THE EPISTLE OF St. IGNATIVS TO THE Romans.

THE CONTENTS.

• The Salutation.
• Chap. I. HE testifies his Desire to Come unto Them; and His Hopes of Suffering for Christ, unless they Prevent it.
• II. Which he Earnestly Intreats them not to do:
• III. But rather to Pray for Him, that God would Strengthen Him to the Combat unto which He had called Him.
• IV. He expresses the Great Desire he had to Suffer Martyrdom.
• V.VI. And the Mighty Advantage it would be to Him so to do.
• VII.VIII. And therefore again intreats them that they would not do any thing to prevent it.
• IX. He desires their Prayers for his Church at Antioch; and expresses Page  158 the Kindness of the Christians to Him on his Way to Them.
• X. And then Concludes, with his Re∣commendations of Those who came from Syria with Him, and were gone before to Rome, to their Favourable Acceptance.

THE EPISTLE OF St. IGNATIVS TO THE Romans.

I. I HAVE at last * obtained of God, through my Earnest Prayers, to see your ‖ Faces, which I have much desired to do. For being Bound in Christ Jesus, I hope e're long to salute you, if it shall be the Pleasure of God to grant me to attain unto the End I hope for. For the Beginning is well-disposed, if I shall but * be so Happy, as with∣out Hindrance, to receive ‖ what is Appointed for me. But I fear your Love, least it do me an Injury. For it is easie for you to do what you please; But it * will be hard for me to attain unto God, unless you spare me.

Page  161II. BUT I would not that ye should please Men, but God; * whom also ye do please. For neither shall I ever hereafter have such an Oppor∣tunity ‖ of going unto God; Nor will you, if ye shall now be silent, ever be intituled to a better Work. For if you shall be silent † in my be∣half, I shall become partaker of God. But if you shall love my * Body, I shall have my Course again to run. Wherefore a greater Kindness ye cannot do Me, than to suffer me to be Sacrificed unto God, now that the Altar is already Prepared: That ‖ when ye shall be gather'd together in Love, ye may * give Thanks to the Father in Christ Jesus; that He has vouchsafed † to bring a Bishop of Syria unto you, being sent from the East even unto the West. For it is good for me to Set from the World, unto God; that I may Rise again unto Him.

III. YE HAVE never envied me in any thing; ye have taught others. I would therefore that ye Page  162 * should now do those things your selves, which in your Instructions you have ‖ prescribed to Others. Only Pray for me,* that God would give me Strength, that I may not only be called a Chri∣stian, but may also be found one. For if I shall be found a Christian, I may then deservedly be called one: And be thought Faithful, when I shall no longer appear to the World. Nothing is Good, that is seen. For even our * Lord Jesus Christ, now that he is in the Father, does so much the more Appear. To be a True Christian is not a Work of ‖ Opinion; but of Greatness of Mind; especially when he is hated by the World.

IV. I WRITE to the Churches, and † signifie to them All, that I am willing to die for God, unless you * hinder me. I beseech you that you ‖ shew not an unseasonable good Will towards me. Suffer me to be Food to the Wild Beasts; † by which means I shall go unto God. For I am the Wheat of God; and I shall be Ground by the Teeth of the Wild Beasts, that I may be found Page  163 the pure Bread * of Christ. Rather ‖ encourage the Beasts, that they may become my Sepulchre; and may leave nothing of my Body; that being Dead, I may not be troublesome to any. Then shall I be the True Disciple of Jesus Christ, when the World shall not see so much as my Body. Pray therefore unto Christ for me, that by these Instruments I may be made the Sa∣crifice of God. I do not as Peter and Paul, Command you. They were Apostles, I a Condemned Man; They were Free, I am even to this day a Servant: But if I shall Suffer, I shall then become the Free∣man of Jesus Christ and shall rise Free. And now, being in Bonds, I learn, not to desire any thing.

V. FROM Syria even unto Rome, I fight with Beasts both by Sea and Land; both Night and Day: Being bound to Ten Leopards, that is to say, to such a Band of Souldiers; Who though treated with all man∣ner of Kindness, are but the Worse for it. But I am the more instructed Page  164 by their Injuries;* Yet am I not there∣fore Justified. May I enjoy the Wild Beasts that are * prepared for me; Which also I wish may ‖ exercise all their Fierceness upon me: And whom for that End I will † encou∣rage, that they may be sure to devour Me, and not serve me as they have done some, whom out of fear they have not touched. But and if they will not do it willing∣ly, I will provoke them to it. Par∣don me in this Matter; I know what is profitable for me.* Now I begin to be a Disciple: Nor * shall any thing move me, whether Visible or Invisible, that I may attain to Christ Jesus. Let Fire, and the Cross; let the Companies of Wild Beasts; let Breakings of Bones, and Tearing of Members; let the ‖ shat∣tering in pieces of the whole Body, and all † the Torments of the Devil come upon me; only let * me enjoy Jesus Christ.

VI. ALL the * Compass of the World, and the Kingdoms ‖ of it, will profit me nothing: It is better Page  165 for me to die for Jesus Christ, than to rule to the utmost Ends of the Earth. Him I seek who died for us: Him I desire, that rose again from the Dead for us. He is the Gain that is laid up for me. Pardon me, my Brethren, ye shall not hinder me from living: † Nor seeing I desire to go to God, may you separate me from Him, for the sake of this World, nor seduce me by any of the * Desires of it. Suffer me to ‖ enter into Pure Light: Where being come, I shall be indeed the Servant of * God. Permit me to imitate the Passion of my God. If any one has Him with∣in Himself, let him consider what I desire; and let him have Compassion on me, as knowing † how I am streightned.

VII. THE Prince of this World would fain carry me away, and cor∣rupt my * Resolution towards my God. Let none of you ‖ therefore Help † him: Rather do ye joyn with me, that is, with God. Do not speak with Jesus Christ, and yet Cover the World. Let not any Page  166 Envy dwell with you: No not though even I my self when I shall be come unto you, should exhort you to it, yet do not ye hearken to me; but rather believe what I now write to you. For though I am alive at the Writing this, yet my Desire is to Die. My Love is Crucified; And the * Fire that is within me does not desire any Water: But being Alive and ‖ speaking within me, says, Come to the Father. I take no Pleasure in the Food of Cor∣ruption, nor in the Pleasures of this Life. I desire the Bread of God, which is the Flesh of Jesus Christ, of the Seed of David; and the Drink that I long for is his Blood, which is Uncorruptible Love.

VIII. I HAVE no desire to live any longer after the manner of Men; * neither shall I, if you consent. Be ye therefore willing, that ye your selves also may be † pleasing to God. I ‖ exhort you † in a few Words, I pray you believe me. Jesus Christ will shew you that I speak truly: My Mouth is without Deceit, and Page  167 the Father hath truly spoken * by it. Pray therefore for me, that I may accomplish what I desire. I have not written to you after the Flesh, but according to the Will of God. If I shall Suffer, ye have loved me: But if I shall be rejected, ye have hated me.

IX. REMEMBER in your Prayers the Church of Syria, which now enjoys God for its Shepherd instead of me: ‖ Let Jesus Christ only Oversee it, and your Charity. But I am even ashamed to be reckon'd as one of Them: For neither am I Worthy, being the least among them, and as one Born out of due Season.* But through Mercy I have obtain'd to be Somebody, if I shall get unto God. My Spirit salutes you; and the Charity of the Churches that have received me in the Name of Jesus Christ, not as a Stranger. For even they that have not accom∣panied me in my Journy *, have yet been ready in every City to re∣ceive me

Page  168X. THESE things I write to you from Smyrna, by the most Wor∣thy of the Church of Ephesus. There is now with me, together with many others, Crocus, most Beloved of me. As for those which * came with Me from Syria, and are gone be∣fore me to Rome, to the Glory of God, I suppose you are not Ignorant of them. Ye shall therefore signifie to them that I draw near, for they are all Worthy both of God and of you: Whom it is fit that you Refresh in all things. This have I written to you, the day before the Ninth of the Calends of September. Be Strong unto the End, in the Patience of Jesus Christ.