" "Casaubon, far from rejecting them altogether,"
Dr. Lightfoot says, "promises to defend the antiquity of some of the
Epistles with new arguments." But I have never affirmed that he
"rejected them altogether." Casaubon died before he fulfilled the
promise referred to, so that we cannot determine what arguments he
might have used. I must point out, however, that the antiquity does not
necessarily involve the authenticity of a document. With regard to
Rivet the case is different. I had overlooked the fact that in a
subsequent edition of the work referred to, after receiving Archbishop
Usher's edition on of the Short Recension, he had given his adhesion
to "that form of the Epistles." [67:1] This fact is also mentioned by
Pearson, and I ought to have observed it. [67:2] Petau, the last of
the writers referred to, says: "Equidem haud abnuerim epistolas illius
varie interpolatas et quibusdam additis mutatas, ac depravatas fuisse:
tum aliquas esse supposititias: verum nullas omnino ab Ignatio
Epistolas esse scriptas, id vero nimium temere affirmari sentio." He
then goes on to mention the recent publication of the Vossian Epistles
and the version of Usher, and the learned Jesuit Father has no more
decided opinion to express than: "ut haec prudens, ac justa suspicio
sit, illas esse genuinas Ignatii epistolas, quas antiquorum consensus
illustribus testimoniis commendatas ac approbatas reliquit.
Pages:
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102