Early Church Writings — historically valuable Christian documents, presented as noncanonical writings rather than Scripture.

Epistle to the Philadelphians

Ignatius

Chapter II.—Maintain union with the bishop

Wherefore, as children of light and truth, flee from division and wicked doctrines; but where the shepherd is, there do ye as sheep follow. For there are many wolves that appear worthy of credit, who, by means of a pernicious pleasure, carry captive 889 those that are running towards God; but in your unity they shall have no place.

Wherefore, as children of light and truth, avoid the dividing of your unity, and the wicked doctrine of the heretics, from whom "a defiling influence has gone forth into all the earth." 890 But where the shepherd is, there do ye as sheep follow. For there are many wolves in sheep's clothing, 891 who, by means of a pernicious pleasure, carry captive 892 those that are running towards God; but in your unity they shall have no place.

Notes

  1. Comp. 2 Tim. iii. 6. ↩
  2. Jer. xxiii. 15. ↩
  3. Comp. Matt. vii. 15. ↩
  4. Comp. 2 Tim. iii. 6. ↩

Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume I, edited by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson; revised by A. Cleveland Coxe. Public domain. Electronic text courtesy of CCEL.