DETAILED CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER I. PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS. The critical spirit stimulated by the Reformation—The Ignatian Epistles as regarded by Calvin, Ussher, Vossius, Daillé, Pearson, Wake, and

Cureton—Dr. Lightfoot as a scholar and a commentator—The valuable information supplied in his recent work—His estimate of the parties who have pronounced judgment on the question of the Ignatian Epistles—His verdict unfair—His introduction of Lucian as a witness in his favour—The story of Peregrinus—Dr. Lightfoot's cardinal mistake in his treatment of this question.

CHAPTER II.

CHAPTER II. THE TESTIMONY OF POLYCARP TO THE IGNATIAN EPISTLES EXAMINED. Dr. Lightfoot makes a most unguarded statement as to the Ignatian Epistles—The letter of Polycarp better authenticated—The date assigned for the martyrdom of Ignatius—The date of Polycarp's Epistle—Written in the reign of Marcus Aurelius—Not written in the reign of Trajan—The Epistle of Polycarp has no reference to Ignatius of Antioch—It refers to another Ignatius of another age and country—It was written at a time of persecution—The postscript to the letter of Polycarp quite

misunderstood—What is meant by letters being carried to Syria—Psyria

and Syria, two islands in the Aegaean Sea—The errors of transcribers of the postscript—The true meaning of the postscript—What has led to the mistake as to the claims of the Ignatian Epistles—The continued popularity of these Epistles among High Churchmen.

CHAPTER III.

CHAPTER III. THE DATE OF THE MARTYRDOM OF POLYCARP. Dr. Lightfoot's strange reasoning on this subject—The testimony of

Eusebius, Jerome, and others—Eusebius and Jerome highly competent

witnesses—Dr. Döllinger's estimate of Jerome—The basis on which Dr. Lightfoot rests the whole weight of his chronological

argument—Aristides and his Sacred Discourses—Statius Quadratus, the consuls and proconsuls—Ummidius Quadratus—Polycarp martyred in the reign of Marcus Aurelius—His visit to Rome in the time of Anicetus—Put to death when there was only one emperor—Age of Polycarp at the time of his martyrdom—The importance of the chronological argument.

CHAPTER IV.

CHAPTER IV. THE TESTIMONY OF IRENAEUS AND THE GENESIS OF PRELACY.

The testimony of Irenaeus quite misunderstood—Refers to the dying words of one of the martyrs of Lyons—The internal evidence against the genuineness of the Ignatian Epistles—The contrast between the Epistle of Polycarp and the Ignatian Epistles as exhibited by Dr. Lightfoot himself—Additional points of contrast—Dr. Lightfoot quite mistaken as to the origin of Prelacy—It did not originate in the East, or Asia Minor, but in Rome—The argument from the cases of Timothy and Titus

untenable—Jerome's account of the origin of Prelacy—James not the first bishop of Jerusalem—In the early part of the second century the Churches of Rome, Corinth, and Smyrna were Presbyterian—Irenaeus

conceals the origin of Prelacy—Coins the doctrine of the apostolical succession—The succession cannot be determined even in Rome—Testimony of Stillingfleet—In what sense Polycarp may have been constituted a bishop by the apostles.

CHAPTER V.

CHAPTER V. THE FORGERY OF THE IGNATIAN EPISTLES. We have no positive historical information as to the origin of the Ignatian Epistles—First saw the light in the early part of the third

century—Such forgeries then common—What was then thought by many as to pious frauds—Callistus of Rome probably concerned in the fabrication of the Ignatian Epistles—His remarkable history—The Epistle to the Romans first forged—It embodies the credentials of the rest—Montanism stimulated the desire for martyrdom—The prevalence of this mania early in the third century—The Ignatian Epistles present it in its most

outrageous form—The Epistle to the Romans must have been very popular at Rome—Doubtful whether Ignatius was martyred at Rome—The Ignatian Epistles intended to advance the claims of Prelacy—Well fitted to do so at the time of their appearance—The account of Callistus given by Hippolytus—The Ignatian letters point to Callistus as their author—Cannot have been written in the beginning of the second century—Their doctrine that of the Papacy. APPENDIX I.—Letter of Dr. Cureton. II.—The Ignatian Epistle to the Romans. ENDNOTES