Dr. Westcott has scrutinised this work with great minuteness, and, as I shall presently explain, he has selected his example with evident care. The idea of illustrating the vast mass of references in these volumes by a single instance is somewhat startling but to insinuate that a supposed contradiction pointed out in one note runs through the whole work, as he does, if I rightly understand his subsequent expressions, is scarcely worthy of Dr. Westcott, although I am sure he does not mean to be unfair. The example selected is as follows:
"'It has been demonstrated that Ignatius was not sent to Rome at all, but suffered martyrdom in Antioch itself on the 20th December, A.D. 115,(3) when he was condemned to be cast to wild beasts in the amphitheatre, in consequence of the fanatical excitement produced by the earthquake which took place on the 13th of that month.(4)" [87:2]
"'The references in support of these statements are the following:—
"'(3) Baur, Urspr. d. Episc., Tüb. Zeitschr. f. Theol. 1838, H.3, p. 155, Anm.; Bretschneider, Probabilia, &c. p. 185; Bleek, Einl. N.T. p. 144; Guericke, Handbuch, K.G. i. p. 148; Hagenbach, K.G. i. p. 113 f.; Davidson, Introd. N.T. i. p. 19; Mayerhoff, Einl. petr. Schr. p. 79; Scholten, Die ält. Zeugnisse, pp. 40, 50 f.; Volkmar, Der Ursprung, p. 52; Handbuch Einl. Apocr. i. pp. 121 f., 136.
"'(4) Volkmar, Handbuch Einl. Apocr. i. pp. 121 ff., 136 f.; Der Ursprung, p. 52 ff.; Baur, Ursp. d. Episc. Tüb. Zeitschr. f. Theol. 1838, H. 3, p. 149 f.; Gesch. chr. Kirche, 1863, i. p. 440, Amn. 1; Davidson, Introd. N.T. i, p. 19; Scholten, Die ält. Zeugnisse, p. 51 f.; cf. Francke, Zur Gesch. Trajans u.s.w. 1840, p. 253 f.; Hilgenfeld, Die ap. Väter, p, 214.'"
Upon this Dr. Westcott remarks:
Such an array of authorities, drawn from different schools, cannot but appear overwhelming; and the fact that about half of them are quoted twice over emphasises the implied precision of their testimony as to the two points affirmed." [88:1]
Dr. Westcott however, has either overlooked or omitted to state the fact that, although some of the writers are quoted twice, the two notes differ in almost every particular, many of the names in note 3 being absent from note 4, other names being inserted in the latter which do not appear in the former, an alteration being in most cases made in the place referred to, and the order in which the authorities are placed being significantly varied. For instance, in note 3, the reference to Volkmar is the last, but it is the first in note 4; whilst a similar transposition of order takes place in his works, and alterations are made in the pages. The references in note 3, in fact, are given for the date occurring in the course of the sentence, whilst those in note 4, placed at the end, are intended to support the whole statement which is made. I must, however, explain an omission, which is pretty obvious, but which I regret may have misled Dr. Westcott in regard to note 3, although it does not affect note 4. Readers are probably aware that there has been, amongst other points, a difference of opinion not only as to the place, but also the date of the martyrdom of Ignatius. I have in every other case carefully stated the question of date, and my omission in this instance is, I think, the only exception in the book. The fact is, that I had originally in the text the words which I now add to the note: "The martyrdom has been variously dated about A.D. 107, or 115-116. but whether assigning the event to Rome or to Antioch a majority of critics of all shades of opinion have adopted the later date." Thinking it unnecessary, under the circumstances, to burden the text with this, I removed it with the design of putting the statement at the head of note 3, with reference to "A.D. 115" in the text, but unfortunately an interruption at the time prevented the completion of this intention, as well as the addition of some fuller references to the writers quoted, which had been omitted, and the point, to my infinite regret, was overlooked. The whole of the authorities in note 3, therefore, do not support the apparent statement of martyrdom in Antioch, although they all confirm the date, for which I really referred to them. With this explanation, and marking the omitted references [89:1] by placing them within brackets, I proceed to analyse the two notes in contrast with Dr. Westcott's statements.
NOTE 3, FOR THE DATE A.D. 115-116.
DR. WESTCOTT'S STATEMENTS. | THE TRUTH. | | Baur, Urspr. d. Episc., Tüb. | Zeitschr. 1838, H.3 (p. 149, | Anm.) Baur states as the date of | the Parthian war, and of Trajan's | visit to Rome, "during which the | above order" (the sentence against | Ignatius) is said to have been | given, A.D. 115 and not 107. | "1. Baur, _Urspr. d. Episc., Tüb. | Ibid. p. 155, Anm. Zeitschr._ 1838, ii. 3. p. 155, | Anm. In this note, which is too | After showing the extreme long to quote, there is nothing, | improbability of the circumstances so far as I see, in any way | under which the letters to the bearing upon the history [90:1] | Smyrnaeans and to Polycarp are said except a passing supposition 'wenn | to have been written, Baur points … Ignatius im J. 116 an ihn | out the additional difficulty in [Polycarp] … schrieb …' | regard to the latter that, if | [Polycarp] died in A.D. 167 in his | 86th year, and Ignatius wrote to him | as already Bishop of Smyrna in A.D. | 116, he must have become bishop at | least in his 35th year, and | continued so for upwards of half | a century. The inference is clear | that if Ignatius died so much | earlier as A.D. 107 it involves | the still greater improbability | that Polycarp must have become | Bishop of Smyrna at latest in his | 26th year, which is scarcely to be | maintained, and the later date is | thus obviously supported. | | (Ibid. Gesch. christl. Kirche, | i. p. 440, Anm. 1.) | | Baur supports the assertion that | Ignatius suffered martyrdom in | Antioch, A.D. 115. | "2. Bretschneider, Probabilia, x. | The same. p. 185. 'Pergamus ad Ignatium 'qui | circa annum cxvi obiisse dicitur.' | | "3. Bleek, Einl. N.T. p. 144 | Bleek, Einl. N.T. p. 144. [p. 142 ed. 1862] '… In den | Briefen des Ignatius Bischofes von | Ignatius suffered martyrdom at Rome Antiochien, der unter Trajan gegen | under Trajan, A.D. 115. 115 zu Rom als Märtyrer starb.' | | "4. Guericke, Handb. K.G. i. | Guericke, Handbuch K.G. i. p. 148. p. 148 [p. 177 ed. 3, 1838, the | edition which I have used]. | Ignatius was sent to Rome, under 'Ignatius, Bischoff von Antiochien | Trajan, A.D. 115, and was destroyed (Euseb. "H.E." iii. 36), welcher | by lions in the Coliseum, A.D. 116. wegen seines standhaften | Bekenntnisses Christi _unter Trajan | 115 nach Rom geführt, und hier 116 | im Colosseum von Löwen zerrissen | wurde (vgl. § 23, i.)' [where the | same statement is repeated]. | | "5. Hagenbach, K.G. i. 113 f. [I | Hagenbach, K.G. 1869, p. 113. f. have not been able to see the book | referred to, but in his Lectures | "He (Ignatius) may have filled his 'Die christliche Kirche der drei | office about 40 years when the ersten Jahrhunderte," [91:1] 1853 | Emperor, in the year 115 (according (pp. 122 ff.), Hagenbach mentions | to others still earlier), came to the difficulty which has been felt | Antioch. It was during his war as to the execution at Rome, while | against the Parthians." [Hagenbach an execution at Antioch might have | states some of the arguments for and been simpler and more impressive, | against the martyrdom in Antioch, and then quotes Gieseler's solution,| and the journey to Rome, the former and passes on with 'Wie dem such | of which he seems to consider more sei.'] | probable.] | "6. Davidson, Introd. N.T. i. | Davidson, Introd. N.T. i. p. 19. p. 19. 'All [the Epistles of | Ignatius] are posterior to Ignatius | The same as opposite. himself, who was not thrown to the | wild beasts in the amphitheatre at | These "peremptory statements" are Rome by command of Trajan, but at | of course based upon what is Antioch on December 20, A.D. 115. | considered satisfactory evidence, The Epistles were written after | though it may not be adduced here. 150 A.D.' [For these peremptory | statements no authority whatever is | adduced]. | | "7. Mayerhoff, Einl. petr. Schr. | Mayerhoff, Einl. petr. Schr. p. 79. '… Ignatius, der | p. 79. spätestens 117 zu Rom den | Märtyrertod litt …' | Ignatius suffered martyrdom in Rome | at latest A.D. 117. | "8. Scholten, Die ält. Zeugnisse, | Scholten, Die ält. Zeugnisse, p. 40, mentions 115 as the year of | p. 40, states A.D. 115 as the date Ignatius' death: p. 50 f. The | of Ignatius' death. At p. 50 he Ignatian letters are rejected | repeats this statement, and gives partly 'weil sie eine Märtyrerreise | his support to the view that his des Ignatius nach Rom melden, deren | martyrdom took place in Antioch on schon früher erkanntes | the 20th December, A.D. 115. ungeschichtliches Wesen durch | Volkmar's nicht ungegründete | Vermuthung um so wahrscheinlicher | wird. Darnach scheint nämlich | Ignatius nicht zu Rom auf Befehl | des sanftmüthigen Trajans, sondern | zu Antiochia selbst, in Folge eines | am dreizehnten December 115 | eingetretenen Erdbebens, als Opfer | eines abergläubischen Volkswahns am | zwanzigsten December dieses Jahres | im Amphitheater den wilden Thieren | zur Beute überliefert worden zu | sein.' | | "9. Volkmar, Der Ursprung, p. 52 | Volkmar, Der Ursprung, p. 52, [p. 52 ff.] [92:1] [This book I | affirms the martyrdom at Antioch, have not been able to consult, but | 20th December, 115. from secondary references I gather | that it repeats the arguments given | under the next reference.] | | "10. Volkmar, Haindb. Einl. Apocr.| Ibid. Handbuch Einl. Apocr. pp. 121 f., 136. 'Ein Haupt der | p. 121 f., affirms the martyrdom Gemeinde zu Antiochia, Ignatius, | at Antioch, 20th December, 115. wurde, während Trajan dortselbst | überwinterte, am 20. December den | Thieren vorgeworfen, in Folge der | durch das Erdbeben vom 13. December | 115 gegen die [Greek: atheoi] | erweckten Volkswuth, ein Opfer | zugleich der Siegesfeste des | Parthicus, welche die Judith- | Erzählung (i. 16) andeutet, Dio | (c. 24 f.; vgl. c. 10) voraussetzt | …' | | "P. 136. The same statement is | Ibid. p. 136. The same repeated briefly." [93:1] | statement, with fuller | chronological evidence.