Other Fragments from the Lost Writings of Justin

THE MOST ADMIRABLE JUSTIN RIGHTLY SAID THAT THE AFOREMENTIONED DEMONS WERE LIKE ROBBERS: — Address to the Greeks, chapter 18.

AND JUSTIN RIGHTLY SAID IN HIS BOOK AGAINST MARCION THAT HE WOULD NOT HAVE BELIEVED THE LORD HIMSELF IF HE HAD ANNOUNCED ANY OTHER GOD THAN THE CREATOR AND MAKER OF THE WORLD AND OUR SUSTAINER: But since the only-begotten Son came to us from the one God, who made this world, formed us, and governs all things, encapsulating His own creation in Himself, my faith in Him is steadfast, and my love towards the Father is unshakeable, with God granting both to us.

JUSTIN STATED WELL: Before the coming of the Lord, Satan never dared to blaspheme God, as he was not yet certain of his own damnation, since that was only revealed about him by the prophets in parables and allegories. But after the coming of the Lord, understanding clearly from the teachings of Christ and His apostles that eternal fire was prepared for him who voluntarily turned from God, and for all who, without repentance, persist in apostasy, then, through a man of this sort, he, as if already condemned, blasphemes that God who judges him, and attributes the sin of his apostasy to his Maker, instead of to his own will and preference.

EXPLAINING THE REASON FOR THE CONSTANT SCHEMING OF THE DEVIL AGAINST US: he states: Before the coming of the Lord, the devil did not clearly understand the extent of his own punishment, because the divine prophets had only hinted at it; for example, Isaiah, who, through the character of the Assyrian, revealed the plan to be followed against the devil. But when the Lord appeared, and the devil clearly realized that eternal fire was reserved and prepared for him and his angels, he began to plot relentlessly against the faithful, wanting many companions in his rebellion, so that he would not endure the disgrace of condemnation alone, finding comfort in this cold and malicious consolation.

AND JUSTIN OF NEAPOLIS: a man who was not far removed from the apostles either in age or excellence, says that what is mortal is inherited, but what is immortal inherits; and that the flesh indeed dies, but the kingdom of heaven lives.—From Methodius, On the Resurrection, in Photius.

THERE IS NO LIMITATION WITH GOD: nor anything that is not absolutely perfect.—From the manuscript of the writings of Justin.

WE WILL NOT HARM GOD BY STAYING IGNORANT OF HIM: but we will deprive ourselves of His friendship.

THE LACK OF SKILL IN THE TEACHER PROVES DESTRUCTIVE TO HIS DISCIPLES: and the carelessness of the disciples brings danger to the teacher, especially if their negligence is due to his lack of knowledge.

THE SOUL CAN WITH DIFFICULTY BE BROUGHT BACK TO THE GOOD THINGS IT HAS FALLEN FROM: and is with difficulty pulled away from the evils it has gotten used to. If at any time you show a disposition to blame yourself, then perhaps, through the medicine of repentance, I might have good hopes for you. But when you completely despise fear and scornfully reject the very faith of Christ, it would have been better for you if you had never been born.

CHRIST IS REPRESENTED BY THE TWO BIRDS: both dead as man and living as God. He is likened to a bird because He is understood and declared to be from above and from heaven. After the living bird was dipped in the blood of the dead one, it was released. This signifies that the living and divine Word was in the crucified and dead body, sharing in the suffering yet being unaffected as God.

THE EVENT INVOLVING THE RUNNING WATER: where the wood, hyssop, and scarlet were dipped, symbolizes the bloody passion of Christ on the cross for the salvation of those who are sprinkled with the Spirit, the water, and the blood. Therefore, the materials for purification were not primarily provided with reference to leprosy, but for the forgiveness of sins, so that leprosy might be understood as an emblem of sin, and the things sacrificed as symbols of Him who was to be sacrificed for sins.

FOR THIS REASON: he instructed that the scarlet should be dipped at the same time in the water, thus indicating that the flesh should no longer have its natural evil properties. For this reason, there were also two birds: one was sacrificed in the water, and the other was dipped in both the blood and the water and then released, just as is also described concerning the goats.

THE GOAT THAT WAS SENT AWAY SYMBOLIZED HIM WHO TAKES AWAY THE SINS OF MEN: However, the two were a representation of the single purpose of God incarnate. For He was wounded for our transgressions, and He bore the sins of many, and He was delivered for our iniquities.

WHEN GOD CREATED MAN AT THE BEGINNING: He made the things of nature depend on man's will and tested him with a single commandment. He decreed that if man obeyed this commandment, he would enjoy eternal life; but if he disobeyed, the opposite would be his fate. Man, having been created in this way, and immediately leaning towards disobedience, naturally became subject to corruption. With corruption becoming inherent in nature, it was necessary for Him who wanted to save to be one who would destroy the root cause of corruption. This could only be achieved by uniting the life according to nature with that which had received corruption, thereby destroying the corruption while preserving as immortal for the future that which had received it. Therefore, it was necessary that the Word should inhabit a body to free us from the death that comes with natural corruption. For if, as you say, He had simply warded off death from us by His will, death indeed would not have come to us because of His will; but nevertheless, we would have become corruptible again, since we carried within ourselves that natural corruption.

AS IT IS INHERENT IN ALL BODIES FORMED BY GOD TO HAVE A SHADOW: so it is fitting that God, who is just, should give to those who choose what is good, and to those who prefer what is evil, to everyone according to their deserts.—From the writings of John of Damascus.

HE SPEAKS NOT OF THE GENTILES IN FOREIGN LANDS: but concerning [the people] who agree with the Gentiles, according to what is spoken by Jeremiah: “It is a bitter thing for you, that you have forsaken me, says the Lord your God, that long ago you broke your yoke, and tore apart your bands, and said, I will not serve You, but will go to every high hill, and under every tree, and there I will become dissolute in my fornication.”

NEITHER WILL LIGHT EVER BECOME DARKNESS AS LONG AS LIGHT EXISTS: nor will the truth about us be disputed. For truth is more powerful than anything. Everyone who can speak the truth and chooses not to will be judged by God.—Manuscript and works of John of Damascus.

The fact that it wasn't said of the seventh day as it was for the other days, "And there was evening, and there was morning," distinctly indicates the completion to happen in it before it's finished, as the fathers declare, especially St. Clement, Irenaeus, and Justin the martyr and philosopher. They, with great wisdom, comment on the number six of the sixth day, asserting that the intelligent soul of man and his five senses were the six works of the sixth day. Hence, after discussing the number six at length, he states that everything created by God is divided into six categories: intelligent and immortal beings like angels; reasonable and mortal beings like humans; sensitive and irrational beings like cattle, birds, and fish; beings that can move but are insensible, like the winds, clouds, waters, and stars; entities that grow but are immovable, like trees; and insensible and immovable entities like mountains, the earth, and similar things. For all of God's creatures, in heaven and on earth, fit into one of these categories and are defined by them.

Sound doctrine does not enter into the hard and disobedient heart; instead, as if pushed back, it returns to itself.

JUST AS THE GOOD OF THE BODY IS HEALTH: so the good of the soul is knowledge, which is indeed a kind of health of the soul, through which a likeness to God is attained.

TO GIVE IN AND GIVE WAY TO OUR PASSIONS IS THE LOWEST SLAVERY: just as to rule over them is the only freedom.

THE GREATEST OF ALL GOOD IS TO BE FREE FROM SIN: the next is to be justified; but one must be considered the most unfortunate of men, who, while living unrighteously, remains for a long time unpunished.

Animals in harness can’t help but be taken over a cliff by the inexperience and badness of their driver, just as by his skillfulness and excellence they will be saved.

THE GOAL CONSIDERED BY A PHILOSOPHER IS TO BECOME LIKE GOD: as much as that is possible.—From the writings of Antonius Melissa.

THE WORDS OF ST: Justin, philosopher and martyr, from the fifth part of his Apology:—I believe prosperity, O people, to consist in nothing else than in living according to truth. But we do not live properly, or according to truth, unless we understand the nature of things.

It seems they don't realize that someone who has come from error to truth through true faith has truly understood himself, not, as they claim, as being in a state of frenzy, but as being free from the unstable and changeable corruption of every kind of error, by the simple and always identical truth.