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21. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lye is of the truth. Who is a liar, but be that denieth that Jefus is the Chrift? He is antichrift that denieth the Father and the Son. Whofoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father. This alfo may explain what Peter meant by denying the Lord that bought them, as it may be supposed that he meant denying Jefus to be the Christ. I John iv. 15. Whosoever shall confess that Jefus is the Son of God (which is equivalent to being the Chrift) God dwelleth in him, and he in God; chap. v. 5. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jefus is the Son of God. From the conclufion of John's gospel we may infer what several of the ancients have afferted, viz. that he wrote it with a particular view to refute the Gnoftics. Chap. xx. 31. Thefe are written that ye might believe that Jefus is the Son of God, and that, believing, ye might have life through his name.

SECTION

SECTION VI.

Of the Doctrine of the Gnoftics with respect to Martyrdom.

AN obvious confequence of denying the reality of Christ's flesh and blood was, that he never really fuffered.

This, indeed, the Gnoftics contended for, as his prerogative and excellence; thinking all the affections of the flesh reproachful to a being of his high rank and natural dignity. Some of them, rather than fuppofe that Chrift really fuffered, said that it was not even Jefus, but Cimon of Cyrene, who carried the cross after him, that was hung upon it; and that Chrift, seeing this from a diftance, laughed at the mistake of his enemies, and then returned to his Father who had fent him. This notion is by Theodoret afcribed to Bafilides *.

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* Παθειν δε τείον εδαμως λεγει, αλλα Σίμωνα τον Κυρηναίον υπομειναι το πάθος νομισθενία είναι χρισόν τον δε χρισον πορρωθεν ορωνία, γελαν των Ιεδαίων την απονοιαν, £10 ύτερον, απελθειν προς τον αποδει Pavla. Hær. Fab. lib. 1. cap. 4. vol. 4. p. 195.

As,

As, in the opinion of the Gnostics, Christ did not really fuffer, we are not furprized to find that, in general, they did not allow the obligation of martyrdom. Irenæus fays, that fome of them despised the martyrs, and reproached them for their fufferings *. Clemens Alexandrinus fays, that fome of the heretics argued against martyrdom, faying, that "the true mar"tyrdom, or teftimony to the truth of God, "was the knowledge of the true God; and "that he was a felf-murderer who con"feffed Chrift by giving up his life."

In order to extenuate the merit of martyrdom, Bafilides maintained, that the martyrs not being perfectly innocent, fuffered no more than they deferved. But this

* Et cum hæc ita fe habeant, ad tantam temeritatem progreffi funt quidam, ut etiam martyres fpernant, et vituperent eos qui propter Domini confeffionem occiduntur. Lib. 3. cap. 20. p. 247.

+ Τινες δε των αιρείικων τε κύριε παρακηκοόλες ασεβώς αμα κ δειλως φιληζουσι· μαρτυριαν λεγοντες αλόη είναι την τε ούλως ονλος γνωσιν θες οπερ και ημεις ομολογέμεν· φονεα δε άυλον είναι εαυτ8, και αυθενίην, τον δια θανατον ομολογησανία· καὶ αλλα τοιαύτα δειλιας σοφισματα εις

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μEσOV Hoμ. Shern. lib.4. p. 481.

*

Clem. Alex. Strom. 4. p. 506,

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he might hold, without denying the obligation to die in the cause of truth,

According to Epiphanius, alfo, Bafilides held that martyrdom was unneceffary *. In the paffage quoted above from the epiftle of Polycarp, there is an allufion to this doctrine of the Gnoftics, "Every "one who fhall not confefs that Jefus "Chrift is come in the flesh is antichrift, " and whofoever shall not confefs the mar"tyrdom of the crofs is of the devil, and "whofoever shall pervert the oracles of "God to his own lufts, and say there is "neither refurrection, nor judgment, is the "firft-born of Satan +.". Here is an enumeration of the principal, at least, the most obnoxious tenets of the Gnoftics, who were the only heretics in that early age.

In confequence of this maxim concerning martyrdom, the Gnoftics are faid to

* Διδασκει δε παλιν καὶ ἀναίρεπει, φασκων με δειν μαρτυρείν. Hær: 24. vol. I. p. 71.

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+ Πάς γαρ, ος αν μη ομολογη Ιησεν Χρισον εν σαρκι εληλυθέναι. Αντίχρισος επι κι ος αν μη ομολογη το μαρτύριον τ8 ςαυρό, εκ τε διάβολε επι· κ ος αν μεθοδεύη τα λογια τε κυριε προς τας ιδίας επιθυμίας, και λέγη μηλε ανατασιν, μηλε κρισιν είναι, ενα πρωιόλικος $ 78 Zalava, Ep. Ad. Eph. fect. 7. p. 187.

have made no difficulty of eating things facrificed to idols, though nothing can be more exprefsly forbidden than this practice is in the New Teftament; as it makes one of the four articles of things prohibited to the Gentile converts by an affembly of all the apostles, is most pointedly argued against by Paul, in his epiftles to the Corinthians, and is likewife feverely reprehended in the book of Revelation.

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In the dialogue of Juftin Martyr, Trypho fays, that " many who were called chrif"tians ate of things facrificed to idols, and "faid there was no harm in it. But it appears by Juftin's answer, that they were Gnoftics*. Irenæus fays of the Valentinians, that, “without distinction, they ate "of things facrificed to idols, not thinking "themselves defiled by them, and were the "first to attend the feafts in honour of the

heathen gods +." The Nicolaitans also

* Και ο τρυφων, και μην πολλές των τον Ιησεν λεγονίων ομολογείν, και λεγομένων χρισιανων, πυνθανομαι επιειν τα ειδωλόθυτα, και μηδεν εκ τοῖς βλαπίεσθαι λεγειν. Ρ. 207.

+ Και γαρ ειδωλοθύτα αδιαφορώς εύρεσι μηδε μολύνεσθαι υπ' αύτε ηγέμενοι. καὶ επι πασαν εδρίασιμον των εθνων τερψιν εις τιμην των ειδωλων γινομένην πρωτοί συνίασιν. Lib. I. cap. I. p. 30.

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