as to this particular. Which makes me the rather wonder at the endeavor of a late learned writer() of our own country, to give countenance to such a fable; which if not destitute of all probability, yet at least wants any good authority to support it; and as our learned Bishop Pearson(p) very reasonably conjectures, was first started about the time of the 8th General Council, by the party of that Ignatius who was then set up in opposition to Photius; and from thence derived both to Anastatius among the Latines, and to Metaphrastes among the Greeks.

that name.

7. To pass then from this fabulous account of this title, let us come to the consideration of the true import of it. Now for that as we cannot have any better, so neither need we desire any other account than what this holy man(7) himself gave the Emperor of When being asked by him, who was Theophorus? he replied, he who has Christ in his breast. And in this sense was this name commonly used among the antients, as has been shewn in a multitude of examples by Bishop Pearson,(r) in his elaborate vindication of Ignatius's Epistles. I shall offer only one of them, that of St. Cyrill, who anathematizes those who should call our Saviour Christ, Theophorus; lest, says he, he should thereby be understood to have been no other than one of the Saints.

8. It remains then that Ignatius was called Theophorus, for the same reason that any other divine, or excellent person, might have been so called; namely, upon the account of his admirable piety: because his soul was full of the love of God, and sanctified with an extraordinary portion of the Divine Grace; as both his life shewed, and the earnest desire he had to be dissolved and to be with Christ, and his joy when he saw himself approaching towards it; and (to men

() Montac. Origin. Eccles. to. ii. p. 211, 212. () Vind. Ignat. Part. ii. c. xii. p. 149.

(9) Acts of Ignat. num. v.

(r) Vind. Ignat. Part. ii. p. 144.

tion no more) his constancy in his last, and most terrible conflict with the wild beasts, will not suffer us to doubt.

9. But though the story of our Saviour's taking St. Ignatius into nis his arms be of no credit, yet so much St. Chrysostome tells us,(s) that he was intimately acquainted with the holy Apostles, and instructed by them in the full knowledge of all the mysteries of the Gospel. What was the country that gave birth to this blessed Saint, or who his parents were, we cannot tell. Indeed as to the former of these, his country, a late author(t) has endeavoured from a passage in Abulfaragius, set out by our incomparable Dr. Pocock, to fix it at Nora in Sardinia, a place which still retains its antient name with very little variation. This is certain, that growing eminent both in the knowledge of the doctrine of Christ, and in a life exactly framed according to the strictest rules of it; he was upon the death of Euodius, chosen by the Apostles that were still living, to be Bishop of Antioch, the metropolis of Syria; and whatever Anastasius pretends() received imposition of hands from them.

10. How he behaved himself in this great station, though we have no particular account left to us, yet we may easily conclude from that short hint that is given us of it, in the relation of his martyrdom.(x) Where we are told that he was 66 a man in all things like unto the Apostles; that as a good governor, by the helm of prayer and fasting, by the constancy of his doctrine and spiritual labour, he opposed himself to the floods of the adversary: that he was like a divine lamp illuminating the hearts of the faithful by his exposition of the holy Scriptures; and lastly, that

($) Homil. in Ignat. pag. 499. to. i. Fevardent.

(t) Ernest. Tentzel. Exercit. Select. iii. num. ii. p. 47. Comp. Dr. Grabe Spicileg. tom. ii. p. 1.

(u) Vid. Chrysost. Orat. in Laud. Ignat. Theodoret. to. iv. p. 33. Dial. 1. Comp. Usser. Annot. in Epist. ad Antioch. p. 107. Pearson. Vind. Ignat. part. ii. p. 107.

(x) Acts of Ignat. num. i, ii, iii.

to preserve his church, he doubted not freely, and of his own accord, to expose himself to the most bitter death." This is in general the character of his behaviour in his Church of Antioch; a greater than which can hardly be given to any man. Nor indeed can we doubt but that he who, as Eusebius(y) tells us, and as his Epistles still remaining, abundantly testify, was so careful of all the other Churches, to confirm them in a sound faith, and in a constant adherence to their holy religion; was certainly much more vigilant to promote the interests of piety within his own diocese, which was blessed with his government above forty years.(z)

11. Hence we may observe, what a tender concern he expresses in all his Epistles for his Church at Antioch with what affection he recommends it to the prayers of those to whom he wrote; and especially to the care of his dear friend and fellow disciple, St. Polycarp. And when he heard at Troas of the ceasing of the persecution there, how did he rejoice at it? and require all the neighbouring Churches(a) to rejoice with him; and to send their messengers and letters thither, to congratulate with them upon that account?

12. Such was his affection towards his own Church, and his care of all the others round about him: by both of which he became in such an extraordinary favour with them, that they thought nothing could be sufficient to express their respect towards him. And therefore we are told, that when he was carried from Antioch to Rome, in order to his suffering, all the Churches every where, sent messengers(b) on the way to attend him, and to communicate to his wants. And what is yet more, they were generally their Bishops

(y) Hist. Eccles. lib. iii. cap. 36.

(z) Euseb. Chron. ab anno 69 ad 110. alii ad 116. Vid. infr. (a) See his Epistles to the Philadelph. Smyrn. and to St. Poly

carp.

(b) Vid. Ignat. Epist. & speciatim ad Rom. num. ix. Add. Act. Iguat. num. ix.

themselves that came to meet him, and thought it a singular happiness to receive some spiritual exhortations from him. And when he was dead, they paid such an honour to his memory, as to account the few bones(c) that were left of him by the wild beasts, more precious than the richest jewels: insomuch that we are told they were several ages(d) after taken up from the place where they were first deposited, as not honourable enough for them to lie in; and that being brought within the city where he once was Bishop, there was instituted a yearly festival in memory of him.

13. As for what concerns the circumstances of his death, they are so particularly recounted in the relation I have here subjoined of it, that nothing more needs to be added, to what is there delivered of this matter. Yet one remark I cannot but make on that particular of his story which has puzzled so many learned men(e) to account for, but may easily be resolved, and I believe most truly too, into the overruling hand of the Divine Providence and that is, of the sending of this holy man from Antioch as far as Rome to suffer. For whatever the design of the Emperor(f) may have been in it; whether he intended to increase his sufferings by a journey so wearisome, and attended with so many bitter circumstances, as that must needs have been to a person, very probably at that time, fourscore years of age: or whether he hoped by this means to have overcome his constancy, and to have drawn him away from his faith or lastly, whether, as Metaphrastes(g) tells us, upon his consulting with those of the Senate who were with him, he was advised "not to let him suffer at Antioch, lest thereby he should raise his esteem the

(c) Vid. Act. Ignat. num. xiii.

(d) Vid. Usserii Ann. in Act. Ignat. num. 37.

(e) Vid. Scalig. in Euseb. ad Ann. 110.

Vid. Usser. Not. in Act. Ignat. num. ix. p. 39, 40. Tentzel.

Exerc. iii. p. 49.

(g) Mart. apud Coteler.

more among the people, and render him still more dear and desirable to them :" we cannot doubt, but that God hereby designed to present to all the nations through which he was to pass, a glorious instance of the power of his religion, that could enable this blessed martyr with so much constancy to despise all the violence of his enemies; and to be impatient after those trials which they hoped should have affrighted him into a base and degenerous compliance with their desires.

14. This was indeed a triumph worthy of the Christian religion: Nor was it any small advantage to the Churches at such a critical time, to have their zeal awakened, and their courage confirmed, both by the example and exhortations of this great man, from Antioch even to Rome itself. And we are accordingly told with what mighty comfort and satisfaction they received his instructions; and as the authors(h) of his acts express it, rejoiced to partake in his spiritual gift.

15. Nay, but if we may believe Metaphrastes as to the effect which the sufferings of this holy man had upon the mind of the Emperor, the Church received yet greater benefit by his death. "For Trajan,(i) says he, hearing of what had been done to Ignatius, and how undauntedly he had undergone the sentence that was pronounced against him, and being informed that the Christians were a sort of men that did nothing contrary to the laws, nor were guilty of any impieties, but worshipped Christ as the Son of God, and exercised all temperance both in meat and drink, nor meddled with any thing that was forbidden: he began to repent of what he had done, and commanded that the Christians should indeed be searched out, but that being discovered they should not be put to death; only they should not be admitted into any offices, nor be suffered to meddle with any public employs. Thus was not only the life of Ignatius of great use to the Church, but his very death the means of procuring

(h) Acts of Ignat. num. ix. (¿) Mart.Ignat. apud Coteler. p. 1002.