Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

198 THE FIRST AGE OF THE MARTYR CHURCH.Church's material extension: now as to its inter-nal growth.As this period opens, comrades of the Apostlesstill abound in the churches. We know of severalinstances wherein such persons hold eminent rank.At Koine, S. Clement is the third successor of S.Peter ; and S. Irenaaus,22 recording him as sucheighty years afterwards, specially notes that he hadseen and lived with Apostles, and had their preachingstill sounding in his ears, and their traditionbefore his eyes ; at Antioch, S. Ignatius, secondafter the same S. Peter ; in the See of JerusalemS. Simeon, the brother of James, still survives; atSmyrna, S. John's disciple Polykarp is bishop.Many more such S. Irenaeus declares that therewere. This would prepare us for the strengthwith which the principle of authority and traditionwas held, and show how completely the sense of aspiritual government, of cohesion, and continuity ofmoral life, and of a common doctrine and teaching,the foundation of these, prevailed. But we are notleft to inferences, we have the clearest statementson this point about fifteen years after S. John'sdeath. It has been remarked above how in theApocalypse our Lord himself, addressing the sevenchurches, gathers them up in their bishops, and22 Lib. iii. 3. *Eri svavXov rb K7]pvy/j.a T£>V ctTrooToAcoz/ Kal r}jv 7rapd8o(nv(/)0aA/xo?i> exa?j>, ou /i^z/os, en yap iro\\ol eVeAeiTrwro rJre airb ra>i> d?ro-GT&K&V SeSiScry^uez/ot: where ri» Kypvyfjia and ?j TrapaSotris T&V awo(rr6\o)y indicatethe whole body of truth which they communicated to the Church,whether written or unwritten.