with desire of knowledge, would in no wise be satisifed in his mynde, before he had gotten instructors syngularly seene in all kynde of Philosophy, whereupon he writeth of him selfe in the begynnyng of his Dialogue Cū Triphone, thus declaryng, that in the begynnyng he beyng desirous of that sect and societie, applyed him selfe to be the scholer to a certaine Stoicke, and remainyng with him a time, whē he nothyng profited in deuine knowledge (wherof the Stoicke had no skill, and affirmed the knowledge therof not to be necessary) he forsoke him, and went to an other of the sect of the Peripateticke, a sharpe wytted mā, as he thought: with whom after he had bene a while, he demaunded of hym a stipend for his teachyng, for the better confirmation of their familiaritie.MarginaliaIustine proueth all sectes of Philosophy. Whereupō Iustine accomptyng him as no Philosopher left hym, & departed. And yet not satisfied in minde, but desirous to heare of further learnyng in Philosophie, adioyned himselfe to one that professed þ^e Pythagorian sect, a man of great fame, and one who made no small accompt of him selfe. Whom after he had followed a tyme, his maister demaunded of him whether he had any sight in Musicke, Astronomie, and Geometry, without the sight of whiche sciences he sayd he could not be apte to receiue the knowledge of vertue and felicitie, vnles before he had vsed to apply his mynde from sensible matters, to the contemplation of thynges intelligible. And speakyng much in the commendacions of these sciences, how profitable and necessary they were: after that Iustine had declared him selfe not to be seene therin, the Philosopher gaue him ouer, which greued Iustine not a litle, and so much the more because he thought his master to haue some knowledge in those sciences. After this Iustine consideryng with him selfe what tyme was requisite to the learnyng of these sciences, and thinkyng not to deferre any longer, thought best to resorte to the sect of the Plantonistes for the great fame that ran of them:MarginaliaIustine a Platonist. wherfore he chose vnto him a singular learned man of that sect, which lately was come to those parties, & so remaynyng wt hym seemed to profite not a litle in contemplation of supernall things, and inuisible formes, insomuch that he thought shortly to aspire to such sharpnes of witte and wisedome, that out of hand he might atchiue to the comprehension and contēplatiō of God, which is the end of Plato his Philosophie.MarginaliaThe end of Plato hys Philosophy. And in this maner he bestowed his youth: But afterward he growyng to a riper age, how and by what meanes the sayd Iustine came to the knowledge & profession of Christianitie, it foloweth likewise in his sayd first Apologie: where he affirmeth of him selfe (as witnesseth Eusebius in his fourth booke)MarginaliaEx Euseb Lib. 4. cap. 8 that when he did behold the Christiās in their tormentes and sufferynges to be so constaunt in their profession, was therewith maruelously moued: after this maner reasonyng with him selfe, that it was impossible for that kinde of people to be subiect to any vice or carnalitie, whiche vices of their owne nature are not able to sustayne any sharpe aduersitie, much lesse the bitternesse of death. The sight wherof helped him not a litle (beyng of his owne nature inclined to the searchyng of true knowledge and vertue) to begyn thereby to loue and imbrace Christian Religion,MarginaliaIustine beginneth to fauor Christiā Religion. for so he doth witnes of him selfe in the end of the first Apologie: signifiyng there, how it was his seekyng and indeuour, to attaine to Christianitie: Vnderstanding how the Christians by malice of wicked persons were compelled to suffer wrong and tormentes, and to be euill spoken of. By sight wherof, as he sayth him selfe, he became a Christian through this occasion:MarginaliaIustine goeth into desert. for beyng thus afflicted in his mynd as is aforsayd, it came in his head for his more quietnes, to go aside to some desert and solitarie place voyde of concourse of people, vnto a village or graūge neare to the sea side: whether as he approched, thinkyng there to be all alone,MarginaliaIustinus miraculously conuerted by an old man. ther meeteth with him an old auncient father of a comely visage and gentle behauiour, who folowyng him a litle of, began to reason with him: where after long disputation, when the old mā had declared vnto him that there was no knowledge of truth amongst the Philosophers, whiche neither knew God, neither were ayded by the holy ghost: and further had reasoned with him of the immortality of soule, of the reward of the godly, and punishmēt of the wicked: then Iustine beyng confirmed with his reasons and argumentes, yelded to him of his owne accorde, and demaunded of him by what meanes he might attayne to that true knowledge of God, wherof he had spoken. Who then coūsailed hym to reade and searche the Prophets, adioyning there with prayer:MarginaliaThe vanitie of the olde Philosophers reproued. but what master, quoth Iustine, should I vse for the instructiō therof? & who shalbe able to helpe vs if these Philosophers (as you say) lacke the truth, & are voyde of the same? To whom thold father aunsweryng, there haue bene (sayd he) many yeares before these Philosophers, other more aunciēt then all these, whiche beyng accompted for Philosophers were iust and beloued of God: who spake by the spirite of God, foreseyng and prophecieng these thinges whiche we see nowe come to passe, & therfore they are called Prophetes.MarginaliaThe doctrine of the Prophetes commended. These onely haue knowen the truth and reueled it to men, neither fearing nor passing for any: who were seduced with no opinions of mans inuention, but onely spake and taught those thynges which they them selues both heard and saw, beyng inspired with the holy sprit of God: whose writings and workes yet to this day remaine.MarginaliaThe vtilitie of reading the Prophetes. Out of which, the reader may receiue great profite and knowledge of thynges, as concernyng the first creation of the world & end of the same, with all other thynges necessary to be knowen of euery true Philosopher whiche will geue credite vnto them. Neither in their teachyng they do vse any demonstration, as beyng more certaine of them selues, then that they neede any such demonstration to be made. For asmuch as the accomplishyng and the end of thynges both past, and now present, cōstraineth vs of necessitie to beleue the wordes and doctrine which they taught:MarginaliaProphetes to be creditied for two causes. whiche men not onlely therfore are to be beleued, but also for their miracles and wonders done are worthy of credite, for that they both preached of God the maker and creator of all thynges: And also did prophecie before of Christ his sonne to be sent of him. The which the false Prophetes beyng seduced with false and wicked sprites, neither haue done, nor do: but onely take vpon them to worke certaine prodigious wonders for men to gase at, setting oute thereby to the world false and vncleane spirites: But then, afore all thynges make thy prayer, that the gate of light may be opened vnto thee, for otherwise these thyngs cannot be attayned vnto of euery man, but onely of such, to whom God and his Christ geueth vnderstandyng. These thynges with much more (which now leasure serueth not to prosecute) after the foresayd old father had declared vnto him, he departed: exhortyng him well to folow the thynges which he had spokē. And after that, Iustine as he him selfe witnesseth, saw him no more. Immediatly after this, Iustine beyng all inflamed as with fire kindled in his brest, began to conceaue a loue and zeale toward the Prophetes, and all such as were fauoured of Christ. And thus he reuoluyng in hys mynde more and more these wordes, found onely this Philosophie among all other professions, both sure and profitable, and so became he a Philosopher, and in time,MarginaliaIustinus Baptised. by these meanes afterward was he made a Christian and Baptised. But where he receiued this holy Sacrament of Baptisme, it is not read of: nor yet by what occasion he left his countrey and came to Rome. This onely we read in Ierome, that he was in Rome, & there vsedMarginaliaDiatribæ certaine exercises which he called Diatribas, disputyng there with Crescens a Cynical Philosopher, as is before touched. But this is certaine how that Iustine after he had receiued the profession of Christian Religion, became an earnest defender of the same, trauelyng and disputyng against all the aduersaries therof,MarginaliaIustinus an earnest defender of Christ. fearyng neither peril of lyfe nor daunger of death wherby he might maintaine the doctrine of Christ, against the malicious blasphemers, and also to augment the number of Christian bileuers. As may appeare by his vehement disputations agaynst the Heathen Philosophers. Also moreouer aswell appeareth in that long disputatiō, which he had with one Tripho at Ephesus: as also in his confutations of heretickes. Furthermore his conflictes and Apologies whiche with great courage & securitie he exhibited agaynst the persecutors of the Christiās, both the Emperours and the Magistrates, yea and the whole Senate of Rome do testifie the same.

MarginaliaTwo Apologies of Iustinus Of the which Apologies the firste he wrote to the Senate of Rome, and after to Antoninus Pius the Emperor as is before mentioned, where in the first writyng with great libertie to the Senate he declared, that of necessitie he was compelled to write and vtter his mynde and consciēce to them.MarginaliaThe summe of hys Apologies. For that in persecutyng of the Christians, they did neglect their duety, and highly offended God, and therfore neede they had to be admonished. And further writyng to Vrbitius lieftenaunt of the Citie, sayd, that he put men to death and tormentes for no offence committed, but for the confession onely of the name of Christ: whiche procedynges and iudgements neither became the Emperor nor hys sonne, nor the Senate: defendyng moreouer in the sayd Apology and purgyng the Christians of such crimes as falsely were layd and obiected agaynst them by the Ethnikes.

MarginaliaThe second Apologie of Iustinus And likewise in his second Apologye writyng to Antoninus the Emperor and his successors, with like grauitie and free libertie, declareth vnto thē how they had the name, commonly beyng reputed and taken as vertuous Philosophers, maintainers of Iustice, louers of learnyng, but whether they were so, their actes declared. As for him, neither for flattery nor fauour at their handes, he was constrayned