SECTION V.

Of Herefy according to Clemens Alexandrinus, Tertullian, Origen, and Firmilian.

CLEMENS Alexandrinus makes frequent mention of heretics, and expreffes as much abhorrence of them as Justin Martyr does, but it is evident that in all the places in which he speaks of them, his idea of heresy was confined to Gnofticism.

He confiders it as an answer to all heretics to prove that "there is one God, the

Almighty Lord, who was preached by the "law and the prophets, and also in the "bleffed gofpel*." He alfo fpeaks of herefy as " "borrowed from a barbarous philofophy;" and fays of heretics that

though they fay there is one God, and "fing hymns to Chrift, it was not accord

ing to truth; for that they introduced "another God, and fuch a Chrift as the

* Και απάσαις εντευθεν ταις αιρέσεσιν, ενα δεικνύναι θεον, και Κυριον παντοκράτορα, τον δια νόμου και προφήτων, προς δε και τε μακαριου ευαγγελια γνησίως κεκηρυγμένον. Strom. lib. 6. p. 475. " prophets

prophets had not foretold*.” He likewife fpeaks of heretics in general as having a high opinion of their own knowledge +. He calls them dig, men who think that they have found the truth, p. 755, and υπο δοξοσοφίας επηρμένοι, elated with a conceit of their knowledge, p. 759. He fays that “ herefy

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began in the time of Adrian," when it is well known that Bafilides and the most diftinguished of the Gnoftics made their appearance f. He fays, that of the heretics some were distinguished by the names of particular perfons, as those of Valentinus, Marcion, and Bafilides, fome by the place of their refidence, others by their tenets, &c. mentioning none but Gnoftics. It

*

Διοπερ αι καλα την βαρβαρον φιλοσοφίαν αιρέσεις και θεαμ λεγωσιν ένα, και χρισον υμνωσιν, καλα περιληψιν λεγεσιν, ο προς αλήθειαν· αλλον yap του Θεον περιευρίσκεσιν, και τον χρισον εκ ως αι προβήλειαι παραδιδοασι εκδεχονται. alfo p. 542. 662.

† Οιήσιν γνώσεως ειληφότων.

Strom. lib. 6. p. 675. See

Strom. lib. 7. p. 754.

† Καίω δε περι της Αδριανα τ8 βασιλεως χρονες οι τας αιρεσεις επινοήσανίες γεγονασι. Strom. lib. 7. p. 764.

|| Των δ' αιρεσεων αι μεν απο ονοματος προσαγορευονται, ως η απο Ουαλενλινε και Μαρκιωνος και Βασιλείδα, καν την Μαΐθια αυχωσι προς

σάγεσθαι δοξαν μια γαρ η πανίων γεγονε των αποτέλων ωσπερ

δίδασ

καλιά,

may only be conjectured that he meant the Ebionites by the Peratici enumerated by him among those who had their denomination from the place of their refidence; but this is the only paffage in the word which It is the more remarkable that this writer fhould omit the unitarians, as he mentions fourteen different heretics by name, and ten herefies by character.

occurs.

As the ftrict Ebionites hold no communion with the gentile chriftians, it is very poffible that Clemens Alexandrinus might infert them in a catalogue of heretics, and allude to them under the name of Peratici, without intending any cenfure of their doctrine with respect to Chrift. Befides, this was a name given them, as he fays, from their place of refidence, and therefore did not include the unitarians among the gentiles.

καλια, είως δε και η παράδοσις . αι δε, απο τοπ8, ως οι Περαιικοι· αι δε, απο εθνες, ως η των Φρυγων · οι δε, από ενέργειας, ως η των ΕγκραΠλων· αι δε, απο δογμαίων ιδιαξονίων, ως η των Δωκίων · και η των Αιμπ Πλων· αι δε, απο υποθέσεων, κι ων τελμηκασιν, ως Καιανίσαι τε και οι Οφιανοι προσαγορευομένοι" αι δε, αφ' ων παρανόμως επελήδευσαν τε καὶ Elounov. Strom. 7. p. 765.

2

Tertullian

Tertullian reprefents our Saviour as alluding to falfe teachers, who faid that he was not born of a virgin; but it is evident from the whole paffage, that he referred to the Gnoftics only, who faid that it was difgraceful to him to be fo born *.

In all other places in which I have found Tertullian speak of herefy in general, it is most evident that his ideas went no farther than to the opinions of the Gnoftics, except that he once calls Hebion a heretic. And then he expressly makes his herefy to confift in his obfervance of the Jewish ritual+.

"Herefies," he says, "do not differ from "idolatry, having the fame author, and

* Prænunciaveram plane futuros fallaciæ magiftros in mco nomine, et prophetarum et apoftolorum etiam ; et difcentibus meis eadem ad vos prædicare mandaveram, femel evangelium, et ejusdem regulæ doctrinam apoftolis meis delegaveram: fed quum vos non crederetis, libuit Refurrectionem promimihi poftea aliqua inde mutare. feram etiam carnis, fed recogitavi ne implere non poffem. Natum me oftenderam ex virgine, fed poftea turpe mihi vifum eft, &c. De Præfcriptione, fect. 44. p. 218.

+ Ad Galatas fcribens invehitur in obfervatores et defenfores circumcifionis et legis. Hebionis hærefis eft. De Præf. fect. 33. P. 214.

"the

"the fame work with idolaters, for that

they make another god against the crea"tor, or if they acknowledge one creator, they difcourfe of him in a manner dif"ferent from the truth*.' "Heretics," he says, deny that God is to be feared +," which agrees with his faying, that "the

heathen philofophers were the patriarchs "of herefy," for they held that doctrine; but it was very remote from any thing that is ever laid to the charge of the unitarians.

Heretics," he says, "affociated with the "magi, with fortune-tellers, with astrologers, with philofophers; being actuated

* Neque ab idolatria diftare hærefes, cum et auctoris et operis ejufdem fint cujus et idolatria. Deum aut fingunt alium adverfus creatorem, aut fi unicum creatorem confitentur, aliter eum differunt quam in vero. De Præfcriptione, fect. 40. Opera, p. 217.

+ Negant deum timendum. Ibid. fect. 43. p. 218. Hæreticorum partriarchæ philofophi. Ad. Herm. sect. 8. p. 236.

Ipfæ denique hærefes a philofophia fubornantur. Inde æones, et formæ nefcio quæ, et trinitas hominis apud Valentinum. Platonicus fuerat. De Præfcriptione, fect. 7.

p. 201.

" by