The Forbidden Gospels and Epistles Part 67

2 It will be very fit, O most worthy Polycarp, to call a select council, and choose some one whom ye particularly love, and who is patient of labour: that he may be the messenger of G.o.d; and that going unto Syria, he may glorify your incessant love, to the praise of Christ.

3 A Christian has not the power of himself; but must be always at leisure for G.o.d's service.

Now this work is both G.o.d's and our's; when ye shall have perfected it.

4 For I trust through the grace of G.o.d that ye are ready to every good work that is fitting for you in the Lord.

5 Knowing therefore your earnest affection for the truth, I have exhorted you by these short letters.

6 But forasmuch as I have not been able to write to all the churches, because I must suddenly sail from Troas to Neapolis; (for so is the command of those to whose pleasure I am subject;) do you write to the churches that are near you, as being instructed in the will of G.o.d, that they also may do in like manner.

7 Let those that are able send messengers; and let the rest send their letters by those who shall be sent by you: that you may be glorified to all eternity, of which you are worthy.

8 I salute all by name; particularly the wife of Epitropus with all her house and children. I salute Attalus my well-beloved.

9 I salute him who shall be thought worthy to be sent by you into Syria. Let grace be ever with him, and with Polycarp who sends him.

10 I wish you all happiness in our G.o.d, Jesus Christ; in whom continue, in the unity and protection of G.o.d.

11 I salute Alce my well- beloved. Farewell in the Lord.

REFERENCES TO THE SEVEN EPISTLES OF IGNATIUS.

[The Epistles of Ignatius are translated by Archbishop Wake from the text of Vossius. He says that there were considerable difference in the editions; the best for a long time extant containing fabrications, and the genuine being altered and corrupted. Archbishop Usher printed old Latin translations of them at Oxford, in 1644. At Amsterdam, two years afterwards, Vossius printed six of them in their ancient and pure Greek; and the seventh, greatly amended from the ancient Latin version, was Printed at Paris, by Ruinart, in 1689, in the Acts and Martyrdom of Ignatius, from a Greek uninterpolated copy. These are supposed to form the collection that Polycarp made of the Epistles of Ignatius, mentioned by Irenaes, Origen, Eusebius, Jerome, Athanasius, Theodoret, and other ancients: but many learned men have imagined all of them to be apocryphal. This supposition, the piety of Archbishop Wake, and his persuasion of their utility to the faith of the church, will not permit him to entertain: hence he has taken great pains to render the present translation acceptable, by adding numerous readings and references to the Canonical Books.]

THE EPISTLE OF POLYCARP TO THE PHILIPPIANS.

[The genuineness of this Epistle is controverted, but implicitly believed by Archbishop Wake, whose translation is below. There is also a translation by Dr. Cave attached to his life of Polycarp.]

CHAPTER I.

Polycarp commends the Philippians for their respect to those who suffered for the Gospel; and for their own faith.

POLYCARP, and the presbyters that are with him, to the church of G.o.d which is at Philippi; mercy unto you, and peace from G.o.d Almighty, and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour, be multiplied.

2 I rejoiced greatly with you in our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye received the images of a true love, and accompanied, as it behoved you, those who were in bonds, becoming saints; which are the crowns of such as are truly chosen by G.o.d and our Lord:

3 As also that the root of the faith which was preached from ancient times, remains firm in you to this day; and brings forth fruit to our Lord Jesus Christ, who suffered himself to be brought even to the death for our sins:

4 Whom G.o.d hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death. Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.

5 Into which many desire to enter; I knowing that by grace ye are saved; not by works, but by the will of G.o.d through Jesus Christ.

6 Wherefore girding up the loins of your minds; I serve the Lord with fear, and in truth; laying aside all empty and vain speech, and the errors of many; believing in him that raised up our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, and hath given him glory and a throne at his right hand.

7 To whom all things are made subject, both that are in heaven, and that are in earth; whom every living creature shall wors.h.i.+p; who shall come to be the judge of the quick and dead: whose blood G.o.d shall require of them that believe not in him.

8 But he that raised up Christ from the dead, shall also raise up us in like manner, if we do his will, and walk according to his commandments; and love those things which he loved:

9 Abstaining from all unrighteousness; inordinate affection, and love of money; from evil.

speaking; false witness; not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing, or striking for striking, or cursing for cursing:

10 But remembering what the Lord has taught us saying, Judge not, and ye shall not be judged; forgive and ye shall be forgiven; be ye merciful, and ye shall obtain mercy; for with the same measure that ye meet withal, it shall be measured to you again.

11 And again; Blessed are the poor, and they that are persecuted for righteousness sake; for theirs is the kingdom of G.o.d.

CHAPTER II.

2 Exhorts to Faith, Hope, and Charity.

5 Against covetousness, and as to the duties of husbands, wives, widows, 9 deacons, young men, virgins, and presbyters.

THESE things, my brethren, I took not the liberty of myself to write unto you concerning righteousness, but you yourselves before encouraged me to it.

2 For neither can i, nor any other such as I am, come up to the wisdom of the blessed and renowned Paul; who being himself in person with those who then lived, did with all exactness and soundness teach the word of truth; and being gone from you wrote an epistle to you.

3 Into which if you look, you will be able to edify yourselves in the faith that has been delivered unto you, which is the mother of us all; being followed with hope, and led on by a general love, both towards G.o.d and towards Christ, and towards our neighbour.

4 For if any man has these things, he has fulfilled the law of righteousness: for he that has charity is far from all sin.

5 But the love of money is the root of all evil. Knowing therefore that as we brought nothing into this world, so neither may we carry any thing out; let us arm ourselves with the armour of righteousness.

6 And teach ourselves first to walk according to the commandments of the Lord; and then your wives to walk likewise according to the faith that is given to them; in charity, and in purity; loving their own husbands, with all sincerity, and all others alike, with all temperance; and to bring up their children in the instruction and fear of the Lord.

7 The widows likewise teach that they be sober as to what concerns the faith of the Lord: praying always for all men; being far from all detraction, evil speaking, false witness; from covetousness, and from all evil.

8 Knowing that they are the altars of G.o.d, who sees all blemishes, and from whom nothing is hid; who searches out the very reasonings, and thoughts, and secrets of our hearts.

9 Knowing therefore that G.o.d is not mocked, we ought to walk worthy both of his command and of his glory.

10 Also the deacons must be blameless before him, as the ministers of G.o.d in Christ, and not of men. Not false mousers, not double tongued, not lovers of money; but moderate in all things; compa.s.sionate, careful; walking according to the truth of the Lord, who was the servant of all.

11 Whom if we please in this present world, we shall also be made partakers of that which is to come, according as he has promised to us, that he will raise us from the dead; and that if we shall walk worthy of him, we shall also reign together with him, if we believe.

12 In like manner the younger men must be unblameable in all things; above all, taking care of their purity, and to restrain themselves from all evil. For it is good to be cut off from the l.u.s.ts that are in the world; because every such l.u.s.t warreth against the spirit: and neither fornicators, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, shall inherit the kingdom of G.o.d; nor they who do such things as are foolish and unreasonable.

13 Wherefore ye must needs abstain from all these things, being subject to the priests and deacons, as unto G.o.d and Christ.

14 The virgins admonish to walk in a spotless and pure conscience.