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An alternative theory of | St. Ignatius and the Eusebian fiction postulate
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An alternative theory of | St. Ignatius and the Eusebian fiction postulate
Web Publication by Mountain Man Graphics, Australia
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St. Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch |
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IGNATIUS: Saint, Bishop of Antioch (born in Syria, c. 50 --
died rather latitudinously "between 98 and 117"). "More than one of
the early ecclesiastical writers has given credence, though
apparently without good reason, to the legend that Ignatius was the
child whom the Saviour took up in his armos, as described in Mark,
ix, 35." (CE. vii, 644.) "If we include St. Peter, Ignatius was the
third Bishop of Antioch," (CE, vii, 644), -- thus casting doubt on
another and a most monumental but confused Church "tradition." He
was the subject of very extensive forgeries; fifteen Epistles bear
the name of Ignatius, including one to the Virgin Mary, and her
reply; two to the apostle John, others to the Philippians,
Tarsians, Antiocheans, Ephesians, Magnesians, Trallians, Romans,
Philadelphians, Smyrneans, and to Polycarp, besides a forged
Martyrium; the clerical forgers were very active with the name of
Saint Ignatius. Of these, eight Epistles and the Martyrium are
confessedly forgeries; "they are by common consent set aside as
forgeries, which were at various dates and to serve special
purposes, put forth under the name of the celebrated Bil;hop of
Antioch" (ANF. i, 46; CE. vii, 645); though, says CE., "if the
Martyrum is genuine, this work has been greatly interpolated." As
to the seven supposed by some to be genuine, "even the genuine
epistles were greatly interpolated to lend weight to the personal
views of its author. For this reason they are incapable of bearing
witness to the original form" (CE. vii, 645); and even the
authenticity of the "genuine seven" was warmly disputed for several
centuries. The dubious best that CE. can say is: "Perhaps the best
evidence for their authenticity is to be found in the letter of
Polycarp to the Philippians, which mentions each of them by name
... UNLESS, indeed, that of Polycarp itself be regarded as
interpolated or FORGED." (Ib. p. 646.)
As good proofs as may be that these "seven genuine" are late
forgeries, are: of each one of them, as printed in the ANF., there
are "two recensions, a shorter and a longer," printed in parallel
columno, thus demonstrating that the longer at least is "greatly
interpolated"; the most significant being a refercnce to Peter and
Paul, constituting the "interpolated" part of Chap. vii of the
Epistle to the Romans, hereafter noticed. That as a whole they are
late forgeries, is further proved by the fact, stated by Cardinal
Newman, that "the whole system of Catholic doctrine may be
discovered, at least in outline, not to say in parts filled up, in
the course of his seven Epistles" (CE, vii, 646); this including
the impossibilities -- for that epoch -- of the claborated
hierarchy of the Imperial Chureh as having been instituted by the
humble Nazarene, -- who was to "come again" and put an end to all
earthly things within the generation; the infallibility of the
Church, the supernatural virtue of virginity, and the primacy of
the See of Rome, -- at the supposed time of Ignatius, a little
horde of nondescripts burrowing in the Catacombs of imperial Rome!
Oh, Church of God: never a scrap of paper even touched by you but
was a loathsome forgery to the glory of your fictitious God and
Christ! So as Father Saint Ignatius did not write anything
authentic, he escapes the self-condemnation of the other Apostolic
Fathers. May his martyred remains rest in peace.
-- extracted from Joseph Wheless,