Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 7.djvu/712

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IGNATIUS


644


IGNATIUS


ruler that Xavier learnt the principle, "the company of Jesus ought to be called the company of love and conformity of souls" (Ep., 12 Jan., 1549).

(1) SouBCES. — Monumenla historica Soc. Jesu, ed. Rodeles (Madrid, 1894 — ), 36 volunies. Of Ignatius's own letters etc., Monumenta Ignatiana, two subsections are in progress: Epis- toloB et InstTuctioneR, 9 vols., and Scripta de S. Ignatio, others will follow on Spiritual Exercises, etc. The other volumes con- tain correspondence of Sts. Francis Xavier, Francis Borgia, of Broet, Salmeron, Nadal, etc., of which the greater part is ad- dressed to Ignatius. The saint's Aviohioaraphy, communi- cated to Fr. Gonzalez de CAmara is in the Scripta mentioned above, also in Acta SS., English tr., Rix (London. 1900). with notes by Thurston; another by O'CkjNNOR (New York, 1900); cfr. Cartas de S. Ignacio de Loyola (6 vols., Madrid, 1874 — ); RlBADENElRA. Vila Ignatii Loyoltr (Naples, 1572); Perez, La Santa Casa de Loyola (Bilbao, 1891); Sacchini. Historia So- cietatis Jcsu (Vol. I. Rome, 1615: Vol. II, Antwerp, 1621: Vols. Ill, IV. V, Rome, 1651-1661).

(2) Li\*ES. — No life utilizing all the above materials has yet been written; but most have been consulted by A.strain". Historia de la Compania de Jesus en la Asistencia de Espaua (Madrid, 1902), for the period up to Ignatius's coming to Rome. The subsequent period will be given in the second volume of Tacchi-Venturi, Scoria rfe/?a CompagniadiGesii tn /(aim (Rome, 1909). For what relates to Germany see Dithr, Geschichte der Jesuiten in den Landern deutscker Zunge (Freiburg im Br., 1907). For France see Fouquerat. The older lives are very numerous. (rAR.\YON, Bibliographie Historique de la C de Jesus (Paris. 1864). nn. 2119-40. gives titles of 121. Sommer- VOGEL, Bibliolluque de la C. de Jisus (Brussels. 1S90), V. 59-124. and X, 1643, mentions 73 biographers among Jesuits only. Of these the most esteemed are: Ribadeneira, op. cit., the most modern edition of which is Clair, La Vie de S. Ignace (Paris. 1894); Orla.vdini. Histori(S Socictatis Jesu pars prima, sive Ignatius (Rome, 1615); Bartoli, Delia Vita di S. Ignazio (Rome. 1650), of which the best modern edition is Michel, His- toirede S. Ignace (Bruges, lS93i; Bouhours, La Vie de S. Ignace (Paris, 1679), English tr. — probably by Dryhen — The Life of St. Ignatius . . . translated into English by a Person of Quality (London, 1686): Piem (Pinius), .*lc(a S. Ignatii Loyolw in ,4f(a ,S5., July. VII (Antwerp, 1731): Genelli, Leben des h. Ignatius von Loyola (Imisbruck, 1848), revised ed. by Kolb (Vienna. 1894) ; Stewart Rose (pseudonym for Caroline Stew- art Erskine, Lady Buchan), 5. Ignatius Loyola and the Early Jesuits (fully illustrated, London, 1891); Thompson, Life of S. Ignatius (London, 1910); Heimbucher. Die Orden und Kongregationen der katholischen Kirche,\W (Paderbom. 1908), 2-257. It is to be regretted that there is as yet no commend- able life by a Protestant. Perhaps the best is Gothein, Igna- tius von Loyola und die Gegenreformation (Halle, 1895). See also ZoCKLER in Herzog-Hauck, Realencyklopadie far protes- tantische Theologie und Kirche (Leipzig, 1900), s. v. Jesuitenorden.

(3) Spiritual Exercises. — Ejercicios Espirituales de S. Ig- nacio de Loyola, Reproduccion fototipica del original (Rome. 1908); Watrigant, La gencse des exercises de St-lgnace (.■\miens, 1897); Diertins, Historia Exercitiorum spiritualium (Rome, 1700). Of the ver>' numerous commentators, the most characteristic of recent times are Roothaan. Hummelauer, SIeschler, and Denis. For the various editions see Sommer- vogel. Bibliothlque de la Compagnie de Jesus (2nd ed., Brussels and Paris, 1800 — ), V. 59-74- For the allciicd connexion of The Exercises with (3lSNER0S, Ejcrcitatorio de la vida espiritual, see AsTR-\iN, I, 156-160.

(4) Constitutions. — Constituriones de la Compafliade Jesus, Reproduccion fototipica del original (Rome, 1908); Constitu- tioncs Sorietatis Jesu Latine el Hispanice (Madrid, 1892); in- stitutum .Societatis Jesu (Rome, 1869). For other editions see SoMMERVOGEL, loc. cit., 75-115. See also Su.^rez. De religione Socictatis Jesu (Lyons, 1632); Oswald, Commentarius in Decern Partes Constituiionum Socictatis Jesu (Lille, 1892).

J. H. Pollen.

Ignatius of Antioch, Saint, also called Theo- phorus (6 Qeoipipos); h. in Syria, c. the year 50; d. at Koine between 98 and 117. More than one of the earliest ecclesiastical writers have given credence, though apparently without good reason, to the legend that Ignatius was the child whom the Sa\'iour took up in His arms, as described in Mark, ix, 35. It is also believed, and with great probability, that, with his friend Polycarp, he was among the auditors of the Apostle St. John. If we include St. Peter, Ignatius was the third Bishop of Antioch and the immeiliate successor of Evodius (Eusebius, " Hist. Eccl.", II, iii, 22, Migne, P. G., L). Theodoret (" Dial. Immutab.", I, iv, 3.3a, Paris, 1642) is the authority for the state- ment that St. Peter appointed Ignatius to the See of Antioch. St. John Chrysostom lays special emphasis on the honour conferred upon the martjT in receiving his episcopal consecration at the hands of the Apostles themselves (" Hom. in St. Ig.", IV. 587, Migne, P. G.). Natalis .Alexander quotes Theodoret to the same effect (III, xii, art. xvi, p. 53).


All the sterling qualities of ideal pastor and a true soldier of Christ were pos.sessed by the Bishop of Anti- och in a pre-eminent degree. Accordingly, when the storm of the persecution of Domitian broke in its full fury upon the Christians of Syria, it foimd their faith- ful leader prepared and watchful. He was unremit- ting in his vigilance and tireless in his efforts to inspire hope and to strengthen the weaklings of his flock against the terrors of the persecution. The restora- tion of peace, though it was short-lived, greatly com- forted him. But it was not for himself that he re- joiced, as the one great and ever-present wish of his chivalrous soul was that he might receive the fullness of Christian discipleship through the medium of mar- tjTdom. His desire was not to remain long unsatis- fied. Associated with the writings of St. Ignatius is a work called " Martyrium Ignatii", which purports to be an account bj- eyev\'itnesses of the martyrdom of St. Ignatius and the acts leading up to it. In this work, which such competent Protestant critics as Pearson and Ussher regard as genuine, the full history of that eventful journey from SjTia to Home is faith- fully recorded for the edification of the Church of Antioch. It is certainly very ancient and is reputed to have been written by Philo, deacon of Tarsus, and Rheus Agathopus, a SjTian, who accompanied Igna- tius to Rome. It is generally admitted, even by those who regarded it as authentic, that this work has been greatly interpolated. Its most reliable form is that found in the "Martyrium Colbertinum" which closes the mixed recension and is so called because its old- est T^itness is the tenth-century Codex Colbeitinus (Paris).

According to these Acts, in the ninth year of his reign, Trajan, flushed with victory over the Scythians and Dacians, sought to perfect the universality of his dominion by a species of religious conquest. He decreed, therefore, that the Christians should unite with their pagan neighbours in the worship of the gods. A general persecution was threatened, and death was named as the penalty for all who refused to offer the prescribed sacrifice. Instantly alert to the danger that threatened, Ignatius availed himself of all the means within his reach to thwart the purpose of the emperor. The success of his zealous efforts did not long remain hidden from the Chtirch's persecutors. He was soon arrested and led before Trajan, who was then sojourning in .\ntioch. .\ccusctl l>y the emperor himself of violating the imperial edict, and of inciting others to like transgressions, Ignatius valiantly bore ■witness to the faith of Christ. If we may believe the account given in the "Martj-rium ", his bearing before Trajan was characterized by inspired eloquence, sul> lime courage, and even a spirit of exultation. Incap- able of appreciating the motives that animated him, the emperor ordered him to be put in chains and taken to Rome, there to become the food of wild beasts and a spectacle for the people.

That the trials of this journey to Rome were great we gather from his letter to the Romans (par. 5): "From Syria even to Rome I fight with wild beasts, by land and "sea, by night and by day, being bound amidst ten leopards, even a company of soldiers, who only wax worse when they are kindly treated." Despite all this, his journey was a kind of triumph. News of his fate, his destination, and his probable itinerary had gone swiftly before. At several jilaces along the road his fellow-Christians greeted him with words of comfort and reverential homage. It is proliablc that he embarked on his way to Rome at Srleucia. in Syria, the nearest port to Antioch, for either Tarsus in Cilicia, or Attalia in Pamphylia, and thence, as we gather from his letters, he journeyed overland through .Asia Minor. At Laodicea, on "the River Lycus, where a choice of routes presented itself, his guards selected the more northerly, which brought the prospective martyr through Pluladelphia and Sardis, and finally to