107 or in 116 has been contested by the learned, though Lardner assigns reasons for believing the former to be the correct. date.

About the same time that Ignatius suffered martyrdom, Simeon Cleophas, who had succeeded the apostle James as presbyter of the church originally gathered in Jerusalem, but which at the time of the destruction of that city removed to the small town of Pella, was accused before Atticus, the Roman governor, of being a Christian. He is said to have then been upwards of 100 years old, but his hoary hairs were no protection to him in the present instance. He underwent the punishment of scourging for several days; but, though his hardiness astonished, his sufferings failed to excite the pity of his persecutors, and he was at length crucified at Jerusalem. This state of things seems to have continued during the whole of the reign of the emperor Trajan; for it does not appear that the edicts which were in force against the Christians, when he ascended the throne, were ever repealed or revoked during his life, which was closed in the year 117, while prosecuting his great military expedition into the east, having swayed the imperial sceptre nineteen years.

LECTURE X.

State of the Christians under the Emperor Adrian-Apologies of Quadratus and Aristides -Candid appeal of Serenus Granianus-Adrian's Rescript addressed to Minutius Fundanus-State of the Jews under Adrian's Reign-Succession of Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius-Character of the former-His Instructions to the Town Council of Asia, &c.— Character of Marcus Aurelius-Martyrdom of Polycarp— Justin Martyr and his Apologies, Death, &c.-Persecution of the Churches of Lyons and Vienne-Reflections on the Philosophic Character of Marcus Aurelius-Justin Martyr's Account of the Social Practices of the Christians of his Age.-A. D. 117-180.

On the death of Trajan, the government of the Roman empire devolved upon Adrian, under whose reign the state of affairs, as regarded the Christians, was somewhat ameliorated. This emperor had decided that "these people were not to be officiously sought after," according to the edict of his predecessors, which was now registered among the public acts of the empire; nevertheless, such as were accused and convicted of an obstinate adherence to this new religion-this "execrable superstition," as Pliny called it, were to be put to death as wicked citizens; nothing could avail them but a return to the religion of their forefathers.

According to Mr. Gibbon's testimony, Adrian was an excellent emperor, and under him " the empire flourished in peace and prosperity. He encouraged the arts, reformed the laws, asserted military discipline, and visited all his provinces in perHis vast and active genius was equally suited to the most enlarged views and the minute details of civil policy but

son.