ery future theological system in the Church (see Von
Engelhardt's concluding observations in his "Christenthum Justin's" pp.
447-490, also Overbeck in the Historische Zeitschrift, 1880, pp.
499-505.) At the same time, however, they adhered to the early-Christian
eschatology (see Justin, Melito, and, with reference to the resurrection
of the flesh, the Apologists generally), and thus did not belie their
connection with early Christianity.[458]

_Interpretation and Criticism, especially of Justin's Doctrines._

1. The fundamental assumption of all the Apologists is that there can
only be one and the same relation on earth between God and free man, and
that it has been conditioned by the creation. This thought, which
presupposes the idea of God's unchangeableness, at bottom neutralises
every quasi-historical and mythological consideration. According to it
grace can be nothing else than the stimulation of the powers of reason
existent in man; revelation is supernatural only in respect of its form,
and the redemption merely enables us to redeem ourselves, just as this
possibility was given at the creation. Sin, which arose through
temptation, appears on the one hand as error which must almost of
necessity have arisen so long as man only possessed the "germs of the
Logos" ([Greek: spermata tou logou]) and on the other as the dominion of
sensuousness, which was nearly unavoidable since earthly material
clothes the soul and mighty demons have possession of the world. The
mythological idea of the invading sway of the demons is really the only
interruption of the rationalistic scheme. So far as Christianity is
something different from morality, it is the antithesis of the service
and sovereignty of the demons. Hence the idea that the course of the
world and mankind require in some measure to be helped is the narrow
foundation of the thought of revelation or redemption. The necessity of
revelation and redemption was expressed in a much stronger and more
decisive way by many heathen philosophers of the same period.
Accordingly, not only did these long for a revelation which would give a
fresh attestation to old truth, but they yearned for a force, a real
redemption, a _praesens numen_, and some new thing. Still more powerful
was this longing in the case of the Gnostics and Marcion; compare the
latter's idea of revelation with that of the Apologists. It is probable
indeed that the thought of redemption would have found stronger
e