phy in an ardent and impartial pursuit of truth, and finding neither among stoics nor Peripatetics, neither in the Pythagorean, nor Platonic schools, any satisfactory account of the perfections of the Supreme Being, and the nature and destination of the human soul, he embraced Christianity on account of the light which it cast upon these interesting subjects."

This Christian philosopher expressed his belief in the following manner, when he was arraigned before an officer and questioned respecting his religion. "We believe the one only God, to be the Creator of all things, visible and invisible, and confess our Lord Jesus Christ to be the Son of God, foretold by the prophets of old, and who shall hereafter appear the Judge of mankind, a Savior, teacher, and master to all those, who are duly instructed by him. As for myself I am too mean to be able to say any thing becoming his infinite Deity. This was the business of the prophets, who ages ago had foretold the coming of the Son of God into the world." In this quotation, Justin makes a distinction between God and the Son of God. But he attributes to him unqualified divinity, viz. "infinite Deity." He understood the prophets to prophesy of Christ, possessing infinite Deity. He appeared to agree with the Jews in this particular, that by the name, Son of God, was to be understood God, or one equal with God.

ness.

In his dialogue with Trypho, the Jew, this enemy of Christianity charges him with paradox and foolishJustin takes him on his own ground, and shews that if Christ's divinity could not be demonstrated, he ought to be acknowledged the Christ of God, on account of the exact correspondence between his character and the Messiah, predicted by the prophets.

"In another part of the same dialogue, (p. 56,) he speaks of Christ as the God of Israel, who was with Moses, and shews what he meant when he said that true Christians regarded what they were taught by the prophets. In his First Apology, he tells the

emperor in what sense the Christians were atheists, they did not worship the gods commonly so called but they (p. 137) worshipped and adored the true God and his Son, and the prophetic spirit, honoring them in word and in truth." This quotation needs no comment. It is plain, and expressive of the sentiment which he entertained of the Son and Spirit.

Justin suffered martyrdom about the year 163. He appears to have imbibed the sentiments of the apos tles respecting the Son and Spirit. He appears to be clear in his belief of their distinction and divinity. His sentiments of Christ and of the Holy Spirit, are of no inconsiderable weight. He was a man of learning. He appeared to be an impartial inquirer after truth. He evinced his sincerity by suffering death for the cause of Christ.

Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, suffered martyrdom, A. D. 167. "The apostles, and we may apprehend St. John particularly, ordained him to this office. He had been familiarly conversant with the apostles, and received the government of the church from those who had been eye-witnesses and ministers of our Lord, and continually taught that which he had been taught by them."* It does not appear that he sought the honor of martyrdom. But when he was brought to execution he suffered death with Christian fortitude.

When he was bound, and the preparations were made for burning him, he addressed the following prayer to God. "O Father of thy beloved and blessed Son Jesus Christ, through whom we have attained the knowledge of thee, O God of angels and principalities, and of all creation, and of all the just, who live in thy sight, I bless thee that thou hast counted me worthy of this day, and this hour, to receive my portion in the number of martyrs, in the cup of Christ, for the resurrection to eternal life, both of soul and body, in the incorruption of the Holy Ghost, among whom may

* Milner's Church History, vol, i, p. 176, Boston edition.

I be received before thee this day as a sacrifice well savored, and acceptable, as thou the faithful and true God hast prepared, declaring beforehand, and fulfilling accordingly. Wherefore I praise thee for all those things, I bless thee, I glorify thee, by the eternal High Priest, Jesus Christ, thy well beloved Son; through whom with him in the Holy Spirit, be glory to thee, both now and for ever. Amen." This prayer is expressed in language truly apostolical. The martyr addressed the Father through his beloved and blessed Son. In connexion with him he named the Holy Spirit. He called Jesus Christ the eternal High Priest. There is nothing in his language, which appears to be directed particularly against any prevailing error. It appears to be truly devotional. Whoever would gather the doctrine of the Trinity from the language of the apostles, would undoubtedly perceive it in his.

The church of Smyrna wrote a letter to the church of Philomelium concerning the character and death of Polycarp. Speaking of Jesus Christ, they said, "that it is not possible for us to forsake Christ, who suffered for the salvation of all, who are saved of the human race, nor ever to worship any other. For we adore him as being the Son of God." This sentiment expressed by a church, appears to be of no inconsiderable weight, when it is considered what honorable mention was made of it by Christ to his servant John. "I know thy works and tribulation and poverty, but thou art rich."

Melito, bishop of Sardis, belongs to the second century. Speaking of the Christians, he says, "the Christians do not adore insensible stones, but that they worship one God alone, who is before all things, and in all things, and Jesus Christ, who is God before all ages." Milner makes the following quotation from Eusebius. "Who knoweth not that the works of Irenæus, Melito, and all other Christians, do confess Christ to be both God and man. In fine, how many

psalms and hymns, and canticles were from the beginning by faithful Christians, which celebrate Christ, the Word of God, as no other than God indeed?"

Irenæus lived in the latter part of the second, and in the beginning of the third century. He suffered martyrdom under Septimius Severus. Speaking of tradition, he said, "It is what several barbarous nations observe, who believe in Jesus without paper or ink, having the doctrine of salvation written on their hearts by the Holy Ghost, and faithfully keeping up to ancient tradition concerning one God, the Creator, and his Son Jesus Christ."

Speaking of Christ, Irenæus observed, "He united man to God; for if man had not overcome the adversary

of man, the enemy could not have been legally conquered. And again, if God had not granted salvation, we should not have been put in firm possession 、of it, and if man had not been united to God, he could not have been made partaker of immortality. It behoved then the Mediator between God and man, by his affinity with both, to bring both into agreement with each other. The Word of God, Jesus Christ, on account of his immense love, became what we are, that he might make us what he is." In these quotations Irenæus has declared his belief that the Son of God, or the Word of God, is Jesus Christ; and that he partakes of human and divine nature.

The book, entitled the Epistle of St. Barnabas, though not the composition of the apostle Barnabas, is allowed to have been written in the apostolic age. "The Lord," says Barnabas, "submitted to suffer for our soul, although he be the Lord of the whole earth, unto whom he said the day before the world was finished, "Let us make man after our image, and our likeness." Again,-"for if he had not come in the flesh, how could we mortals seeing him have been preserved, when they, who behold the sun, which is to perish, and is the work of his hands, are unable to

look directly against its rays." Again,-"if then the Son of God being Lord, and being to judge the quick and dead, suffered to the end that his wound might make us alive; let us believe that the Son of God had no power to suffer, had it not been for us." And again,-"Meanwhile thou hast [the whole doctrine] concerning the majesty of Christ, how all things were made for him and through him; to whom be honor, power, and glory, now and for ever." There is evidence from his writings, that he was a Hebrew Christian. He did not labor to prove the divinity of Christ, as he probably would have done, had those to whom he wrote, disbelieved it; but he made his assertions, as if his sentiments of Christ were generally received by Jewish converts, and would not be disputed. (See Horseley's eighth Letter to Priestley.)

Tertullian lived in the second and third century. He wrote against Praxeas. He observes on the subject of the Trinity, "Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, yet one God." Milner represents him in the following manner. "He speaks of the Lord Jesus, as both God and man, Son of man, and Son of God, and called Jesus Christ. He speaks also of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, the Sanctifier of the faith of those who believe in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He observes that this rule of faith had obtained from the beginning of the Gospel, antecedent to any former heretics, much more to Praxeas, who was of yesterday." If this be a fair representation of his ideas, he was clear and decisive in his belief of the Trinity. If he was, in some respects, unsound in the faith, this would not invalidate his testimony respecting the rule of faith, which had obtained from the beginning of the gospel; nor would it prove him to be incorrect respecting the doctrine of the Trinity.

Clemens Alexandrinus was cotemporary with Irenæus and Tertullian. Contrasting the authors of idolatry with Christ, he observes, "Whereas Jesus Christ, who from all eternity was the Word of God,

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