I know Ignatius of Antioch. Ignatius warned against false doctrines.
Certainly, but you would need to do some work to show that Ignatius warned against contemplation as a non-Christian or otherwise deleterious practice, or to show that contemplation is based on some theoretical construct that Ignatius would consider to be a false doctrine. With regard to his epistles (you can find others through the site I linked, or through Google) I would say his warnings about false doctrine focus on several in particular
1. Against Judaism in context the debate about circumcision and other practices of the Jewish Law as Christian requirements.
"Do not be led astray by wrong views or by outmoded tales that count for nothing. For if we still go on observing Judaism, we admit we never received grace." (To The Mag. 8)
"Now, if anyone preaches Judaism to you, pay no attention to him..." (To The Philadelphians 6)
2. Against docetism in particular or views that deny the death, resurrection or divinity of Christ in general:
"Be deaf, then, to any talk that ignores Jesus Christ, of David’s lineage, of Mary; who was really born, ate; and drank; was really persecuted under Pontius Pilate; was really crucified and died, in the sight of heaven and earth and the underworld. He was really raised from the dead, for his Father raised him, just as his Father will raise us, who believe on him, through Christ Jesus, apart from whom we have no genuine life." (To The Trallians 9)
"For it was for our sakes that he suffered all this, to save us. And he genuinely suffered, as even he genuinely raised himself. It is not as some unbelievers say, that his Passion was a sham. It’s they who are a sham!" (to the Smyrneans 2)
3. Against disunity, disrespect of church authority, and especially schism regarding the Eucharist:
"Try to gather together more frequently to celebrate God’s Eucharist and to praise him. For when you meet with frequency, Satan’s powers are overthrown and his destructiveness is undone by the unanimity of your faith." (to the Ephesians 13)
"I believed, then, that I saw your whole congregation in these people I have mentioned, and I loved you all. Hence I urge you to aim to do everything in godly agreement" (to the Magnesians 6)
"Pay close attention to those who have wrong notions about the grace of Jesus Christ, which has come to us, and note how at variance they are with God’s mind. They care nothing about love: they have no concern for widows or orphans, for the oppressed, for those in prison or released, for the hungry or the thirsty. They hold aloof from the Eucharist and from services of prayer, because they refuse to admit that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Saviour Jesus Christ, which suffered for our sins and which, in his goodness, the Father raised." (to the Smyrnaeans 6-7)
"Since you are children of the light of truth, flee from schism and false doctrine... Keep away from bad pasturage. Jesus Christ does not cultivate it since the Father did not plant it. Not that I found schism among you — rather had you been sifted. As many as are God’s and Jesus Christ’s, they are on the bishop’s side; and as many as repent and enter the unity of the church, they shall be God’s, and thus they shall live in Jesus Christ’s way." (to the Philadelphians 2-3)
What I do not find in the epistles is anything against contemplative prayer. To be fair, I don't believe any of the epistles has as its aim the goal of explicating in detail the practice of contemplative prayer, although prayer is mentioned often. At best the more mystical themes are alluded to, as I shall present in a moment. But it's misleading to respond to a citation of Ignatius in favor of silence by asserting that he cautioned against false doctrine, because he was entirely unconcerned with contemplation as such a false doctrine.
How would you reconcile the contemplative practices of meditation and the word “silence” in the practices of Ignatius of Antioch?
I think what is needed is probably some clearer exposition of the symbolic meaning of terms like "silence" in the Christian worldview of writers like Ignatius, which is a large undertaking, although I think if you read this thread carefully you can see many different pieces tied together: John's gospel, other later Christian writers on mystical prayer, and etc. You yourself cited a line from Ignatius that is crucial to making sense of these ideas (emphasis added)
"Having been informed of your godly love, so well-ordered, I rejoiced greatly, and determined to commune with you in the faith of Jesus Christ. For as one who has been thought worthy of the most honourable of all names, in those bonds which I bear about, I commend the Churches, in which I pray for a union both of the flesh and spirit of Jesus Christ, the constant source of our life, and of faith and love, to which nothing is to be preferred, but especially of Jesus and the Father, in whom, if we endure all the assaults of the prince of this world, and escape them, we shall enjoy God." (to the Magnesians 1)
Contemplative prayer, or Christian mysticism in general, is nothing other than the aspiration towards union of the flesh and spirit with Jesus Christ, and with the body of other Christians. The two are taken as sides of a coin, especially in Paul's writings, which Ignatius references:
"You have been initiated into the mysteries with Paul, a real saint and martyr, who deserves to be congratulated. When I come to meet God may I follow in his footsteps, who in all his letters mentions your union with Christ Jesus." (to the Ephesians 12)
The word mysteries is an allusion to Paul's usage of the term, in reference to the mystery of Christ, which is both a reference to the unexpected and somewhat paradoxical nature of the Incarnation in comparison with Paul's previous understanding of a Jewish messiah, but also a reference to the mystery of union with God through Christ, which underlies both Paul and Ignatius' references to union with Christ, or being "in Christ" as we have previously discussed.
In the same vein, it's worth pointing out that Ignatius begins all of his epistles by referring to himself as Ignatius Theophorus. Literally "God bearer", although the English translation I've been citing renders it as "God-inspired". It means one who embodies and manifests the indwelling Spirit and light of God in a special way. This title was later on adopted by the eastern Churches in reference to other saints, and always applied to those who especially cultivated the experiential knowledge of God in contemplative prayer. St. Isaac of Syria, who I quoted before, is one example of a saint referred to as Theophorus in the eastern Christian tradition. Rather than arguing for the scriptural and traditional basis of that view, Ignatius merely cites his title, knowing his audience understands the meaning.
In fact, Ignatius makes reference to the idea that this knowledge goes beyond just the recitation of proper doctrine in his epistles, although he also certainly emphasizes that doctrine and considers this experiential knowledge of the mysteries a thing which requires initiation and circumspection:
"Some there may be who wanted in a human way to mislead me, but the Spirit is not misled, seeing it comes from God. For “it knows whence it comes and whither it goes,” and exposes what is secret." (to the Philadelphians 7)
The passage goes on to speak about the authority of the Spirit residing in the Church, which is a tangent that is worth exploring in relation to the question of authority as raised elsewhere:
"I urge you, do not do things in cliques, but act as Christ’s disciples. When I heard some people saying, “If I don’t find it in the original documents, I don’t believe it in the gospel,” I answered them, “But it is written there.” They retorted, “That’s just the question.” To my mind it is Jesus Christ who is the original documents. The inviolable archives are his cross and death and his resurrection and the faith that came by him. It is by these things and through your prayers that I want to be justified." (to the Philadelphians 8)
He says more about his mystical experience to the Trallians:
"God has granted me many an inspiration, but I keep my limits, lest boasting should be my undoing. For what I need most at this point is to be on my guard and not to heed flatterers. Those who tell me… they are my scourge. To be sure, I am ever so eager to be a martyr, but I do not know if I deserve to be. Many people have no notion of my impetuous ambition. Yet it is all the more a struggle for me. What I need is gentleness by which the prince of this world is overthrown.
Am I incapable of writing to you of heavenly things? No, indeed; but I am afraid to harm you, seeing you are mere babes. You must forgive me, but the chances are you could not accept what I have to say and would choke yourselves. Even in my own case, it is not because I am a prisoner and can grasp heavenly mysteries, the ranks of the angels, the array of principalities, things visible and invisible — it is not because of all that that I am a genuine disciple as yet. There is plenty missing, if we are not going to be forsaken by God." (Trallians 5)
I think it is important to note here that his cautions are an example of discernment as a spiritual virtue as I have tried to describe it, beyond reflecting a view about the requirement of initiation. Taking all of that as background should I think flesh out a bit more what the word Silence means to Ignatius, although I think also the allusions to John should be kept in mind as well:
"It is better to keep quiet and be real, than to chatter and be unreal. It is a good thing to teach if, that is, the teacher practices what he preaches. There was one such Teacher, who “spoke and it was done”;and what he did in silence is worthy of the Father. He who has really grasped what Jesus said can appreciate his silence. Thus he will be perfect: his words will mean action, and his very silence will reveal his character." (to the Ephesians 15)
"...God is one, and that he has revealed himself in his Son Jesus Christ, who is his Word issuing from the silence..." (to the Magnesians 8)
"By being silent he can do more than those who chatter. For he is in tune with the commandments as a harp is with its strings. For this reason I bless his godly mind, recognizing its virtue and perfection, and the way he lives in altogether godly composure, free from fitfulness and anger." (to the Philadelphians 1)
What ties these together is a combination of both a practical view about Christian life and virtue, as well as a background mystical theology as I've tried to describe above. Practically speaking, silence is an expression of humility, as in the case of Christ's silence before Pilate, or his own silence about his mystical experiences. It is also connected to the practical value of a detached and composed mind, free from anger. In praising their bishop to the Philadelphians, he emphasizes the virtue of his mindfulness, expressed in silence. Throughout the later tradition, exemplified by the 4th century desert fathers, this composed and detached mindfulness is the fruit of silent prayer and meditation, alongside the cultivation of humility, selflessness, and love.
Theologically, the humility of Christ is an expression of something in the nature of Divinity, reflecting its apophatism (cf. John and what I've said about the invisibility of God) and also its own humility and love, which "makes it rain upon the just as well as the unjust". Ignatius' epistles are mostly pastoral and practical, but the practical advice needs to be understood against the background of his theological views, which clearly include an idea of spiritual authority grounded in the Holy Spirit which is active in a way that goes beyond the literal text of scripture (cf. Philadelphians 8) and which emphasizes the importance of union with Christ (cf. Magnesians 1). Those two main points are already the core of Christian mysticism, in which contemplative prayer is considered the means par excellence of reaching that union.
Now, Ignatius is not canonical, so I expect that one possible retort here is to simply suggest he is wrong. My point in citing him was first of all just to help establish the fact that the kinds of ideas being discussed go back to the very beginning of Christianity, rather than being some modern innovation. I hope that this helps tie those threads together at the very least.
I don't believe the question of authority can be settled purely by appeal to the modern canon of the Bible either (nor by appeal to Ignatius, of course), because for one thing that very canon was established by a Church authority which very much agreed with Ignatius' views, rather than the modern protestant ones, and secondly because the very authority of that Church to establish the canon can't be grounded in the text itself, which makes no such assertion about its own status, and simply can't given the fact that it's a collection of texts written across a long period of time by disparate authors, many of whom did not claim their writings to be scripture at the time. At the very least, it should be recognized that as far back as we are able to adequately assess the views of self-identified Christians, they have held views about the Spirit, about scripture, and about prayer which are well described as mystical and which embrace the idea of contemplation, as well as symbols like Silence.
