dments, and love whatever he loved; refraining from all fraud,
avarice, detraction, and rash judgment; repaying evil with good,
forgiving and showing mercy to others that we ourselves may find mercy.
"These things," says he, "I write to you on justice, because you incited
me; for neither I, nor any other like me, can attain to the wisdom of
the blessed and glorious Paul, into whose epistles if you look, you may
raise your spiritual fabric by strengthening faith, which is our mother,
hope following, and charity towards God, Christ, and our neighbor
preceding us. He who has charity is far from all sin." The saint gives
short instructions to every particular state, then adds; "Every one who
hath not confessed that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is
antichrist;[16] and who hath not confessed the suffering of the cross,
is of the devil; and who hath drawn the oracles of the Lord to his
passions, and hath said that there is no resurrection nor judgment, he
is the oldest son of Satan." He exhorts to watching always in prayer,
lest we be led into temptation; to be constant in fasting, persevering,
joyful in hope, and in the pledge of our justice, which is Christ {229}
Jesus, imitating his patience; for, by suffering for his name, we
glorify him. To encourage them to suffer, he reminds them of those who
had suffered before their eyes: Ignatius, Zozimus, and Rufus, and some
of their own congregation,[17] "who are now," says our saint, "in the
place which is due to them with the Lord, with whom they also suffered."

Footnotes:
1. Ch. ii. v. 9.
2. Eus. Hist. l. 5, c. 20, p. 188.
3. Cat. vir. illustr. c. 17.
4. See also 1 John ii. 18, 22, and 2 John 10.
5. St. Ignatius begins his letter to the faithful at Smyrna, by
glorifying God for their great spiritual wisdom, saying he knew them
to be perfect in their unshaken faith, as men crucified with our
Lord Jesus in flesh and in spirit, and deeply grounded in charity by
the blood of Christ. He then solidly confutes the Docaetae, heretics
who imagined that Christ was not incarnate, and died only in
appearance; whom he calls demoniacs. He adds: "I give you this
caution, knowing that you hold the true faith, but that you may
stand upon your guard against these wild beasts in human shape, whom
you ought not to receive under your roof, nor even meet if possible;
and be content only to pray for them that they may be converted, if
it be poss