We cannot marvel that a history of such wonderful interest should at all times have fixed itself on men's minds, and led them to speculate and ask questions which we have no data to answer. The simplest and truest way of looking at it has been that of those who, from the great Alexandrian thinker (OrigenJ in Rom. Hi) to the writer of the most popular hymn of our own times, have seen in the "dying thief" the first great typical instance that "a man is justified by faith with- out the deeds of the law." Even those whose thoughts were less deep and wide acknowledged that in this and other like cases the baptism of blood supplied the place of the outward sign of regeneration (Ililar. Be Trinit. c. X ; Jerome, Ep. xiii). The logical speculations of the Pelagian controversy overclouded, in this as in other instances, the clear judgment of Augustine. Maintain- ing the absolute necessity of baptism to salvation, he
THIEVES
360
THIGH
had to discuss the question whether the penitent thief had been baptized or not, and he oscillates, with melan- choly indecision, between the two answers. At times he is disposed to rest content with the solution which had satisfied others. Then n'j;iun he ventures on the conjecture that the water which spranj,^ forth from the pierced side had sprinkled him, and so had been a suf- ticient baptism. Finally, yieldini? to the inexorable logic of a sacramental tiieory, he rests in the assump- tion that he probably had been baptized before, either in his prison or before lie entered on his robber-life (August. /^e ,1 /«■/««, i, 11; iii, 12; Serin.de Temp.Vd^; Retract. I, 2G; iii, 18, 5i)).
Other conjectures turn more on the circumstances of the history. Bengel, usually acute, here overshoots the Ynark, and tinds in the Lord's words to him, dropping all mention of the Messianic kingdom, an indication that the penitent thief was a Gentile, the impenitent a Jew, and that thus the scene on Calvary was typical of the position of the two churches (Gnomo?i N. T. in Luke xxiii). Sticr ( Words of the Lord Jesus, ad loc.) reads in the words of reproof {uvdi (poj3y (jv tov Qtov) the language of one who had all along listened with grief and horror to the revilings of the multitude, the burst of an indignation previously suppressed. The Apocryphal gospels, as usual, do their best to lower the divine history to the level of a legend. They follow the repentant robber into the unseen world. lie is the first to enter Paradise of all mankind. Adam and Seth and the patriarchs find him already there bearing his cross. Michael the archangel had led him to the gate, and the fiery sword hail turned aside to let him pass {Evanff. Nicod. ii, 10). Names were given to the two robbers. Demas or Dismas was the penitent thief, hanging on the right, (iestas the impenitent on the left {ibid, i, 10; Xarrat. .Joseph, c. 3). The cry of en- treaty is expanded into a long, wordy prayer {Xu7-rat. Joseph, loc. cit.), and the promise sutt'ers the same treat- ment. The history of the Infoncy is made prophetic of that of the crucifixion. The holy family, on their flight to Egypt, come upon a band of robbers. One of them, Titus (the names are different here), has com- passion, purchases the silence of his companion Duma- chus, and the infant Christ prophesies that after thirty years Titus shall be crucified with him, and shall go be- fore him into Paradise {Evang. Infant, c. 23). As in other instances [see Magi], so in this, the fancy of in- ventors seems to have been fertile in names. Bede (^Collectan.) gives Matha and Joca as those which pre- vailed in his time. The name given in the Gospel of Nicodemus has, however, kept its ground, and St. Dis- mas takes his place in the hagiology of the Syrian, the Greek, and the Latin Church. — Smith. It has been as- sumed that the penitent thief had been very wicked ; that he continued so till he was nailed to the cross; that he joined the other malefactor in insulting the Saviour; and that then, by a miracle of grace, he was transformed into a penitent Christian ; so Origen {Horn. 35 in Matt.), Chrj'sostom {Horn. S>S in Matt.), and others (comp. Suicer, s. v. Ayur/'/t). But this view of the case seems to involve some misconception of the facts, which it ma}' not be inexpedient to indicate. Whitby says, "Almost all interpreters that I have read here saj' that this thief began his repentance on the cross." With regard to his moral character, he is indeed styled by the evangelist one of the " malefactors (icaKoi'pyot) who were led with .Jesus to be put to death" (Luke xxiii, 32); but the word is evidently used lo^auTiKib^, i. e. malefactors as they were considered. Matthew (xxvii, 44) and Mark (xv, 27) call them Xr^nral ; but this word denotes not onl}' robbers, etc., but also brigands, rebels, or any who carry on unauthorizeil hostilities, insiiri/enjs (Thu- cyd. iv, 53). Insun-ection was a crime, but it was a crime a person might have committed who had good qualities, and had maintained a respectable character. Again, this man's punishment was crucifixion, which was not iu use among the Jews, but was inflicted by the