or punishment after death, or the contemplation of heavenly things, they might have understood or related from the Prophets. Whence the seeds of truth seem to have been within the reach of all. But they are proved not to have understood them accurately, as they contradict themselves. By our expression, therefore, that future things are predicted by the Prophets, we do not mean to assert the necessity of fate; but that God, foreseeing what would be done by all men, and there being an opinion among them that every one will be rewarded according to the merit of his actions, God by the prophetic Spirit, foretells a just retribution, always leading mankind to attention and recollection, shewing his providence and care for them... But that God the Father of all things would carry Christ into heaven after his resurrection from the dead, and keep him there until he shall have smitten the devils who oppose him, and till the number of those who he foreknew would be good and virtuous shall be completed, for whose sake also he has not yet made the final consummation, hear what is said by the Prophet Davidp. 64.

It is to be observed, that in this quotation the power of man to choose good or evil according to the determination of his will, and the foreknowledge of God who would be virtuous and

who

who would be wicked, are asserted, not as questions of doubt or controversy among Christians, but as fundamental and acknowledged doctrines of the Gospel. And Justin Martyr goes on to say, that all who before the time of Christ lived agreeably to reason, were Christians (f); and he particularly mentions Socrates, Heraclitus, Abraham, Ananias, Azarius, Misael, and Elias. How can all this be reconciled with the Calvinistic notions of election and irresistible grace? And let it be remembered, that this author lived in the time of the Antonines, about one hundred years after the ascension of our Saviour. And again, at the end of his dialogue with Trypho, he says:

"But that those, whether angels or men, who are foreknown that they would be unjust, are not wicked through the fault of God, but that each through his own fault is what he is, I have shewn above. But that you may not have any pretence for saying, that Christ must necessarily have been crucified, or that in your race there are transgressors, and that it could not have been otherwise, I have already observed in few words, that God desiring that men and angels should follow his will, determined to make them with full power to act justly, with the means of knowing by whom they

(f) Pp. 69, 70.

they were made, and through whom they were called into existence out of nothing; and with this condition, that they were to be judged by him if they acted contrary to right reason; and we men and the angels shall be by ourselves convicted of having acted wickedly, unless we make haste to repent. But if the word of God declares beforehand, that some, both angels and men, will be hereafter punished, because he knows that they would persevere to the last in wickedness, he foretold it, but not that God made them such. Wherefore if they will repent, all who are willing to obtain mercy from God, have it in their power; and the word pronounces them happy, saying, 'Blessed is he to whom God shall not impute sin' (g).'-p. 434.

It is material to observe, that in the early days of the Gospel the Jews were rigid Predestinarians, and that these assertions and arguments occur in the dialogue with Trypho the Jew. Justin Martyr, therefore, in endeavouring to convert Trypho the Jew to the belief of the Gospel, argues against the Jewish doctrine of predestination, and inaintains and enforces the Gospel doctrines of the prescience of God, the free-will of man, and his absolute power over his opinions, thoughts, and faith.

"Whoever

(g) Ps. 32. v. 2.

"Whoever are persuaded and believe, that those things which are taught and said by us are true, and engage that they can live agreeably to them, are directed to fast and pray, and entreat from God forgiveness of their former sins, we praying and fasting with them. Afterwards they are conducted by us to a place where there is water, and they are regenerated, according to the same mode of regeneration by which we ourselves were regenerated, for they are then washed with water in the name of the Father of the Universe and the Lord God, and of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Ghost. For Christ said, 'Except ye be born again, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven' (h)." p. 88.-This passage decidedly proves what was the doctrine of Regeneration in the primitive Church of Christ.

"Neither do we say, that men act or suffer according to fate, but that every one does rightly, or sins, according to his choice... Because God from the beginning endowed angels and men with free-will, they will justly receive punishment for their sins in everlasting fire. For this is the na❤ ture of every one who is born, to be capable fof virtue and vice; for nothing would be deserving of praise, if it had not the power of turning itself either way."-p. 117. "What

(h) John, c. 3. v. 5.

"What advantage is there in that baptism which makes clean flesh and body only? Wash your souls from wrath, and from covetousness, from envy, from hatred, and behold the body is pure."-p. 164.

· He introduces Trypho as asking, Whether they who lived according to the law commanded by Moses, will live equally with Jacob and Enoch, and Noah, in the resurrection of the dead, or not? To which Justin answers, "When I quoted the words of Ezekiel, 'Though Noah, Daniel, and Jacob, should desire sons and daughters, it shall not be given to them (i),' but every one shall be saved by his own righteousness, I asserted that they also who live according to the law of Moses will equally be saved. For those things which are by nature good, and pious, and just, are enacted in the law of Moses to be done by those who obey it; and those things which were commanded on account of the hardness of heart of the people, are equally written in it, which they also performed who were under the law. Since they who did those things which are good, universally, by nature, and for ever, are well pleasing to God, and shall be saved through Christ in the resurrection, equally with those just men who went

before

(i) Justin Martyr seems to refer to Ezek. c. 14. v. 14 & 16; but he mentions Jacob instead of Job, and in other respects his quotation is not accurate: