Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

THE FIRST AGE OF THE MARTYR CHURCH.217the crucified one about in him, be taken in chainsby soldiers to the great Eome to become the foodof wild beasts, for the pleasure of the people." Theholy martyr, when he heard this sentence, criedout with joy, "I thank Thee, 0 Lord, who hastthought me worthy to be honoured with perfectcharity towards Thee, and to be bound in ironchains together with Thy Apostle Paul."39So, with great eagerness and joy, through desireof his passion, having commended his churchto God, he set out on that long journey, "fighting,as he says, with wild beasts all the way from Syriato Rome, over land and sea, by day and by night,"a captive under sentence of death, in the handsof soldiers, but receiving at each city a deputationfrom the bishop and people, who came forth tohonour him as their champion. And he has butone anxiety, expressed again and again in thatfervent letter to the Roman Christians, that theyshould not by their prayers intercept his martyrdom.u I entreat you not to be untimely kind tome. Suffer me to be the food of the beasts, sinceby them I may enjoy God. I am God's grain: letme be ground by their teeth, that I may be foundthe pure bread of Christ:"40 and then, presently," I do not command you, as Peter and Paul;" thusgiving an incidental but most powerful witnessthe special relation which those Apostlthe Roman Churc39 Acts of S. Ignatius, Ruinart, pp. 8, 9. 40 Ad Rom. iv.