CHURCH HISTORY. 49 



Ignatius. — Among the earliest of the Fathers is 

 Ignatius. He was the disciple and friend of St. 

 John, and probably knew the other apostles. He 

 is one connecting link between the apostles and 

 the Church of later days. He was made the 

 Bishop of Antioch, and labored there for forty 

 years. The favorite title by which his friends 

 called him was "Theophorus, or "the God- 

 bearer," one whose soul is full of God. His life in 

 Antioch was spent in times of deepest anxiety and 

 peril, but his noble devotion kept the Christiana 

 firm in their faith, and incited them to zeal foi 

 the Master's cause. His one great longing was 

 that Christ might honor him with calling him to 

 be a martyr. His longing was at length gratified, 

 and about a. d. 107, by a circuitous route, he was 

 carried to Rome in chains for refusing to take part 

 in the heathen religious ceremonies connected with 

 Trajan's entrance to Antioch. His foes thought 

 to intimidate the other disciples by the sight of 

 their aged Bishop in bonds, led away to death, 

 but it had the effect of nerving them to greater 

 constancy. 



Upon reaching Rome he was thrown to the wild 

 beasts in the amphitheatre, and thus his spirit was 

 released. 



Some of the letters of Ignatius have been pre- 

 served, and are most valuable, as showing the 

 nature of the Church's government in those days, 

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