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 δειξω, ότι ου κενοις επίστευσαμεν μυθοις, ουδε αναποδείκτοις λόγοις, 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 δεξαμένους γνωσιν, και ταυτην διδάσκοντας ἡμας ούτε γαρ φύσει, ούτε ανθρωπινη εννοια ούτω μεγάλα και θεια γίνωσκειν ανθρωποις δυνατον, αλλα τη ανωθεν επι τους άγιους άνδρας τηνικαυτα κατελθούση δω, εα ID. Ad Græc. Cohort. § 8. pp. 12, 13. (Ed. Col. p. 9.)

6

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 φασκοι των προχείρως αντιλέγειν ειθισμενων, μη ἡμιν τας βίβλους ταυτας, αλλα Ιουδαίοις προσηκειν, δια το ετι και νυν εν ταις συναγωγαις αυτών σωζεσθαι, και ματην ήμας εκ τούτων φάσκειν την θεοσέβειαν μεμαθηκέναι λέγοι, γνωτω απ' αυτών των εν ταις βιβλοις γεγραμμένων, ότι ουκ αυτοις αλλα ἡμιν ἡ εκ τούτων διαφερει διδασκαλια το δε παρα Ιουδαίοις ετι και νυν τας τη ημετερα Θεοσεβεια διαφέρουσας σώζεσθαι βίβλους, θειας προνοίας έργον ὑπερ ἡμων γεγονεν Ένα γαρ μη εκ της εκκλησίας προκομίζοντες, προφασιν ῥαδιουργίας τοις βουλομένοις βλασφημεῖν ἡμας παρασχωμεν, από της των Ιουδαίων συναγωγής ταυτας αξιούμεν προκομίζεσθαι, ἵνα απ' αυτών των ετι παρ' αυτοις σωζομενων βιβλίων, ὡς ἡμῖν τα προς διδασκαλίαν ύπο των ἁγιων ανδρων γραφεντα δικαια σαφως και φανερως προστ ηκει, φανη. Ib. ib. § 13. p. 17. (Ed. Col. p. 14.)

p.

* 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.)

4 Ο θείος λογος

....

ω παθων δεινών φυγαδευτηριον, ω πυρός εμψυχου σβεσ

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

5 Έλθετε, παιδεύθητε γενεσθε ὡς εγω ότι καγω ημην ὡς ὑμεις. Ταύτα με είλε,

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

From these statements, therefore, it is evident that the ground upon which Justin Martyr's faith rested, that the Bible was the Word of God, was the internal testimony it contains to its having emanated from a Divine source.

Nor let it be supposed that his mode of reasoning was suitable only to the Jews or heathen, whom he was addressing. For, as it respects this point, viz., the question whether the Bible is the Word of God, all men are similarly circumstanced. If there are any serious doubts on this point, such doubts cannot be removed by any human authority. He who has such doubts, is for the moment, as far as that point is concerned, precisely in the same situation with any other unbeliever. Human testimony may be available, as giving evidence more or less credible to facts connected with the authorship and preservation of the books of Scripture; but here, so far from depending upon the testimony of the Church alone, we have several other sources of information, and those less open to suspicion.

We have no reason to suppose, then, that Justin Martyr would have adopted any other mode of reasoning, had he been addressing the professing Christian Church on this subject; for the ground or evidence upon which the faith of men in Scripture, as the Word of God, rests, must be the same with all.

At any rate that which is a sufficient proof of the Scripture being the Word of God to the Jews and heathen, must be a sufficient proof to all others; so that we have no need to receive the doctrine of the inspiration of Scripture upon the testimony of tradition.

THEOPHILUS OF ANTIOCH (fl. a. 168.)

For

I proceed to Theophilus of Antioch, who says to Autolycus, "Be not, therefore, incredulous, but believe. I also did not believe that this should be; but now having considered these things, I believe; having fallen in with the sacred writings of the holy Prophets, who also foretold, by the divine Spirit, the things which have

happened in the manner in which they happened; and the things that are now taking place, as they are taking place; and the things that are to come, in what way they will be fulfilled. Therefore, having received a proof from those things happening which were foretold, I am not incredulous, but, in obedience to God, believe."

ΤΑΤΙΑΝ (Η. Α. 172.)

Proceeding to Tatian, let us observe in the following passage the grounds upon which his faith in the Scriptures rested. Having become dissatisfied, he tells us, with the heathen mythology, "I sought to know in what way I could find the truth. And while I was considering the things worthy of attention, it happened that I read certain foreign writings, more antient than the writings of the Greeks as it regards the doctrine of the Greeks, and more divine as it regards their errors. And it turned out that I was brought to believe them, both on account of the simplicity of the style, and the freedom from artifice in the authors, and the plain account given of the creation of the universe, and their foreknowledge of things to come, and the magnitude of their promises, and the majesty of all which they have written. And my soul having thus become taught by God, I understood," &c. *

The faith of Tatian, therefore, was grounded upon the

1 Μη ουν απιστει, αλλα πιστευε, Και γαρ εγω ηπιστούν τουτο εσεσθαι, αλλα νυν κατανόησας αυτα πιστεύω, ἅμα και επιτυχών ἱεραις γραφαις των ἁγιων προφητων, οἱ και προειπον δια πνευματος Θεου τα προγεγονοτα, ὦ τρόπω γέγονε, και τα ενεστώτα τινι τρόπω γίνεται, και τα επερχομενα ποια τάξει απαρτισθήσεται· αποδειξιν ουν λαβων των γινομένων και προσαναπεφωνημένων, ουκ απιστώ αλλα πιστεύω πειθαρχων Θεω. THEOPH. ANT. Ad Autol. lib. i. § ult. p. 346. (Ed. Col. p. 78.)

2 Εζητουν, ότω τρόπω ταληθές εξευρειν δύναμαι. Περινοούντι δε μοι τα σπου δαια, συνέβη γραφαις τισιν εντυχειν βαρβαρικαίς, πρεσβυτέραις μεν ὡς προς τα Ἑλληνων δογματα, θειοτέραις δε ὡς προς την εκείνων πλανην και μοι πεισ θηναι ταύταις συνεβη δια τε των λέξεων το ατύφων και των ειπόντων το ανεπιτη δευτον, και της του παντος ποιήσεως το ευκαταληπτον, και των μελλόντων το προγνωστικόν, και των παραγγελμάτων το εξαίσιον, και των όλων το μοναρχικόν. Θεοδίδακτου δε μου γενομένης της ψυχης, συνηκα, ὅτι, κ. τ. λ. ΤΑΤΙΑΝΙ Contra Grae orat. § 29. pp. 267, 8. Ed. Bened. (p. 165. ed. Colon. 1686.)

internal evidence which Scripture itself contains to its

divine origin.

TERTULLIAN (fl. a. 192.)

To the same effect speaks Tertullian.

"We prove,"

he says, "the Scriptures to be divine, if there is any doubt as to their antiquity." And how does he proceed to do this? From their own testimony. "Neither,” he adds, "is this to be learnt with difficulty, or from any external teacher. The things that will teach us this truth are before our eyes. The world, the age, events. Whatever is done was foretold. Whatever is seen was there heard. That the earth swallows up cities, that the sea causes islands to disappear, &c. [adding various other events] all these are written beforehand. While we suffer these things, they are being read to us; while we recognize these events, their truth is proved. The correctness of the prophecy is, I think, a sufficient proof of its divine origin. Hence, therefore, our belief of things future is safe, as of things already proved, inasmuch as they were foretold with those things the truth of which is daily proved. The same words sound in our ears, the same writings make them known, the same Spirit moves in them . . . . How offend we, I pray you, when we believe also the future, who have already by two successive proofs learnt to believe them?” 1

1 Divinas [i. e. "Scripturas"] probamus, si dubitatur antiquas. Nec hoc tardius aut aliunde discendum. Coram sunt quæ docebunt, mundus et seculum et exitus. Quicquid agitur, prænunciabatur. Quicquid videtur, audiebatur. Quod terræ vorant urbes, quod insulas maria fraudant, quod externa atque interna bella dilaniant, quod regnis regna compulsant, quod fames et lues et locales quæque clades et frequentiæ pleraque montium vastant, quod humiles sublimitate, sublimes humilitate mutantur, quod justitia rarescit et iniquitas increbescit, bonarum omnium disciplinarum cura torpescit, quod etiam officia temporum et elementorum munia exorbitant, quod et monstris et portentis naturalium forma turbatur, providenter scripta sunt. Dum patimur, leguntur; dum recognoscimus, probantur. Idoneum, opinor, testimonium divinitatis veritas divinationis. Hinc igitur apud nos futurorum quoque fides tuta est, jam scilicet probatorum; quia cum illis, quæ quotidie probantur, prædicebantur. Eædem voces sonant, eædem literæ notant, idem spiritus