8. When he had said this, and much more which we have Justin's
Desire of Wisdom.
Trypho recommends Circumcision.
to you; for these things are not to be seen or comprehended, Dial. except by him to whom God and His Christ give the grace I^lIZ^' of understanding."
8. When he had said this, and much more which we have Justin's not now time to repeat, he left me, bidding me attend to know *° what he had said, and I saw him no more. fnoi'sBut a flame was immediately kindled in my mind, and T was seized with an ardent love of the Prophets, and of those men who are the friends of Christ; and reflecting with myself on what I had heard, I saw that theirs was the only sure and valuable philosophy: thus it was that I became a Philosopher, and I could wish that all men were of the same mind as myself, not to turn from the doctrines of the Saviour ; for they inspire a certain dread, and possess a power to overawe those who are turned from the right way; but they become the most pleasant resting-place to such as fully practise them.
If therefore you have any regard for your own welfare, and desire of salvation, and trust in God, you may now have an opportunity, if you are not averse to the task, of attaining happiness by knowledo-e of the Christ of God, and by being made a perfect
' disciple '^.
' rex^lcp At these words, my dearest Pompey, Trypho's companions'^''"'' laughed aloud, and he himself smiled.
'^I approve," he answered, " the rest of what you have said, and I much admire your zeal of obtaining Divine knowledge ; but it were better for you to follow Plato or any other philosopher, and live in the practice of fortitude, self-control, and moderation, than to suffer yourself to be led away bv lying doctrines, and to listen to worthless teachers; for whilst you pursued that school of philosophy and lived unblameably, there was some hope of your attaining a better state.
But now that you have deserted God and based your hopes on man, what means of salvation are left for you ?
If you will therefore listen to me, (for I already regard you as a friend,) first be circumcised, and then, as commanded, observe tlie Sabbath, and the feasts, and the ^ It has been doubted whether S. perfection of life.
We may perhaps Justin means by these words Baptism, say with Otto that he meant the t'orwhich. like martyrdom, was expressed iner, but so that the latter might also by the word TeAetwats; or only general be understood in it.
Trypho dismisses scoffers, and enters on discussion.
Just, new moons of God, with all that is written in the Law, in _A^.
^yjjj^,]^ (,j^gg yQ^ ^-j-j^y perhaps find mercy with Him, But as for Christ, if He be born and is to be found any where.
He is both unknown to others, and He knows not Himself, nor has He any power until Elias comes to anoint and proclaim Him to all.
But you Christians have all received aa idle report, and have formed a Christ for yourselves, for whose sake you inconsiderately throw away your lives/'
Chris9. "You are excusable, man!"
I replied, "and may it lighth°*^^ forgiven you; for you speak you know_not what, but creduyou follow your teachers, w4io understand not the Scriptures, and utter at random whatever comes into 3'Our mind.
If you will receive proof that we have not been deluded, and shall not cease to confess Christ, even though we thereby incur the reproaches of men, and the most cruel tyrant should endeavour to compel us to renounce Him, I will prove to you, where you stand, that we do not confide in baseless fables nor in empty words, but in doctrines which are full of Divine Spirit, and overflowing with power, and abounding in grace."
On this Trypho's companions laughed again, and exclaimed in so disorderly a way, that I rose from my seat, and w^as on the point of leaving them; but Trypho seized my gown, and said he would not let me go until
had performed my promise.
" Then do not permit your companions,"
I answered, " to create this disturbance, and conduct themselves so improperly; but either let them listen in silence, or leave us if they have business of more importance, whilst we ourselves will go and sit down w^here we may continue our discourse." To this proposal Trypho consented; whereupon we agreed to go aside, and came to the middle stadium of the Xystus, where two of his followers left us, laughing at our earnestness.
For ourselves, w^hen we reached the spot where there were some stone seats on each side, Trypho and his companions held some conversation about the war that had been recently carried on against Judea, and to which one of them had chanced to make allusion.
Trypho's 10. When they had finished their observations, I thus retiorts'of sumed, " Is there any other objection which you have to make theLaw.
He wonders that Christians neglect the Law.
to us, Sirs, than this; that we do not live according to the Dial.
Law, nor circumcise the flesh like your fathers, nor keep the ' sabbaths like yourselves? or, do you also object to our lives and manners ?
What I mean is, do you believe of us, like others, that we devour men, and when we meet together after our banquet put out the lights, and wallow in promiscuous concubinage^ ; or do you only blame us for adhering to doctrines and opinions which are as you think void of truth ?"
"It is this last which surprises me," replied Trypho ; " for as to those other accusations which so many urge against you,
I do not think them worthy of credit, as they are too revolting to human nature ; but the precepts in what you term your Gospel, and which I happen to have read, are so great and admirable, as in my opinion to be beyond the power of any one to observe them.
But it is this that chiefly perplexes us, that you who make a profession of piety, and consider yourselves better than others, do in no respect excel the heathen in your lives; for you do not keep the feasts nor observe the sabbaths, nor practise circumcision, but you put your trust in a mere crucified man, and still, though neglecting God's commandments, hope to obtain good from Him.
Have you not read. The soul that is not circumcised on the (yen.i7, eighth day shall he cut offfrom, his people? a command which is similarly enjoined as to the stranger, and to him who is bought for money.
This covenant you hold in contempt, and yet endeavour to persuade us that you know God, though you perform none of those duties which they who fear Him do.
If therefore you have any reply to make, and can shew us on what you base your hopes, since you do not keep the o These, as is well known, were same accusations are alluded to by those accusations brought by their enemies who lived immediately after St. Justin ; against the early Christians, and St.
Tertullian, Apol. i.
7Origen eont.
Justin alludes to them in his Apologies.
Cels. vi. 27ed. de la Rue, and others.
In the first Apology, cap.26, he mentions This arose no doubt, as Semisch them in connection with the followers of observes, "from the nightly meetings Simon Magus, or Gnostics, " who," and agapiP of the Christians ; from he says, "are falsely called Christians, misunderstood expressions of * eating "Whether theij commit such atrocious the flesh' and ' drinking the blood of and fabulous deeds I know not." vol. i.
Christ' at the celebration of the Lord's §.
26. p.
194.
Otto.
In his second Supper; and lastly, from an erroneous Apology, cap.
12. he more espeinterpretation of the terms ^»r<?M;-e/i and cially vindicates Christians from such sisters, which the Christians applied to charges, and shews that they are rather one another." vol. ii. p. 9. true of certain heathen customs.
The g2
A new Law and a new Covenant foretold.
Just. Law, we will gladly hear you, and we can then in the same ^ARr. j^^j-^j-jgj. investigate the other points between us."
Anew 11^ "There never will be any other God, Trypho, nor cove- , . rantpro-has there ever been any from eternity,"
I said, *' but the raised to q^^^ "Who created and ordered every thing that we see
; nor sede the do we hold your God to be one and our own to be another, ^' but we acknowledge one and the same, even Him Who brought up your forefathers from the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and a stretched-out arm, nor do we put our trust in any other—for there is no other—but only in Him
Whom you also adore. The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
Our hope is, however, not through Moses, nor through the Law, or there would be no difference between you and ourselves ; but I have read that there should hereafter be a final law, and a covenant more mighty than all others, which every one who hopes for the inheritance of God should henceforth observe.
The law given at Horeb has become obsolete, and was for you Jews only, but the one of which I speak is for all men alike.
A newj[aw_passed upon a law abrogates that which is old, and in like manner does a subsequent covenant annul a former one.
An everlasting and perfect law, and a faithful covenant, is given to us, even Christ, after which there shall be no other law, or ordinance, or command.
Have Is. 51, you not read what Esaias says. Hearken unto me, my people, and give ear unto me, O ye kings : for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people.
My righteousness draweth nigh quickly, and My salvation shall come forth, and in Mine arm shall the Gentiles trust.
Of this new covenant God speaks thus by Jerem.
Jeremiah; Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that L will E.V.31
31.32.
^ make a neiv covenant with the house of Israel, and with the Sept.38, ]^Qy^gQ QjJudah :
7iot according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand, to bring them out of the land of Egyp>t.
If God therefore did foretel that He would make a new covenant, and that, one which should be for a light of the Gentiles, and we see and are sure, that through the name of this Jesus Christ Who was crucified, men have turned to God from idolatry
The Jews reject the New for the letter of the Old.
and other wickedness, and have maintained their confession Dial. and kept their practice even to death, all may perceive, ^'^^^"' even from these works and the accompanying signs, that He is in truth that new law and that new covenant, and the expectation of those who, from all nations, have awaited the blessings of God.
For we who have been brought to God through this Christ Who was crucified, are the true spiritual
Israel, and the race of Judah, Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham, who in uncircumcision received a testimony and a blessing from God for his faith, and was named the father of many nations ; as shall be proved in the remainder of my discourse.
J 2.
" [ added, moreover, another passage from Isaiah, in Jews which he exclaims. Hear my words, and your soul shall live, feuer*^^ and I will make aii everlasting covenant with you, even the sure against mercies of David.
Behold, I have given Him for a witness law. to the people ; behold, nations that know thee not shall call ^^^' ^.^'
3. 4, 5, upon thee, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee, because of the Lord thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel, for He hath glorified thee.
*' This very law you have despised, and His new and holy covenant have you set at nought, and even now you receive it not, nor do you repent of your evil deeds, for still yourl^si.6, ears are stopped, and your eyes are blinded, and your heart is waxed gross.
And Jeremiah has cried, but you have not listened to him.
The Lawgiver is come, but you discern Him Mat.ii, not ; the poor have the Gospel preached to them, the blind see, y
22".
^ but you understand not.
You need a second circumcision, and yet you think much of that of the flesh.
The new law commands you to keep a perpetual Sabbath, and you rest on one day and think that you are religious, not considering why that commandment was given you.
Again, if you eat unleavened bread, you say that you have fulfilled the will of God ; but it is not by such means that the Lord our God is pleased.
If any one of you is guilty of perjury or theft, let him sin no more.
If any be an adulterer, let him repent, and then he will have kept a true and pleasant sabbath of God.
If any has unclean hands, let him wash, and he will be pure p.
P Thirlby supposes that homicides are here alluded to by St. Justin.
Prophecies of cleansing from sin.
Just.
13. "For it was not, surely, to tie bath that Isaiah sent you —^^ to wash away murder, and those other sins from which not Xs£l]£lh teaches all the waters of the sea can cleanse you
; but, as one would ^]^jj-j].^ there was of old that very washing of salvation which reraisthrough be spoke of, namely, that which is for those who repent ^ and who are no longer purified by the blood of goats and blood! sheep, or by the ashes of a heifer, or by the offerings of fine flour, but by faith, through the blood and the death of Christ, Who died for this very purpose, as Isaiah teaches Jsa. 52, you, saying. The Lord ivill make bare His holy arm iii the * eyes of all the stations ; and all the nations and the ends of 64,' 7. the earth shall see the salvation that is from God.
Depart ye^ depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing.
Go ye out of the midst of her ; he ye separated, that hear the vessels of the Lord: hecause ye go not with disorder and confusion; for the Lord will go hefore you, and the Lord God of Lsrael is He that will gather you together, Behold, my servant shall understand, and shall he exalted, and shall he glorified greatly.
As many shall he astonished at Thee, so Thy form and comeliness shall he despised hy men : thus many nations shall wonder at Him, and kings shall shut their mouths; hecause they, who have not heen told any thing concerning Him, shall see ; and they which have not heard ''^ and shall understand.
Lord, who hath helieved our report to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed f We have declared hefore Him as an infant, as a root in a dry ground.
He hath no form nor comeliness ; we have seen Him; and He hath neither form nor heauty ; hut His form is more inglorious and despicable than any of the sons of men.
He is a man exposed to stripes, and knows how to hear infirmities / hecause His face was turned away, He was despised and esteemed not.
He hears our iniquities, and endures pains 2ipon our account; and we did esteem Him to he in pain, and under the stroke, and in affliction.
But He was wounded for our transgressions, and was punished for our iniquities.
The chastisement of our peace was upon Him; with His stripes are we healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray ; man has turned aside to his own way : and the Lord hath delivered Him up for our iniquities ; and He, hecause of His afflictions, does not open His mouth; He is
Fulfilled in Repentance and Christian Baptism.
brought as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its Dial. shearer is dumb, so He opens not His mouth.
In His ^^^^"' humiliation His judgment was taken away.
But who shall declare His generation ? because His life is taken from the earth; through the iniquities of my people is He come to death.
And I will give the wicked for^ His burial, and the^ivn rich for His death; because He hath done no iniquity, neither ivas any deceit found iii His mouth.
And it pleased the Lord to purify Him by stripes.
If He shall be made an offering for sin, your soul shall see the life of His seed prolonged; and the Lord zvill lessen the travail of His soul, will shew Him light, and will give Him knowledge, to justify the righteous one who well serveth many ; and He Himself shall bear our iniquities: therefore He shall possess many, and . divide the spoil of the strong ; because His soul was delivered up unto death; and He was numbered with the transgressors; and He hath borne the sins of many, and was delivered for their transgressions.
Rejoice, O barren, thou that dost not bear; break forth, and cry aloud, thou that dost not travail with child; for more are the children of the desolate, than of her that hath the husband.
For the Lord said. Enlarge the place of thy tent, and of thy curtains; pitch, spare noty lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes, break forth on the right hand and on the left : and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and thou shalt inhabit the desolate cities.
Fear not, because thou hast been ashamed ; neither be thou con^ founded because thou hast been reproached: for thou shalt forget thine everlasting shame, and thou shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood: because the Lord hath gotten to Himself a name; and thy Redeemer the God of Israel shall be called for the whole earth.
For the Lord hath called thee as a ivoman forsaken and faint in spirit; as a woman hated from her youth.
14. " Through the baptism of repentance and knowledge True of God, therefore, which was instituted for the sins of the P"[|^J people, as Isaiah says, we have believed, and we know that by conthe same baptism which he preached, and which is alone ^nd'"'^ able to cleanse those who repent, is the water of life.
But baptism. the cisterns which you have digged for yourselves are broken cisterns, and unable to be of any use to you ; for
Purification not ceremonial hut spiritual.
Just, what profit is there in that baptism which cleanses the flesh Mart '- and the body alone ?
Let your souls be washed from anger and from covetousness, from envy, from hatred, and the 1 Cor.5. -whole body will then be pure ; and this is the signification of unleavened bread, namely, that you should abstain from the old works of the evil leaven ; you however receive every thing in a carnal sense, and think it to be serving God if you do such works, whilst your souls are filled with deceitfulness, and every kind of evil.
Hence, after the seven days of unleavened bread, God commanded you to prepare new leaven for yourselves, that is, the practice of new works, and not the imitation of your former evil ones.
And to prove that this is what your new Lawgiver enjoins you, I will cite again the passages which I produced before, with a few others which I then omitted.
Isaiah then speaks Is. 55, 3 thus; Hearken unto me, and your soul shall live ; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, the holy and faithful mercies of David, Behold, I have given Him for a witness to the nations, a leader and commander to the nations.
The nations which knew not thee shall call upon thee, and the people uhich know not thee shall run unto thee, because of thy God, the Holy One of Israel, for He hath glorified thee.
Seek ye God, and when ye find Him, call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked man forsake his ways, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; because He will abundantly pardon your sins.
For My thoughts are not as your thoughts, nor My ways as your ways.
For as far as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.
For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth, and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater ; so shall My word he that goeth forth out of My mouth : it shall not return until it shall have accomplished that which I please, and I will prosper the thing whereto I send it.
For ye shall go out with gladness, and be taught with joy.
For the mountains and the hills shall leap for joy when they look for you, and all the trees of the field shall applaud you ivith their branches.
Instead of the thorny
Prophecies of the Twofold Advent of Christ.
weed shall come up the cypress-tree, and instead of the nettle Dial. shall come up the myrtle-tree.
And the Lord shall he for aT^L^ZE: name, and for an everlasting sign, and He shall 7iot fail.
These and other similar passages of the Prophets refer, I said, in part, to the first Advent of Christ, in which He was foretold as about to come in ingloriousness, obscurity, and mortality ; and in part to His second Advent, when He shall appear in glory, and on the clouds of heaven ; then shall your nation look on and acknowledge Him Whom they pierced, as Hosea', one of the twelve Prophets, and'ZachaDaniel have foretold.
^-^^^' ^ 15. "Learn, therefore, also to keep God's true fast, that i^. you may please God, as Isaiah thus commands you.
Cry J^^l^^^^ aloud, spare not; lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew js. 53, My people their transgressions, and the house of Jacob their l"*^^. sins.
They seek Me daily, and desire to know My ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordi?iance of their God.
They ask of Me the ordinance ofjustice, they desire to draw near to God, saying, Wherefore have we fasted, and Thou saivest not ? wherefore have we afflicted our souls, and Thou takest no knowledge ?
For in the days of your fasts ye find all your pleasures, and exact all your labours.
Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and smite the afflicted with your fists.
Why do ye fast to Me, as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high ?
It is not such a fast as I have chosen; a day for a man to afflict his soul.
Neither if thou bend thy neck as a circle, and spread sackcloth and ashes under thee ; neither then shalt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord.
I have not chosen such a fast, saith the Lord.
But loose every band of wickedness, undo the bonds of agreements made by violence, let the ojypressed go free, and tear in pieces every imjust bond.
Deal thy bread to the hungry, and bring the poor that are cast out into thy house : if thou seest one naked, cover him; and thou shalt not despise those of thine own fiesh.
Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy garments'^ shall spring forth speedily; and thy righteousness shall go before thee, and the glory of the Lord shall surround
ifioLTia, for tafxara, healings.
Thus menta, which is explained of the Rethe early Latin Fathers read Vestisurrection. Ben.
Circumcision ivas only a mark of distinction.
Just. thee.
Then shalt thou call, and God shall answer; and ivhilst ' thou art yet sneaking, He shall say, Behold, here I am.
If thou shalt take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the stretching forth of the hands, and the words of murmuring ; and willingly givest thy bread to the hungry, and satisfiest the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon-day.
And thy God shall be with thee continually, and thou shalt be satisfied as thy soul desireth, and thy bones shall be made fat, and they shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, or like a land ivhose water fails not.
Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your hearts, as the word of God in all these words commands you.
Circum16. " For God Himself has thus proclaimed aloud by Moses ffiven Circumcise therefore the hardness of your hearts, and be no for a more stiff-necked.
For the Lord your God, even He is Lord Deut* of lords, a mighty and a terrible God, which regardeth not 10, 16. persons, nor taketh reward.
And in Leviticus; Because they 'Ley.26,have trespassed against Me and despised Me, and because ^ '
^' they have walked crookedly contrary to Me, I have also walked crookedly contrary unto them.
And I will destroy them in the land of their enemies, then will their uncircumcised hearts be ashamed.
For the fleshly circumcision which you derive from Abraham was given you as a mark by which you may be separated from other nations and from us, and that you alone might suffer the inflictions which are now justly laid on you, and that your country might lie desolate, and your cities destroyed by fire, your fruits consumed before your eyes by strangers, and none of you yourselves permitted to enter Jerusalem'^.
For by fleshly circumcision alone can you be distinguished from other men; nor will '
It was in the war which BarEven its name was changed to ^lia in Cochebas stirred up in Syria, that honour of the emperor, under which Jerusalem was taken by Hadrian A.D. appellation it is mentioned in the 135, and that the above prohibition Council of Nice, the Bishop havin<? was issued against any Jew entering rank next to the Metropolitan.
Canon the city.
At a somewhat later period, 7.
After the time of Constantine, howthey were allowed to take a view of it ever, the ancient name of Jerusalem once a year for the space of an hour on was gradually reassumed, under which the day of its capture by Titu«, (the title the Council of Chalcedon erected loth of August,) but nothing further it into a separate Patriarchate, with was permitted them, unless they purthe three Palestine? for its jurisdiction, chased it at a stated price.
Tertullian Beveridge, Pandect, vol. ii. on 7th informs us, that the prohibition extended
Council of Nice. Dr. Burton's History, also to Bethlehem.
Act. Jud. cap. 13. vol. ii. p. 86.
Shi of the Jews in persecuting Christ and His People.
any of you I suppose venture to deny, that God both was Dial. and is acquainted with the future, and that He prepares for ^^^^"' every one a portion according to his deserts.
Hence the above afflictions were rightly and justly laid upon you, for you have slain the Just One, and His prophets before Him, and now those who trust in Him ; and the Almighty God, the Creator of all. Who sent Him, you set at nought, and, as far as you are able, clothe with dishonour, heaping curses in your synagogues on those who put their trust in Christ ^ For you have not actual power to destroy us: from this you are restrained by those in authority, though as often as you have been able you have proceeded even to this extremity.
Hence God cries thus in your ears through His Prophet Isaiah, Behold, the righteous perisheth, and no man conIs. 57, sidereth.
For the righteous is taken aivay from the evil to ~ * come.
His hurial shall he in peace, he is taken from among us.
But draw hither, ye wicked sons, ye seed of the adulterers and children of the whore.
Against whom do ye sport yourselves ? and upon whom did ye make a wide mouth, and draw out the toiigue ?
17. " Other nations, in fact, are not equally guilty with you Caluraof this injustice, which is committed toward us and toward ^'^^ .
Christ ; for you are the authors of that evil opinion which by the they entertain of the Just One, and of us His followers for when you had crucified Him, the only blameless and Just One, by whose stripes all who come to the Father 18.53,5. through Him are healed, and when you knew that He had johnl4, risen from the dead and gone up into heaven, as the Prophets^* had foretold, not only did you feel no repentance for your crimes^, but you even sent chosen men from Jerusalem to 1 Quoted all countries, to say that a godless heresy, termed the ^^^l^ Christian, had lately sprung up, adding those other calum18. nies against us, which all who know us not are accustomed to repeats So that you are not only a cause of wrong s St. Epiphanius, Hser.
9. and have discovered in the writings of the St. Jerome on Isaiah Hi. 5. informs us, ancients, that the priests and elders of thatthe Jews were accustomed solemnly the Jews who dwelt at Jerusalem wrote to curse the Christians three times a letters, and sent them into all nations, day.
And Otto tells us, that they still every where slandering to the Jews the continue to do the same, p. 67. note 10. doctrine of Christ as a new and godless ' Thirlby quotes another passage heresy, and charging them by their from Eusebius referring to this.
apostles not to receive it; with which
Perverseness of the Jews foretold by Isaiah.
Just, doing to yourselves, but to all others as well.
Justly thereYT^TT"^^^'^ ^^^^ Isaiah cry out, Through your means My name is and s] blasphemed among the Gentiles.
And again, Woe unto their j~3^* souls; for they have taken evil counsel against themselves, 9—u. saying , Let us hind the righteous, because he is unprofitable to us: therefore they eat the fruit of their doings. iVoe unto the wicked: evil shall ha^ppen to him, according to the works Is. 5, of his hands.
And again in another place, Woe unto them * that draw sin as with a long cord, and iniquities as it were ivith a cart-rope; that say. Let His speediness approach, and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel come, that we may knoiv it.
Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put light for darkness, and darkness for light ; that put hitter for siveet, and sweet for hitter.
So that you have laboured throughout the w^hole world to cause all dark, bitter, and untrue accusations to be laid to the charge of ^ (t>o}Ths that only blameless and just Light", Who was sent to us frorn God ; for you thought Him unprofitable, when He Mat.2i, cried out, 3Iy house shall he called the house of prayer, hut i?ute]9 ^^ have made it a den of thieves.
1«.
" He also overthrew the tables of the money-changers in Mat. 23, tlie temple, and said, Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees,
Luk 11 hypocrites ; fur y tithe inint and rue, and never think of the 43, love of God, and judgment.
Ye ivhited sepulchres, ivliich without appear beautiful, but witlmi are full of dead hones.
Lukeii, And to the Scribes, Woe unto you, Scribes, for you have the Mat.23 keys; and ye enter not in yourselves, and them that were 16. 24. entering in ye hiiider—blind guides.
Why 18.
'* For since you confess, Trypho, that you have read the tians^' pi^scepts taught by Him, the Saviour Whom we acknowledge, keep not I think it not out of place that I have added a few of His Is.
16.' moi'e brief sayings to the words of the Prophets ; Wash you, make you clean; even now, put aivay the evil of your doings letters these apostles passed through by St. Justin to our Lord, is used by every country, calumniating the docHim of Himself.
St. John viii.
12. trine of our Saviour.
It is the custom I am the Light of the world, ix. 5. As with the Jews, even at this time, to long as I am in the world, T am the term those who bring Enclyclical Light of the ivorld; and xii.
46, &c. letters from their rulers, Apostles."
The accusations above alluded to are Euseb. on Isaiah xviii.
Otto, vol. ii. supposed by the Benedictine Editor to p. 60. note 6. be those mentioned in §. 10.
" The same word (pooT6s, here applied
The Law given to the Jews for their sins.
from your souls.
God thus commands you to wash in this Dial. laver, and to be circumcised with the true circumcision. I^If£; For we also should practise your circumcision of the flesh, and should keep the sabbaths, and, in a word, all the feasts, did we not know for what cause they were enjoined you, namely, for your sins, and the hardness of your hearts.
For if we endure to undergo all that is inflicted on us by wicked men and by evil spirits, and yet, in the midst of our indescribable modes of death and tortures, pray that they who so torment us may obtain mercy, and, according to the commandment of the new Lawgiver, would requite none of them any the least thing in return ; why, Trypho, should we refuse to observe such rites as would do us no injury, such as fleshly circumcision, and keeping of the sabbaths, and festivals ?
•^ or cision, as we do, and yet should not observe all the other things and of now in question. theLaw.
19.
" It is this indeed which you might well seek to find Originof out—why we should consent to undere'O such persecutions ^.^^.'^'^™'
" It is because circumcision is not necessary for all, but only for you Jews, that, as I said before, you might undergo your present justly merited sufferings.
Nor do we receive your useless baptism of cisterns, for such bears no relation to the Baptism of life^; so that God declares that you have forsaken Him, the fountain of living wafers, and hewed you Jerem. out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no ivater.
You ' who are circumcised in the flesh, require our circumcision whilst we who possess this, have no need of yours.
^' For had circumcision been absolutely necessary, God would not have created Adam without it ; nor would He have regarded the sacrifice of Abel, which he offered in uncircumcision, nor would Enoch have been pleasing in His sight in uncircumcision, so that He was not found, for Gen. 5,
God took him.
Lot was saved without circumcision, the Angels and the Lord Himself leading him out of Sodom.
Noah, the father of man, being in uncircumcision, entered with his children into the ark.
Melchisedec, the priest of the Most High, was uncircumcised, to wdiom Abraham, the ^ On the Jews' baptism of Proselytes and Infants, see Introrluction to Wall's
Infant Baptism.