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I think I need not stay long upon this passage. Possibly Justin designed not to quote any text, but to represent the sense of many of our Lord's sayings. Fabricius* has observed, that this saying has been quoted by many writers, and that Justin is the only one who ascribes it to our Lord; and that there are words resembling these in Ezekiel: “I will judge them according to their ways," Ezek. vii. 3, 8; and xviii. 30; xxiv. 14; xxiii. 20. Moreover Justin had but just before expressly quoted Ezekiel. Mr. Jonesy conjectures, that Justin wrote only the Lord hath said;' and that some scribe, ignorantly imagining these to be the words of Christ, inserted in his copy the words 'our,' and 'Jesus Christ.'

2. In another place, in the same Dialogue, Justin' says: And then when Jesus came to the river Jordan, where John was baptizing, as Jesus descended into the water, a fire also was kindled in Jordan: and when he came up out of the water, the apostles of this our Christ have written, that the Holy Ghost lighted upon him as a dove.'

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Somewhat like this there was in the gospel made use of by the Nazarenes, or Ebionites. Epiphanius, in his account of the Ebionites, says, that in their gospel it is written,' that when Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Holy Spirit of God in 'the shape of a dove descending and entering into himself. And there was a voice out of heaven, saying, "Thou art 'my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased." And again, "I have this day begotten thee." And immediately a 'great light shone round about the place.'

Ittigius observes, that the accounts given of our Lord's baptism by Justin and the Nazarene gospel are different; and concludes therefore, that Justin did not take his account from thence. It is plain I think they differ, in that

* Cæterum non putem apocryphum Ezechielis librum ab autore vitæ Antonii, vel Joh. Climacho inspectum esse; sed potius ex prophetia Ezechielis, qualis hodie extat, ab aliquo exculptam, et deinde pluribus repetentibus invaluisse, licet non eadem plane verba apud Ezechielem leguntur. Deinde, nisi Justinum M. memoriâ lapsum dicere velimus, qui solus verba illa Christo tribuit, et plus simplici vice in allegandis scriptoribus hallucinatus est, probabile sane fuerit ab eo lecta esse in apocrypho aliquo evangelio. Cod. Apocr. N. T. p. 333. y New and Full Method, V. i. p. 539.

Και τότε έλθόντος του Ιησε επι τον Ιορδανην ποταμον, ενθα ὁ Ιωαννης εβάπτιζε, κατελθοντος του Ιησε επι το ύδωρ, και πυρ ανήφθη εν τῳ Ιορδανη και αναδυντος αυτου από του ύδατος, ὡς περιτεραν το άγιον πνευμα επιπτηναι επ' αυτόν, εγραψαν οἱ αποτολοι αυτου τοτε του Χρισου ήμων. Dialog. Part. 2 p. 315. D. a Hær. 30. sect. 13.

c

b Και ευθυς περιελαμψε τον τόπον φως μέγα. Appendix ad Diss. de Hæres. p. 24.

Justin says, as Jesus descended into the water,' there was a great light kindled in Jordan: whereas, according to that gospel, the light appeared after Jesus was come up out of the water, and after the voice from heaven.' Mr. Jones has observed another disagreement. The one speaks of a fire kindled in the river:' the other of a great light encircling, or shining round all the place.'

Grabe has an observation, which, I think, is not contemptible: that Justin does not say, the apostles have related any thing of this fire, but only, that when he came up out of the water, the Holy Ghost lighted upon him as a dove. This account therefore of the fire in the river Jordan, seems to be only a story which Justin had received by tradition. And perhaps it is only a conclusion from those words in our gospels, that the heavens were opened to him,' or a particular explication of them.

But I think we need not any farther concern ourselves with these passages. It is plain from his numerous quotations, that our gospels are the books Justin made use of, as authentic histories of Jesus Christ.

IX. It is time we sum up the evidence of this writer. He has numerous quotations of our gospels, except that of St. Mark, which he has seldom quoted. He quotes them, as containing authentic accounts of Jesus Christ and his doctrine. He speaks of memoirs,' or records, written by 'apostles' and their companions;' plainly meaning the apostles and evangelists, Matthew and John; and by companions, or disciples of apostles, Mark and Luke. These gospels were read and expounded in the solemn assemblies of the christians, as the books of the Old Testament were; and as they had been before in the Jewish synagogues. Whether any other books of the New Testament were so read, he does not inform us. This reading of the gospels he mentions in his first Apology to Antoninus the pious. He must have been well assured of the truth of what he says: and, it is likely, knew it to be the ordinary custom of the christian churches he had visited in his travels. If it had not been a general practice, or had obtained in some few places only, he must have spoken more cautiously, and

d As before, V. i. p. 542.

Verum Justinus ipsâ verborum constructione, quasi studio, indicâsse videtur, verba, scripserunt apostoli,' posteriorem propositionem de columbæ descensu, quem Matthæus et Johannes apostoli memoriæ prodiderunt, non item priorem de igne splendescente, spectare, siquidem illa solum in modo infinitivo expressa ad ro scripserunt,' relationem habet, non prior, quæ modo indicativo posita est, ideoque merito in impressis exemplaribus per colon distincta. Spic. T. I. p. 19, 20.

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made use of some limitations and exceptions. For if there were christian churches in which the memoirs' he speaks of were not read; upon enquiry made by the emperor, or his order, he had run the hazard of being convicted of a design to impose upon all the majesty of the Roman empire; and that, not in an affair incidentally mentioned, but in the conduct and worship of his own people, concerning whom he professeth to give the justest information. The general reading of the gospels, as a part of divine worship, at that time, about the year 140, or not very long after, is not only a proof that they were well known and allowed to be genuine, but also that they were in the highest esteem. These gospels were not concealed. Justin appeals to them in the most public manner, and they were open to all the world: read by Jews and others.

The other passages of Justin here alleged relate to the Acts of the Apostles, the epistle to the Romans, the first to the Corinthians, the epistles to the Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, the second to the Thessalonians, the epistle to the Hebrews, the second of Peter, and the book of the Revelation; which last he expressly ascribes to John the apostle of Christ. I shall leave it to the reader to consider how many of the references to any of the other books are full and clear. I think it was not the method of Justin to use allusions in his style so often as some other writers do.

CHAP. XI.

THE EPISTLE TO DIOGNETUS.

I SHALL now show, as I promised, how the words of the New Testament are adapted and applied by the author of the epistle to Diognetus. It is plain he was acquainted with the gospels of Matthew and John. I have observed no references to the Acts of the Apostles. But whereas in all Justin's works hitherto quoted, several of which are of considerable length, there are very few expressions borrowed from the epistles of the New Testament, and those generally obscure, here we shall find many in an epistle of about nine folio pages. I shall put them down, and leave every one to judge how different this is from Justin's man

ner in those works we have hitherto made use of. But though this epistle be not Justin's, the testimonies it affords to the books of the New Testament are very valuable.

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I.Christ has taught us,' he says, not to be solicitous [or take any thought] about raiment or food.' See Matt. vi. 25-31.

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II. The author says, 'God has sent from heaven the truth, and the holy word:' and he says, he was from the beginning' and calls Christ the Word' several times; which character he may be well supposed to have learned from the beginning of John's gospel. He says likewise, that christians live in the world, but they are not of the world.' See John xvii. 14, 15, 16.

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III. For what could cover our sins but his righteousness? By whom could we, who were wicked and ungodly, be justified, but by the only Son of God? O delightful exchange, O unsearchable contrivance, O unexpected benefit! that the iniquity of many should be hid by one righteous person, and the righteousness of one justify many wicked."

Herein is an allusion to the whole fifth chapter of the epistle to the Romans. See also ch. xi. 33.

N. T.

IV. 1 Cor. iv. 12. “

beings reviled we bless." V. 1 Cor. viii. 1.

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The Epistle to DIOGNETUS.

IV. They are reviled and bless,'

V. The apostle says:

knowledge puffeth up, but Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.'

VI. 1 Cor. ix. 10. “ That he that ploweth, should plow in hope and that he that thresheth in hope, should be partaker of his hope. Comp. ver. 7. Who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof?"

VII. 2 Cor. x. 3. "For though we walk in the flesh,

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charity edifieth.'

VI. But he who with fear knows, and seeks life, planteth in hope, expecting fruit.'

Περι ενδύσεως και τροφης μη μεριμναν. p. 500. D.

b Αυτος απ' ερανων την αληθειαν και τον λόγον τον άγιον και απερινόητον

ανθρωποις ενιδρυται. Ρ. 498. Β.

a P. 501. C. D.

εκ του κόσμε. Ρ. 497. D.

8 Λοιδορέμενοι, ευλογεμεν.

P. 497. C.

k

c

Ουτος ὁ απ' αρχής. P. 501. D. οικεσιν, εκ εισι δε

* Και χρισιανοι εν κόσμω

P. 500. B. C.

Η Λοιδορώνται και ευλογεσιν.

* Η γνωσις φυσιοι, ή δε αγαπη οικοδομεί.

Αποςολος λέγει ἡ γνωσις φυσιοι, ή δε αγαπη οικοδομει. p. 502. C.

1 P. 502. C.

The Epistle to DIOGNETUS.
They " are un-

N. T. we do not war after the the flesh. flesh."

2 Cor. vi. 8. " By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report. 9. As unknown, and yet well known as dying, and behold we live as chastened, and not killed. 10. As sorrowful, and yet always rejoicing as poor, yet making many rich as having nothing, yet possessing all things."

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known, [he speaks of christians in his own time all along,] and yet are condemned. They are put to death, and yet are revived. They are poor, and make many rich. They want all things, and abound in all things. They are in dishonour, and in dishonour are glorified. They are evilspoken of, and are justified. Being put to death, they are made alive.'

The whole passage (of which I have transcribed here but a part) is a most beautiful representation of the suffering circumstances and virtues of the christians of the author's own time, in allusion to these and other words of the New Testament. Therefore a part of it has been already transcribed, and more of it will appear in some following

numbers.

m P. 497. B. C.

υπάρχει. I. 497. B.

4 Αλλ' αποτολων 501. C.

Ήμων γαρ το πολιτευμα εν ερανοις • Επι γης διατριβεσιν, αλλ' εν ερανῳ πολιτεύονται. P P. 501. D.

γενομενος μαθητης, γινομαι διδασκαλος εθνών. Ρ.