In his Epistle to the Ephesians, exhorting Christians to united prayer, he says, “For if the prayer of one or two possesses such strength, how much more shall the prayer both of the bishop and of the whole Church?” [Page 13.  Sec. 5-7.] “For there is one physician of a corporeal and a spiritual nature, begotten and not begotten; become God in the flesh, true life in death, both from Mary and from God; first liable to suffering, and then incapable of suffering.” [In the majority of the manuscripts the reading is, “in an immortal true life.”]

Here we must observe that these Epistles of Ignatius have come down to us also in an interpolated form, abounding indeed with substitutions and additions, but generally resembling paraphrases of the original text.  Of the general character of that supposititious work, two passages corresponding with our quotations from the genuine productions of Ignatius may give a sufficiently accurate idea.  The first passage above quoted is thus paraphrased:  “For if the prayer of one or two possesses {87} such strength that Christ stands among them, how much more shall the prayer both of the bishop and of the whole Church, ascending with one voice to God, induce him to grant all their requests made in Jesus Christ?” [Page 47. c. 5.] The paraphrase of the second is more full:  “Our physician is the only true God, ungenerated and unapproachable; the Lord of all things, but the Father and Generator of the only-begotten Son.  We have also as our physician our Lord God, Jesus Christ, who was before the world, the only-begotten Son and the Word, but also afterwards man of the Virgin Mary; ‘for the Word was made flesh.’  He who was incorporeal, now in a body; he who could not suffer, now in a body capable of suffering; he who was immortal in a mortal body, life in corruption—­in order that he might free our immortal souls from death and corruption, and heal them, diseased with ungodliness and evil desires as they were.” [Page 48. c. 7.]

It must here be observed, that though these are indisputably not the genuine works of Ignatius, but were the productions of a later age, yet no trace is to be found in them of the doctrine, or practice, of the invocation of saints.  In this point of view their testimony is nothing more nor less than that of an anonymous paraphrast, who certainly had many opportunities of referring to that doctrine and practice; but who by his total silence seems to have been as ignorant of them as the author himself whose works he is paraphrasing.

To return to his genuine works:  In his Epistle to the Magnesians we find these expressions:  “For as the Lord did nothing without the Father, being one with {88} him, neither by himself, nor by his Apostles; so neither do ye any thing without the bishop and priests, nor attempt to make any thing appear reasonable to yourselves individually.  But at one place be there one prayer, and one supplication, one mind, one hope in love, in blameless rejoicing:  Jesus Christ is one; than which nothing is better.  All, then, throng as to one temple, as to one altar, as to one Jesus Christ, who proceeded from one Father, and is in one, and returned to one.” [Page 19.  Sec. 7.] Again he says, “Remember me in your prayers, that I may attain to God.  I am in need of your united prayer in God, and of your love.”