Strictly according to the chronological order we should not have to deal with Justin until somewhat later, but it will perhaps be best to follow the order of ‘Supernatural Religion,’ the principle of which appears to be to discuss the orthodox writers first and heretical writings afterwards.  Modern critics seem pretty generally to place the two Apologies in the years 147-150 A.D. and the Dialogue against Tryphon a little later.  Dr. Keim indeed would throw forward the date of Justin’s writings as far as from 155-160 on account of the mention of Marcion [Endnote 89:1], but this is decided by both Hilgenfeld [Endnote 89:2] and Lipsius to be too late.  I see that Mr. Hort, whose opinion on such matters deserves high respect, comes to the conclusion ’that we may without fear of considerable error set down Justin’s First Apology to 145, or better still to 146, and his death to 148.  The Second Apology, if really separate from the First, will then fall in 146 or 147, and the Dialogue with Tryphon about the same time’ [Endnote 89:3]

No definite conclusion can be drawn from the title given by Justin to the work or works he used, that of the ‘Memoirs’ or ‘Recollections’ of the Apostles, and it will be best to leave our further enquiry quite unfettered by any assumption in respect to them.  The title certainly does not of necessity imply a single work composed by the Apostles collectively [Endnote 89:4], any more than the parallel phrase ’the writings of the Prophets’ [Endnote 89:5] ([Greek:  ta sungrammata ton prophaeton]), which Justin couples with the ‘Memoirs’ as read together in the public services of the Church, implies a single and joint production on the part of the Prophets.  This hypothesis too is open to the very great objection that so authoritative a work, if it existed, should have left absolutely no other trace behind it.  So far as the title is concerned, the ‘Memoirs of the Apostles’ may be either a single work or an almost indefinite number.  In one place Justin says that the Memoirs were composed ‘by His Apostles and their followers’ [Endnote 90:1], which seems to agree remarkably, though not exactly, with the statement in the prologue to St. Luke.  In another he says expressly that the Memoirs are called Gospels ([Greek:  ha kaleitai euangelia]) [Endnote 90:2].  This clause has met with the usual fate of parenthetic statements which do not quite fall in with preconceived opinions, and is dismissed as a ‘manifest interpolation,’ a gloss having crept into the text from the margin.  It would be difficult to estimate the exact amount of probability for or against this theory, but possible at any rate it must be allowed to be; and though the prima facie view of the genuineness of the words is supported by another place in which a quotation is referred directly ’to the Gospel,’ still too much ought not perhaps to be built on this clause alone.

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