to be Christ, but he cried to them, 'I am not the Christ, but the
voice of one crying,'" &c. (Dial. ch. lxxxviii.)

Again, St. John is the only Evangelist who puts into the mouth of our
Blessed Lord, when He was accused of breaking the Sabbath, the retort
that the Jews on the Sabbath Day circumcise a man ... that the law of
Moses should not be broken. (John vii. 22) And Justin also reproduces
this in his Dialogue:--

"For, tell me, did God wish the priests to sin when they offer the
sacrifices on the Sabbaths? or those to sin who are circumcised, or
do circumcise, on the Sabbaths; since He commands that on the eighth
day--even though it happen to be a Sabbath--those who are born shall
be always circumcised?" (Dial. ch. xxvii.)

Again, St. John represents our Lord, when similarly harassed by the
Jews, as appealing to the upholding of all things by God on the Sabbath
as well as on any other day, in the words, "My Father worketh hitherto,
and I work." (John v. 17.) And Justin very shortly after uses the same
argument:--

"Think it not strange that we drink hot water on the Sabbath, since
God directs the government of the universe on this day, equally as
on all others; and the priests on other days, so on this, are
ordered to offer sacrifices." (Dial. ch. xxix.)

It is very singular that Justin, whilst knowing nothing of St. John,
should, on a subject like this, use two arguments peculiar to St. John,
and not to be found in disputes on the very same subject in the
Synoptics.