44. Tlie holy Spirit of prophecy has taught us tliis, Who Free
Free will taught hij Moses, and others after him.
points out, is the grccitest impiety and injustice: but the Apol. following we affirm to be inevitable destiny: that for those ^'*-^ who choose the good, there are fitting rewards; and for such likewise as prefer the contrary, proper punishments; for God has not made man hke other creatures, trees and quadrupeds, for example, able to do nothing by choice, or he would not be worthy of recompense or praise, not choosing the good of himself, but being created to this; nor, if he J51£££.^eyil,^ would he justly suffer punishment; not being what he was of himself, and having no power to be other^/^^ than that which he was born.
^ 44.
Tlie holy Spirit of prophecy has taught us tliis, Who Free related by Moses that to the first man v/ho was created ^'""
God spoke thus ; Behold, before thy face are good and evil, D.eut. choose the good.
And again, by Isaiah another Prophet, 19'
'^' that God the Father and Lord of all things spoke as follows to the same effect; Wash you, make you clean, put aivayls.l,i6. your evils from your souls, learn to do well, judge for the ^^' fatherless and justify the widow, atid come a?id let us reason, saith the Lord: and though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them ichite as ivool ,- and if they be red lijce crimson, I will make them white as snow ; and if ye be willing and obedient to Me, ye shall eat the good things of the land ; but if ye hearken not to Me, the sword shall devour you, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
But what is said, the sword shall devour you, does not mean that the disobedient should be slain by sw^ords ; but the sword of God is the fire, of which they who choose to do evil, are made the fuel ; hence He says, The sword shall devour you, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
But if He spoke of a sword wdiich cuts off and dispatches at once. He woukl not say, shall devour you.
So also Plato, in his words, *' The blame is his who chooses, but God is without blame'," took'Kep.x. his saying from Moses the prophet.
For Moses was before all the writers of Greece, and in all that both philosophers and poets have said about the immortality of the soul, or the punishments after death, or the contemplation of celestial subjects, and the like doctrines, they have taken their suggestions from the Prophets, so as to be able to understand and explain those matters.
Hence with all there D
34 Demons opposed prophecy .
Their overthrow foretold.
Just, appear to be seeds of truth, but they are proved to have ' understood them inaccurately, when they speak in contradiction of themselves ; so that when we say that future events have been foretold, we do not assert that they came to pass by any compulsion of destiny, but that God, foreknowing what all men would do, and determining with Himself that every man should be rewarded according to the worth of his actions, foretells by the Spirit of prophecy, that men should receive even from Him recompense in proportion to the worth of their works; always urging the human race to renewed exertion and recollection, and shewing that He has a care of it, and takes thought for it.
But through the agency of evil demons, death was pro1 Pref. claimed against those who read the books ^ of Hystaspes^, or part's, the Sibyl, or the Prophets, that they might through fear cap. 6. turn their readers from receiving the knowledge of good, fcr Hist. and keep them slaves to themselves; which in the event ^^'.'* they were not able to accomplish.
For we not only read iii. §. 6. them without fear, but also, as you see, offer them to you for inspection ; knowing that they will appear well-pleasing to all, and if we convince even a few, we shall gain the greatest rewards, for, like good husbandmen, we shall receive the recompense from the Lord.
Prophe45. That God the Father of all things would bring Christ t^e^Ast^ heaven, after He rose from the dead, and keep Him cension. there until He smote the demons His enemies, and the number of those who are foreknown by Him as being good and full of virtue should be accomplished, for v/hom He delays the consummation \ hear the words of the proj)het Ps. 110, David; they are as follows; The Lord saith unto My Lord,
^' ^^' sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool.
The Lord shall send Thee the rod of power out of Jerusalem, and rule Thou in the midst of Thine enemies.
With Thee is the governmejit in the day of Thy 'power, and i7i the glories of Thy saints.
From the womb ^ Consummation, iTriKvpcoa-iu.
It even be a more suitable term for heahas been proposed to read eKtrvpoiffiv then readers, it would seem questionas St. Justin elsewhere uses this word able, as Otto says, whether we should in connection with the end of the world ; be justified in altering the text without but as iTTiKvpw(Tii/ may also be truly Ms. authority, taken to describe that event, and might