apostolicfathers0201clem - Carmel Apologetics

334 EPISTLES OF S. IGNATIUS.
England at all events his work seemed to be accepted as closing the
controversy '.
On the Continent one serious attempt at a reply was made. A
work was published anonymously
at Rouen in 1674 under the title
Observationes in Ignatianas Pearsonii Vindicias, but the author is
known to be Matthieu de Larroque. The main point of his attack
is Pearson's defence of Magn. 8, as read in the existing text ;
and
here he is not altogether unsuccessful. The rest of the work is quite
unimportant. In later ages Continental writers here and there casually
pronounced opinions more or less unfavourable to the Ignatian
letters, and sometimes they supported their views by isolated objections.
A catena of passages from such writers will be found in the
Appendix to Cureton's Vindiciae Ignatianae. This was the state of
the controversy fifty years ago. About that time the interest in the
Ignatian question revived ;
and soon after the Curetonian discovery
(a. D. 1845) ^dded fresh fuel to the flame. Of its more recent history
something has been said already (p. 281 sq).
The cross lights thrown upon the main question of the genuineness
by the history of the past controversies are highly confusing. A
calm and impartial verdict would have been much assisted by an
entire obliteration of this history, if it had been possible. Many
side issues would have been avoided thereby, and many misleading
prejudices removed.
The consideration of the genuineness of the Seven Epistles falls,
as usual, under the two heads of External and Internal Evidence.
1
The name of one great English scholar editor of Pearson {Vlnd. Ign. p. xii, ed.
has been alleged, as an opponent of the Churton, 1852), who traced the story to
genuineness. Cureton (C. /. p. xiv sq)
its fountain-head and learnt from Bishops
reports that he heard from an English Blomfield and Kaye, that Person had once
bishop then living that ' Porson, after said in conversation with a friend that
having perused the '
Vindiciae, had ex- Pearson in his Vindiciae had not altopressed
to him his opinion that it was a gather satisfied him,' and that there the
"very unsatisfactory work",' and Bunsen matter dropped without any words of
(/. V. A. p. 239) gives the same report in explanation from Porson. There is no
a still more exaggerated form. The reason therefore for assuming that he reobiter
dictum even of a Porson would be ferred to the main question. The exof
little value, unless it could be shown pression would be quite satisfied by the
that he had made a study not only of elaborate disquisition on the Valentinian
early Christian literature, but of this Sige, which occupies nearly 80 pages in
special subject; and of this we have Churton's edition, and which many others
no evidence. Cureton's report however consider unsatisfactory, though holding
has been investigated by the recent the genuineness
of the Ignatian letters.