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In this view, he says, "The patriarchs may, in one sense, be called Christians.' Cassian says, that "Mary produced one who was older than herself, even her own Maker, so that she was the parent of her parent."†

Christians were even ready to go farther than this, in order to recommend their religion to Heathens. They did not even scruple to point out some resemblances between it and the grossest Polytheism. Justin Martyr, speaking of Jesus as styled the Son of God, says, "If, in the usual style, and as a man only, he be worthy to be called the Son of God, on account of his wisdom, all writers call Jupiter the father of gods and men. But if in a peculiar manner, out of the way of common generation, we say that Christ is the logos of God; this agrees with those who hold Mercury to be the wisdom of God, which explains his will. If we say that he was born of a virgin, this is only what is said of Per

seus.

With the same view (not so much to be condemned if we consider its circumstances and the mere morality of the thing) Justin Martyr, as far as appears, invented the doctrine of Christ being the logos of God; but it was only the same that Philo had before represented as the medium of all the communications of God to the patriarchs. He also extended this principle as a compliment to the philosophy of the Greeks; supposing this also to have been inspired by the same logos; and in this he was followed by several others, though in a later period Christians were ashamed of having conceded to the Heathens, so far as to suppose that the Grecian philosophy had the same divine origin with Christianity. "All that the philosophers and legislators said and taught," says Justin Martyr, "was effected and discovered according to a portion of the logos; but because they did. not discover every thing of the logos, they often differed among themselves.-Christ was in part known to Socrates;

είναι νομίσειε τον σωτηρα και κύριον ήμων Ιησεν τον Χρισον, δια τες της ενσαρκο πολιτειας avla xpores. Hist. L. i. C. iv. p. 14. (P.)

• Πανίας δ' εκείνες δικαιοσυνη μεμαρτυρημένες, εξ αυτο το Αβρααμ επι τον πρώτον ανιεσιν ανθρωπον, ἔργῳ Χρισιανες, ει και μη ονόματι προσειπων τις, ουκ ἂν εκλος βάλοι της αλήθειας. Ibid. P. 15. (P.)

+"Vides ergo quod non solum inquam antiquiorem se Maria peperit: non solum inquam antiquiorem se, sed autorem sui, et procreans procreatorem suum, facta est parentis parens." De Incarnatione Domini, L. iv. p. 1004. (P.)

† Γιος και Θεοῦ ὁ Ιησες λεγομεν, ει και κοινως μόνον ανθρωπος, δια σοφιαν αξία υιος Θεου λεγεσθαι, πατερα γάρ ανδρών τε θεών τε πανίες συγγραφεις τον Θεόν καλύσιν ει δε και ιδίως παρα την κοινην γενεσιν γεγενησθαι αυτόν εκ Θεού λεγομεν λόγον Θεοῦ, ὡς προεφημεν, κοινον τείο εξω ύμιν τοις τον Έρμην λογον τον παρα Θεού, αγγελικον λεγεσιν. Εἰ δε δια παρθενα γεεννησθαι φερομεν, κοίνον και τελο προς τον Περσέα έξω ύμιν. Αpol. i. pp. 33, 34. (P.)

for the logos was in him, and in every person, by the prophets foretelling things to come, and by himself when made like us, and teaching us these things.'

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Clemens Alexandrinus followed Justin Martyr in this doctrine; supposing the logos that was united to Christ to have been the same principle which the Divine Being had in all ages made use of, as an instrument to instruct mankind, whether by means of the Greek philosophy, or any other system. He calls the logos" the instrument of God, by which he made man,” giving him the title of (σοφια ὑπερκοσμιθ) « supra-mundane wisdom.” + He says, that our Saviour is called the logos on account of his inventing rational methods for the instruction of men."+"Let us, says he, "glorify the blessed economy, by which man is instructed and sanctified, as a child of God."" The logos both makes all things, and teaches all things. As the horse is led by the bridle, and the bull by the yoke, so man by the logos."§, " God, as the author of all good, was the author of the Greek philosophy; and this was the schoolmaster to the Greeks, as the law was to the Jews, preparing the way for Christianity.” || He elsewhere says, " God gave the Greek philosophy by the inferior angels." So ¶ that he seems to have adopted the doctrine of Philo, in making angels not to be permanent beings, but only temporary appearances of the logos.

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This idea of the source of the Greek philosophy was exactly that of Justin Martyr, who says, "The doctrine of Plato is not foreign from that of Christ, though not in all

* Όσα γαρ καλώς αει εφθεγξαντο και ἧυρον οι φιλοσοφησανίες η νομοθετήσαντες, κατα λογο μερα ευρεσεως και θεωρίας εςι πονηθεντα αυτοις επειδη δε ου παντα τα τε λογα εγνωρισαν, ός εςι Χριςος, και ενανλια ἑαυτοις πολλακις ειπον. Χρισῳ δε, τῳ καὶ ὑπο Σωκρατες απο μέρες γνωσθέντι (λογο γαρ ην και εςιν ὁ εν παντι ων, και δια των προφητων προειπων τα μελλοντα γίνεσθαι, και δι' ἑαυτῷ ὁμοιοπαθες γενομενα και διδάξαντα ταύτα). Apol. ii. pp. 124, 125. (Ρ.)

+ Ad Gentes, p. 4. (P.)

Η Ταυλη ουν και σωίηρ ὁ λόγος κεκληται, ὁ τα λογικα ταυτα εξευρων ανθρωποις εις ευαισθησίαν και σωτηρίαν φαρμακα. Pæd. L. i. C. xii. p. 194. (Ρ.)

§ Την μακαρίαν δοξάζωμεν οικονομιαν δι' ήν παιδαγωγείται μεν ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ἁγιάζεται δε င် ὡς Θεοῦ παιδιῶν· και πολιτευεται μεν εν έρανοις απο γης παιδαγωγόμενος πατέρα δε εκεί λαμβανει, όν επί γης μανθανει· πανία ὁ λόγος και ποιεί, και διδασκει, και παιδαγωγεί ίππος, αγεται χαλινη και ταυρος αγεται ζυγῷ θηριον βροχῳ ἁλισκεται· ὁ δε ανθρωπος, μεταπλασσείαι λογῳ. Ibid. p. 265. (Ρ.)

|| Πανίων μεν γαρ αίτιος τῶν καλῶν ὁ Θεος" αλλα των μεν κατα προηγέμενον, ὡς της τε διαθήκης της παλαίας και της νεας των δε, κατ' επακολύθημα, ὡς της φιλοσοφίας· ταχα δε και προηγεμένως τοις Έλλησιν εδόθη τολε, πριν η τον κύριον καλεσαι και τες Έλληνας επαιδαγωγεί γαρ και αυτη το Ελληνικον, ὡς ὁ νόμος της Εβραιος, εις Χριςον προπαρασκευάζει τοινυν ἡ φιλοσοφία, προοδοποιεσα τον ύπο Χριςε τελεισμενον.Καλαφαινεται τοινυν προπαιδεια ἡ Ἑλληνική, συν και αυτη φιλοσοφία θεόθεν ήκειν εις ανθρώποις. Strom. L. i. pp. 282, 287. See also L. vi. pp. 636, 648. (P.)

Τ Ουλος εσιν ὁ διδες και τοις Έλλησι την φιλοσοφιαν δια των υποδεεςερων αγΓελων. Ibid. L. vii. p. 702. (P.)

respects like it; as neither is that of the Stoics, the poets, and historians; for each of them, from a portion of the divine logos implanted in them, perceiving something similar," viz. to the Christian doctrine, "very justly delivered it."*

On this principle, these writers could talk very magnificently concerning the dignity of Christ, but in a manner which would have been very little understood or relished by the apostles. Clemens Alexandrinus gives the following sublime description of Christ as the logos of God, representing him as "most holy and perfect in his nature, supreme in authority and beneficence, nearest to the only Omnipotent Nature, which disposes of all things according to the will of the Father-not separated, or divided, or removing from place to place, not circumscribed; all mind, all paternal light, all eye, seeing every thing, hearing every thing, knowing every thing; by his power searching all power. To him the whole host of heaven and of gods is subject." Who could be ashamed of such a Master as this?

crucified Jesus.

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But this was not the

That it was Christ who taught the Greeks their philosophy, was a doctrine afterwards abandoned by the Christians; but that he was the medium of divine communication to the patriarchs was firmly retained, though it is an opinion directly contrary to that of the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, who begins with saying, God, who, at sundry times, and in divers manners, spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son.' According to this, it is evident that God had not spoken to mankind by his Son before the dispensation of the gospel. +

As it was Justin Martyr who probably first advanced this doctrine, I shall give from his writings a passage or two in which it is expressed. They occur in his dialogue

* Ουχ ότι αλλοίρια εςι τα Πλαίων διδαγμαία το Χρισε, αλλ' ότι ουκ εςι πανη όμοια, ώσπερ εδε τα των αλλων, Στωικων τε, και ποιητων, και συγγραφεων· έκας Θ γαρ τις απο μέρες το σπερματικά θεια λογα το συγ[ενες όρων, καλως εφθέγξατο. Apol. ii. p. 132. (P.)

† Τελειωίαίη δη και ἁγιωτατη, και κυριωίατη και ἡγεμονικωτατη, και βασιλικωίαίη, και ευεργετικωίαλη ἡ ὑια φυσις, ἡ τῳ μονῳ παντοκρατορι προσεχεςαίη, αυτη ή μεγιση ὑπεροχη, ἡ τα πανία διαλασσείαι κατα το θέλημα το παῖρος, και το παν αριςα οιακίζει, ακαμαίῳ, και ατρυίῳ δυναμει πανία εργαζόμενη, δι' ὧν ενεργείται αποκροφές έννοιας επιβλέπεσα ου yas εξιςαίει ποτε της αυτε περιωπης ο υιος του Θεω· ου μεριζομενος, ουκ αποτεμνόμενος, ου μελαβαινων εκ τοπε εις τόπον, πανίη δε πανίοίε, και μηδαμη περιεχομενος, όλος μεν, όλος φως παίρωον, ὅλος οφθαλμος, πανία όρων, πανία ακεών, ειδως πανία, δυναμει τας δυνάμεις ερευνων τείῳ πασα ὑπολελακίαι τραλια αγΓέλων τε και θεων. Strom. L. vii. p. 702. (Ρ.) See Vol. XIV. p. 347; "Tracts, by Thomas Morgan, M.D." 1726, pp. xxii.

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with Trypho, and were evidently intended to reconcile the Jews to the Christian religion. But it was not the method which had been taken by the apostles. They were content to shew from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ, who was to come into the world, and not one that had ever been in it, or acted any part in it, before he was born. "Bear with me," says Justin, "and I will shew you from the book of Exodus, that this is the same who is called an angel, and God, and Lord, and a man, and the man who appeared to Abraham, and to Isaac, and, appearing in the form of a flame of fire, discoursed with Moses from the bush."* "Who is

he that is sometimes called the angel of the great council, a man by Ezekiel, the son of man by Daniel, a child by Isaiah, and Christ, and God to be worshipped, and David, and Christ, and a stone by many, and wisdom by Solomon, and Joseph, and Judas, and a star by Moses, and ανατολη (a branch) by Zechariah, and one who was to suffer, and Jacob, and Israel again by Isaiah, and a rod, and a flower, and a chief corner-stone, and the Son of God?"+"As he is called the Son of God in the writings of the apostles, we understand him to be before all creatures, coming from the Father by his power, and at his pleasure, who is also called wisdom, and day, and a day-star, and a sword, and a stone, and a staff, and Jacob, and Israel, and in various ways in the writings of the prophets."+ "Our Christ," he says, "in the form of fire, spake to Moses from the bush, and said, Put off thy shoes,' &c. §

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According to Philo, and the Christian philosophers, the logos was not only a teacher, but also the creator of all things; and when this logos was represented as the same with Christ, nothing could give men a higher idea of their crucified Master. "How," says Chrysostom, can any dare to call

Ανασχεσθε με, ελεγον, και απο της βιβλο της Εξοδα, αποδεικνυον ( ύμιν πως ὁ αυτος όντος και αγελώ, και Θεός, και κυρίου, και ανηρ, και ανθρωπος Αβρααμ και Ισαακ φανεις, εν πυρί φλογος εκ βαλε πεφανίαι και ὡμίλησε τῷ Μωϋσει. Dial. p. 263. (Ρ.)

† Τις δ' εσιν ὅλος ὁς και αγίελος μεγάλης βελης ποτε, και ανηρ δια Ιεζεκιήλ, και ὡς ύιος άνθρωπο δια Δανιηλ, και παιδιον δια Ήσαις, και Χριςος, και Θεος προσκυνητος, και Δαβίδ, και Χρισος, και λιθο δια πολλων, και σοφια δια Σολομωνος, και Ιωσηφ, και Ιέδας, και αφρον δια Μωϋσεως, και αναβολη δια Ζαχαρία, και παθηίος, και Ιακωβ, και Ισραηλ παλιν δια Ησαις, και ῥαβδο, και ανθο, και λιπος ακρογωνιαίο κεκληται και ύιος Θεου; Ibid. p. 407. (Ρ.)

† Και ύιον Θεο γεγραμμενον αυτόν εν τοις απομνημονεύμασι των αποςόλων αυτε εχονίες, και ύιον αυτόν λεγοντες, νενοηκαμεν ονία και προ πανίων ποιημαίων, απο το πατρα δυναμει αυτο και βέλη προελθονία, ὃς και σοφια, και ήμερα, και αναίολη, και μαχαιρα, και λιθό, και ῥαβδο, και Ιακωβ, και Ισραηλ, κατ' άλλον και άλλον τρόπον εν τοις των προφητων λόγοις προσηγορεύται. Ibid. p. 353. (Ρ.)

§ Εν ιδεα πυρος εκ βαλε προσωμίλησεν αυτῳ ὁ ἡμετερον Χριςος, και είπεν, υποδήματα σου, και προσελθών ακεσον. Αpol. i. p. 92. (Ρ.)

ὑπολυσαι τα

Christ a servant, who did not put forth all his strength when he made the world?"* Tatian says, that "the logos before the creation of man, was the maker of angels."†

Methodius very distinctly mentions a middle scheme, supposing, after Philo, that the Father created matter out of nothing, by an act of his will, and that afterwards the Son formed it into worlds. "There are," he says, " two creative powers, he that by his mere will creates whatever he pleases out of nothing, which is the Father; the other, which adorns and perfects what was first produced by the former, and in imitation of him. This is the Son, the powerful right-hand of the Father, by which, after he had created matter out of nothing, he adorns it." +

If we admit the distinction between worns and onepros given by Justin Martyr, it may be supposed that all the more early fathers, who called Christ the demiurgus, believed that the matter out of which the world was made was provided by the Father. §

Afterwards it was supposed that the Son was employed in the original creation of matter out of nothing. Thus Tertullian says, "The rule of faith requires us to believe that there is one God, who produced all things out of nothing, by his Son, first emitted from him."||

To be born of a woman was certainly degrading to this great personage; but the disgrace was in a great measure wiped away, when it was considered that he made the very woman of whom he was born. "If all things were made by him," says Austin," Mary, of whom he was born, was made by him." ¶ His body was also a disgraceful circum

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* Πως εν τολμωσι τινες ὑπεργον λεγειν τον ύιον, ὁ γαρ μηδε όλην αυτε την ενέργίαν κινησας, ότε τον ἔρανον εδει ποιησαι; In Psalm viii., Opera, III. p. 121. (P.)

† Ο μεν ουν λογος προ της των ανδρων κατασκευης, αγΓελων δημιεργος γινεται. Ad Græcos, Sect. x. p. 26. (P.)

* Δυο δε δυνάμεις εν τοις προωμολογέμενοις εφαμεν είναι ποιητικας, την εξ ουκ ονίων γυμνῳ τῷ βοληματι χωρις μελισμό, ἅμα τῷ θελησαι αυλέργησαν ὁ βέλεται ποιειν· ὁ τυγχάνει δε ὁ πατηρ θάτεραν δε κατακοσμοσαν και ποικίλλεσαν κατα μίμησιν της προτερας τα ηδη γεγονοία· εςι δε ὁ ύιος, ἡ πανίοδυναμος και κραταια χειρ το παίρος, εν ή μετα το ποιησαι την ύλην εξ ουκ οντων κατακοσμεί. Photii, Bib. p. 997. (P.)

4. Αναγκαιον δε οιμαι και τελῳ προσέχειν τον vev, ότι εδε ποιητην αυτόν ὁ Πλάτων, αλλα δημιεργον ονομάζει Θεον· καιτοι πολλης διαφορας εν τείοις εσης κατα την αυτε Πλατων δόξαν· ὁ μεν γαρ ποιητης, εδενὸς ἑτερο προσδεόμενΘ, εκ της ἑαυτε δυνάμεως και εξεσίας ποιες το ποιεμενον· ὁ δε δημιεργος, την της δημιεργίας δυναμιν εκ της ύλης ειληφως, κατασKEVAČEL TO YEYOμεvoy. Ad Græcos, p. 21. (P.)

"Regula est autem fidei-qua creditur unum omnino Deum esse-qui universa de nihilo produxerit per verbum suum primo omnium demissum." De Præscriptione, Sect. xiii. p. 206. (P.)

"Si enim omnia per ipsum facta sunt, et ipsa Maria de qua natus est, per ipsum facta est." In Psalm ixxv., Opera, VIII. p. 827. (P.)

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