e is supposed to speak of the Syrian pastor. "I exhort all of you that
ye obey the word of righteousness, and exercise all patience, which ye
have seen set forth before your eyes, _not only in the blessed Ignatius,
and Zosimus, and Rufus, but also in others of you_." [404:1] These words
would suggest to an ordinary reader that Polycarp is here speaking, not
of Ignatius of Antioch, but of an Ignatius of Philippi. If this Ignatius
did not belong to the Philippian Church, why, when addressing its
members, does he speak of Ignatius, Zosimus, Rufus, and "others of you?"
Ignatius of Antioch could not have been thus described. But who, it may
be asked, were Zosimus and Rufus here mentioned as fellow-sufferers with
Ignatius? They were exactly in the position which the words of Polycarp
literally indicate; they were men _of Philippi_; and, as such, they are
commemorated in the "Martyrologies." [404:2] It is impossible,
therefore, to avoid the conclusion that the Ignatius of Polycarp was
also a Philippian.

It appears, then, that this testimony of the pastor of Smyrna has been
strangely misunderstood. Ignatius, as is well known, was not a very
uncommon name; and it would seem that several martyrs of the ancient
Church bore this designation. Cyprian, for example, tells us of an
Ignatius in Africa who was put to death for the profession of
Christianity in the former part of the third century. [405:1] It is
apparent from the words of Polycarp that there was also an Ignatius of
Philippi, as well as an Ignatius of Antioch.

It may, however, be objected that the conclusion of this letter clearly
points to Ignatius of Antioch, inasmuch as Polycarp there speaks
apparently of _Syria_, and of some one interested about Ignatius who
might shortly visit that country. [405:2] Some critics of high name have
maintained that this portion of the epistle is destitute of authority,
and that it has been added by a later hand to countenance the Ignatian
forgery. [405:3] But every candid and discriminating reader may see that
the charge is destitute of foundation. An Ignatian interpolator would
not have so mismanaged his business. He would not have framed an
appendix which, as we shall presently shew, testifies against himself.
The passage to which such exception has been taken is unquestionably the
true postscript of the letter, for it bears internal marks of
genuineness.

In this postscript Polycarp says--"What you know certainly both of
Ignatius