CHAPTER XVIII

THE BOOKS OF JUSTIN THAT HAVE COME DOWN TO US

THIS Justin has left us many monuments of a mind well stored with learning, and devoted to sacred things, replete with matter profitable in every respect. To these we shall refer our studious readers, only indicating as we proceed, those that have come to our knowledge. There is a discourse of his, addressed to Antonine, surnamed the Pious, and his sons and the Roman senate, in defence of our doctrines. Another work, comprising a defence of our faith, which he addressed to the emperor of the same name, Antoninus Verus, the successor of the preceding, the circumstances of whose times we are now recording. Also, another book, against the Greeks, in which, dilating upon most of the questions agitated between us and the Greek philosophers, he also discusses the nature of dæmons; of which it is not necessary to add anything here. There is also another work against the Gentiles, that has reached us, to which he gave the title, “Refutation.” Besides these, also another, “On the Sovereignty of God,” which he establishes not only by the holy Scriptures, but also by references to the works of the Greeks. Moreover, he wrote a work called Psaltes, (the psalmist,) another also, consisting of Remarks on the Soul, in which, after proposing various questions on the subject, he adds the opinions that prevailed among the Greek philosophers, which he also promises to disprove, and to give his own opinion in a separate work. He also wrote a dialogue against the Jews, which he held at Ephesus with Tryphon, the most distinguished among the Hebrews of the day. In this he shows how the Divine grace stimulated him to this discourse on the faith, what zeal also he had before evinced in the studies of philosophy, and what indefatigable research he had applied in the discovery of the truth. In this also he states respecting the Jews, how insidiously they plotted against the doctrine of Christ, and addresses the following words to Tryphon: “But you do not only continue impenitent for your evil deeds, but selecting chosen men, you sent them from Jerusalem to all the world, declaring that the infidel sect of Christians had made its appearance, and uttering all those falsehoods against us which those that know us are not accustomed to repeat. Thus you are the causes of iniquity, not only to yourselves but to all others also.” He writes also, that even down to his time, gifts of prophecy shone forth in the church; he mentions also the Revelation of John, plainly calling it the work of the apostle, and records certain prophetic declarations in his discussion with Tryphon, showing that the Jews had expunged them from the Scriptures. There are also many other works of his in the hands of many of our brethren. So valuable and worthy of study were these works esteemed by the ancients, that Irenæus quotes him often. This he does in the fourth book against heresies, adding the words: “And well does Justin, in his work against Marcion, say: ‘I would not even believe the Lord himself, if he were to announce any other God but the Creator.’ ” And in the fifth book he says: “And well did Justin say, that before the appearance of our Lord, Satan never ventured to blaspheme God, because he did not yet know his own condemnation.” These we deemed necessary to state, in order to stimulate the studious likewise to the diligent perusal of these books. This will suffice respecting Justin.