There remains, however, one more point in the system of our opponents, respecting which we have to inquire the sentiments of the Fathers; to which I now proceed.

SECT. VI.-WHETHER PATRISTICAL TRADITION IS THE GROUND UPON WHICH OUR BELIEF IN THE INSPIRATION OF SCRIPTURE MUST BE FOUNDED.

There remains for consideration the question, Upon what grounds the Fathers considered that belief in the inspiration of Scripture should rest. I have said, in a former page,1 that they did not make Church-tradition the ground for belief in this doctrine; and I shall now endeavour to show the truth of this, by citing various passages from the works of some of the most eminent among them, in which the grounds for belief in this doctrine are pointed out; and a very different view taken of the subject, to that maintained by our opponents.

JUSTIN MARTYR (fl. a. 140.)

Let us observe, first, the ground upon which Justin Martyr makes his faith in Scripture as the word of God, to rest; and which he proposes to others, as a proper foundation for their faith in it as such.

In his Dialogue with Trypho and his companions, he gives an account of the mode of his conversion; and attributes it to a conversation with an aged and venerable person, whom he had fallen in with in a solitary place, to which he had retired for the purpose of meditation. Giving the details of this conversation, he says that, when he put the question, how he might attain the knowledge of the truth, if not in philosophy, his venerable Christian instructor gave him this answer. "There were certain men, a long time since, more antient than all those called philosophers, blessed and just men, and lovers of God, Vol. i. p. 468.

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who spoke under the influence of the Divine Spirit, and prophesied of things that were to come, which things are now in the course of fulfilment; and men call them prophets. These alone saw and declared to men the truth, neither regarding with undue respect, nor dreading, any one, not overcome by the desire of glory, but speaking those things only which they heard and saw, being filled with the Holy Spirit. And their books still remain to the present time; and he who reads and believes them, is very greatly improved in knowledge, respecting both the beginning and end of things, and whatever it behoves a philosopher to know. For they did not write in the way of demonstration, as being placed above the necessity of any demonstration as faithful witnesses of the truth. And the things which have come to pass, and are now happening, compel men to believe the things spoken by them. And moreover they were worthy to be believed, on account of the miracles which they wrought; since they also glorified God, the Maker of the Universe, and Father of all, and preached Christ his Son, who was sent by him; which the false prophets, influenced by a spirit of error and impurity, neither did nor do; but presume to work certain miracles to frighten men, and glorify spirits of error and devils. But pray that, above all things, the gates of light may be opened to thee. For these things are not seen nor understood by all, but only by him, to whom God and his Christ grant the knowledge of them." "And [adds Justin] having considered with myself his words, I

1 Εγένοντο τινες προ πολλού χρόνου παντων τούτων των νομιζομένων φιλοσοφων παλαιότεροι, μακαριοι και δικαιοι, και θεοφιλείς, θείω πνεύματι λαλήσαντες, και τα μελλοντα θεσπισαντες, ἃ δη νυν γίνεται προφητας δε αυτους καλουσιν· οὗτοι μονοί το αληθες και είδον και εξειπον ανθρωποις, μητ' ευλαβηθεντες μητε δυσωπηθέντες τινα, μη ηττημενοι δόξης, αλλά μόνα ταυτα ειπόντες ἃ ἤκουσαν και ὁ είδον, ἁγιω πληρωθέντες πνευματι· συγγραμματα δε αυτών ετι και νυν διαμένει, και εστιν εντι χοντα τούτοις πλείστον ωφεληθηναι και περι αρχων και περι τελους, και ὧν χρή ειδέναι τον φιλόσοφον, πιστεύσαντα εκείνοις. Ου γαρ μετα αποδείξεως πεποίηνται τοτε τους λόγους, άτε ανωτέρω πασης αποδείξεως όντες αξιοπιστοι μάρτυρες της αληθειας τα δε αποβάντα και αποβαίνοντα εξαναγκάζει συντίθεσθαι τοις λελαλημε νοις δι' αυτών και τοι γε και δια τας δυναμεις &ς επετέλουν, πιστευεσθαι δικαιοι ησαν επειδη και τον ποιητήν των όλων Θεον και πατερα εδόξαζον, και τον παρ' αυτού

found that this is the only safe and profitable philosophy; and thus, in truth, through these things, I became a philosopher. And I could wish that all having brought themselves to the same state of mind, would not stand aloof from the words of the Saviour, for they have a certain majesty in themselves, and are sufficient to alarm those who turn from the right way; and give most sweet peace to those who are conversant with them."

It appears that Justin was more particularly directed by his instructor to the writings of the prophets, in order, no doubt, to afford him the evidence which the fulfilment of those prophecies gives to the truth of Christianity; and that in them he clearly perceived the doctrine of Christ; and this doctrine he afterwards exhibits to Trypho and his companions, by extracts from their writings. The excellence of the doctrine of the sacred writers, and the evidence afforded to it by the fulfilment of their predictions and their miracles, convinced him, when a heathen, of the divine origin of the revelations, both of the Old and New Testaments; and by showing Trypho and his companions the true meaning of the prophetical writings, and the doctrine of Christ, as contained in them, he hoped to bring them to the belief of the New.

And further on, in reply to an objection of Trypho, that he had suffered himself to be misled, he says, "I will show, if you will stay with me, that we have not believed empty fables, nor words incapable of demonstration, but

Χριστον υἱον αυτου κατηγγελλον όπερ οἱ απο του πλάνου και ακαθαρτου πνευματος εμπιπλαμενοι ψευδοπροφηται ούτε εποίησαν, ούτε ποιουσιν, αλλα δυνάμεις τινας ενεργειν εις καταπληξιν των ανθρώπων τολμωσι, και τα της πλανης πνευ ματα και δαιμονια δοξολογουσιν. Εύχου δε σοι προ πάντων φωτος ανοιχθήναι πυλας· ου γαρ συνοπτα ουδε συννόητα πασιν εστιν, ει μη τω Θεος δω συνιέναι και ὁ Χριστος αυτού. JUST. MART. Dial. cum Tryph. § 7. p. 109. (Ed. Col. pp. 224, 5.)

• Διαλογιζόμενος τε προς εμαυτον τους λόγους αυτού, ταυτην μονην εὑρισκον φιλοσοφίαν ασφαλη τε και συμφορον, οὕτως δη και δια ταύτα φιλοσοφος εγώ. Βουλοίμην δ' αν και παντας ισον εμοι θυμον ποιησαμένους, μη αφιστασθαι των του Σωτηρος λόγων, δεος γαρ τι εχουσιν εν ἑαυτοις, και ίκανοι δυσωπήσαι τους εκτρε πομένους της ορθής όδου, αναπαυσις τε ήδίστη γίνεται τοις εκμελετωσιν αυτους. ID. ib. § 8. p. 109. (Ed. Col, p. 225.)

such as are full of a divine spirit, and overflowing with power, and flourishing with grace." Here, then, he distinctly makes the internal excellence of the doctrine of the New Testament, the ground for our belief that it is a divine doctrine; and that, consequently, they who first delivered it, were divinely inspired.

Again, in his "Exhortation to the Greeks," he adopts the same line of argument. For having shown them, on various grounds, how little their philosophers were to be trusted, and particularly from their all differing one from another, he points out to them the harmony which there is in the writings of our teachers, who, he says, "having received the truth from God, taught it us without disputing with one another, and separating into parties. For it was not possible for men to know such great and divine things by nature, or human meditation, but by a gift, which came down at that time from above upon holy men."

And further on, tracing the doctrines of the Christian faith, as in his Dialogue with Trypho, in the writings of the Old Testament, he says,-" But if any one of those accustomed hastily to oppose us, should affirm that these books belong not to us, but to the Jews, because they are still preserved in their synagogues, and should say that we assert in vain that we have learnt our religion from them, let him know from the things written in those books, that the doctrine derived from them concerns not them, but us. And that the books which relate to our religion are yet preserved among the Jews, is the work of a divine providence in our behalf. For that we may not, by producing them from the Church, afford a pretext to those who are desirous of bearing witness against us, for accusing us of fraud, we think it best to

1 Παρεστωτι γαρ δείξω, ότι ου κενοις επίστευσαμεν μυθοις, ουδε αναποδείκτοις λογοις, αλλα μεστοις Πνεύματος θείου και δυναμει βρυουσι, και τεθηλοσι χαριτι. ID. ib. § 9. p. 110. (Ed. Col. p. 226.)

2 Αφιλονεικώς και αστασίαστως την παρα Θεου δεξαμενους γνωσιν, και ταυτην διδάσκοντας ἡμας· ούτε γαρ φυσει, ούτε ανθρωπινη εννοια ούτω μεγάλα και θεια γινώσκειν ανθρωποις δυνατον, αλλα τη ανωθεν επι τους ἁγιους άνδρας τηνικαύτα κατελθούση δωρεα. ID. Ad Græc. Cohort. § 8. pp. 12, 13. (Ed. Col. p. 9.)

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produce them from the synagogue of the Jews, that it may appear, from the very books yet preserved among them, that the precepts relating to doctrine, written by those holy men, clearly and manifestly belong to us.' So that, as it respects the Old Testament, he prefers the testimony of the Jews to that of the Christian Church, a testimony which we have to this day; and from the Old Testament we may, as it appeared to him, derive sufficient testimony for the divine origin of the doctrines of the New.

In both his Apologies, moreover, he follows the same course; placing his proof of the divine origin of the doctrines he was defending, either upon the internal testimony derived from their intrinsic excellence, or upon such proofs as the fulfilment of the prophecies, both of the Old and New Testament.3

And lastly, in his Oration to the Greeks, having apostrophised "the divine word" as "the putter to flight of evil passions, the doctrine that extinguishes the fire of the soul, &c." he adds, "Come and be instructed; be as I am, for I was as ye are; These things persuaded me, namely, the divinity of the doctrine, and the power of the word.”s

1 Ει δε τις φάσκοι των προχείρως αντιλέγειν ειθισμένων, μη ήμιν τας βιβλους ταύτας, αλλα Ιουδαίοις προσηκειν, δια το ετι και νυν εν ταις συναγωγαίς αυτών σωζεσθαι, και ματην ἡμας εκ τούτων φάσκειν την θεοσεβειαν μεμαθηκέναι λέγοι, γνωτω απ' αυτών των εν ταις βιβλοις γεγραμμένων, ότι ουκ αυτοις αλλα ήμιν ἡ εκ τούτων διαφερει διδασκαλια το δε παρα Ιουδαίοις ετι και νυν τας τη ημετερα θεοσέβεια διαφερουσας σώζεσθαι βιβλους, θειας προνοίας έργον ὑπερ ἡμων γεγονεν ίνα γαρ μη εκ της εκκλησίας προκομιζοντες, προφασιν ῥαδιουργίας τοις βουλομενοις βλασφημεῖν ἡμας παρασχωμεν, απο της των Ιουδαίων συναγωγής ταυτας αξιούμεν προκομίζεσθαι, ἵνα απ' αυτών των ετι παρ' αυτοις σωζομενων βιβλίων, ὡς ἡμιν τα προς διδασκαλίαν ύπο των ἁγιων ανδρων γραφεντα δίκαια σαφως και φανερως προστ ηκει, φανη. Ib. ib. § 13. p. 17. (Ed. Col. p. 14.)

2 See Apol. 1. §§ 14-17. pp. 51-54. (Ed. Col. Apol. 2. pp. 61—64.)

3 See Apol. 1. § 12. p. 50. and §§ 30-33. pp. 61-64. (Ed. Col. Apol. 2. 60 and pp. 72-74.)

P.

4 Ο θείος λόγος

....

ω παθων δεινών φυγαδευτηριον, ω πυρός εμψυχου σβεσ

τικον διδασκαλιον, κ. τ. λ. In. Orat. ad Græc. § ult. pp. 4, 5.

Ελθετε, παιδευθητε γενεσθε ὡς εγω ότι καγω ημην ὡς ὑμεις. Ταύτα με ειλε,

το τε της παιδειας ενθεον, και το του λογου δυνατον. Ib. ib. p. 5.