3. That neither the Saviour, nor his apostles, ever undertook to deny or disown this belief, but, on the contrary, used the very same technicalities and style of speech on the subject, with which the ears of the Jewish church had been long familiar, holding forth the coming and kingdom of the Messiah in this world, as the grand inducement to faith and repentance, and making it the very burden, the sum and substance of their preaching.

4. That immediately after their day, in the direct line of their successors, and in the writings of all the fathers of the first century that are extant, the same unbroken testimony is to be found, in favor of the literal interpretation of prophecy, as it held forth the approaching, personal, and visible coming of Christ to judgment, and for the establishment of his kingdom, as the great object of earnest and universal hope and expectation in the church of God.

5. That nowhere throughout this whole period, do we meet with the least hint of a 1,000 years' universal religious prosperity, or the conversion of the world, before Christ's coming to judgment.

6. And that even, by the testimony of its enemies, it appears to have been the general expectation of the church-which contributed to their self-denial and holiness and practice of Christian graces-that Christ would visibly come, and, having raised his saints, reign with them 1,000 years on the earth; nor was it ever for a moment questioned, till a new style of interpreting the Scriptures-which, originating with Platonic philosophers, found favor with heretics, was commended by Eusebius, and admired and adopted by the learned-led the wise and philosophical to pour contempt upon the simplicity of the ancient faith, as the merest credulity, fostered by the wild and extravagant legends of the Jews.

CHAPTER VIII.

TRADITIONARY HISTORY.

OUR examination of traditionary history, in the last chapter, brought us down to the close of the first century. Beginning with the prophets of the captivity, we traced the stream of tradition through two channels: 1. The Jewish, flowing in the testimony of their Targums, their apocryphal historians, their learned and pious Rabbis, down to the days of Christ. The profane, flowing down through the Gentile nations, in the writings of Zoroaster, the servant of Daniel, the instructor of Pythagoras, and the restorer of the Magian religion in Persia.

2.

These five things formed the object of ancient expectation, and prevailed, to a greater or less degree, in greater or less distinctness, through the Oriental nations, and among the Greeks and Romans of the West; viz. the coming of some illustrious being,—the destruction of the dominion of evil in this world,-the resurrection of the dead,-the dispensation of judg ment, and the consequent happiness of the world. This testimony, it was remarked, is not quoted, as evidence of any other value than to establish the fact, that the prophetical writings-as grammatically interpreted in the traditionary explanations of the Jews, from the very days of the captivity—have made an extensive impression on the world, and may be traced, even to this day, among the Oriental sects and nations.

We resume the chain of historical testimony, where we left it, at the close of the first century.

The first author, in the second century, whose testimony we quote, is Justin Martyr. He was born A. D. 89, and suffered martyrdom A. D. 163. He was in his early life cotemporary with Papias and Polycarp, was originally "a Platonic philosopher, but was converted to the Christian faith. He taught the gospel," says Spanheim,* at Rome, with great success and boldness until he suffered martyrdom in the reign of Antoninus Pius. Many of his writings against the heretics have perished. His genuine works are two apologies, and his dialogue with Trypho, the Jew, which are still extant."

Eusebius speaks in high terms of him, saying, "This Justin has left us many monuments of a mind well stored with learning, and devoted to sacred things, replete with matter profitable in every respect." This learned and excellent writer, in his dialogue with Trypho, the Jew, on the advent of Christ, expresses himself in the most pointed terms, and quotes passage after passage, from the writings of Isaiah, and from the revelations of John, in proof of the visible coming of Christ to raise the dead, to establish his kingdom, and to reign with his saints on the earth.

"Tell me," says Trypho, "do you honestly allow

* Spanh. Eccles. Annal., p. 194. Euseb. Eccles. Hist., p. 137. † Καὶ ὁ Τρύφων πρὸς ταῦτα ἔφη· εἶπον πρός σε, ὦ ἄνθρωπε, ὅτι ἀσφαλὴς ἐν πᾶσι σπουδάζεις είναι ταῖς γραφαῖς προσπλεκόμενος. ειπὲ δί μοὶ, ἀληθῶς ὑμεῖς ἀνοικοδομηθῆναι τον τύπον Ιερουσαλὴμ τοῦτον ὁμολογεῖτε, καὶ συναχθήσεσθαι τον λαον ύμων, καὶ εὐφρανθῆναι σὺν τῷ Χριστῷ ἅμα τοις πατριάρχαις καὶ τοῖς προφήταις, και τοις ἀπὸ τοῦ ἡμετέρου γενόμενοις, ἢ καὶ τῶν πρωσηλύτων γενομένων πρὶν ἐλθεῖν ύμων τὸν Χριστὸν προσδοκάτε, ἤ ἕνα δόξῃς περικρατεῖν ἡμων ἐν ταῖς ζητήσεσι πρὸς τὸ ταῦτα ὁμολογεῖν εχωρησαις. Καγω εἶπον· ουχ οὕτω τάλας εγω, ω Τρύφων, ὡς ἕτερα λέγειν παρ ̓ ἅ φρονω. ὡμολόγησα οὖν σοι καὶ πρότερον, ότι εγὼ μὲν καὶ ἄλλοι πολλοὶ ταυτα φρονουμεν, ὡς και παντως επίσασθε τοῦτο γενησόμενον· πολλοὶς δε ἂν καὶ των της καθαρᾶς καὶ

this Jerusalem will be rebuilt, and do you expect our nation will be gathered, and with joy be brought back, together with the Messiah, and the patriarchs, and prophets, and proselytes, before the coming of your Messiah; or do you hold this that you may seem to triumph in argument?"

Justin, in reply, protests that he was honest in his sentiments, and that the Jew need not fear to be caught in a trap by what appeared to him a new and ingenious mode of argument. According to some copies, he admits that some Christians reputed orthodox, did not acknowledge (non agnoscere) these sentiments. That this is the genuine reading, however, both Mede and Bishop Newton and Mr. Vint deny, affirming, what Mr. Homes, by a diligent examination of manuscript copies, has proved, that the word "not"

Τοὺς

μη

εὐσεβοῖς ὄντων χριστιανῶν γνώμης, τουτο μὴ γνωρίζειν εσήμανα σοι. γὰρ λεγομένοις μὲν χριστιανοὶς, ὄντας δε αθέοις καὶ ασηβεῖς ἁιρεσιωτας, ότι κατὰ πάντα βλάσφημα και ἄθεα καὶ ἀνοητατα διδάσκουσιν, εδηλωσὰ σοι. ὅτι δὲ οὐκ εφ' ύμων μονων τοῦτο λέγειν με ἐπίστασθε, τῶν γεγενημένων ἡμῖν λογων ἁπάντων, ὡς δύναμίς μου, σύνταξιν ποιήσομαι· ἐν οἷς καὶ τουτο ὁμολογουντά με ὅ καὶ πρὸς ὑμᾶς ὁμολογώ, εγράψω. Οὐ γάρ ανθρωποις μᾶλλον ἢ ανθρωπί νοις διδάγμασιν ἁιρουμαι ακολουθεῖν, αλλα Θεῷ, καὶ τοῖς παρ' ἐκείνου διδάγματ σιν, ει γαρ και συνεβάλετε ὑμεῖς τισι λεγομένοις χριστιανοῖς, καὶ τοῦτο ὁμολογοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ βλασφημεῖν τολμῶσι τὸν Θεὸν Αβραὰμ, καὶ τὸν Ισαακ, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν Ιακῶβ, οἵ καὶ λέγουσι μὴ εἶναι νεκρῶν αναστασιν, ἀλλὰ ἅμα τῷ ἀποθνήσκειν, τὰς ψυχὰς αὐτων ἀναλαμβάνεσθαι εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, μη ὑπολάβητε αὐτοὺς χριστιανοὶς. ὥσπερ ουδὲ Ιουδαίοις, ἄν τις ορθῶς ἐξεταση, ὁμολογήσαιεν εἶναι τοὺς Σαδδουκαίοις, ἤ τὰς ὁμοίας αἱρεσας Γενιστῶν, καὶ Μεριστῶν, και Γαλιλαίων, καὶ ̔Ελληνιάνων, και Φαρισαίων βαπτιστῶν· καὶ μὴ ἀηδως ἀκούσητε μου παντα & φρονῶ λέγοντες) αλλα λεγομένοις μετα Ιουδαίοις τε τέκνα Αβραάμ, και χείλεσιν ὁμολογοῦν τας τὸν Θεὸν, ὡς ἀυτος κέκραγεν ὁ Θεός, την δέ καρδίαν πόῤῥω εχειν ἀπ' αυτου. ἐγὼ δὲ, τε εἴ τινές εισιν ὀρθο γνώμενες κατα πάντα χριστιανοὶ, δε σαρκὸς ἀναστασιν γενήσεσθαι επιστάμεθα και χίλια έτη εν Ιερουσαλημ οἰκοδομηθείσῃ καὶ κοσμηθείσῃ τε πλατυνθείσῃ, οἱ προφῆται Ιεζεκιὴλ καὶ Ἠσαΐας, και οἱ αλλοι ὁμολογουουσιν.—Justini Mar tyris Dialogus cum Tryphone Judæo. Op. Om. Paris Ed. Sec. 80, pp. 177, 178.

is an interpolation, and that Justin Martyr affirmed that orthodox Christians universally believed it. He tells Trypho, "That some indeed called Christians, are in fact atheists, and impious heretics, because, in every way, they teach blasphemy, impiety, and folly." He gives proof of his sincerity, and protests that he was "determined to follow not men, nor human authority, but God, and the doctrine taught by Him," adding, "Should you happen upon some who are called Christians, indeed, and yet are far from holding these sentiments," (which is a blow at the Platonism then beginning to creep into the church,) "but even dare to assail the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob with blasphemy, and say, 'There is no resurrection of the dead; but instantly when they die, their souls are received up into heaven,' do not count these among Christians, even as they are not Jews, if accurately considered, who are called Sadducees, and the like sects of Genistæ, Meristæ, Galileans, Hellenists, Pharisees, and Baptists, and others, (that I may not tire you to hear me express all I think,) but under the name of Jews and sons of Abraham, they worship God, as he accuses them, with their lips only, while their heart is far from him. But I, and all that are orthodox Christians, are acquainted with the resurrection of the body, and the thousand years in Jerusalem, that shall be rebuilt, adorned and enlarged, as the prophets Ezekiel, Isaiah, and others, declare." Then he quotes a variety of passages from Isaiah, commenting on them, and concluding with this testimony from the book of Revelations. "Moreover, a certain man among us, whose name is John, being one of the twelve apostles of Christ, in that Revelation which was shown to him, prophesied that those who believe in our Christ shall fulfil a thousand years at Jerusalem; and after that the general, and in a