begotten and not begotten; become God in the flesh,
true life in death, both from Mary and from God; first liable to
suffering, and then incapable of suffering." [In the majority of the
manuscripts the reading is, "in an immortal true life."]

Here we must observe that these Epistles of Ignatius have come down to
us also in an interpolated form, abounding indeed with substitutions and
additions, but generally resembling paraphrases of the original text. Of
the general character of that supposititious work, two passages
corresponding with our quotations from the genuine productions of
Ignatius may give a sufficiently accurate idea. The first passage above
quoted is thus paraphrased: "For if the prayer of one or two possesses
{87} such strength that Christ stands among them, how much more shall
the prayer both of the bishop and of the whole Church, ascending with
one voice to God, induce him to grant all their requests made in Jesus
Christ?" [Page 47. c. 5.] The paraphrase of the second is more full:
"Our physician is the only true God, ungenerated and unapproachable; the
Lord of all things, but the Father and Generator of the only-begotten
Son. We have also as our physician our Lord God, Jesus Christ, who was
before the world, the only-begotten Son and the Word, but also
afterwards man of the Virgin Mary; 'for the Word was made flesh.' He who
was incorporeal, now in a body; he who could not suffer, now in a body
capable of suffering; he who was immortal in a mortal body, life in
corruption--in order that he might free our immortal souls from death
and corruption, and heal them, diseased with ungodliness and evil
desires as they were." [Page 48. c. 7.]

It must here be observed, that though these are indisputably not the
genuine works of Ignatius, but were the productions of a later age, yet
no trace is to be found in them of the doctrine, or practice, of the
invocation of saints. In this point of view their testimony is nothing
more nor less than that of an anonymous paraphrast, who certainly had
many opportunities of referring to that doctrine and practice; but who
by his total silence seems to have been as ignorant of them as the
author himself whose works he is paraphrasing.

To return to his genuine works: In his Epistle to the Magnesians we find
these expressions: "For as the Lord did nothing without the Father,
being one with {88} him, neither by himself, nor by his Apostles; so
neither do ye any thing without t