Above all it had been distinguished by its insight into the true character of those who came to it with the

appearance of Apostles. It lay on the great highway of the world, visited by many Christian travellers, some

coming to it for its own sake, others merely on their way to a more distant destination. Especially, those who

were travelling to and from Rome for the most part passed through Ephesus: hence it was already, or shortly

afterwards became, known as the highway of the martyrs, "the passage-way of those who are slain unto

God," as Ignatius called it a few years later, i.e., the place through which must pass those who were on their

way to Rome to amuse the urban population by their death in the amphitheatre. Occasionally, it is true, they

were conducted to Rome by a different road. Ignatius, for example, did not pass through Ephesus, but was

taken along the overland route, for some reason unknown to us. The reason did not lie in the season of the

year, for he was at Smyrna on 7th August, and probably reached Rome on 17th October, an open time for

navigation. But Ignatius knew, though he himself was led by another route, that the ordinary path of death

for Eastern martyrs was by land to Ephesus and thence by sea to Rome.

Among the travellers there came to Ephesus, or passed through it, many who claimed to be teachers; but the

Ephesian Church tested them all; and, when they were false, unerringly detected them and unhesitatingly

rejected them.

The recital of the past history and the services of the Church occupies a much greater proportion of the

Ephesian letter than of any other of the Seven. The writer dwells upon this topic with emphatic appreciation.

After describing the special kind of work in which the Ephesians had been most active and useful, he

returns again to praise their career of patience and steadfastness, and describes their motive--"for my name's

sake"--which enhances their merit. The best counsel, the full and sufficient standard of excellence for the

Ephesians, is to do as they did of old. Others may have to improve; but Ephesians are urged not to fall short

of their ancient standard of action.

The best commentary on this is found in the letter of Ignatius to the Ephesians, with its profound and frank

admiration, which might seem almost to be exaggerated were it not justified by the language of St. John. The

Syrian bishop wrote as one who felt that he was honoured in associating with the envoys from the Ephesian

Church and in being "permitted by letter to bear it company, and to rejoice with it." Ignatius shows clearly in

his letter the reasons for his admiration. The characteristics which he praises in the Ephesian Church are the

same as those which St. John mentions. And yet they are so expressed as to exclude the idea that he

remembered the words of this letter and either consciously or unconsciously used them: "I ought to be

trained for the contest by you in faith, in admonition, in endurance, in long suffering," sect. 3: "for ye all live

according to truth and no heresy hath a home among you; nay, ye do not so much as listen to any one if he

speak of ought else save concerning Jesus Christ in truth," sect. 6: "as indeed ye are not deceived," sect. 8:

"I have learned that certain persons passed through you from Syria, bringing evil doctrine; whom ye

suffered not to sow seed in you, for ye stopped your ears," sect. 9: "you were ever of one mind with the

Apostles in the power of Jesus Christ," sect. 11.

The ideas are the same; but they are scattered about through Ignatius' letter, and not concentrated in one

place. Moreover the words are almost entirely different. The only important words common to those

passages of Ignatius and the letter which we are studying are "endurance," which almost forced itself on

any writer, and "Apostles"; but Ignatius speaks of the true Apostles, St. John of the false. The idea of

testing, which is prominent in St. John, is never explicitly mentioned by Ignatius, and yet it is implied and

presupposed in the passages quoted from sections 6, 8, 9. But he was interested only in the result, the

successful championing of truth, whereas St. John was necessarily interested quite as much in the way by

which the Ephesians attained the result.

The probability, then, is that Ignatius was not familiar with the Ephesian letter of St. John. He could hardly

have kept so remote from the expression of this letter, if it had been clear and fresh in his memory. Hence his

testimony may be taken as entirely independent of the Revelation, and as showing that the reputation of