42. But when the Spirit of Prophecy speaks of what is Future
and of His victory and kingdom.
have the heathen raged, and the i^eo^Ae imagined a vain thing? Apol.
The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered^'^^'^'^' together against the Lord, and against His Christ; saying, Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast aivay their yoke from us.
He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh at them, the Lord shall have them in derision.
Then shall He speak unto them in His ivrath, and vex them in His sore displeasure
I was placed a King by Him on Sion His holy hill.
I will declare the decree of the Lord.
The Lord hath said unto Me, Thou art My So7i, this day have I begotten Thee.
Ask ofMe, and I shall give Thee the heathen for Thine inheritance, arid the utmost parts of the earth for Thy possession : Thou shalt rule them ivitli a rod of iron, Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
Be wise now therefore, ye kings; be . instructed, all ye judges of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice unto Him with tremhling ; take hold on discipline, lest the Lord be angry, and ye perish from the right way, when His ivrath is kindled on a sudden : blessed are all they that put their trust in Him.
41. And again, in another prophecy, the Spirit of ProThe phecy declaring through the same David that after His ^o'^JJ^^'f crucifixion Christ should reign, spoke as follows
; Sing to the Christ.
Lord all the whole earth, and declare His salvationfrom day to day; for great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised. He is to be feared above all gods, for all the gods of the heathen are idols of devils ; but God made the heavens.
Glory and praise are before His face, strength and glorying in the place of His sanctuary: give glory to the Lord, the Father everlasting, receive grace, and enter before His face, and worship in His holy courts : let all the earth fear before His face, and be established, and not be shaken; let them rejoice among the Gentiles.
The Lord hath reigned from the tree^.
42. But when the Spirit of Prophecy speaks of what is Future about to happen as having already come to pass, as may be^^^^^J^'"'" seen even from the passages previously cited by me, in order p^^st. that this may not afford any excuse' to my readers, I will g IntheDia1o!?aewithTrvpho,§.73.
K6yiau, but the Benedictine thinks he accuses the JeVs of expunging these that there is no need of any alteration, last words, which are not in our text.
St. Justin writing with a view to con- ^ Excuse.
Langus and Gelenius vince, and meaning that it was his would read'a/rc^pia;^, and Grabe h.vTiduty to leave no excuse to his readers
; ;
3^ Foreknoivledge does not exclude free agency.
Just, explain this also.
The things that are assuredly known by Him as being about to take place, _He foretells as having Iready been fulfilled ; and that we ought thus to receive it, consider with earnest application of mind what is uttered.
David spoke the before-mentioned passages about fifteen hundred years before Christ was Incarnate, and crucified ' and no one of those who were before His time, by being crucified, brought joy to the Gentiles ; nor did any of those who were after Him : but our Jesus Christ, being crucified, and dying, rose again, and reigned, ascending into heaven and from the tidings which were proclaimed by Him through the Apostles in all nations, is the joy of those who look for the incorruptibility which is promised by Him.
Fore43. But that no one from what I have said may think ledge'is that we maintain events to take place by the compulsion of not fate, destiny, from the foretelling of that vvhich is foreknown, I will reply to this also.
That there will be punishments, and corrections, and good rewards allotted according to the nature of each man's actions, we have learnt through the Prophets, and we believe to be a truth. _For if it were not so, but all things were done by destiny, we should have no / free-will whatever ; for, if it is fated that this man should / be good, and that one evil, the one would not be acceptable, nor the other blameable.
And again, if the human race have not the power by free choice to avoid the evil and to choose the good, they are not accountable for their actions of whatever kind they may be.
But that they both do well, and do ill, by free choice, we thus demonstrate : We see the same man making a transition to opposite things; but if it were fated that he should be either good or bad, he would not then be capable of these contraries, and frequently vary ; nor would some men be good, and others evil ; for we must then assert that destiny is the cause of evil, and acts in opposition to herself; or what has been already stated would appear to be true, namely, that neither virtue nor vice is any thing ; but it is by opinion alone that things are considered either good or bad; which, as true reason for remaining in error.
For similar • Grabe supposes this assertion to be expressions, he refers to §.55. and 61. a mistake of the copyist, and not of of this Apology, and §. 38. 44. 58. 82.
St. Justin; the former having written o-f the Dialogue with Trypho. a(p'
] ,500 for ap' 1,100.