genuine writings of the apoftles; for that they must have known to be impoffible. It is, therefore, rather to be fupposed, that they retained only fuch parts of them as they thought the moft ufeful; and in this they would naturally be biaffed by their peculiar principles.

This charge of corrupting the fcriptures does not affect all the Gnoftics. "I know "of none," fays Origen," who corrupt "the gospel, except the difciples of Mar"cion and Valentinus, and thofe of Lucian *.' "The Marcionites," fays Chry

foftom," ufe only one gofpel, which they

abridge, and mix as they please †.” What were all the particulars of Marcion's alterations of the gofpel, we are not informed, but he began the gospel of Luke with the third chapter, thus, " In the 15th year of Tiberius Cæfar‡;" and this was

Μελαχαραξανίας δὲ το ευαίγελοιν αλλές εκ οίδα η τες απο Μαρμιωνος, και τες απο Ουαλεντίνε, οιμαι δε και τες απο Λεκαν8. Ad Celf. lib.2. p. 77.

† Ουδε γαρ παραδεχονται τις ευα γελιας απανίας, αλλ' ενα μονον, κι αυτόν περικόψανίες και συγχεανίες ως εβελονο. In Gal. I. Opera, vol. 10. p. 971.

† Ταιλα πανία περικόψας απεπήδησε και αρχήν τε ευαγγελια ελαξε ταύλην. Εν τω πεντεκαιδεκάτω έτει Τιβερια ΚαισαρΘ. Epiphanius, Hær. 42. Opera, vol. 1. p. 312.

owing to his not giving credit to the history of the miraculous conception, contained in the two first chapters.

We could not, however, have concluded from this omiffion, that Marcion thought them not to have been written by Luke, if he had not exprefsly maintained this, as we are informed by Tertullian, who, speaking of the two copies of Luke's gofpel, his own, and Marcion's, fays, "I say that mine "is the true copy, Marcion that his is so. "I affirm that Marcion's copy is adulte"rated; he, that mine is fo*." He adds, that his own copy was the more ancient, because Marcion himself did for fome time receive it. But this he might do till, on examination, he thought he faw fufficient reason to reject it. Cerinthus, Carpocrates, and other early Gnostics, rejected the history of the miraculous conception, as well as Marcion and the Ebionites,

* Ego meum dico verum, Marcion fuum. Ego Marcionis affirmo adulteratum, Marcion meum. Adv. Marcionem, lib. 4. cap. 4. p. 415. Quod vero pertinet ad evangelium interim Lucæ adeo antiquius Marcione eft ut et ipfe illi Marcion aliquando crediderit. Ibid.

СНАР.

CHAPTER

IV.

The Gnoftics were the only Heretics in early

times.

IT appears from the evidence of all antiquity, that the Gnoftics were always confidered by other chriftians as beretics; and though there were of them in the church of Corinth, and alfo in that of Ephefus, and other churches at first, they either foon separated themselves from the communion of other chriftians, or were expelled from it; so that when the apostle John wrote they were a distinct body of men, diftinguished by peculiar names. It is easy to fhew, from ecclefiaftical hiftory, not only that the Gnoftics were confidered as heretics, but that they were the only perfons who were confidered in that light for two or three centuries after Chrift. But before I enter on the proof of this, it may not be amifs to make a few obfervations relating to herefy, and the ideas of the ancients concerning it.

SEC

of men.

SECTION I.

Of Herefy in general.

HERESY properly fignifies a divifion, or Separation, and therefore was used to exprefs a part detached from a large body In this cafe, the larger body, or majority, would, of course, entertain an unfavourable opinion of them; but the minority, without denying that they were beretics, or the minority, would not think themselves fubject to any just opprobrium Thus, while the chrif

on that account.

tians were the minority among the Jews, and were confequently confidered as here. tics, Paul fays, Acts xxiv. 14. According to the way which they call herefy, fo worship I the God of my fathers. As heretics, we alfo find that the chriftians were caft out of the Jewish fynagogues (which was a pattern for the chriftian excommunications) and yet it appears that, for fome

time, chriftians were admitted into the fynagogues, and allowed to preach, and dispute in them.

Thus we find it to have been the custom of Paul, in all his apoftolical journeys, to begin with teaching in the Jewish fynagogues, and that he continued fo to do, till, on account of their coming to no agreement, he was either denied that liberty, or withdrew of his own accord. This was the cafe at Ephefus, where he first preached three months in the Jewish synagogue, but then left it, Acts xix. 8. And he went into the fynagogue, and Spake boldly for the space of three months, difputing and perfuading the things concerning the kingdom of God. But when divers were bardened and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the difciples difputing (or difcourfing) daily in the fchool of one Tyrannus.

In like manner, when the Gnoftics began to diftinguish themselves, and to be troublesome in chriftian churches, in which

they