Travis Walter Morgan (whose Intelius report is available upon request) who operates the “LDS vs. the Real World” facebook page, has recently appealed to Justin Martyr as a witness against “Mormonism”:
It should be noted that it is easily discovered that Morgan is not
relying upon the ANF series itself; he is relying upon David Bercot’s A
Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs: A Reference Guide to More Than 700
Topics Discussed by the Early Church Fathers, p. 527, which also references
this quote as ANF 1:266:
In reality, it is ANF 1:266-67, not 1:266 merely, and any careful
individual would also include it being chapter 134 of Dialogue with Trypho.
But this is all minor. The major issue is that Justin Martyr was
not a “proto-Protestant,” and again shows that one is waiting for that ever-allusive “proto-Protestant” who existed during what LDS believe to be the “Great
Apostasy” (denied by Protestants, though I have said over and over again, functionally,
they act as if there was one).
Here are some key doctrines Travis Walter Morgan and his ilk would
find to be heresy:
Rejection of Forensic Justification
Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, 23
Greek | English (ANF 1:206) |
Ἐὰν δὲ ταῦτα οὕτως μὴ ὁμολογήσωμεν, συμβήσεταιἡμῖν εἰς ἄτοπα ἐμπίπτειν νοήματα, ὡς τοῦ αὐτοῦ Θεοῦ μὴ ὄντος τοῦ κατὰ τὸν Ἐνὼχ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους πάντας, οἳ μήτε περιτομὴν τὴν κατὰ σάρκα ἔχοντες μήτε σάββατα ἐφύλαξαν μήτε δὲ τὰ ἄλλα, Μωσέως ἐντειλαμένου ταῦτα ποιεῖν, ἢ τὰ αὐτὰ αὐτὸν δίκαια μὴ ἀεὶ πᾶν γένος ἀνθρώπων βεβουλῆσθαι πράσσειν, ἅπερ γελοῖα καὶ ἀνόητα ὁμολογεῖν φαίνεται. Διʼ αἰτίαν δὲ τὴν τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν ἀνθρώπων τὸν αὐτὸν ὄντα ἀεὶ ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐντετάλθαι ὁμολογεῖν, καὶ φιλάνθρωπον καὶ προγνώστην καὶ ἀνενδεῆ καὶ δίκαιον καὶ ἀγαθὸν ἀποφαίνειν ἐστίν. Ἐπεὶ εἰ μὴ ταῦτα οὕτως ἔχει, ἀποκρίνασθέ μοι, ὦ ἄνδρες, περὶ τῶν ζητουμένων τούτων ὅ τι φρονεῖτε. Καὶ μηδὲν μηδενὸς ἀποκριναμένου, — Διὰ ταῦτά σοι, ὦ Τρύφων, καὶ τοῖς βουλομένοις προσηλύτοις γενέσθαι, κηρύξω ἐγὼ θεῖον λόγον, ὃν παρʼ ἐκείνου ἤκουσα τοῦ ἀνδρός. Ὁρᾶτε ὅτι τὰ στοιχεῖα οὐκ ἀργεῖ, οὐδὲ σαββατίζει. Μείνατε ὡς γεγένησθε. Εἰ γὰρ πρὸ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ οὐκ ἦν χρεία περιτομῆς, οὐδὲ πρὸ Μωϋσέως σαββατισμοῦ καὶ ἑορτῶν καὶπροσφορῶν, οὐδὲ νῦν, μετὰ τὸν κατὰ τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ δίχα ἁμαρτίας διὰ τῆς ἀπὸ γένους τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ παρθένου γεννηθέντα υἱὸν Θεοῦ Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, ὁμοίως ἐστὶ χρεία. Καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς ὁ Ἀβραὰμ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ ὢν διὰ τὴν πίστιν, ἣν ἐπίστευσε τῷ Θεῷ, ἐδικαιώθη καὶ εὐλογήθη, ὡς ἡ γραφὴ σημαίνει· τὴν δὲ περιτομὴν εἰς σημεῖον, ἀλλʼ οὐκ εἰς δικαιοσύνην ἔλαβεν, ὡς καὶ αἱ γραφαὶ καὶ τὰ πράγματα ἀναγκάζει ἡμᾶς ὁμολογεῖν, Ὥστε δικαίως εἴρητο περὶ ἐκείνον τοῦ λαοῦ, ὅτι ἐξολοθρευθήσεται ἡ ψυχὴ ἐκείνη ἐκ τοῦ γένους αὐτῆς, ἣ οὐ περιτμηθήσεται τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ὀγδόῃ. Καὶ τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι δὲ τὸ θῆλυ γένος τήν σαρκικὴν περιτομήν λαμβάνειν, δείκνυσιν ὅτι εἰς σημεῖον ἡ περιτομὴ αὕτη δέδοται, ἀλλʼ οὐχ ὡς ἔργον δικαιοσύνης· τὰ γὰρ δίκαια καὶ ἐνάρετα ἅπαντα ὁμοίως καὶ τὰς θηλείας δύνασθαι φυλάσσειν ὁ Θεὸς ἐποίησεν. Ἀλλὰ σχῆμα μὲν τὸ τῆς σαρκὸς ἕτερον καὶ ἕτερον ὁρῶμεν γεγενημένον ἄῤῥενος καὶ θηλείας, διὰ δὲ τοῦτο οὐδέ δίκαιον οὐδὲ ἄδικον οὐδέτερον αὐτῶν ἐπιστάμεθα, ἀλλὰ διʼ εὐσέβειαν καὶ δικαιοσύνην. | "But if we do not admit this, we shall be liable to fall into foolish opinions, as if it were not the same God who existed in the times of Enoch and all the rest, who neither were circumcised after the flesh, nor observed Sabbaths, nor any other rites, seeing that Moses enjoined such observances; or that God has not wished each race of mankind continually to perform the same righteous actions: to admit which, seems to be ridiculous and absurd. Therefore we must confess that He, who is ever the same, has commanded these and such like institutions on account of sinful men, and we must declare Him to be benevolent, foreknowing, needing nothing, righteous and good. But if this be not so, tell me, sir, what you think of those matters which we are investigating." And when no one responded: "Wherefore, Trypho, I will proclaim to you, and to those who wish to become proselytes, the divine message which I heard from that man. Do you see that the elements are not idle, and keep no Sabbaths? Remain as you were born. For if there was no need of circumcision before Abraham, or of the observance of Sabbaths, of feasts and sacrifices, before Moses; no more need is there of them now, after that, according to the will of God, Jesus Christ the Son of God has been born without sin, of a virgin sprung from the stock of Abraham. For when Abraham himself was in uncircumcision, he was justified and blessed by reason of the faith which he reposed in God, as the Scripture tells. Moreover, the Scriptures and the facts themselves compel us to admit that He received circumcision for a sign, and not for righteousness. So that it was justly recorded concerning the people, that the soul which shall not be circumcised on the eighth day shall be cut off from his family. And, furthermore, the inability of the female sex to receive fleshly circumcision, proves that this circumcision has been given for a sign, and not for a work of righteousness. For God has given likewise to women the ability to observe all things which are righteous and virtuous; but we see that the bodily form of the male has been made different from the bodily form of the female; yet we know that neither of them is righteous or unrighteous merely for this cause, but [is considered righteous] by reason of piety and righteousness. |
Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, 92
Greek | English (ANF 1:245-46) |
"Unless, therefore, a man by God's great grace receives the power to understand what has been said and done by the prophets, the appearance of being able to repeat the words or the deeds will not profit him, if he cannot explain the argument of them. And will they not assuredly appear contemptible to many, since they are related by those who understood them not? For if one should wish to ask you why, since Enoch, Noah with his sons, and all others in similar circumstances, who neither were circumcised nor kept the Sabbath, pleased God, God demanded by other leaders, and by the giving of the law after the lapse of so many generations, that those who lived between the times of Abraham and of Moses be justified by circumcision, and that those who lived after Moses be justified by circumcision and the other ordinances--to wit, the Sabbath, and sacrifices, and libations, and offerings; [God will be slandered] unless you show, as I have already said, that God who foreknew was aware that your nation would deserve expulsion from Jerusalem, and that none would be permitted to enter into it. (For you are not distinguished in any other way than by the fleshly circumcision, as I remarked previously. For Abraham was declared by God to be righteous, not on account of circumcision, but on account of faith. For before he was circumcised the following statement was made regarding him: ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted unto him for righteousness.' And we, therefore, in the uncircumcision of our flesh, believing God through Christ, and having that circumcision which is of advantage to us who have acquired it --namely, that of the heart--we hope to appear righteous before and well-pleasing to God: since already we have received His testimony through the words of the prophets.) [And, further, God will be slandered unless you show] that you were commanded to observe the Sabbath, and to present offerings, and that the Lord submitted to have a place called by the name of God, in order that, as has been said, you might not become impious and godless by worshipping idols and forgetting God, as indeed you do always appear to have been. (Now, that God enjoined the ordinances of Sabbaths and offerings for these reasons, I have proved in what I previously remarked; but for the sake of those who came to-day, I wish to repeat nearly the whole.) For if this is not the case, God will be slandered, as having no foreknowledge, and as not teaching all men to know and to do the same acts of righteousness (for many generations of men appear to have existed before Moses); and the Scripture is not true which affirms that ‘God is true and righteous, and all His ways are judgments, and there is no unrighteousness in him.' But since the Scripture is true, God is always willing that such even as you be neither foolish nor lovers of yourselves, in order that you may obtain the salvation of Christ, who pleased God, and received testimony from Him, as I have already said, by alleging proof from the holy words of prophecy. |
Baptismal Regeneration
I will also relate the manner in which we dedicated ourselves to
God when we had been made new through Christ; lest, if we omit this, we seem to
be unfair in the explanation we are making. As many as are persuaded and
believe that what we teach and say is true, and undertake to be able to live
accordingly, are instructed to pray and to entreat God with fasting, for the
remission of their sins that are past, we praying and fasting with them. Then
they are brought by us where there is water, and are regenerated in the same
manner in which we were ourselves regenerated. For, in the name of God, the
Father and Lord of the universe, and of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of the
Holy Spirit, they then receive the washing with water. For Christ also said,
"Except ye be born again, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of
heaven." Now, that it is impossible for those who have once been born to
enter into their mothers' wombs, is manifest to all. And how those who have
sinned and repent shall escape their sins, is declared by Esaias the prophet,
as I wrote above; he thus speaks: "Wash you, make you clean; put away the
evil of your doings from your souls; learn to do well; judge the fatherless,
and plead for the widow: and come and let us reason together, saith the Lord.
And though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them white like wool; and
though they be as crimson, I will make them white as snow. But if ye refuse and
rebel, the sword shall devour you: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken
it."
And for this [rite] we have
learned from the apostles this reason. Since at our birth we were born without
our own knowledge or choice, by our parents coming together, and were brought
up in bad habits and wicked training; in order that we may not remain the
children of necessity and of ignorance, but may become the children of choice
and knowledge, and may obtain in the water the remission of sins formerly
committed, there is pronounced over him who chooses to be born again, and has
repented of his sins, the name of God the Father and Lord of the universe; he
who leads to the laver the person that is to be washed calling him by this name
alone. For no one can utter the name of the ineffable God; and if any one dare
to say that there is a name, he raves with a hopeless madness. And this washing
is called illumination, because they who learn these things are illuminated in
their understandings. And in the name of Jesus Christ, who was crucified under
Pontius Pilate, and in the name of the Holy Ghost, who through the prophets
foretold all things about Jesus, he who is illuminated is washed. (First
Apology, 61 [ANF 1:183])
"For thus, so far as you are
concerned, I shall be found in all respects innocent, if I strive earnestly to
persuade you by bringing forward demonstrations. But if you remain
hard-hearted, or weak in [forming] a resolution, on account of death, which is
the lot of the Christians, and are unwilling to assent to the truth, you shall
appear as the authors of your own [evils]. And you deceive yourselves while you
fancy that, because you are the seed of Abraham after the flesh, therefore you
shall fully inherit the good things announced to be bestowed by God through
Christ. For no one, not even of them, has anything to look for, but only those
who in mind are assimilated to the faith of Abraham, and who have recognised
all the mysteries: for I say, that some injunctions were laid on you in
reference to the worship of God and practice of righteousness; but some
injunctions and acts were likewise mentioned in reference to the mystery of
Christ, on account of the hardness of your people's hearts. And that this is
so, God makes known in Ezekiel, [when] He said concerning it: ‘If Noah and
Jacob and Daniel should beg either sons or daughters, the request would not be
granted them.' And in Isaiah, of the very same matter He spake thus: ‘The Lord
God said, they shall both go forth and look on the members [of the bodies] of
the men that have transgressed. For their worm shall not die, and their fire
shall not be quenched, and they shall be a gazing-stock to all flesh.' So that
it becomes you to eradicate this hope from your souls, and hasten to know in
what way forgiveness of sins, and a hope of inheriting the promised good
things, shall be yours. But there is no other [way] than this, --to become
acquainted with this Christ, to be washed in the fountain6 spoken of by Isaiah
for the remission of sins; and for the rest, to live sinless lives."
(Dialogue with Trypho, 44 [ANF 1:216-17])
Commenting on Justin’s theology of water baptism, L. W. Barnard
wrote that
His
main thought is that baptism is a new birth (αναγεννησις). This is in line with
the earliest baptismal tradition of the Church—indeed he explicitly states that
the reason for the rite had been learnt from the apostles and quotes John iii.
3-4, 'Unless you are born again you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven'. It
is in the rite of baptism that the new birth literally takes place and
candidates receive forgiveness of their past sins of which they have repented.
In the Dialogue Justin says that the old rites of Judaism were
broken cisterns, for they were performed without a turning from evil doings:
'Baptise your soul (free) from anger and from covetousness, from envy, from
hatred—and behold your body is clean' (Dial. xiv, 1-2). The
spiritual circumcision which alone is of any value Christians receive in
baptism which is a laver of repentance and of the knowledge of God (Dial.
xiv. 1). Baptism, for Justin, is the normal way of becoming a Christian and the
new birth or spiritual circumcision occurs in the rite. It would, however, be
pressing his words too hard to say, with Kirsopp Lake, that Justin connected
forgiveness explicitly with the water, and the new life with 'the name' (Encyclopedia
of Religion and Ethics, n, 386). Repentance, forgiveness and the new
birth are part of a single complex of ideas and cannot be partitioned. It is
also significant that in Dial. xxix. 1 Justin connects Christian
baptism with the Holy Spirit: 'What account should I, to whom God has borne
testimony, then take of circumcision? What need of that other baptism (i.e.
Jewish proselyte baptism) to one who has been baptised by the Holy Spirit?'
This connection does not occur in 1 Apol. lxi-lxv although it was
part of the received tradition of the Church. Instead, in 1 Apol.
lxi. 12-13 Justin describes baptism as illumination (φωτισμος) and states that
the candidates who have faithfully received baptismal instruction are
illuminated within. Although this term had a long usage behind it Justin
appears to have been the first to have associated the noun specifically with
baptism, although the association of light with baptism is very old
(Selwyn, The First Epistle of St. Peter, pp. 375-82, on the New
Testament evidence).
What
did this φωτισμος imply? Justin believed that in baptism men were empowered
with a divine force which will enable them to live a truly moral life. The whole
logos had now come into a man's life with which he must co-operate for the
attainment of salvation: 'They then earnestly offer common prayers for
themselves and the one who has been illuminated and all others everywhere, that
we may be made worthy, having learned the truth, to be found in deed good
citizens and keepers of what is commanded, so that we may be saved with eternal
salvation' (1 Apol. lxv. 1; cf. 1 Apol. lxi. 10; 'So that we
should not remain children of necessity and ignorance, but (become sons) of
free choice and knowledge and obtain remission of the sins we have already
committed . . .) It may justly be claimed that Justin has succeeded, perhaps
better than any other second-century writer, in disassociating the rite of
baptism from a 'magical' view of regeneration by emphasising that it is the
beginning of a new life during which a man must strive to make his soul a
habitation for the Spirit. His chances of doing so are immeasurably
strengthened by the illumination, the presence of the whole logos, which came
to him in his baptism. The test of the tree is in the quality of the fruit and
not only in the quality of a man's faith. In stating this so forcibly Justin is
in line with the best Catholic tradition of the Church (Goodenough, Theology
of Justin Martyr, p. 269, has some good remarks on this). (L. W.
Barnard, Justin Martyr: His Life and Thought [Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 1967], 140-42)
A cop-out by some Protestants (e.g., James White) is to claim Justin was ignorant of the Pauline epistles. This is untenable in light of modern scholarship (e.g., Matthew J. Thomas). On this, see, for e.g. Justin Martyr's Knowledge of the Pauline Epistles in Dialogue with Trypho.
Ontological (not merely functional) subordination of Jesus to the Father:
There were no "proto-Protestants" in Justin's time.
