next Intelligence to him; and one Menander likewise, a Samaritan, of the Village Capparetea, and a Disciple of Simon, fet on work by the fame Demons, and refiding at Antioch, impos'd upon many by the fame Magick Arts, as we very well know, and wrought up his Followers into a Perfuafion that they should never dye, and there are fome of his Sect who are poffefs'd with the fame Frenzy to this Day. X XXXV. There is one Marcion alfo of Pontus, who at this time inftructs his Difciples, in the Doctrine of another God, greater than the Creator of the World, and who, by the Affiftance of evil Spirits, has spread this Poison fo effectually about every Nation, as to prevail upon many to fubfcribe to the Blafphemy, and deny the Maker of the Universe to be God, profeffing another greater Deity, and a Creator of greater Worlds; and yet all this fort of Men go by the Name of Christians, as I have already faid; juft like the Philofophers, who tho' they differ never fo much in Principles, yet all take all take upon 'em the common of Stone, that of Simon Magus of Brafs. So that here we have two Statues of different Materials, and with different Infcriptions, and yet they must be one and the fame, because the Fathers are to be difcredited. Unless therefore Daille and le Clerk can prove that the Tiberine Island could not hold two Statues, they prove nothing to the Purpofe; but fome Men never think they make a good Figure but when they ftand upon the Ruins of Chriftian Antiquity. See this Matter fully clear'd, in a Book call'd Defenfio S. Auguftini adverfus Joan. Phereponi Animadverfiones. p. 176. * A Doctrine much perhaps of the fame Complexion with what Mr. Aill broach'd lately, tho' not, I believe, with the fame Succefs of Followers... Title Title of Philofopher. But whether these Hereticks are really guilty of thofe curfed and fcandalous Actions, which are industriously spread abroad about Chriftians, fuch as putting out the Candles, and promifcuous Copulati ons, T Because the Reader will meet with this horrid Charge againft Chriftians in all thefe Apologies, of promifcuous Mixtures, and de vouring an Infant at their Meetings, I think it will not be impertinent in this Place to acquaint him with the Grounds of fuch falfe and malicious Accufations. Origen fathers 'em upon the Jews, as if they had invented them on purpofe to bring Chriftianity into Difgrace, and thefe Lyes (faith he) fucceeded fo well, that even fome in his time wou'd not hold the leaft Conversation with a Chriftian; but tho' the Jews had Malice enough to invent any thing to the Prejudice of Chriftians, yet I can hardly be perfuaded that all this was pure Lye and Invention without any ground. We know that in the moft early times of the Gofpel, there were feveral forts of Hereticks, fuch as Simon Magus, Menander, Marcion, Marcus, Bafilides, c. who all cover'd themselves over with the gilded Name of Chriftians, and yet were all guilty of these horrid Abominations charg'd upon Chriftians in general. Ireneus adv. Heref. lib. 1. c. 1. p. 28. and c. 9. p. 70. reports that they debauch'd in private the Women which they had perverted and brought over to their Sect, (as many with Shame and Sorrow acknowledg'd upon their Return to the Church) and not only fo, but they openly marry'd the Women they had feduced from their Husbands, and laugh'd at the chaft and Orthodox Chriftians, as a parcel of Blockheads, ftyling themselves the Pure, the Perfect, and the Seeds of Election. Clemens Alexandrinus likewife Strom. I. 3. p. 430. tells the fame Story of the Carpocratians that Minutius Felix does of the Chriftians, namely, that both Men and Women used to meet at Supper, in Imitation of the Love-Feaft, and after they had been well warm'd with Meat and Drink, put out the Candles, and promifcuously mixt with one another. And Epiphanius tells us of the Gnofticks, Haref. 26. p. 42. that they had their Wives in Common, and when a Stranger of their own Sect came to them, both Men and Women had a Sign to know one another by, viz. by ftretching out their Hands by way of Salutation, and by tickling each other in the Ball of their Hand, they knew the Stranger to be of their Party. Amongst their Brethren the Carpocratians, they were wont to mark their Difciples and Profelytes under the right Ear with a flit or hole, and this agrees with the Charge of the Heathens, that they knew one another at firft fight, by privy Marks and Signs, and what perhaps is referr'd to in Minutius Felix. Befides, Epiphani ons, and the devouring of human Flesh, I cannot fay; but this I am fure of, that you don't harrafs and destroy 'em, as you do us, for these deteftable Doctrines: But I have compos'da Treatife of all these Herefies, which I am ready to produce for your Satisfaction, if you are ready to peruse it. XXXVI. But we who are truly Christians, are fo far from maintaining any unjust or ungodly Opinions, that expofing of Infants which is fo much in Practice among you, we teach to be a very wicked Practice; first because we see that fuch Children, both Girls and Boys, are generally all train'd up for the Service of Luft, for as the Ancients bred up thefe Foundlings to feed Cows, or Goats, or Sheep, or Grass-Horfes, fo now-a-days such Boys are brought up only to be abus'd against Nature; and accordingly you have a herd of these Women and effeminate Men, standing prostitute for Sale in every Nation; (and you traffick with fuch kind of Cattel, and take Toll and Custom for their Wickedness, when all fuch monstrous Practices ought to be quite and clean us, Hæref. 26. p. 43. tells us that the Gnofticks at their Meetings were wont to take an Infant begotten in their promifcuous Mixtures, and beating it in a Mortar, to feafon it with Honey and Pepper, and fome other Spices and Perfumes to make it palatable, and then like Swine or Dogs to devour it, and this they accounted their Perfect Paffover. Now this being the Practice of these Abominable Hereticks, who had the Forehead to ftyle themselves Chriftians, it is no wonder if both Jews and Gentiles, who were greedy of any Occafion to blacken the Chriftians, fhou'd load them all in general with these deteftable Crimes, either not knowing 'em to be falfe, or elfe not willing to diftinguish between Chriftians true or falfe. rooted rooted out of the World. And befides, whoever has to do with fuch wicked Creatures, not only defiles himself with a Mixture repugnant to all the Laws of Religion and Temperance, but 'tis a great Chance that the Sinner does not pollute himself with some of his own Children or nearest Relations. Some there are who prostitute their own Wives and Children, and others are cut publickly for Pathick Obscenity, and their Inftruments made a Sacrifice to the Mother of the Gods. And of all the established Deities among you, a painted Serpent is the greatest Symbol and Mystery: And fuch Actions as you commit in the Face of the Sun, and are creditable Vices among you, as if you had not one Spark of Divine Light left; those you charge upon us, tho' this Charge will do no harm to us, who are entire Strangers to fuch Sins; but to the Doers of them only, and to fuch as falfly lay 'em to the Charge of Chriftians. But the Ring-leader and Prince of evil Spirits is by us called the Serpent, and Satan, and false Accufer, as you may easily find from our Scriptures, who together with all his Hoft of Angels, and Men like himself, shall be thrust into Fire, there to be tormented World without end, as our Chrift has foretold; and the Reason why God has not done this already, is out of Mercy to fuch of Mankind, as he forefees will repent and be fav'd; fome of which are now in Being, and others as yet unborn : And from the Beginning he made Mankind intelligent and free Creatures, fit for the Choice and Practice of Truth and Goodness; so that every Sinner should be without Excufe before God; for we are endu'd with Reason, and form'd for Contemplation. If any one therefore shall disbelieve the Providence of God, or fhall deny his Existence, notwithstanding the Evidence of his World, or affert him to be a Being delighted with Wickednefs, or as una&tive as a Stone, and that Vice and Virtue are nothing in themselves, and depend only upon the Opinions of Men; this, I fay, is a confummate piece of Impiety and Injustice.) And another Reason against expofing Infants, is, that we are afraid they should perish for want of being taken up, and fo bring us under the. Guilt of Murther. XXXVII, Moreover, the End of Chriftians in marrying, is the Christian Education of their Children, and fuch as refuse to marry contain themselves perpetually within the Bounds of Chastity. And to give you a very perfuafive and fenfible Argument, that promifcuous Copulation is none of the Mysteries in Practice amongst us Chriftian Youth fent a Petition to Fa5 a lix the Prefident of Alexandria, to give a Surgeon leave to cut him, for without leave from the Prefident, fuch kind of Operations are interdicted; but when Felix wou'd not fign the Petition, the Youth perfifting in his Refolution, at length fatisfy'd his Conscience and thofe about him who were of his Mind, by performing the Operation upon himself. I do not think it improper in this Place to put you in mind of the late Antinous, whom all were prevail'd upon by Fear to worship as a God, |