apostolicfathers0201clem - Carmel Apologetics

THE GENUINENESS. 401
this severance had actually taken place before Pliny interposed with his
enquiry into the affairs of the Christians, or whether it was the immediate
consequence of this interposition ; though the former seems the more
probable alternative. But it
anyhow
is a reasonable inference from his
language, that the severance was due to these charges of immorality
brought against the Christian festivals in the age of Trajan and to the
persecutions ensuing thereupon. When the eucharist was cut adrift
from the agape, the agape might be discontinued, as circumstances
dictated. As a matter of fact, we learn from Pliny's language that it
was suspended in Bithynia in the age of Trajan,
and we know from
history that it was finally abandoned throughout the Church, though at
a much later date.
Now in the Ignatian Epistles there is an expression which can only
be interpreted naturally as implying that, when they were written, the
'
eucharist still formed part of the agape. It is not permitted,' says
the writer, 'without the bishop either to baptize or to hold a love feast'
{S»iyrn. 8 ovk l^6v eanv ;(wpis tov Ittktkottov ovre ySaTrrt^eiv ovre aya-n-qv
In such a connexion the omission of the most
TToiEii/).
important function
in the Christian Church— the eucharist — is inconceivable. Therefore the
eucharist must be implicitly contained in the agape. The expression
here in fact is
equivalent to the 'tinguere et offerre\ which are mentioned
by Tertullian {de Exh. Cast. 7 ; comp. de Virg. Vel. 9) as the chief
functions of the priestly ofiice (see below, 11. p. 313). It is true that the
eucharist has been mentioned previously in this Ignatian letter ;
but the
previous mention does not dispense with its presence here. A sentence
has intervened. Moreover the form of the expression suggests that
these
'
particulars, baptizing and holding an agape,' are not particulars
superadded to the eucharist, but are intended to be comprehensive in
themselves. He does not write ' Neither again
is it
permitted,' but
absolutely 'It is not permitted'.' Here then we have a valuable indication
of date. Whether Ignatius was martyred before or after the
persecution in Bithynia to which Pliny's letter refers (a. d. 112; see
above, p. 56, and note on Mart. Rcwi. 11), it is impossible
to decide
^
The Ignatian interpolator in the
fourth centur)' felt the necessity of a
mention of the eucharist here, but the
eucharist was no longer a part of the
agape and the primitive custom in this
respect had passed out of memory. Accordingly
he substitutes other words
'
:
It
is not lawful without the bishop either
IGN. I.
to baptize or to make an oblation or to
offer sacrifice or to celebrate an entertainment
{oUre Trpou