apostolicfathers0201clem - Carmel Apologetics

400 EPISTLES OF S. IGNATIUS.
hood as ' virgins a second time,' ' virgins in God's sight,' and the hke ;
and that therefore the expression in Smyrn. 13 imphes nothing more
than that these persons, though widows in common designation and in
outward condition, were virgins in heart and spirit.
This is indeed the
only explanation of the passage unattended by serious historical difficulties,
whatever date be assigned to the Ignatian letters. In no age,
however late, in the history of the Church was the ' viduatus '
composed
solely or chiefly of virgins. Even in TertuUian's time {de
Virg. Vel. 9) only one virgin here and there had been admitted into
the order, so that he regards a ' virgo vidua ' as a monstrous irregularity ;
and no one now would place the Ignatian Epistles as late as Tertullian.
From the ministry of the Church we turn to its liturgy. And
here our evidence is chiefly negative. The absence of any references
to a developed ritual in the public services of the Church is an argument
in favour of the early date, though not a strong argument, since the
omission might be accidental.
One notice however has a more direct and positive bearing as an
indication of the writer's age and deserves special attention.
In S. Paul's
time (a.
D. 57, 58) the eucharist was plainly part of the agape (i Cor.
xi. 17 sq : comp. Acts xx. 7). The Christian festival, both in the hour
of the day and in the arrangement of the meal, was substantially a
'— a
reproduction of Christ's last night with Plis Apostles. Hence it was
called '
the Lord's Supper name originally applied to the combined
eucharist and agape, but afterwards applied to the former when the
latter had been separated or even abolished. On the other hand in
Justin Martyr's time (about a.d. 140) the two were no less plainly
separate {Apol. i. §§ 65, 67), the eucharistic celebration apparently taking
place in the early morning. When was the change brought about
The notice in the letter of the younger Pliny (Plin. et Traj. Epist. 96)
throws some light on the subject. It is plain from his language that
these festivals of the Christians had begun to provoke unfavourable
comments. The stigma of ' Thyestean banquets ' and ' CEdipodean
pollutions ' was already fastened or fastening upon them. What was to
be done in order to disarm criticism The eucharist was the core of
Christian :
worship this at all events could not be sacrificed. On the
other hand the agape was not essential, though valuable in itself as a
bond of brotherhood. A severance therefore was the obvious course.
The eucharist was henceforward celebrated in the early morning, whereas
the agape continued to be held, like other social meals, in the evening.
It is not (luite clear from Pliny's language (see above, p. 5 2 sq), whether