apostolicfathers0201clem - Carmel Apologetics

4-
SPURIOUS AND INTERPOLATED
EPISTLES.
THE history of the Ignatian Epistles in Western Europe, before and
after the revival of letters, is full of interest. In the middle ages
the spurious and interpolated letters alone have any wide circulation.
Gradually, as the light advances, the forgeries recede into the background.
Each successive stage diminishes the bulk of the Ignatian
literature which the educated mind accepts as genuine ;
till at length
the true Ignatius alone remains, divested of the accretions which perverted
ingenuity has gathered about him.
Mention has been made more than once already of the Correspondence
WITH S. John and the Virgin, bearing the name of Ignatius.
This consists of four brief letters :
(i)
A letter from Ignatius to S. John,
describing the interest aroused in himself and others by the accounts
which they have received concerning the marvellous devotion and love
of the Virgin ; (2) Another from the same to the same, expressing
his earnest desire to visit Jerusalem for the sake of seeing the Virgin
together with James the Lord's brother and other saints; (3) A
letter from Ignatius to the Virgin, asking her to send him a word of
assurance and exhortation ; (4)
A reply from the Virgin to Ignatius,
confirming the truth of all that John has taught him, and urging him
to be stedfast in the faith'.
It can hardly be doubted that the forger took the existing
Ignatian
'
This seems to be the correct order (i), (2), the correspondence with the
of the letters, as it preser\-es a proper Virgin preceding the letters to S. John,
climax. It is found in Magdal. 76, Caieiis. For the letters themselves see III. p.
395. On the other hand in Z«r£7/M. loi, 69 sq.
Laud. Misc. 141, the order is (3), (4),