have before shown, as Simon and Menander from Samaria who by the display of magical arts deceived, and continue to deceive, many. For Simon being with you, as we have already said, in the imperial city of Rome, under Claudius Cæsar, did so astonish the sacred senate and the people of Rome, that he was considered to be a god, and honored with a statue, even as the other gods who are worshipped among you. Wherefore we request that the sacred senate and your people would join with you in considering this our address; that if there be any one who hath been seduced by his doctrine, he may learn the truth, and be able to avoid error: and, if it please you, destroy the statue.

74. For the evil demons can never persuade men that the wicked shall not be punished in fire; even as they were unable to cause CHRIST to be unknown, when he did come; but this only: they can cause those men who oppose right reason by their lives, and have been brought up in depraved habits of sensuality, and are puffed up with vain-glory, to destroy and hate us. Yet we not only bear no malice against these men, but, as is hereby manifest, pity them and endeavor to persuade them to repentance. For we fear not death, since it is acknowledged that at all events we must die: and there is nothing new, but a continual repetition of the same things in this life. And if they who partake of these delights are satiated with them in one year, they must surely hearken to our instruction, that they may live for ever, free from suffering and fear. But if they believe that there will be nothing after death, and are of opinion that they who die pass into a state of insensibility, then they act as our benefactors, in liberating us from sufferings and privations, while they yet show themselves to be influenced by hatred and enmity and vain-glory for their object in thus removing us is not to relieve us from distress, but by our death to deprive us of life and all its pleasures.

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:

75. The evil demons also, as we have already shown, raised up Marcion of Pontus, who even now continues to teach men to deny GoD the Creator of all things in heaven and earth, and CHRIST his Son, who was fore

told by the prophets: and asserts that there is some other GoD, beside the Maker of all things, and also another Son. And many, believing his pretensions to be the only one acquainted with the truth, deride us, although they can produce no proof of what they assert, but contrary to all reason are hurried away, as lambs are by wolves, and become a prey to wicked doctrines and to demons. For the demons, which we have spoken of, strive to do nothing else but to lead men away from God the Creator and CHRIST his first-begotten Son. Wherefore they have fixed and continue to fix down to earthly things and such as are made with hands, those men who cannot raise themselves from the earth: but as for those who turn to the contemplation of heavenly things, they mislead them, and cast them into ungodly living, unless they have a wise judgment, and lead a life of purity free from human passions.

g

76. Further, that you may be convinced that when Plato asserted, that God made the world by a change wrought in matter previously unformed, he was indebted to our teachers, that is to the word of God delivered by the prophets, hear the very words of Moses, whom we have before mentioned as the first prophet, and more ancient than any writers among the Greeks. The prophetic spirit, declaring by him in what manner, and from what materials, GoD in the beginning made the world, spake thus: "In the beginning GoD created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was invisible and unformed; and darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the Spirit of GOD moved upon the face of the waters. And GoD said, Let there be light; and it was so."h Wherefore Plato and they who agree with him, as well as we ourselves, have all learned that the whole world was made by the word of God, from what was related and made known by Moses; as ye also may be convinced. Moreover we know that what is called Erebus by the poets, was before spoken of by Moses.

77. Moreover, when Plato discussing the physical nature of the Son of GOD, saith in his Timæus, “He

· καὶ ἐγένετο οὕτως. (φῶς)

by Gen. i. 5.

Gen. i. 1-3.
The passage, to which Justin alludes, relates to the creation of the
VOL. IV.-16

impressed him upon the universe in the form of a cross," he here also borrowed his assertion from Moses. For in the writings of Moses it is recorded, that at the time when the Israelites came out of 93 Egypt, and were in the desert, venomous creatures, vipers and asps, and all kinds of serpents, met them, and destroyed the people: and that Moses by the inspiration and power which were given him from GoD, took brass, and made it into the form of a cross, and placed this upon the holy Tabernacle, and said to the people, "If ye look upon this figure, and believe, ye shall be saved by it." He related also, that as soon as this was done, the serpents perished and the people escaped death. Plato reading this relation, and not fully comprehending it, nor aware that it was a type of the cross, but conceiving only a division in that form,1 said that the virtue which was next to the supreme GOD was impressed upon the universe in the form of a cross. And he spoke also of that third quality, since, as we have already said," he read what Moses related of the Spirit of GoD being carried over the waters. For he assigns the second place to the Word of God, whom he declares to have been impressed upon the universe in the form of a cross, and the third, to the Spirit, which is said to have been borne over the water, when he saith, "And what is in the third place about the third.' Hear also in what manner the prophetic spirit declared by Moses that there should be a destruction of all things by fire. For he spake thus "There shall go down an ever-living fire, and shall consume even unto the abyss beneath."

n

78. It is not therefore that we hold the same opinions with others, but that all others speak in imitation of

soul of the universe. Ταύτην οὖν τὴν ξύστασιν πᾶσαν, διπλῆν κατὰ μῆκος σχίσας, μέσην πρὸς μέσην ἑκατέραν ἀλλήλαις, οἷον Χ προσβαλών, κατέκαμψεν Els Kúkλov. Timæus, Tom. III. p. 36, b.

n

Ixiaoua, the form of the Greek letter Chi,-X.

m Sect. 76.

Ωιδε γάρ ἔχει· περὶ τὸν πάντων βασιλέα πάντ' ἐστὶ, καὶ ἐκείνου ἕνεκα πάντα· καὶ ἐκεινο αἴτιον ἀπάντων τῶν καλῶν· δεύτερον δὲ πέρι, τὰ δεύτερα, KaÌ TρÍTOV TÉρI, Tà TρíTα. PLATO Epist. 2. Tom. III. p. 312, E. "For thus it is: around the King of the universe are all things, and all things for him; and he is the cause of every good thing: and about the second are those which are in the second place; and about the third those which are in the third place."

ours.

For with us information may be obtained upon these points, from those who have not received even the rudiments of learning, who, although unlearned, and speaking a strange language, had wisdom and faith in their hearts: though some of them were lame and blind, so as to make it evident that these things were not done by human wisdom, but spoken by the power of GoD.

79. We will state also in what manner we are created anew by CHRIST, and have dedicated ourselves to GoD: that we may not, by omitting this, appear to dissemble any thing in our explanation. As many as are persuaded and believe that the things which we teach and declare are true, and promise that they are determined to live accordingly, are taught to pray, and to beseech GOD with fasting, to grant them remission of their past sins, while we also pray and fast with them. We then (1)

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lead them to a place where there is water, and there
they are regenerated in the same manner as we also
were for they are then washed in that water in the
name of God the Father and Lord of the universe,
and of our Saviour JESUS CHRIST, and of the HOLY
SPIRIT. For CHRIST said, "Except ye be born again,
ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven:" and
that it is impossible, that those who are once born
should again enter into their mothers' wombs is evident
to all. Moreover it is declared by the prophet Isaiah,
as we have before written, in what manner they who
sinned and repent may escape (the punishment of) their
sins. For thus it is said; Wash you, make you clean,
put away the evil from your souls; learn to do well;
do justice to the fatherless, and avenge the widow and
come and let us reason together, saith the LORD. Even if
your sins should be as scarlet I will make them as white
as wool and if they should be as crimson I will make
them white as snow. But if ye will not hearken unto

:

• idɩwrwv μèv kaì ßapßápwv тd p0éypa. IRENEUS, Adv. Hæres. Lib. iii, c. 4, expresses the same sentiments: "Hanc fidem qui sine literis erediderunt, quantùm ad sermonem nostrum, barbari sunt, quantùm autem ad sententiam et consuetudinem, et conversationem, propter fidem perquàm sapientissimi sunt, et placent Deo, conversantes in omni justitiâ et castitate et sapientiâ."

» John iii, 3, 5.

13

me the sword shall devour you: for the mouth of the
LORD hath spoken these things."

80. The apostles have also taught us for what reason
this new birth is necessary. Since at our first birth,
we were born without our knowledge or consent, by
the ordinary natural means, and were brought up in bad
habits and evil instructions, in order that we may no
longer remain the children of necessity or of igno-
rance, but may become the children of choice and
judgment, and may obtain in the water remission of
the sins which we have before committed, the name of
GOD the Father and Lord of the universe is pro-
nounced over him who is willing to be born again, and
hath repented of his sins; he who leads him to be
washed in the laver of baptism, saying this only over
him for no one can give a name to the ineffable GOD;
and if any man should dare to assert that there is such
a name, he is afflicted with utter madness. And this

t

(2) washing is called illumination, since the minds of those

(5)

who are thus instructed are enlightened. And he who
is so enlightened is baptized also in the name of JESUS
CHRIST, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and
in the name of the HOLY SPIRIT, who by the prophets
foretold all things concerning JESUS."

81. The demons also, who heard that this washing of
baptism was predicted by the prophet, caused that those
who entered into their holy places, and were about to
approach them, to offer libations and the fat of victims,
should sprinkle themselves. Moreover, they cause
them to wash themselves, as they depart (from the
sacrifice), before they enter into the temples where

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a Isa. i. 16-20.

· ἀνατροφαΐς.

The translation follows the reading proposed by THIRLBY, aurd τοῦτο μόνον ἐπιλέγοντος τοῦ τὸν λουσόμενον ἄγοντος ἐπὶ τὸ λουτρόν. They pronounced over the new convert the name of the FATHER, and of the SON, and of the HOLY SPIRIT, according to the apostolical precept, Matt. xxviii. 19, but did not presume to give any other name to GOD, whose name is ineffable.

See note on Sect. 10.

pwrcouós. Justin in Dial. cum Tryph. p. 258, A, uses the same language, φωτιζόμενοι διὰ τοῦ ὀνόματος του Χριστοῦ τούτου. Terms of a like import were constantly applied to baptism. Instances are given by SUICER, (Thesaurus,) on the word puriouós: and BINGHAM, Eccles. Ant. XI. i. 4.

* Justin resumes this subject in Sect. 85.