61. But, lest any one should unreasonably object to what is taught by us, saying that CHRIST was born but a hundred and fifty years since, in the time of Cyrenius, and taught what we ascribe to him still later, under Pontius Pilate, and should accuse us of maintaining that all men, who lived before that time, were not accountable for their actions, we will anticipate and solve the difficulty. We have learned, and have before explained, that CHRIST was the first-begotten of GOD, being the Word, or Reason, of which all men were partakers. They then who lived agreeably to reason, were really Christians, even if they were considered Atheists, such as Socrates, Heraclitus, and the like among the Greeks; and among other nations Abraham, Ananias, Azarias, Misael, and Elias, and many others, the actions and even the names of whom we at present omit, knowing how tedious the enumeration would be. Those therefore who of old lived without right reason, the same were bad men, and enemies to CHRIST, and the murderers of those who lived agreeably to reason. Whereas they who ever lived or now live, in a manner which reason would approve, are truly Christians, and free from fear or trouble. From what we have already so fully stated, any intelligent man may understand, for what cause He was made man, and born of a virgin, by the power of the Word and the counsel of God the Father and LORD of all things, and was named JESUS, and died on the cross, and rose again, and went up again into heaven. But since any further disquisition for the explanation of this point is not now necessary, we will proceed to the proof of that which is more closely connected with our present purpose.

84

62. Hear, then, what was spoken by the prophetic

Justin's notion was, that every degree of intelligence which men possessed, respecting the nature of the Deity, and their relation to him, was derived from a portion of the Divine reason, λóyos, communicated to them; but that the true believer in CHRIST only possesses this quality in perfection. He uses the word Móyos in different senses. Sometimes it denotes the Second person of the Trinity, the Word; sometimes reason or intelligence; and sometimes word or speech. This necessarily creates ambiguity in determining the sense of the term in any particular passage.

α ἄχρηστοι, καὶ ἐχθροὶ τῷ Χριστῷ ἦσαν.

See note (r) on Sect. 43. Compare Phil. ii. 7.

spirit, declaring that the whole land of Judea should also be laid waste. The words, it will be observed, are spoken in the person of the people themselves wondering at what was done; and they are these. "Sion is become a wilderness; Jerusalem is become as a wilderness: the house, our holy place, is accursed; and the glory, which our fathers blessed, is burned with fire. And all its glories are fallen down. And in these things thou didst refrain thyself, and didst hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore.'

Now that Jerusalem is laid waste, as it was predicted it should be, ye have good proof. It was also thus spoken by Isaiah the prophet, concerning its desolation, and that no one should return thither to dwell: "Their land is desolate their enemies devour it before their face and none of them shall dwell therein." Ye well know also that ye have forbidden any man to dwell there and that the punishment of death is denounced against any Jew who shall be found within the place.

u

63. Hear also in what manner it was predicted that our CHRIST should heal all manner of diseases, and raise the dead. Thus it is said, "At his coming the lame man shall leap as a hart, and the tongue of the stammerer shall be eloquent, the blind shall receive their sight, and the lepers shall be cleansed, and the dead shall arise and walk." And that CHRIST did these things ye may learn from the records of what was done under Pontius Pilate. Hear again what was said by Isaiah, foretelling by the prophetic spirit that CHRIST should be slain, together with those men who hoped in him. The words are these. "Behold, how the just man perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, and no one considereth.

"Justin adds what is spoken, Jer. 1. 3, respecting Babylon.

* TERTULLIAN (Apol. Sect. 21,) speaks of the Jews as banished from their country; and not even permitted as strangers to set foot upon their own land. He repeats the same assertion, adv. Judæos, c. 15. EUSEBIUS, (Hist. Eccles. Lib. iv. c. 6, and in his Chronicon,) states that an edict was made, in the eighteenth year of the Emperor Adrian, forbidding any Jew to approach within sight of Jerusalem. VALESIUS, in his notes on EUSEBIUS, Hist. Eccles. shows that there was one day in the year, on which the restriction was removed,

y Isa. xxxv. 5, 6.

* See Section 45.

The just man is taken away from before injustice: and his grave shall be in peace: he is taken away from the midst."a And again, how is it declared by the same Isaiah that the people of the Gentiles who expected him not, should worship him; but the Jews, who constantly expected him, should know him not when he came. The words were spoken as in the person of CHRIST; and are to this effect. "I was made known to them that looked not for me; I was found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold, here am I, to a people who called not upon my name. I stretched forth my hands to a disobedient and gain-saying people : to those that walked in a way which was not good, 85 but after their own sins: a people that provoketh to anger before me. For the Jews, who had the prophecies, and always expected the CHRIST to come, not only knew him not, but evil entreated him. But they of the Gentiles, who had never heard any thing of CHRIST, until the apostles who went forth from Jerusalem declared what he had done, and delivered the prophecies respecting him, were then filled with joy; and renounced their belief in idols; and dedicated themselves to the unbegotten GoD through CHRIST. Hear also what was briefly spoken by Isaiah, to show that these harsh accusations should be brought against those who confessed CHRIST; and how wretched those should be who spoke ill of him, and maintained that the ancient customs ought to be preserved. His words are these: "Wo unto them that call sweet bitter, and bitter sweet." d

64. Hear also in what manner it was prophesied, that he should be made man for us; and submit to suffer, and be set at naught; and should come again with glory. The words are these. "Because he hath

given up his soul unto death, and was numbered with

• Isa. Įvii. 1, 2.

Isa. lxv. 1-3. Rom. x. 21.

GRABE observes, that this is a formula in which Catechumens, who were subsequently to be baptized, were dismissed from the Church. Such a formula is given by the author of the Apostolical Constitutions, (Lib. viii. c. 6,) as part of the bidding prayer, [directions how to pray,] which the Deacon was to use for the Catechumens. Compare similar expressions in Sections 17, 33, 79.

d Isa. v. 20.

Compare Epistle of CLEMENT, Sect. 16.

the transgressors; he hath borne the sins of many, and shall make intercession for the transgressors. For behold my Son shall understand, and shall be exalted, and shall be exceedingly glorified. As many shall be astonished at thee; so shall thy appearance be without honor, more than any men, and thy glory more than any men: so shall many nations wonder at thee; and kings shall shut their mouths at thee; for they to whom nothing had been told of thee, and who had not heard, shall understand. LORD, who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? We have declared before him, as (if he were) a child; as a root in a thirsty ground. There is no form in him, nor glory. Yea we saw him; and he had no form nor comeliness: but his form was without honor, and marred more than men. He was a man in stripes, and knowing how to bear infirmity. For his face was turned away, he was despised, and esteemed not. He beareth our sins and for us is he afflicted. And we considered him to be in trouble, in stripes, and in affliction. But he was wounded for our iniquities, and bruised for our sins. The chastisement of peace was upon him: by his stripes we were healed. All we like sheep 86 have gone astray. Man hath erred from his way. And (the LORD) gave him for our sins: and he opened not his mouth through his suffering. He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. In his affliction his judgment was taken away." Wherefore after his crucifixion even all his disciples forsook him, and denied him. But afterward, when he arose from the dead, and appeared to them, and taught them that they should read the prophecies in which all these events were predicted, and when they had seen him going back into heaven, they believed, and received power which was thence sent down upon them from him, and went into all the world, and preached these things, and were themselves called apostles.

65. Again, these are the words of the prophetic spirit, declaring to us that he, who suffered thus, hath an origin which cannot be expressed, and rules over

f Isa. lii, liii. Septuagint.

his enemies: "Who shall declare his generation; for his life is taken from the earth. For their transgressions he comes to death. And I will give the wicked for his tomb, and the rich for his death. Because he did no iniquity, neither was guile found in his mouth: and the LORD will cleanse him from his stripes. If he shall be given an offering for sin, your soul shall see a long-lived seed. And the LORD is pleased to take his soul out of travail, to show him light, and to form him in understanding, to justify the just one who ministereth well to many. And he himself shall bear our sins. For this cause he shall inherit many; and shall divide the spoil of the strong. Because his soul was given up to death, and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sins of many, and he himself was given for their transgressions." Hear also in what manner it was predicted that he should ascend up to heaven. For thus it was spoken: "Lift up the gates of heaven; be ye opened, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD mighty, even the LORD powerful." Hear also what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, to show that he should also come again from heaven with glory. His words are these: "Behold how the Son of man cometh upon the clouds of heaven, and the angels with him.'

h

66. Since, then, we have shown that all things 87 which have already happened were foretold by the prophets, before they came to pass, we must necessarily believe with full faith, that those things, which are in like manner foretold, but are still to happen, will assuredly come to pass. For in the same manner as past events, which were predicted and not known, did come to pass, so events which are yet to happen, even if they be unknown and disbelieved, will come to pass. For the prophets foretold two comings of CHRIST; the first, which hath already taken place, as of a man without honor and exposed to suffering; and the second, when it is declared he will come with glory from heaven, with his angelic host; when also he shall raise again the bodies of all men who have ever lived, and shall

¡ The passage alluded to is in Dan. vii. 13. See Matt. xxv. 31.