17. Ignatii Epist. ad Rom. c. 3. p. 26-7. The title of the Epistle to the Romans has been alluded to above at p. 16. In the third chapter he exhorts the Romans to pray for him, that he might be a Christian, not outwardly only, but inwardly; "That I may not only be called a Christian, but "really proved to be so; for if I am proved, I may

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easily have the name, and may be faithful even "when I make no appearance to the world; nothing "that is seen is eternal: for the things which are "seen are for a season only, but those which are not seen are eternal f: for our God Jesus Christ is "rather seen by his existence in the Father 8." This passage is somewhat obscure and difficult to be translated, but the meaning of Ignatius seems to have been this. Having said, that whatever is visible to the eye is not eternal, he was aware that it might be said, that Jesus Christ, since he became visible to us in the flesh, is not eternal. He therefore guards against such an inference by saying, that though Jesus Christ had been really and actually seen in his human nature, yet the only way in which we can fitly contemplate him is as existing in the Father and thus his former remark holds good. Jesus Christ was seen in the flesh, for a season only: but as existing in the Father, and partaking of His godhead, he cannot be seen, and is eternal. In whatever manner we translate the sentence, Ignatius expressly says, that Christ is God, and that he is in the Father.

translate the last words literally: otherwise the God Jesus Christ, or our God Jesus Christ, would sound better in English.

Κ οὐδὲν φαινόμενον αἰώνιαν· τὰ γὰρ φαινόμενα πρόσκαιρα τὰ δὲ μὴ βλεπόμενα αἰώνια· ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ἐν πατρὶ ὢν μᾶλλον

18. Ignatii Epist. ad Rom. c. 6. p. 28-9. Being now on his journey to Rome, whither he was going that he might be exposed to wild beasts in the Amphitheatre, he tells his brethren at Rome not to make any interest for his life; he was willing to die: "Suffer me to catch the pure light; when I "am arrived thither, I shall be a man of God: per"mit me to imitate the suffering of my God h." It need not be observed that he alludes to the sufferings of God the Son.

19. Ignatii Epist. ad Smyrn. c. 1. p. 33.

This Epistle begins with an express declaration of the divinity of Christ. "I glorify Jesus Christ, "the God who hath endued you with such wisdom i." 20. Ignatii Epist. ad Smyrn. c. 10. p. 37. "As to Philo, and Rheus, and Agathopus, who "have followed me in preaching the word of God, ye have done well in receiving them as ministers "of Christ [our] God k."

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21. Ignatii Epist. ad Polycarp. c. 3. p. 40.

It is unquestionable that Ignatius refers the following expressions to Christ: "Wait for him who "is beyond all time, eternal, invisible; who for our "sakes became visible; who was not tangible; who "was incapable of suffering, and for our sakes suf"fered; who endured in various ways for us1." It is equally certain, that these expressions maintain the eternity of Christ as well retrospectively as prospectively, and the union of the two natures in him.

h

ἡ ἐπιτρέψατέ μοι μιμητὴν εἶναι πάθους τοῦ Θεοῦ μου.

1 Δοξάζω Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν τὸν Θεὸν τὸν οὕτως ὑμᾶς σοφίσαντα.

k

κ καλῶς ἐποιήσατε ὑποδεξάμενοι ὡς διακόνους Χριστοῦ Θεοῦ.

1 Τὸν ὑπέρκαιρον προσδόκα, τὸν ἄχρονον, τὸν ἀόρατον, τὸν δι' ἡμᾶς ὁρατὸν, τὸν ἀψηλάφητον, τὸν ἀπαθῆ, τὸν δι ̓ ἡμᾶς παθητὸν, τὸν κατὰ πάντα τρόπον δι ̓ ἡμᾶς ὑπομείναντα.

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Irenæus seems to have imitated this, when he says of Christ, "He is in all respects also a man, the "creature of God; and therefore, summing up man"kind in himself, the invisible became visible, the incomprehensible became comprehensible, the im"passible became passible, and the Word became man m" and in another place, "The Word, naturally invisible, who became palpable and visible amongst men, and descended even to death ""

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Ignatii Epist. ad Polycarp. c. ult. p. 42. He ends the Epistle to Polycarp with praying for his health" in our God Jesus Christ "."

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Having now finished the quotations from what are called the apostolic Fathers, I cannot help bringing forward two assertions which have been made within the last half century by two writers of considerable note among the Unitarians. Lindsey, in p. 158. of his Apology, uses these words: "Those very early Fathers, Irenæus and Justin Martyr, although free from any thing bordering on such extravagancies, [those of the Docetæ,] did never"theless contribute to bring into Christianity the "Platonic doctrine of a second God, which they "had learnt before their conversion to the faith." The passage is rather oddly worded; but the meaning of it is plain, that Justin (for he wrote before Irenæus) was the first of the Fathers who speaks of

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Εῤῥῶσθαι ὑμᾶς διὰ παντὸς ἐν Θεῷ ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ εὔχομαι.

Christ as God. Dr. Priestley P expresses himself more plainly, and says, that "we find nothing like di"vinity ascribed to Jesus Christ before Justin "Martyr."

I do not wish to enter into any examination of these sentiments. I have laid before the reader, and I trust not unfairly, the words of those writers who lived before the time of Justin Martyr; and the reader will decide whether Mr. Lindsey and Dr. Priestley have given a true account of the doctrine of the apostolic Fathers. But there is another assertion of Dr. Priestley, which may be refuted more precisely. He says, "that Justin Martyr is the first "writer who mentions the miraculous conception 9." The reader is referred to the words of Ignatius, given at No. 12. and 13. which shew that this writer believed Mary to have been a virgin: and in another place Ignatius says, that "the virgi"nity of Mary was unknown to the prince of "this world." He also alludes to the star which appeared at the birth of Christ, which shews that he believed the beginning of St. Matthew's Gospel to be genuine.

r

JUSTIN MARTYR. A. D. 150.

Justin Martyr was born in Flavia Neapolis, the place which was anciently called Sychem, in Samaria; and, according to Fabricius, his birth took place about the year 89, though others place it later. After having studied philosophy in various " of Christ." History of early Opinions, I. p. 93.

P History of Corruptions, vol. I. p. 32. He says of the Epistle of Clement, that "it contains "no such doctrine as those of "the divinity or preexistence

4 History of early Opinions, vol. IV.

r

p. 107.

Ep. ad Eph. c. 19. p. 16.

t

S

schools, he was converted to Christianity, as some $ think, about the year 133. The principal works of his, which have come down to us, are two Apologies, or Defences of Christianity, presented to Roman emperors; and a Dialogue, or Disputation, with Trypho, a Jew. The first Apology is supposed by some critics to have been presented to the emperor Antoninus Pius in the year 140, but others bring it down to 150. After this, he went again to Asia, where he held his disputation with Trypho the Jew: and different dates have been assigned for the publication of this Dialogue. Scaliger" thought that it was written in the reign of Hadrian; but it is the opinion of Pearson, Du Pin, and almost every other critic, that it was published in the reign of Antoninus Pius, some * ascribing it to the year 140, others y to 155. Coming to Rome a second time, he presented his second Apology to the emperor M. Aur. Antoninus, probably about the year 162. That he died a martyr for the Christian faith, is an undoubted fact, as is shewn by the name which he always bears. His death is supposed by some to have happened in 164, by others a in 168. Epiphanius is undoubtedly wrong, who says that he died at the age of 30, in the reign of Hadrian b.

X

These dates, though they differ so much from one another, sufficiently confirm the assertion of Methodius and Eusebius, that Justin was not far