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who, having given an account of the five crimes charged on the Cainites, adds: When we read these things in the fathers of the church, one can scarce forbear thinking that the case ⚫ was the same with them, with respect to heretics, as with the heathens in respect to Christianity. The heathens imputed to Christianity an hundred extravagances and abominations that had no foundation. The first who forged these calumnies were undoubtedly guilty of the blackest malice; but the greatest part of those who vented them abroad after they had been so maliciously sown, were only guilty of too much credulity; they believed common fame, and never • troubled themselves to dive into the bottom of it. Is it not more reasonable to believe that the fathers did not, with all the patience requisite thoroughly inform themselves of the real principles of a sect, than it is to believe that those very men, who held that Jesus Christ by his death was the Saviour of mankind, should at the same time hold that the beastliest pleasures are the ready way to paradise?'

SECTION IX.

The ancient heretics believed the unity of God.

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THE ancient heretics believed one God only. So say several learned and judicious moderns, who have made diligent search into the opinions of these men, and are far from sparing them, or shewing them favour. Massuet, in particular, observes that Irenæus, in his long and particular arguments with Valentinus and other Gnostics, does not charge them with polytheism, or multiplying gods: but says they did not think rightly of God. And he shews that the world. was made by the one supreme God the Father. Nor does he, in his discourses with them at any time, make use of the common arguments for the unity of God.

They supposed the creator of the world, that is, of this visible material world, not to be: God, but an angel. They may sometimes call him God. Nevertheless they plainly shew that they use the word improperly, and that they do not take him to be God truly and by nature. So Massuet, chiefly from Irenæus,

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To the like purpose Beausobre, discoursing of the Marcionites. But though they might hold two or three principles, yet it ought not to have been thence concluded that they admitted two or three gods, if thereby we understand three equal and independent beings. Never any heretic denied the fundamental article of the unity of God, as I have shewn elsewhere. This may be seen in the dialogue ascribed to Origen. Your three principles,' says the orthodox

a Bayle's Dict. Vol. ii, article Cainites.

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b Tantum abest, ut Valentinus Dei unitatem negaret, quin potius, Irenæo teste, aperte profiteretur. Omnes enim,' inquit, lib. i. cap. xxii. n. i. fere quotquot sunt, hæreses 'deum quidem unum dicunt, sed per sententiam immutant.' Non ait multiplicant,' sed 'immutant.'-alium a supremo omnium Patre mundi conditorem constituentes-Et hoc ipsum explicat Irenæus, lib. iv. c. xxxiii. n. 3. Judicabit autem et eos qui sunt a Valentino omnes, quia linguâ qui' dem confitentur unum Deum Patrem, et ex hoc omnia; ipsum autem, qui fecerit omnia, defectionis sive labis fruc'tum esse dicit.' Aperte igitur professus est Valentinus unum Deum. Et certe abhorret a verosimili, aut priores Gnosticos, -aut Valentinum, eosque omnes, qui spretâ Gentilium superstitione Christianam religionem amplexi fuerant, omnes aliquam saltem evangelio sidem habere se confessos, profanum exsecrandumque Christianis omnibus polytheismum ab interitu excitare, aut immensum personarum divinarum numerum profiteri voluisse. Nec tantum nefas inultum abire sivisset Irenæus, qui hominum flagitia omnia, et errorum portenta detegenda, et pro merito castiganda, sibi susceperat. Is vero, licet sæpius arguat, quod mundi conditorem a supremo Patre dividerent, unumque et eumdem esse rerum opificem ac supremum patrem demonstret,nunquam tanien, ut woλuees, aut divinarum personarum numerum supra modum au

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gentes, traducit; argumenta conquirit, quibus patres Dei uni-
tatem persuadere solebant-Quod cum non præstiterit,-
eos non sensisse suos æonas totidem veros deos aut personas
divinas fuisse, pro certo æstimare possumus, quanivis deos no-
minare solerent. Mass. Diss. Præv. in Iren. p. xxxiii. n. 52.

c Ab his fontibus effluxit communis Gnosticorum omnium sententia, angelis tum creandi tum regendi mundi munus impositum fuisse. Nec secus sensere Valentiniani. Quamvis enim demiurgum deum et patrem interdum nominarent, reverâ tamen intra naturæ angelicæ limites conclude-. bant. 'Demiurgum et ipsum angelum esse dicunt, Deo si'milem,' inquit Irenæus, 1. i. cap. v. n. 2. et l. ii. cap. viii. n. 3. Nec minus aperte scribit, 1. iv. c. i. n. 1, hanc esse Valentinianorum mentem, Demiurgum naturaliter, neque deum, neque patrem, esse, sed verbo tenus dici, eo quod 'dominetur conditioni.' Id. ib. p. xliii. n. 62.

d Hist. de Manich. T. ii. p. 90.

• Ισοσθενεις εἰσιν αἱ τρεις αρχαι, ἡ ἀτερα πατερας διενηνοχε, -Μη γένοιτο εκ εἰσιν ισοι. -Η τε αγαθο ισχυρότερα

ὑπόκεινται—ουκεν κατα βελησιν το κρείττονος αἱ ἦτε τονες αρχαι παντα πράττεσιν; • Ου κατα βέλησιν αυτε έτοι τα πονηρα πραττεσιν· ἀπαξ δε ισχυρότερος αυτών εςιν και γαρ ὁ ἔλθων Χριςος και τον διαβολον ενίκησε, και τα τε δήλω meye doyμara aver peyer. Dialog. contr. Marcion. p. 6. Bas. 1674.

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disputant, are they equal in power?' Far be it,' says the Marcionite, they are not equal.' Which then is the most excellent?' replies the orthodox. It is the principle of good that is 'the most powerful,' answers the Marcionite. The others are subject to him,' says the orthodox. The heretic acknowledges they are so. The orthodox still argues: If so, the inferior principles do nothing but according to the will of the more excellent." The Marcionite answers, When they do ill they do not act according to his will: nevertheless he is infinitely more powerful than they. So when Christ came, he vanquished the devil and ' abolished the religion of the Creator.' It is therefore very wrong to accuse the Marcionites of holding two or three supreme gods. All that can be reasonably said is, that they did not think the title of God to be an incommunicable title, nor that it expressed the nature and perfections of the Supreme Being; for which reason they did not scruple to give it to the Creator. As for the devil, in calling him a god, they said they only followed the style of scripture, where he is called the god of this world; for they knew very well that he was no more than angel, as Tertullian expressly says.

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In another place the same learned writer shews that though Bardesanes held two principles, one good the other evil, he never admitted two gods. Therefore the Bardesianist, in the dialogues ascribed to Origen before quoted, protests that he believed but one God, and he good. He held that this one God had all perfections; he alone is immortal, all powerful, infinite, containing all things, governing' all things, so that no being in heaven or on earth can withdraw

from his dominion.

Tertullian

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says in general of the heretics, who denied the Father to be creator of the world, that is, of this material visible world, that they held it to be made by angels.

The author of the additions to Tertullian's book of Prescriptions, says of Saturninus, that," like Simon and Menander, he held the eternal God to live above, and this lower world to have been made by angels much inferior to him.

He speaks to the like purpose of Basilides, that he did not allow the god of the Jews to be truly God, but only an angel. According to his account then the unity was an article strongly maintained by heretics. Hippolytus 'observes, that after all their shifts and evasions, Valentinus, Marcion, Cerinthus, and the rest, were all obliged to recur to one God, who made all things according to his will.

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Dr. Cudworth seems to have viewed this matter in a light somewhat similar to the foregoing representation. For having endeavoured to prove that the heathen philosophers did not believe all their gods to be so many unmade self-existent deities, he proceeds in the following manner: • The next considerable appearance of a multitude of self-existent deities, seems to be in the • Valentinian thirty gods, and æons, which have been taken by some for such; but it is certain ⚫ that these were all of them, save one, generated; they being derived by that fantastic deviser ' of them, from one self-originated deity, called Bythos. For thus Epiphanius" informs us: "This (Valentinus) would also introduce thirty gods, and æons, and heavens, the first of which 'is Bythos."'

* Θεος τ8 αιώνος τουτε. 2 Cor. iv. 4.

b -si non eum Satanam significaret, quem et nos et Marcion angelum novimus. Adv. Marc. 1. v. c. xii. p. 600. B. p. 469. • Hist. de Manich. T. ii. p. 133.

* Θεον κάγω ένα φημι είναι, ώς και αυτός. P. 71. Εγω ένα Θεον οιδα αγαθον. p. 83.

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Εγω φημι, τον θεον αφθαρτον, μονον. ib. p. 78. παντοκρατορα φημι. p. 83. Δηλον, ότι περιέχει, και 8 περιέχεται. ib. * Εκ ποιας δυναμεως περιέχεται, και συγκρατείται, ὁ Βρανος, η ή γη, η ἡ θαλασσα, η ὁ συμπας κόσμος ; ὑπό τινος περιεχεται, και περικρατειται ;· - Δηλον, ότι ύπο θες. Ibid.

-præstruens adversus conjecturas hæreticorum, qui mundum ab angelis et potestatibus diversis volunt structum; et ipsum creatorem aut angelum faciunt, aut ad alia quæ extrinsecus, ut opera mundi, ignorantem quoque subornatum. Adv. Praxeam, c. xix. p. 650. B. p. 504. Fr.

h Secutus est post hæc et Saturninus, et hic similiter dicens, innascibilem virtutem, id est Deum, in summis et illis infinitis partibus, et in superioribus permanere; longe autem distantes ab hoc angelos inferiorem mundum fecisse. De Præscrip. c. xlvi. p. 249. D p. 214. Fr.

In ultimis quidem angelis, et qui hunc fecerunt mundum, novissimum ponit Judæorum Deum, id est, Deum legis et prophetaruin; quem Deum negat, sed angelum dicit. Ibid. p. 250. A. p. 214. Fr.

* Postea Basilides hæreticus erupit: hic esse dicit summum Deum-ex quo mentem creatam-inde verbum. Ex illo providentiam, ex providentiâ virtutem et sapientiam. Ex ipsis inde principatus et potestates, et angelos factos, &c. Ibid. p. 250. A. p. 214. Fr.

1 Και γαρ παντες απεκλείσθησαν εις τετο άκοντες ειπειν, ὅτι το παν εις ένα ανατρέχει. Ει εν τα πάντα εις ένα ανατρέχει, και κατα Ουαλεντινον, και κατα Μαρκιωνα, Κηρινθοντε, και πασαν την εκείνων φλυαρίαν, και ακοντες εις τέτο περιέπεσαν, ἵνα τον ἕνα ὁμολογήσωσιν αιτιον των παντων, έτως εν συντρέχεσιν και αυτοι μη θελοντες, τη αληθεια ένα Θεον λεγειν ποιη σarra ws Eleλnσev. Contra Noet. c. xi. p. 14. Ed. Fab.

m Intellectual System, p. 212, 213. Lond. 1678.

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Having afterwards allowed that there were some who really asserted a duplicity of gods; he however, in the conclusion, adds: Wherefore as these ditheists, as to all which is good in the * world, held a monarchy, or one sole principle and original, so it is plain, that had it not been ⚫ for this business of evil (which they conceived could not be salved any other way) they would * never have asserted any more principles or gods than one.'

SECTION X.

They made great use of the Scriptures,

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THE ancient heretics paid a regard to the scriptures. It will hereafter more properly fall in my way to shew what parts of the sacred writings they severally used. At present I only observe in the general, that they endeavoured to support their particular sentiments by an appeal to these inspired books. To me indeed it appears very certain, that all who build upon revelation must have recourse either to scripture or tradition; that is, either to written or to oral tradition, provided they happen to live after the first promulgation of the revelation which they -profess to receive. Jerom therefore justly blames those who depended too much upon their own reason, in determining matters of pure revelation.

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Irenæus has the following passage in his large work against heresies: Such is the certain truth of our gospels that the heretics themselves bear testimony to them, every one of them endeavouring to prove his particular doctrines from thence. But the Ebionites may be con'futed from the gospel of Matthew, which alone they receive. Marcion useth only the gospel * of Luke, and that mutilated. Nevertheless, from what he retains, it may be shewn that he blasphemes the one only God. They who divide Jesus from Christ, and say that Christ always remained impassible whilst Jesus suffered, prefer the gospel of Mark. However, if they read ' with a love of truth, they may thence be convinced of their error. The Valentinians receive the gospel of John entire, in order to prove their pairs of æons, and by that gospel they may be confuted, as I have shewn in the first book of this work. Since therefore persons of different sentiments agree with us in making use of this testimony, our evidence for the authority of these gospels is certain and unquestionable.

Many passages may be alleged from other writers to shew that the ancient heretics endeavoured to support themselves by the words of the scriptures, either of the Old or the New Testament, or both; and that they who rejected the Old insisted on the authority of the New.

Origen is a good witness here, on account of his antiquity and probity, as well as vast knowledge; and in particular his extensive acquaintance with the doctrines of heretics. He observes that they endeavoured to impose upon people by alleging texts of scripture for their particular

In Sys. p. 213.

Sed ipsi et de scripturis agunt et de scripturis suadent. Aliunde scilicet loqui possent de rebus fidei, nisi ex literis fidei. Tertul. de præs. hæret. c. xv. p. 236. C. p. 205. Fr. Nec periclitor dicere, ipsas quoque scripturas sic esse ex Dei voluntate dispositas, ut hæreticis materias subministrareut, cum legam oportere hæreses esse, quæ sine scripturis esse non possint. Ibid. c. xxxix. p. 246. p. 212. Fr.

c Ipsi quoque hæretici, cum Christianum cogitantur habere nomen, et sacramenta Christiana, et scripturas, et professionem, magnum dolorem faciunt in cordibus piorum. Aug. de civit. Dei. 1. xviii. c. li. n. ii. Ben. vol. v. p. 184. 3. Venet.

d Quis enim philosophorum, quis gentilium, quis hæreticorum, non judicat Christum, ponentium ei leges nativitatis, et passionis, resurrectionisque suæ substantiæ. In Jerem. c. xv. T. iii. p. 601. In.

• Tanta est autem circa evangelia hæc firmitas, ut ipsi hæretici testimonium reddant eis, ut ex ipsis egrediens unusquisque eorum conetur suam confirmare doctrinam. Ebionai etenim eo evangelio, quod est secundum Matthæum solo

VOL. IV.

utentes, ex illo ipso convincuntur non recte præsumentes de Domino. Marcion autem id quod est secundum Lucam circumcidens, ex his quæ adhuc servantur penes eum, blasphemus in solum existentem Deum ostenditur. Qui autem Jesum separant a Christo, et impassibilem perseverâsse Christum, passum vero Jesum dicunt, id quod secundum Marcum est præferentes evangelium, cum amore veritatis legentes illud corrigi possunt. Hi autem qui a Valentino sunt, eo quod est secundum Johannem plenissime utentes, ad osten sionem conjugationum suarum ex ipso detegentur, nihil recte dicentes, quemadmodum ostendimus in primo libro. Cum ergo hi, qui contradicunt, nobis testimonium perhibeant, et utantur his, firma et vera est nostra de illis ostensio. Iren.

lib. iii. c. xi. n. vii. p. 189, 190. Mass. p. 220 Gr.

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* Τετῳ δε ηκολέθησε, διαφόρως εκδεξαμένων της αμα πασιν πιςευθέντας είναι θείες λόγες, το γενεσθαι αίρεσεις. Contr. Cels. 1. iii. p. 188. Can. Εςωσαν εν εν ἡμῖν οἱ μη τον αυτον λεγοντες τῷ Ιεδαίων Θεῳ Θεον αλλα 8 τι γε παρα τετο κατη γόρητέοι οἱ απο των αυτων γραμματων αποδεικνύντες. κ. τ. λ. ĺbid. 1. V. p. 271. Can.

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tenets, though they quoted them in a very unfair and mutilated manner; and that they appealed to them because they were the only writings whose authority was universally allowed. Even those of them, who would not believe the giver of the law and the inspirer of the prophets, to be the supreme Lord of the universe, or the father of Jesus Christ, still acknowledged the divine authority of some parts of the New Testament, and received its declarations as authentic and decisive. In some places he imputes the rise of heresies in the too literal interpretation of scripture. An anonymous author who lived about the year 212, and who is largely cited by Eusebius, speaks of some heretics in his time, who rejected the law and the prophets, under a pretence of grace. These persons despised the ancient dispensation unreasonably; nevertheless they received the gospel, and greatly respected the scriptures of the New Testament. Epiphanius has given a large and particular account of the manner in which Marcion mutilated the scriptures; yet he says his heresies may be confuted even from what he retains of the gospel and epistles. Of all heretics, he indeed seems to have taken the greatest liberty in altering and curtailing the writings of the New Testament. Nevertheless, after a long argument against him, Tertullian clearly shews' that the principal and most important doctrines of the gospel remained equally certain as before, even in his mutilated copy. The same writer says, in another place, that it was the usual custom with heretics to insist upon a text or two without regarding the general tenor of the scriptures. Augustine often blames heretics for perverting scripture in favour of their errors; and makes their fault to lie in this, not that they rejected or despised the scriptures, but that they misunderstood them, and put wrong interpretations upon them.

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All heretics, he says, endeavour to defend their false opinions by the authority of the divine scriptures. Nevertheless, the scriptures ought not to be reckoned the occasion of these errors. He also speaks of some who, though they rejected the Old Testament, attempted to prove their opinions from the gospels and epistles.

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In like manner St. Jerom says, if heretics reject the Old Testament, they may be confuted from the New, which they own. The same author sometimes complains that heretics strive to support their doctrines by quotations of scripture that have no connexion together; and

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Scis quia, si de aliis ei voluminibus loqui volueris, non decipies, neque habere poterunt auctoritatem assertiones tuæ. Sic legit scripturas Marcion, ut Diabolus: Sic Basilides, sic Valentinus, ut cum Diabolo dicerent salvatori: Scriptum est. Ex Orig Stro. T. i. Bened. Primum simpliciter sentientes armemur adversus impios hæreticos, qui dicunt non esse conditorem patrem Jesu, neque Deum legis, nec prophetarum. Erubescant Valentiniani audientes Jesum inquientem: In his quæ sunt patris mei, oportet me esse.' Erubescant omnes hæretici qui evangelium recipiunt secundum Lucam, et quæ in eo sunt scripta contemnunt. Ibid.

Hæreses quoque magis de carnali scripturæ intelligentiâ, quam de opere carnis nostræ, ut plurimi æstimant, &c. Ibid. T. i. p. 41. Bened. Confer. 1. iv. p. 164.

He is particularly spoken of before, c. xxxii. Vol. i. p. 485, 488.

• Αλλ' άπλως αρνησάμενοι τοντε νόμον και τες προφήτας, ανόμε και αθες διδασκαλίας, προφασει χαριτος. Eus. Ec. H. 1. v. cap. xxviii. p. 198. B.

• Εξ έπερ χαρακτήρος το παρ' αυτο σωζόμενο, τότε ευαγ γελία και των επιτολων το απότολο, δείξαι αυτόν εν Θεω εχομεν απατεωνα και πεπλανημένον, και ακροτατα εξελεγξαι. Epiph. Hær. 42.

f Misereor tui, Marcion: frustra laborâsti. Christus enim Jesus in evangelio tuo, meus est. Ad. Mar. lib. iv. c. xliii. sub fin. p. 575. B. p. 451. Fr.

His tribus capitulis totum instrumentum utriusque testamenti volunt cedere, cum oporteat secundum plura intelligi pauciora; sed proprium hoc est omnium hæreticorum. Adv. Prax. c. xx. p. 651. C. 505. Fr.

h Omnes enim hæretici qui eas in auctoritate recipiunt, ipsas sibi videntur sectari, cum suos potius sectentur errores, ac per hoc, non quod eas contemnant, sed quod eas non intelligant, hæretici sunt. Ep. cxx. c. iii. n. xiii. al. ep. 222.

T. 2. Sine dubio enim hoc ipsum quod perverse et impie sentiunt, aliquibus testimoniis divinarum scripturarum conantur adstruere; in quibus eis ostendendum est, quam non recte intelligant literas sacras conscriptas ad fidelium salutem. Ep. cclxiv. [al. cxli.] n. iii. T. ii. p. 200.

Et quoniam multi hæretici ad suam sententiam, quæ præter fidem est catholicæ disciplinæ, expositionem scripturarum divinarum trahere consueverunt, &c. De Gen. ad lit. lib. Im. c. i. In. T. iii. p. 158. 4. Venet.

* Quandoquidem nec ipsis sanctis divinorum librorum auctoritatibus, ullo modo quisquam tribuerit tam multos et varios errores hæreticorum; cum omnes ex iisdem scripturis falsas atque fallaces opiniones suas conentur defendere. De Trin. 1. i. c. iv. n. vi. T. 8.

Et quoniam quoquo modo Christianum se videri cupit, unde ex evangelio et ex apostolo ponit aliqua testimonia; etiam ex scripturis ad Novum Testamentum pertinentibus refellendus est; ut ostendatur in reprehensione veterum inconsideratius quam versutius insanire. Con. Adv. Leg. et prop. 1. i. c. i. T. vi. p. 188. 4. Venet.

Sin auteni scandalizatur hæreticus, qui vetus non recipit testamentum, quod dominus miscere, dicatur erroris vel vertiginis spiritum,' audiat scriptum in apostolo, hoc est, in Novo Testamento: Tradidit eos Deus in desideriis cordis 'sui in immunditiem.' (Præin. i. 24.) In Is. cap. xix. p. 184. f. Tom. 3.

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says that neither heretics, nor the less knowing among the faithful, understand the scripture in a manner becoming its majesty. The same learned ancient father adds,' that heretics corrupt the truth of the gospel by wrong interpretations. They are miserable wine coopers; they turn wine into water. In his comment upon Jerem. xiii. 23, he says that the heretics, who hold two natures, allege that text against the church. And he speaks elsewhere as if all Christian heretics endeavoured to support their errors and falsehoods by passages of scripture; informing us that it was customary for them to argue from every part of scripture, from the Old and the New Testament, from the prophets, the apostles, and the evangelists. Tertullian speaks much to the same purpose, that heretics endeavour to support their erroneous notions by wrong interpretations of scripture; and he further adds, that they might be confuted from scripture, if they would abide by its determinations, and attend to them alone. Ambrosiaster's definition or description of heretics is, that they are men who endeavour to support their opinions by scripture, putting their own sense upon the divine word, and attempting to defend their errors by the authority of the sacred writings. Vicentius Lirinensis testifies the same thing, informing us that some in his days, who were called heretics, made great use of scripture, and continually answered their adversaries and calumniators by quotations from the sacred writings. He in deed says, It is the devil who puts these arguments into their mouths and speaks by them.' From which probably some will conclude that many of their arguments from scripture were such as their adversaries could not answer. However, the best way of confuting these diabolical arguments would have been by shewing that the meaning they put upon the texts was not their genuine sense; and by producing more numerous passages in confutation of their doctrines. In many cases indeed they certainly argued with little strength, consistency, or regard to the general tenor of the sacred writings. It would be endless to enter into particulars; suffice it to mention one instance: they argued against the resurrection of the body from St. Paul's words: 1 Cor. xv. 50.

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SECTION XI.

Some of them also used Apocryphal Books.

HEGESIPPUS, as we are informed by Eusebius, speaking" of the books called Apocryphal, says that some of them were forged by some heretics in his time. Irenæus affirms that they quoted an innumerable multitude of apocryphal and spurious books, which they had themselves forged.

a Referri potest ad hæreticos et ad simplices quosque credentium, qui non ita scripturam intelligunt ut illius convenit majestati In Is. c. xxxiii. p 271. M

Hæretici quoque evangelicam veritatem corrumpunt pravâ intelligentiâ; et sunt caupones pessimi, facientes de vino aquam. Ad. Is. c.i. v. xxii p. 18. in T. 3.

Hoc testimonio utuntur adversus ecclesiam, qui diversas cupiunt asserere naturas, et tantam dicunt esse nigredinem peccatorum―ut in candorem transire non possint. In Jer. c. xiii. p. 594. In.

d Hoc faciunt omnes hæretici sub Christiano nomine fornicantes, et erroribus suis atque mendaciis obtendentes testimonia scripturarum. In Amos, c. ii. p 1384. In.

Sic hæretici assumunt testimonia scripturarum de veteri et Novo Testamento; et furantur verba salvatoris unusquisque proximo suo, prophetis et apostolis et evangelistis. In Jerem. c xxiii. p. 640. fin.

Nihil autem mirum, si et ex ipsius instrumento captantur argumenta, cum oporteat hæreses esse, quæ esse non possent, si non et perperam scripturæ intelligi possent. De Resur. Car. c. xli. p. 408. B. c. xl. p. 333. Fran. Scripturas obtendunt, et hac suâ audaciâ statim quosdam movent. In ipso vero congressu, firmos quidem fatigant, infirmos capiunt, medios cum scrupulo dimittunt, De Præs. Hær. c. xv. p. 236. C. p. 205. Fran.

Aufer denique hæreticis, cum ethnicis sapiunt, ut de

scripturis solis quæstiones suas sistant, et stare non poterunt. De Res Car. ciii. p. 381. B. p. 315. Fr.

Concerning the author of these commentaries on thirteen epistles of St. Paul, see before, Vol. ii. p. 15. and p. 520.

Hæretici hi sunt, qui per verba legis legem impugnant? proprium enim sensum verbis adstruunt legis, ut pravitatem mentis suæ legis auctoritate commendent. Ad. Tit. c. iii. v. 10, 11.

* Ac si quis interroget quempiam hæreticorum sibi talia. persuadentem: Unde probas?Statim ille: • Scrip'tum est enim.' Et continuo mille testimonia, mille exempla, mille auctoritates parat, de lege, de psalmis, de apostolis, de prophetis, Comment. c. xxxvii. Baluz, p. 359.

Non dubium est, quin auctoris sui callida machinamenta sectentur; quæ ille nunquam profecto comminisceretur, nisi sciret, &c. See the whole of this passage before, Vol. iii. p. 27. Sed caro, inquis, et sanguis regnum Dei hæreditate possidere non possunt. Scimus hoc quoque scriptum, sed de industriâ distulimus hucusque. Tert. de Resur. Carn c. xlviii. p. 416. A. B. p. 339 Fr.

- Και περί των λεγομένων δε αποκρύφων διαλαμβάνων, επι των αυτό χρόνων προς τίνων αἱρετικών αναπεπλασθαι τινα T&TWY isopε. Euseb. 1. iv. c. 22. p. 143. B. Προς δε τέτοις αμύθητον πληθος αποκρυφων και νόθων γραφών, ας αυτοι επλάσασαν, παρεισφέρωσιν εἰς καταπληξιν των ανοήτων, κ. λ. Iren. 1. i. c. xx. [al, 17.] n. i.

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