Ante-Nicene Christian Library; Translations Of The Writings Of The Fathers Down To A.D. 325, Volume 2: Justin Martyr and Athenagoras

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is sit that wo commenco with the ancients and the earliest,

beginning thence I Will produce the opinion of each, muchmore ridiculous as it is than the theology of the poets. For Thales of Miletus, who toa the lead in the study of naturalphilosophy, declared that water Was the first principio of allthings; for irom mater he says that ali inings are, and that

into water ali ars resolved. And after him Anaximander, who came fram the samo Miletus, said that the infinito was

the first principio os est things; for that from this indeod allthings ars produced, and into this do ali decV. Thirdin

tho frst principio of ali things; for he says that hom this allthings are produced, and into this ali are resolvia. Heraclitus and Hippasus, hom Metapontus, say that fire is the firstprincipio os ali things; for hom sire ali inings proceed, and in fidi do ali things terminate. Anaxagoras of Clagomenaesaid that the homogeneous paris are the fidit principies of allthings. Archelaus, the son os Apollodorus, an Athenian, saysthat tho infinito air and iis densi and rarity are the firstprincipio os ali things. Αll these, forming a succession homThales, followed the philosophy called by themselves physical.

CHAP. Iv.- intons os Pythagoras and Epicurus. Then, in regular succession hom another startingetoint, Pythagoras the Samian, son of Mnesarchus, calis numbers, with their proportions and harmontes, and the elements composed of both, the first principies; and he includes also unityand the indefinito bina .y Epicurus, an Athenian, the sonos Neocles, says that the first principies of the things that exist are bodies perceptibie by reason, admitting no Vacuit'

λ μοναδα καὶ την αόριστον δυαδα. One, or unity, Was considered by Pythagoras M the esse s ot number, and also M God. o, or theindefinito binary, waa the equivalent of erit. So Plutarch, De placit. Flulosoph. c. 7; hom Which treatlae the above opiniona of the vario secis are quoted, generalty Vectatim. δ αμετοχα κενου; the void bring that in Which theso bodire move, vhilo they the elvea are ot a. different nature laom it. VOL. II. T

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290JUSTINE HORTATORI AD ESSu egoiten, indestructibis, Whicli can neister be brotan, nox admit of any formation of their paris, nor alteration, and amthereiore perceptibie is reason. Empedocles of Agrigentum,

hato,in os Whicli the former is a power of union, the lalter of separation. You See, then, the confusion of those Who ars considered by you to have been Wise men, Whom Du asserito be your teachers of religion: some of them declaring that mater is the fini principio of est things; othera, ala; othera, fire; and othera, some other of these for mentionedolementi; and ali of them employing persuasise arguments for the ostablishment of their own errora, and attempting toprove their -n peculiar dogma to bo tho most valvabis. Theso things were sala by them. HOW then, ye men a Graece, can it be sese for in e who destre to be saveri tofancy that they can learn the truo religion hom these phil

to prevent sectarian wrangling With one another, and not to pear definiteb opposed to one anothoes opinions CHAP. V.- insens os Plato and Aristotis. But possibiy those Who are unWilling to give up the ancientand inveterate error, maintain that they have received the doctrine of thoir religion not hom those Who have noW been mentioned, but hom inose Who ara esleomed among them as the

- ought to examine tho opinions even of these sages. Forme inali seo whether each of these does not manifestly contradici tho oster. But is Wo find that even they do not

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they too me ignorant. For Plato, With the air of ono thathas descended hom above, and has accurateb ascortainedand seon ali that is in heaven, says that tho most high Goderisis in a fiery substance.J But Aristotio, in a book ad-dressed to Alexander of Macedon, oring a compendious explanation of his oWn philosophy, clearly and manifestly overthrows the opinion os Plato, saying that God does notexist in a fiery substance : but inventing, as a fifth substance, somo land of aetheriai and unchange te bod' says that Godexista in it. Thus, at least, he wrote : as some ofilioso Who have erred regarding tho Deity say, stat Godoxisti in a fiery substance.' Then, as is he were not satis-

fiod with this blasphemy against Plato, he further, for thesine os proving What he says about the aetherial bodri cites M a Witness him Whom Plato had banishod from his republicas a tiar, and being an imitator of the images os truth at three removes, for so Plato calis Homer; for he wroto : Thus at lorat did Homor spoa d Zous obtainod tho wido heaven in the ala and the clouds,' V Wishing to malis his own opinion appear mors Worthy of credit by the testimony of Homer; not boing awars that is M used Homer as a WitDessis prove stat he spoke truth, many of his tenets Would bo proved unime. For Thales of wletus, Who was the founderoi philosophis among them, tising occasion hom him,' Will contradici his fidit opinions aboni first principies. For Aristotio himself, haring said that God and matter are the first principios os ali inings, Thales, the et dest os ali their sages, saysthat Wator is the firat principio of tho things that exist; for he

Or, is os a fiery natum. 3 Seo the Republic, x. 2. By the Platonic doctrine, the ideas of things in tho tand of God mero tho realities; ine thinga siemselum, as seen byus, mere the images of these realities; and wetry, Gerelare, describingine imagis ot realities, mas oesy at the thies remove hom natura. AsPlato puta it Niev in this inme passage, the pianter, the bed-miser, Go these thres are the masters of three species of beda. 3 Iliad, xv. 192. ε i.e. Dom mmer; using Homer'a morda as suggestive and confirmatory of his doctrine.

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292JUSNNE HORTATORT AD ESS

CHAP. VI. urther distareementa betaeeen Plato and Aristotis.

And that these very Wonderivi sages of youm do not evenagree in other respecis, can be eastly learned hom this. Forwhilo Plato says that there are three fidit principies os allthings, God, and matter, and form,-God, the maher os ali; and matter, Which is the subject of the fidit production os allthat is produced, and affords to God opportuniu sor His Woris manship ; and fom, Whicli is the type of each of tho things produced,- istolle maris no mention at ali of form as a firstprincipie, but says that there Me tWo, God and matter. Andagain, Whilo Plato says that tho hi est God and the ideas existin the first place of the hioest heavens, and in fixed sphere, Aristolle says that, nexi to tho most Ugh God, there are, notideas, but certain gοds, Whο can be perceived by the mind. Thus, then, do they differ concerning things heavenly. So thatone can me that in not only are unable to undercland ourearthly mattera, but also, being at Variance among themselves regarding these things, they Will appear unWorthy of credit When they treat of things heavenly. And that ouen their doctrine regarding the human foui as it noW is does notharmonige, is manifest iram What has been said by each of

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But Aristolle says that tho sout is not so comprehensive as toinclude also corruptibio paris, but only reason. And Platoloudly maintains that the wholo sint is immortat.' But Aristolle, naming it the actualiu,' uid havo it to bomortes, not immortal. And the formor says it is alWays in motion ; but Aristolle says that it is immove te, since it mustitseli precede ali motion.

But in these things they aro convicted of thinhing in contradiction to each other. And is any one Will accuratelycriticiso their writings, thoy have chosen to abide in harmonynot oven mitti their om opinions. Plato, at any rate, at onetime says that there are three fidit principies of the universe-God, and matter, and form ; but at another time laur, for headds the universat foui. And again, When he has Hreadysaid that mattor is eternat,' he aftemarda says that it is produced ; and when he has first given to form iis peculiar rankas a first principie, and has asserted for it self-subsistence, heasterWards says that this fame ining is among the inings perceived by the understanding. Moreover, having first declared that everything that is made is mortes,' he alterWards states that some of the things that are mado are indestructibis and immortal. What, then, is the cause Why those Who have beenesteemed Wise among you disagree not only With one another, but also with thomsolvosi Manifestin their unWillingnessto learn from thoso who know, and their destre to attain accurate knowledge of things heavenly by their own humanexcess of Wisdom; though they were abis to underatand noteven earthly mattera. Certainly somo of your philosophers

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say that the human soae is in us; others, that it is Mound us. For not ovon in this did they choose to agree With one another, but, distributing, as it Were, ignorance in Various Ways among themselves, they thought fit to wrangle and dispute With oneanother even about the foui. For some of them say that thosout is fire, and some that it is the ala; and Othera, the mind; and others, motion; and others, an exhalation; and certainothera say that it is a pomer floWing hom the stare ; and othera, number c able os motion; and othera, a generating Water. And a wholly confused and inharmonious opinion has prevallodamong them, Which onb in this one respect appears pratse orthy to those Who can form a right ju mens that they have been anxious to convici one another of error and falsinood. CHAP. VIII. ntiquis, inspiration, and harmony of Christian

another, nor attempted to overtum one anothees positions,

but mithout Wrangling and contention received hom God thoknowlody Which also they taught in us. For neither bynature nox by human conception is it possibio for men toknow things so great and divine, but by the gist which thon descended hom above Mon the holy men, Who had no need of rhetorical arsy nor os ultering mything in a contentiousor quareelaome manner, but to present themselves pure totho energy of the Divine Spirit, in ordor stat tho divino plectrum iraeis, descending hom heaven, and using righteous men as an instrument like a harp or bre, might reveat to usthe knowlodgo of things divine and heavenly. Herefore, as it with ono mouin and one longue, they have in succession,

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and in harmony With ono another, tauot us both concerning God, and the creation of the worid, and the formation ofinan, and concerning the immortali of the human soul, and tho judgmont whicli is to bo after inis liti, and concerningail things whicli it is noedful for us to know, and thus in divera times and places have affordod us the divino instruction. CHAP. IX.-The antiquis of Moses proved by Grect writers.

by Polemon in tho fini book of his Hellentes, and by Appion son os Posidonius in his book against tho Jews, and in tho ourth book of his histor' Whero he says that during the

king of tho Egyptians, and that Mosos lod them. A dPtolemaeus tho Mendesian, in relating the history os Enpi, concurs in ali this. Αnd thoin who write tho Athonian historri Hellanicus and Philochorus sino author of The Attio History), Castor and Thallus, and Alexander Polyhistor, and also the very weli informed writers on Je inaffaire, Philo and Josephus, have mentioned Moses as a Very ancient and tim honoured prince of the JeWs. Josephus

Tho incongruiu in this sentenco is Juatin's. R That is, aprung hom the scit; and hendo the oldest inhabitanta, ins

origines.

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296 IUSTIN'S HORTATORT AD ESS

that Μoses Was an ancient lamiver, and even the first, Wroto os him in these very Words : For subsequent to the ancient

marvellous and quite divine conception whicli promised tobonefit a multitudo of men, or because they Were os opinionthat tho peoplo Would be tho more obedient When they contemplated the majesty and power of those Who were said toliave invented the laws. And thoy say that Sasunchis Wastbe second Egyptian legislator, a man os excellent unde

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TO THE GREEM. 297 portains to the rulers os provinces, and to the generat administration of the government oi Egypt. And they say that Darius, the facter of Xerxes, Was the fixili Who legislatod forthe Egyptians.'CHAP. X. - Training and inspiration os Moses. These inings, ye men os Greece, have been recorded in

reason Was thought Worthy of great attention, as the wisest ofine historians relate, who have chosen to record his life and

actions, and the rank of his descent, spoah of Philo and Josephus. For these, in their narration of tho histo of the JeWs, say that Moses Was sprung hom the race of the Chaldaeans, and that he was bom in Egypt whon his foresathors had migrated on account of famine from Phoeniciato that count ; and him God chose to honour on account of his exceeding viriue, and judged him Worthy to become tholeader and lawgiver of his oWn race, When He thought it rightthat tho peoplo of the Hebrows should return out oi Egyptinio thoir own land. To him first did God communicato that

divine and prophetic gift Whicli in those days descended uponino holy men, and him also did He first furnish that ho might be our teacher in religion, and then after him sto rost of thopropheis, Who both obtained the sanie glit as he, and taughtus the fame doctrines concerning the fame subjecis. Theseme assert to have been our teachers, Who taught us nosting

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298 IUSTINE HORTATORY AD ESSliuod mortis of credit in tho matter os religion For, as I

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