The history of the church from our Lords incarnation, to the twelth year of the Emperour Maricius Tiberius, or the Year of Christ 594 / as it was written in Greek, by Eusebius Pamphilius ..., Socrates Scholasticus, and Evagrius Scholasticus ... ; made English from that edition of these historians, which Valesius published at Paris in the years 1659, 1668, and 1673 ; also, The life of Constantine in four books, written by Eusibius Pamphilus, with Constantine's Oration to the convention of the saints, and Eusebius's Speech in praise of Constantine, spoken at his tricennalia ; Valesius's annotations on these authors, are done into English, and set at their proper places in the margin, as likewise a translation of his account of their lives and writings ; with two index's, the one, of the principal matters that occur in the text, the other, of those contained in the notes.

CHAP. XVIII. What books of Justin's are come to our hands.

THis person has left us many monuments of his learned and most accomplisht a 1.1 under∣standing, and also of his sedulous deligence about divine matters, full of variety of profit: to which we will remit such as are lovers of learning, after we have usefully remark't such of them as are come to our knowledge. The first therefore of his books is his supplication to Antoninus sur∣named Pius, and his sons, and to the Roman Senate, in behalf of our Religion: the second con∣tains another Apology for our faith, which he presented to Verus (who was successour to, and bore the same name with, the foresaid Emperour Antoninus) whose times we are now giving an account of. There is also another book of his against the Gentiles; wherein he treats at large, both of many questions that are usually dispu∣ted both amongst us and the Gentile-Philoso∣phers; and also declares his opinion concerning the nature of Spirits; which 'tis of no impor∣tance for us here to insert. And further there is another work of his against the Gentiles come to our hands, which he entitled, A confutation: and besides these another, concerning the Monarchy of God; which he confirms not onely by the Authority of the sacred Scriptures, but also from the testimo∣nies of the Writers amongst the Gentiles. Moreover he wrote another book, the title whereof is Psal∣tes: and another, containing b 1.2 some short notes concerning the soul; wherein he proposes divers questions pertinent to the explication of that Sub∣ject, and produces the opinions of the Philosophers among the Gentiles, which he promiseth to con∣fute, and to set forth his own opinion thereof in another work of his. He also composed a Dia∣logue against the Jews, being a conference which he had at the City of Ephesus with one Trypho the most famous person amongst the Jews at that time. In which book he manifests, after what manner divine grace incited him to embrace the doctrine of the true faith; and with what sedulous earnestness he before that set himself about the study of Philosophy, also with how great an ardency of mind he was laborious in finding out the truth. Moreover, in the same book he relates concerning the Jews, how that they formed trea∣cherous plots and contrivances against the doctrine of Christ; and useth these express words to Try∣pho;

So far were you from a repentance of your impious doings, that you chose out some men fit for such a design, and at that time sent them forth from Jerusalem over the whole world, to publish this, that there was an impious Sect called Christians sprung up; and to divulge the same reproaches, which all those that are ig∣norant of our Religion doe now fasten upon us: so that, you are not onely the authours of your own wickedness and errour; but also give the sole occasion thereof to all other men.

He says also, in the same work, that the gifts of Prophecy even in his time shone forth upon the Church. More∣over, he has mentioned the Revelation of John, and says expresly 'twas written by that Apostle. Also he recites severall testimonies of the Prophets, which, in his dispute with Trypho, he evinces were cut out of the Bible by the Jews. Several other works also of his are extant among many of our Christian brethren. Further, the Books of this person were so highly esteemed by the Antients, that Irenaeus quotes some expressions of his; partly in his fourth book against Heresies, where he produces these words of his; And Justin ••ays well, in his book against Marcion, I would not have credited the Lord himself, if he had Preached any other God than him, who was the Maker of the world: and partly, in his fifth book of the same work, where he quotes these words of his; It was well spoken of Justin, to wit, that before the coming of our Lord, Satan never durst blaspheme God, because till then he did not cer∣tainly c 1.3 know his own condemnation. And let thus much be here necessarily said by us, to incite such as are lovers of learning, to have an high esteem for, and accurately to read over, his books. Thus far concerning Justin.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Or, mind; as it is in the Kings M. S. Vales. In Robert Stephens Edit. tis [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, i. e. under∣standing.
• b 1.2

  The term in the ori∣ginal is [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] in Nicepho∣rus, 'tis 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. The antient Graecians called [Scholia] some short notes; and distinguish't them from Exegeticks: for Exegeticks were long and large exposi∣tions, and explained the whole work of a writer: but Scholia were put to explain particular words, or to expound one sentence. Some∣times, Scholia are called short expositions of more obscure words and sentences. Such were Cyrill's Scholia concerning the incarnation of the onely begotten son of God, which are now extant, and are nothing else but some short explications of the more obscure questions concerning the Incarnation. And of this sort was Justin's book of the soul; to wit, some questions and opinions, concerning the nature and origin of souls; to which were added Justin's exposition and demonstration thereof. Jerom calls them Excerpta, which Origen termed 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Vales.
• c 1.3

  Epiphae∣nius seem•• to have been of the same opi∣nion. In his Panarium (lib. 1. Heres. 39. pag. 289. Edit. Petav.) he proposeth to us, as a certain truth, that the devil, before the coming of Christ,—〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, was in hopes of grace and pardon; and that out of this perswasion of his, he never all that while shewed himself ••••••actory towards God: but that having understood by the manifestation of our Saviour, that there was left him no hopes of salvation, he from thenceforth had grown exceedingly enraged▪ doing as much mischief as possibly he could against Christ, and his Church. But this opinion (as the learned Petavius has observed in his note on that passage) vulgò non probatur, i. e. is not generally approved of, as true.