lvation. Hence the teachings of the
Christians seem to fall into two groups having no inward connection,
i.e., the propositions treating of the rational knowledge of God, and
the predicted and fulfilled historical facts which prove those doctrines
and the believing hopes they include.

But Justin at least gave token of a manifest effort to combine the
historical statements regarding Christ with the philosophical and moral
doctrines of salvation and to conceive Jesus as the Redeemer.[450]
Accordingly, if the Christian dogmatic of succeeding times is found in
the connection of philosophical theology with the baptismal confession,
that is, in the "scientific theology of facts," Justin is, in a certain
fashion, the first framer of Church dogma, though no doubt in a very
tentative way. (1) He tried to distinguish between the appearance of the
Logos in pre-Christian times and in Christ; he emphasised the fact that
the whole Logos appeared only in Christ, and that the manner of this
appearance has no counterpart in the past. (2) Justin showed in the
Dialogue that, independently of the theologoumenon of the Logos, he was
firmly convinced of the divinity of Christ on the ground of predictions
and of the impression made by his personality.[451] (3) In addition to
the story of the exaltation of Christ, Justin also emphasised other
portions of his history, especially the death on the cross (together
with baptism and the Lord's Supper) and tried to give them a positive
significance.[452] He adopted the common Christian saying that the blood
of Christ cleanses believers and men are healed through his wounds; and
he tried to give a mystic significance to the cross. (4) He accordingly
spoke of the forgiveness of sins through Christ and confessed that men
are changed, through the new birth in baptism, from children of
necessity and ignorance into children of purpose and understanding and
forgiveness of sins.[453] Von Engelhardt has, however, quite rightly
noticed that these are mere words which have nothing at all
corresponding to them in the general system of thought, because Justin
remains convinced that the knowledge of the true God, of his will, and
of his promises, or the certainty that God will always grant forgiveness
to the repentant and eternal life to the righteous, is sufficient to
convert the man who is master of himself. Owing to the fundamental
conviction which is expressed in the formulae, "perfect philosophy,"
"divine te