unlearned and fimple men. Juftin was much better acquainted with the works and opinions of Plato, Ariftotle, and Pythagoras, and with the writings of Orpheus, Homer, Æfchylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, than most of those who are pleased to affert that the heathen authors are the only fources of all wisdom, but the followers of Jefus univerfally mean and fimple men. Befides the Revelation of St. John", Justin has not quoted in any part of his works from a fingle writer of the Dialogus cum Tryphone, cap. lxxxi. page 179. Και παρ ημιν ανήρ τις, ή όνομα Ιωαννης, εις των αποτολών του Χριςου, εν Αποκαλύψει γενόμενη αυτών Χιλια ετη ποιήσειν εν Ιερουσαλημ τους τῷ ἡμετηρῳ Χρισῳ πιςεύσαντας προεφήτευσε, και μετα ταυτα την καθολικην και αιωνίαν ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἅμα παντων αναςασιν γενησεσθαι και κρισιν 'A man from among us, whofe name was John, and an Apostle of Chrift, has prophefied in his Revelation, that they who believe in our Chrift, fhall live a thousand years in Jerufalem; and after that shall follow the univerfal and eternal resurrection and judgment." H 4 New New Teftament by name. But he ap peals often and exprefsly to the Gofpels, which were compofed by the Apostles and their affiftants, as to thofe books from which the Chriftians derived their tenets. In his firft apology (prefented to the Emperour Antoninus the Pious) he gives this reafon for the celebration of the Lord's Supper among the Chriftians": "for the Apoftles in the memoirs which are named Gofpels, have thus affured us, that Jefus ordered them to do it; That he took bread, gave thanks, and Apolog I. cap. lxvi. page 83.-See alfo Dialog. cum Tryphone Judæo, cap. ciii. p. 199. Εν τοις απομνημονεύμασι των αποτολών γεγραπται, προσελθών (namely σατανας) αυτῳ (Chrift) και πειράζων μεχρι του είπειν αὐτῷ, προσκύνησον μοι, και αποκρίνασθαι αυτῷ τον Χρισον, ύπαγε οπίσω μου σατανα Κυριον τον Θεόν σου προσκυνήσεις και αυτῷ μονῳ λατρεύσεις. And in the fame place: Εν τοις απομνημονεύμασι & Φημι ύπο των αποτόλων αυτου και των εκεινοις παι ρακολουθησάντων συντεταχθαι, ὅτι ίδρως ώσει θρομβοι κατεχείτο, αυτου ευχόμενου και λεγοντος, παρελθετών ει δυνατον, το ποτηριον ταυτοι then then faid, This do in remembrance of me: This is my body: That in like manner he took the cup, and after he had given thanks, faid, This is my blood." And in his advice concerning the behaviour of the Chriftians at their Sunday meetings, he mentions even, "that the memoirs of the Apostles, or the writings of the Prophets, are publicly read; and when the reader has ended, the prefident of the community exhorts them to the imitation of fuch excellent things"." An evident proof, that as early as the beginning of the fecond century the Gospels were not only generally known among the Chriftians, but were revered, even as the Scriptures of the Apologia I. cap. lxvii. p. 83. Kai ty tov ňλiov λεγόμενη ήμερα, παντων κατα πόλεις η αγρους μετ νοντων επί το αυτό συνελευσις γίνεται, και τα απομε νημονεύματα των αποτολών, η τα συγγράμματα των προφητών αναγινώσκεται μέχρις εγχωρει ειτα που σαμένου του αναγινώσκοντος, ὁ προέσως δια λόγου την νουθεσίαν και προκλησιν της των καλών τούτων με μήσεως ποιείται» Old Old Teftament, that is, as divine books. The view with which Juftin compofed his works did not allow him to ufe the Scriptures of the New Teftament by way of proof. We find, nevertheless, where opportunities occur, a variety of paffages, and these quoted with the addition that they were to be found in the Chriftian Scriptures. Thus, in the First Apology,' in which he speaks of the excellent laws of Jefus, and the virtuous actions of the Chriftians, of their hope of a future refurrection', and of their customary mode of Baptism and of Supper of the Lord',-and likewife in the Dialogue with Trypho', when he treats of the prophecies which Jefus had pronounced, of John Apolog. I. cap. xv-xvii. p. 52-54. Apolog. I. cap. Ixi-lxvii. p. 79-84. Dialog. cum Tryph. cap. xxxv. p. 132. cap. lxxvi. p. 137. cap. cvii. p. 201. the the Baptift", of the morality which Jefus taught, of Mary the mother of Jefus, and of the infults offered to the dying Saviour,-many paffages are quoted from St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke, and St. John, word for word. And the whole 'Dialogue with Trypho' is, in particular, a repetition of the hiftory of the life of Jefus, as it appears at present in our Gofpels. In this work Juftin compares the circumftances in the life of Jefus with the characters attributed to the Meffiah in the Old Teftament, and concludes, from their having been exactly fulfilled in him, that he was the Meffiah promifed by God. Dialog. cum Tryph. cap. xlix. p. 145. cap. li. P. 147. cap. lxxxviii. p. 186. W Dialog. cum Tryph. cap. xciii. p. 190. Dialog. cum Tryph. cap. c. p. 196. y Dialog. cum Tryph. cap. ci. p. 196. 2. Tatian. |