The Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians (Long Version)
Chapter 4: The Same Continued
Therefore, it is fitting that you also should align yourselves with the will of the bishop who, by God’s appointment, rules over you. This you indeed do of your own accord, being guided by the Spirit. For your highly respected presbytery, being worthy of God, is as precisely matched to the bishop as strings are to a harp. Thus, being united in harmony and love, of which Jesus Christ is the Captain and Guardian, you should, each individual, become one choir; so that, agreeing together in unity and achieving perfect harmony with God, you may indeed be one in harmony with God the Father, and His beloved Son Jesus Christ our Lord. For, He says, “Grant unto them, Holy Father, that as I and You are one, they also may be one in us.” It is therefore beneficial that you, being united with God in an unblemished unity, should follow the example of Christ, of whom you are also members.