CHAPTER I.

1
Ignatius mentions the arrival of Damas,
their bishop, and others,
whom he exhorts them to reverence
notwithstanding he was a young man.

IGNATIUS, who is also called
Theophorus, to the blessed
church, by the grace of God the
Father, in Jesus Christ our Saviour;
through whom I salute the church
which is at Magnesia, near the
Maeander: and wish it all joy in
God the Father, and in Jesus
Christ.

2
When I heard of your well-
ordered love and charity in God,
being full of joy, I desired much
to speak unto you in the faith of
Jesus Christ.

3
For having been thought
worthy to obtain a most excellent
name, in the bonds which I carry
about, I salute the churches;
wishing in them a union both of
the body and spirit of Jesus Christ,
our eternal life: as also of faith
and charity, to which nothing is
preferred: but especially of Jesus
and the Father; in whom if we
undergo all the injuries of the
prince of this present world, and
escape, we shall enjoy God,

4
Seeing, then, I have been
judged worthy to see you, by
Damas your most excellent bishop;
and by your worthy presbyters,
Bassus and Apollonius; and by my
fellow-servant Sotio, the deacon;

5
In whom I rejoice, forasmuch
as he is subject unto his bishop as
to the grace of God; and to the
presbytery as to the law of Jesus
Christ; I determined to write
unto you.

6
Wherefore it will become you
also not to use your bishop too
familiarly upon the account of his
youth; but to yield all reverence
to him according to the power of
God the Father; as also I perceive
that your holy presbyters do: not
considering his age, which indeed
to appearance is young; but as
becomes those who are prudent in
God, submitting to him, or rather
not to him but to the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the bishop of
us all.

7
It will therefore behove you
with all sincerity, to obey your
bishop; in honour of him whose
pleasure it is that ye should do so.

8
Because he that does not do
so, deceives not the bishop whom
he sees, but affronts him that is
invisible. For whatsoever of this
kind is done, it reflects not upon
man, but upon God, who knows
the secrets of our hearts.

9
It is therefore fitting,
that we should not only be called
christians, but be so.

10
As some call indeed their
governor, bishop; but yet do all
things without him.

11
But I can never think
that such as these have a good
conscience, seeing that they are
not gathered together thoroughly
according to God's commandment.

CHAPTER II.

1
That as all must die,
he exhorts them to live orderly and in unity.

SEEING then all things have
an end, there are these two
indifferently set before us,
death and life: and everyone
shall depart unto his proper place.

2
For as there are two sorts of
coins, the one of God, the other of
the world, and each of these has
its proper inscription engraven
upon it; so also is it here.

3
The unbelievers are of this
world; but the faithful, through
charity have the character of God
the Father by Jesus Christ:
by whom if we are not readily
disposed to die after the likeness
of his passion, his life is not in us.

4
Forasmuch, therefore, as I
have in the persons before mentioned,
seen all of you in faith and charity;
I exhort you that ye study to do all
things in a divine concord:

5
Your bishop presiding in the
place of God; your presbyters in
the place of the council of the
Apostles; and your deacons most
dear to me, being entrusted with
the ministry of Jesus Christ; who
was the Father before all ages,
and appeared in the end to us.

6
Wherefore taking the same
holy course, see that ye all
reverence one another, and let no
one look upon his neighbour after
the flesh; but do ye all mutually
love each other in Jesus Christ.

7
Let there be nothing that may
be able to make a division among
you; but be ye united to your
bishop, and those who preside
over you, to be your pattern and
direction in the way to immortality.

8
As therefore the Lord did
nothing without the Father, being
united to him; neither by himself
nor yet by his Apostles, so neither
do ye do anything without your
bishop and presbyters:

9
Neither endeavour to let
anything appear rational to
yourselves apart;

10
But being come together into
the same place, have one common
prayer; one supplication;
one mind; one hope; one in charity,
and in joy undefiled.

11
There is one Lord Jesus
Christ, than whom nothing is better.
Wherefore come ye all together, as
unto one temple of God; as to one
altar; as to one: Jesus Christ,
who proceeded from one Father,
and exists in one; and is
returned to one.

CHAPTER III.

1
He cautions them against false opinions.
Especially those of Ebion and the Judaising Christians.

BE not deceived with strange
doctrines; nor with old fables
which are unprofitable. For if
we still continue to live according
to the Jewish law, we do confess
ourselves not to have received grace.
For even the most holy prophets
lived according to Christ Jesus.

2
And for this cause were they
persecuted, being inspired by his
grace to convince the unbelievers
and disobedient that there is one
God who has manifested himself
by Jesus Christ his Son; who is
his eternal word, not coming forth
from silence; who in all things
pleased him that sent him.

3
Wherefore if they who were
brought up in these ancient laws,
came nevertheless to the newness
of hope; no longer observing
sabbaths, but keeping the Lord's
day in which also our life is
sprung up by him, and through
his death, whom yet some deny:

4 (By which mystery we have
been brought to believe and
therefore wait that we maybe
found the disciples of Jesus
Christ, our only master:)

5
How shall we be able to live
different from him; whose disciples
the very prophets themselves
being, did by the spirit expect him
as their master;

6
And therefore he whom they
justly waited for, being come,
raised, them up from the dead.

7
Let us not then be insensible
of his goodness; for should he
have dealt with us according to
our works, we had not now had a
being.

8
Wherefore being become his
disciples, let us learn to live
according to the rules of
Christianity; for whosoever is
called by any other name besides
this, he is not of God.

9
Lay aside therefore the old and
sour, and evil leaven; and be ye
changed into the new leaven, which
is Jesus Christ.

10
Be ye salted in him, lest any
one among you should be corrupted;
for by your Savior ye shall
be judged.

11
It is absurd to name Jesus
Christ, and to Judaize. For the
christian religion did not embrace
the Jewish, but the Jewish the
christian; that so every tongue
that believed might be gathered
together unto God.

12
These things, my beloved, I
write unto you; not that I know
of any among you that lie under
this error: but as one of the least
among you, I am desirous to forewarn
you, that ye fall not into the
snares of false doctrine.

13
But that ye be fully instructed
in the birth, and suffering, and
resurrection of Jesus Christ,
our hope; which was accomplished
in the time of the government of
Pontius Pilate, and that most truly
and certainly: and from which God
forbid that any among you should
be turned aside.

CHAPTER IV.

1
Commends their faith and piety; exhorts them
to persevere;
desires their prayers for himself and the
church at Antioch.

MAY I therefore have joy of
you in all things, if I shall
be worthy of it. For though I am
bound, yet am I not worthy to be
compared to one of you that are at
liberty.

2
I know that ye are not puffed
up; for ye have Jesus Christ in
your hearts.

3
And especially when I commend
you, I know that ye are ashamed,
as it is written, The just man
condemneth himself.

4
Study therefore to be confirmed
in the doctrine of our Lord, and
of his Apostles; that so whatever
ye do, ye may prosper both in body
and spirit, in faith and charity,
in the Son, and in the Father,
and in the Holy Spirit; in the
beginning, and in the end:

5
Together with your most worthy
bishop, and the well-wrought
spiritual crown of your presbytery,
and your deacons, which are
according to God.

6
Be subject to your bishop, and
to one another, as Jesus Christ
was to the Father, according to the
flesh; and the Apostles, both to
Christ, and to the Father; and to
the Holy Ghost: that so ye may
be united both in body and spirit.

7
Knowing you to be full of
God, I have the more briefly
exhorted you.

8
Be mindful of me in your
prayers, that I may attain unto
God, and of the church that is in
Syria, from which I am not worthy
to be called.

9
For I stand in need of your
joint prayers in God, and of your
charity, that the church which is
in Syria may be thought worthy
to be nourished by your church.

10
The Ephesians from Smyrna
salute you, from which place I
write unto you; (being present
here to the glory of God, in like
manner as you are,) who have in
all things refreshed me, together
with Polycarp, the bishop of the
Smyrneans.

11
The rest of the churches in
the honour of Jesus Christ salute
you.

12
Farewell, and be ye strengthened
in the concord of God; enjoying
his inseparable spirit, which
is Christ Jesus.