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Martyrdom of Ignatius

Unknown

Chapter 1

About this work

Author: Unknown

Chapter I.—Desire of Ignatius for martyrdom.

When Trajan, not long since, succeeded to the empire of the

Romans

,

Ignatius

,

the

disciple

of

John

the

apostle

,

a

man

in

all

respects

of

an

apostolic

character

,

governed

the

Church

of

the

Antiochians

with

great

care

,

having

with

difficulty

escaped

the

former

storms

of

the

many

persecutions

under

Domitian

,

inasmuch

as

,

like

a

good

pilot

,

by

the

helm

of

prayer

and

fasting

,

by

the

earnestness

of

his

teaching

,

and

by

his

[

constant

]

spiritual

labour

,

he

resisted

the

flood

that

rolled

against

him

,

fearing

[

only

]

lest

he

should

lose

any

of

those

who

were

deficient

in

courage

,

or

apt

to

suffer

from

their

simplicity

.

Wherefore

he

rejoiced

over

the

tranquil

state

of

the

Church

,

when

the

persecution

ceased

for

a

little

time

,

but

was

grieved

as

to

himself

,

that

he

had

not

yet

attained

to

a

true

love

to

Christ

,

nor

reached

the

perfect

rank

of

a

disciple

.

For

he

inwardly

reflected

,

that

the

confession

which

is

made

by

martyrdom

,

would

bring

him

into

a

yet

more

intimate

relation

to

the

Lord

.

Wherefore

,

continuing

a

few

years

longer

with

the

Church

,

and

,

like

a

divine

lamp

,

enlightening

every

one’s

understanding

by

his

expositions

of

the

[

Holy

]

Scriptures

,

he

[

at

length

]

attained

the

object

of

his

desire

.

Notes

1
The data of Trajan’s accession was a.d. 98.
2
The text here is somewhat doubtful.
3
Literally, “any of the faint-hearted and more guileless.”
4
This word is of doubtful authority.