CENT. I.]

Cerinthus.

59

Cerinthus, by birth a Jew, was one of the earliest and most diftinguished feceders from the church. He allowed indeed that the Creator of the world was the lawgiver of the Jews, and a being endued at firft with the greateft virtue, but afferted that he derived his power from the fupreme God, and that he had by degrees fallen from his native dignity and virtue. That in order to destroy his corrupted empire, the fupreme Being had commiffioned one of his gloricus Eons, whofe name was Chrift, to defcend upon earth, that he entered into the body of Jefus which was crucified, but that the Chrift had not fuffered, but afcended into heaven.

Cerinthus required his followers to retain part of the Mofaical law, but to regulate their lives. by the example of Chrift; and taught, that after the refurrection Chrift would reign upon earth, with his faithful difciples, a thousand years, which would be spent in the higheft fenfual indulgencies. This mixture of Judaifm and Oriental philofophy was calculated to make many converts, and this fect foon became very numerous. They admitted a part of St. Matthew's Gofpel, but rejected the reft, and held the Epiftles of St. Paul in great abhorrence.

The Oriental philofophy, that baneful source of prejudice, was fo deeply rooted in the minds of great numbers, as to afford a wide extent to the ex

ertions

3

60

Simon Magus.

[EENT. I. ertions of impofition or fanaticifm. Either deceived themselves by a heated imagination, or de-. firous to impofe upon others, feveral reprefented themselves as celeftial beings, fent down upon earth to purify corruption and deftroy error. Among the most confiderable of these impoftors were Simon Magus and his difciple Menander, whofe pernicious tenets were fimilar in many refpects. Simon, who taught his doctrines about the year 35, afferted that he was the great Power of God, that he defcended from heaven to deliver man, that he had affumed the human form, and that, though he had apparently fuffered death in Judea, he had not in reality. He taught farther, that all human actions are in themselves indifferent, and allowed his followers to indulge themselves in the greatest licentioufnefs. He afcribed to his mistress Helena the production of angels, and to thefe angels the creation of the world; and composed books for the use of his followers, which he attributed to Chrift and the Apostles. Ecclefiaftical history presents us with an account of feveral more abfurdities which were blended with Chriftianity at a very early period. But thefe different modifications of folly would afford a very tedious and unpleafing, as well as a very unprofitable

detail.

*Lardner's Hift. of Heretics. Eufeb. lib. ii. c. 13.

From

From the review of these abfurdities it might be haftily inferred, that fince the doctrines of Christianity were fo plain and fimple as to be comprehenfible by the meaneft capacity, there muft have been fome defect either in the conduct of the first teachers of that religion, which prevented their doctrines from appearing refpectable to the people, or that they were careless in inculcating them. Neither of thefe caufes, however, prevailed. The zeal and virtue of the Apostles were attested by innumerable witneffes of unquestioned veracity; and by others who were interested in defaming them, fince they were the implacable perfecutors of Christianity. But befides the proneness to error which is natural to man, let it be remembered, that the Jews had grofsly conceived that the Meffiah would be atemporal deliverer; and though the Jewish converts could not resist the strong evidence which was prefented to them, that Jefus Chrift was the predicted Meffiah, yet in many of them these carnal ideas would probably at fome times recur, and, by temporarily weakening their faith, would difpose them to adopt erroneous opinions. Befides this, their obftinate adherence to the Mofaical rites, neceffarily introduced into the church practices very diffonant from the fimplicity required by the Gospel. With respect to the Gentile converts, the tenets of the Oriental philofophy concerning the origin

of

62

Oriental Errors.

[CENT. I. of evil, and the creation of the world by an inferior power, had prepared the minds of many for the reception of the moft abfurd opinions, which they contrived to unite with the doctrines of Chrift.

CHAP.

CHAP. V.

OF LEARNING AND LEARNED MEN IN THE FIRST

CENTURY.

Little Ufe made of human Learning in this CenturyClemens-Barnabas-Papias-Ignatius-Public Schools.

HE little affiftance derived by Christianity

Tfrom the wealth or dignity of its firft pro

feffors has already been obferved; nor, if we except the apoftolical writings, were the compofitions of the Chriftian writers in the first century fo distinguished, either by their number or eloquence, as to force themselves into the notice, or captivate the taste of mankind. The purity of its doctrines, and the virtues of its profeffors, were the inftruments for opening the human heart to conviction, and to the truth of this revelation.

Among the writers of this century, the most diftinguished place, after the infpired penmen, is due to Clemens, the friend and fellow-labourer of St. Paul, who defcribes him as having "his name written in the book of life." There are extant two epiftles to the Corinthians, which are af cribed to him; but the latter is generally reputed not genuine. Clemens Alexandrinus fseems to acknowledge only one*. Eufebius fpeaks of it

Strom. lib i. iv, v, vi.