o the world, who confess
not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh."[512:5]

This is language that could not have been used, if the reality of Christ
Jesus' existence as a man could not have been denied, or, it would
certainly seem, if the apostle himself had been able to give any
evidence whatever of the claim.

The quarrels on this subject lasted for a long time among the early
Christians. _Hermas_, speaking of this, says to the brethren:

"Take heed, my children, that your dissensions deprive you not
of your lives. How will ye instruct the elect of God, when ye
yourselves want correction? Wherefore admonish one another,
and be at peace among yourselves; that I, standing before your
father, may give an account of you unto the Lord."[512:6]

_Ignatius_, in his Epistle to the Smyrnaeans, says:[512:7]

"Only in the name of Jesus Christ, I undergo all, to suffer
together with him; he who was made a perfect man strengthening
me. _Whom some, not knowing, do deny_; or rather have been
denied by him, being the advocates of death, rather than of
the truth. Whom neither the prophecies, nor the law of Moses,
have persuaded; _nor the Gospel itself even to this day_, nor
the sufferings of any one of us. _For they think also the
same thing of us_; for what does a man profit me, if he shall
praise me, and blaspheme my Lord; _not confessing that he was
truly made man_?"

In his Epistle to the Philadelphians he says:[513:1]

"I have heard of some who say, _unless I find it written in
the originals_, I will not believe it to be written in the
Gospel. And when I said, It is written, they answered what lay
before them in their corrupted copies."

_Polycarp_, in his Epistle to the Philippians, says:[513:2]

"Whosoever does not confess that Jesus Christ is come in the
flesh, he is Antichrist: _and whosoever does not confess his
sufferings upon the cross_, is from the devil. And whosoever
perverts the oracles of the Lord to his own lusts; and says
that there shall neither be any resurrection, nor judgment, he
is the first-born of Satan."

_Ignatius_ says to the Magnesians:[513:3]

"Be not deceived with strange doctrines; nor with old fables
which are unprofitable. For if we still continue to live
according to the Jewish law, we do confess ourselves _not_ to
have received grace.