AGNOSTICISM: A REJOINDER. 177 



certain categories of persons who, in his opinion, will, or will not, 

 be saved.* These are : 



1. Orthodox Jews who refuse to believe that Jesus is the 

 Christ. Not saved. 



2. Jews who observe the law ; believe Jesus to be the Christ ; 

 but who insist on the observance of the law by Gentile converts. 

 Not saved. 



3. Jews who observe the law ; believe Jesus to be the Christ, and 

 hold that Gentile converts need not observe the law. Saved (in Jus- 

 tin's opinion ; but some of his fellow-Christians think the contrary). 



4. Gentile converts to the belief in Jesus as the Christ, who 

 observe the law. Saved (possibly). 



5. Gentile believers in Jesus as the Christ, who do not observe 

 the law themselves (except so far as the refusal of idol sacrifices), 

 but do not consider those who do observe it heretics. Saved (this 

 is Justin's own view). 



6. Gentile believers who do not observe the law except in 

 refusing idol sacrifices, and hold those who do observe it to be 

 heretics. Saved. 



7. Gentiles who believe Jesus to be the Christ and call them- 

 selves Christians, but who eat meats sacrificed to idols. Not saved. 



8. Gentiles who disbelieve in Jesus as the Christ. Not saved. 

 Justin does not consider Christians who believe in the natural 



birth of Jesus, of whom he implies that there is a respectable 

 minority, to be heretics, though he himself strongly holds the pre- 

 ternatural birth of Jesus and his pre-existence as the " Logos " or 

 " Word." He conceives the Logos to be a second God, inferior to 

 the first, unknowable, God, with respect to whom Justin, like 

 Philo, is a complete agnostic. The Holy Spirit is not regarded 

 by Justin as a separate personality, and is often mixed up with 

 the "Logos." The doctrine of the natural immortality of the 

 soul is, for Justin, a heresy ; and he is as firm a believer in the 

 resurrection of the body as in the speedy second coming and the 

 establishment of the millennium. 



This pillar of the Church in the middle of the second century — 

 a much-traveled native of Samaria — was certainly well acquainted 

 with Rome, probably with Alexandria, and it is likely that he 

 knew the state of opinion throughout the length and breadth of 

 the Christian world as well as any man of his time. If the various 

 categories above enumerated are arranged in a series thus — 



Justin's Christianity. 



Orthodox Judceo - Christianity. Idolothytic 



Judaism. , — ,. Christianity. Paganism. 



I II III IV V VI VII VIII 



* See "Dial, cum Tryphone," sections 41 and 35. It is to be understood that Justin 

 does not arrange these categories in order as I have done. 

 vol. xxxv. — 12 



