CHAPTER I.

1
Ignatius testifies his desire to see, and his
hopes of suffering for Christ
which he earnestly entreats them not to prevent,
but to pray for him, that God would strengthen
him to the combat.

IGNATIUS, who is also called
Theophorus, to the church
which has obtained mercy from
the majesty of the Most High
Father, and his only begotten
Son Jesus Christ; beloved, and
illuminated through the will of him
who willeth all things which are
according to the love of Jesus
Christ our God; which also presides
in the place of the region
of the Romans; and which I salute
in the name of Jesus Christ, as
being united both in flesh and
spirit to all his commands, and
filed with the grace of God; with
all joy in Jesus Christ our God.

2
Forasmuch as I have at last
obtained through my prayers to
God, permission to see your faces,
which I much desired to do; being
bound in Jesus Christ, I hope ere
long to salute you, if it shall be
the will of God to grant me to
attain unto the end I long for.

3
For the beginning is well
disposed, if I shall but have grace,
without hindrance, to receive what
is appointed for me.

4
But I fear your love, lest it
do me an injury; for it is easy for
you to do what you please; but it
will be hard for me to attain unto
God, if you spare me.

5
But I would not that ye
should please men, but God; whom
also ye do, please. For neither
shall I hereafter have such an
opportunity of going unto God; nor
will you, if ye shall now be silent,
ever be entitled to a better work.
For if you, shall be silent in my
behalf, I shall be made partaker of
God.

6
But if you shall love my body,
I shall have my course again to
run. Wherefore ye cannot do me
a greater kindness, than to suffer
me to be sacrificed unto God, now
that the altar is already prepared:

7
That when ye shall be gathered
together in love, ye nay give
thanks to the Father through
Christ Jesus, that he has
vouchsafed to bring a bishop
of Syria unto you, being called
from the east unto the west.

8
For it is good for me to turn
from the world, unto God; that I
may rise again unto him.

9
Ye have never envied any one;
ye have taught others. I would
therefore that ye should now do
those things yourselves, which
in your instructions you have
prescribed to others.

10
Only pray for me, that God
would give me both inward and
outward strength, that I may not
only say, but will; nor be only
called a christian, but be found
one.

11
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.

12
Nothing is good, that is
seen.

13
For even our God, Jesus
Christ, now that he is in the
Father, does so much the more
appear.

14
A christian is not a work of
opinion; but of greatness of mind,
especially when he is hated by the
world.

CHAPTER. II.

Expresses his great desire and determination
to suffer martyrdom.

1
I WRITE to the churches, and
signify to them all, that I am
willing to die for God, unless you
hinder me.

2
I beseech you that you show
not an unseasonable good will
towards me. Suffer me to be food
to the wild beasts, by whom I shall
attain unto God.

3
For I am the wheat of God,
and I shall be ground by the teeth
of the wild-beasts, that I may be
found the pure bread of Christ.
Rather encourage the beasts,
that they may became my sepulchre,
and may let live nothing of my
body; that being dead I may not
be troublesome to any.

5
Then shall I be truly the
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 sacrifice of
God.

6
I do not, as Peter and Paul,
command you. They were Apostles,
I a condemned man; they were free,
but I am even to this day a servant:

7
But if I shall suffer, I shall
then become the freeman of Jesus
Christ, and shall rise free. And
now, being in bonds, I learn not
to desire any thing.

8
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 soldiers,
who, though treated with all manner
of kindness, are the worse for
it.

9
But I am the more instructed
by their injuries; yet am I not
therefore justified.

10
May I enjoy the wild beasts
that are prepared for me; which
also I wish may exercise all their
fierceness upon me.

11
And whom for that end I will
encourage, 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
if they will not do it willingly,
I will provoke them to it.

12
Pardon me in this matter; I
know what is profitable for me,
now I begin to be a disciple.
Not shall any thing move me
whether visible or invisible,
that I may attain to Jesus Christ.

13
Let fire and the cross; let
the companies of wild beasts;
let breakings of bones, and tearing
of members; let the shattering in
pieces of the whole body, and all
the wicked torments of the devil
come upon me; only let me enjoy
Jesus Christ.

14
All the ends of the world,
and the kingdoms of it, will profit
me nothing: I would rather die
for Jesus Christ, than rule to the
utmost ends of the earth. Him
I seek who died for us; him I
desire who rose again for us.
This is the gain that is laid up
for me.

15
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
induce 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.

16
Permit me to imitate the
passion of my God. If any one has
God within himself, let him consider
what I desire; and let him have
compassion on me, as knowing how
I am straightened.

CHAPTER III.

Further expresses his desire to suffer.

1
THE prince of this world would
fain carry me away, and corrupt
my resolution towards my God.
Let none of you therefore help
him; rather do ye join with me,
that is, with God.

2
Do not speak with Jesus
Christ, and yet covet the world.
Let not any envy dwell with you;
no, not though I myself, 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.

3
For though I am alive at the
writing of 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 springing within me,
says, Come to the Father.

4
I take no pleasure in the food
of corruption, nor in the pleasures
of this life.

5
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 incorruptible love.

6
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
yourselves also maybe pleasing to
God. I exhort you in a few words;
I pray you believe me.

7
Jesus Christ will shew you
that I speak truly. My mouth is
without deceit, and the Father
hath truly spoken by it. Pray
therefore for me, that I may
accomplish what I desire.

8
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.

9
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.

10
But I am even ashamed to
be reckoned 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 risen to
be somebody, if I shall get unto
God.

11
My spirit salutes you; and
the charity of the churches that
have received me in the name of
Jesus Christ; not as a passenger,
for even they that were not near
to me in the way, have gone before
me to the next city to meet me.

12
These things I write to you
from Smyrna, by the most worthy
of the church of Ephesus.

13
There is now with me, together
with many others, Crocus, most
beloved of me. As for those which
are come from Syria, and are gone
before me to Rome, to the glory
of God, I suppose you are not
ignorant of them.

14
Ye shall therefore signify 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.

15
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.