relations of the doctrine of Justin
Martyr to that of St. John, is the subordination of the Son to the
Father.

I have already noticed this truth (page 49), but, owing to its
importance it may be well to devote to it a few further remarks. The
author of "Supernatural Religion" does not seem to realize that in
perfect Sonship two things are inherent, viz., absolute sameness (and
therefore equality) of nature with the Father, and perfect subordination
in the submission of His will to that of the Father.

He consequently asserts:--

"It is certain, however, that both Justin and Philo, unlike the
prelude to the Fourth Gospel, place the Logos in a secondary
position to God the Father, another point indicating a less advanced
stage of the doctrine. Both Justin and Philo apply the term [Greek:
theos] to the Logos without the article. Justin distinctly says,
that Christians worship Jesus Christ as the Son of the True God,
holding Him in the Second Place [Greek: en deutera chora echontes],
and this secondary position is systematically defined through
Justin's writings in a very decided way, as it is in the works of
Philo, by the contrast of the begotten Logos with the unbegotten
God. Justin speaks of the Word as the 'first born of the unbegotten
God' ([Greek: prototokos to agenneto Theo]), and the distinctive
appellation of the 'unbegotten God,' applied to the Father, is most
common in all his writings." (Vol. ii. p. 291)

Now, when Justin speaks of holding Christ "in the Second Place," he does
no more nor less than any Trinitarian Christian of the present day, when
such an one speaks of the Son as the _Second_ Person of the Trinity, and
as the only begotten Son and the Word of the Father.

When we speak of Him as being the Second Person, we necessarily rank Him
in the second place in point of numerical order. When we speak of Him as
being the Son, we naturally place Him as, in the order of conception,
second to, or after, Him that begat Him; [94:1] and, when we speak of
Him as the Word, we also place Him in order of conception as after Him
Who utters or gives forth the Word.

Justin says no more than this in any expression which he uses.

When he speaks of the Father as the unbegotten God, and the Son as the
Begotten God, he does no more than the most uncompromising believer in
the doctrine of the ever-blessed Trinity in the present day does, when,
in the words of