The famous paffage in Jofephus concerning Christ is not a more evident interpolation than many in these epiftles of Ignatius.

ing;

A paffage in thefe epiftles on which much ftrefs has been laid, as referring to the pre-existence of Chrift, is the follow"There is one physician, fleshly and fpiritual, begotten and unbegotten, in the "flesh made God, in immortal life eternal, "both of Mary and of God, firft fuffering " and then impaffible *." Theodoret read the paffage, reiC ε ayewnis, " begotten of "him that was unbegotten," and in other refpects this paffage is neither clear nor decifive.

It will weigh much with many perfons in favour of the genuineness of the pieces afcribed to Barnabas, Hermas, and Ignatius, that Dr. Lardnet was inclined to admit it. But it must be observed, and I would do it with all poffible respect for fo fair and candid a writer, that the object of his work might, unperceived by himself,

* Εις ιαίρος ετιν, σαρκικος τε καὶ πνευματικος, γεννητος και αγεννητος, εν σαρκι γενομένος πεος, εν αθανατω ζωη αληθινή, και εκ Μαρίας και εκ θεά, πρώτον παθῆλος καὶ τότε απαθης, Ad. Eph. f. 7. p. 13.

bias

bias him a little in favour of their genuineness; as their evidence was useful to his purpose, which was to prove that of the books of the New Teftament, by the quotation of them in early writers. Other men as learned as Dr. Lardner, and even firm believers in the doctrines of the preexistence and the divinity of Chrift, have not fcrupled to pronounce all the works above-mentioned to be fpurious. These circumstances confidered, the reader muft form his own judgment of the value of any teftimony produced from them.

Of the Principles of the Oriental Philofophy.

IN order clearly to understand the nature

and origin of those corruptions of chriftianity which now remain, it will be proper to confider those which took their rife in a more early period, and which bore

fome

fome relation to them, though they are now extinct, and therefore, on that account, are not, of themselves, deferving of much notice. The doctrine of the deification of Chrift, which overfpread the whole chriftian world, and which is ftill the prevailing opinion in all chriftian countries (but which is diametrically oppofite to the genuine principles of christianity, and the whole fyftem of revealed religion) was preceded by that fyftem of doctrines which is generally called Gnofticifm. For thefe principles were introduced in the very age of the apostles, and conftituted the only herefy that we find to have given any alarm to them, or to the chriftian world in general, for two or three centuries.

That these principles of the Gnoftics were justly confidered in a very serious light, we evidently perceive by the writings of the apoftles. For that the doctrines which the apoftles reprobated were the very fame with thofe which were afterwards afcribed to the Gnoftics, cannot but be evident to every perfon who shall compare them in the moft fuperficial manner.

:

The

The authority of the apoftles, which, in all its force, was directly pointed against the principles of these Gnostics, seems to have borne them down for a confiderable time, fo that they made no great figure till the reign of Adrian, in the beginning of the fecond century. But at that time, fome perfons of great eminence, and very diftinguished abilities, having adopted the fame, or very fimilar principles, the fect revived, and in a remarkably fhort space of time, became very prevalent.

The principles of Gnofticifm must be looked for in those of the philosophy of the times, cfpecially that which was most prevalent in the East; and as much of this philofophy as is fufficient to explain the general principles of the Gnoftics, is easily deduced from the accounts that we have of that herefy. Alfo the Greek philofophy, having been originally derived from that of the orientals, and having always retained the fame fundamental doctrines, with no very confiderable variations, and those easily distinguished, is another guide to us in our investigation of this subject.

But

But we have happily preferved to us one work of a fingular conftruction, in which the principles of this philofophy are reprefented fuch as they were before they were incorporated into chriftianity, by a writer tolerably near to the time of the first promulgation of it, at least as near to it as any other certain account of the principles of the Gnoftics, except what may be collected from the New Teftament itself. And what makes this work an unique of its kind, and therefore more deferving of our notice, is that it appears to have been written by a person who was unquestionably an unitarian; whereas every other account that is now extant of the principles of the Gnoftics, or of those from which they were derived, is from perfons who were either trinitarians, or had adopted thofe principles which afterwards led to the doctrine of the trinity.

The work I mean, is the Clementine Homilics, written probably about the time of Justin Martyr; and it is pretty remarkable, that the author of the Cl mentines, as the work is generally called, does not appear .to have known any thing of Juftin's docVOL. I. trine

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