Magus; who therefore was an Heretick in the Days of the Apostles, and capable of being mentioned in their Conftitutions before us. XIX. Bafilides and Saturnilus began to be known as Hereticks, confiderably before the end of the first Century; and fo might well be mentioned by the Apoftles, when they L... 8. made the latest Additions to their Conftitu- p. 335-336 tions, about A. D. 86. For, to pass over the Argument from their Companions in the Constitutions, Dofitheus, Simon Magus, Cerinthus, Marcus, and Menander, all Hereticks of the first Century, and early in the fame Century alfo; I look on this Propofition as true for the Reafons following. (1) This Catalogue, and all the rest of the Conftitutions mention these two as the laft Hereticks then arifen, without a Word of Valentinus; who yet arofe about A. D. 128. So that if we allow any proportionable Interval between Menander, who feems to have been known before, or not long after the Destruction of Jerufalem A. D. 70. we may eafily allow, that these Contemporary Heretick, Bafilides and Saturnilus were not wholly unknown, confiderably before the end of the first Century alfo, and fo might be mention'd by the Apoftles in their laft Additions to theirConftitutions about A.D.86. (2) The feveral Series of the first Hereticks in all the Antient Writers, prove that Bafili Ireneus Bafilides and Saturnilus arofe fufficiently before the end of the firft Century. Take these Accounts diftinctly in the following Table. I Simon 9 Carpocrates 9 Nazaveni 10 Cerinthus 10 Ebionite, Iren. L. I. c. 20. &c. p. 94. &c. Tertull. de Præfcript. §. 46, &c. p. Epiphan. in hafce Hærefes. Philaftr. Hæref. Predeftinat. L. I. Here we fee, that Saturninus and Bafilides are not only in general among these Hereticks of the first Century; nay among those that were fuch long before the end of that Century; but that they are plac'd not very low among them neither; thefe always poffeffing the third and fourth, or third and fifth Places in the Catalogues before us. (3) Bafilides, as we have feen from Clemens Alexandrinus, convers'd with that eminent Mark or Marcion, who heard. Peter himself, fo that he is juftly to be plac'd among the Hereticks of the first Century. (4) Saturninus is generally plac'd in these Catalogues, in all but the laft, before Bafi lides. Only the Catalogue ftil'd Predeftina tus tus places him a little later. But then the fame Author is of all the reft the most express for his great Antiquity; as affirming, that he was excommunicated by Thomas the Apoftle himself. Hear the Words at large, because they include a remarkable Paffage, not elsewhere recorded, I think, in all Antiquity. Quinta Hærefis Saturnianorum eft, à Saturnino. Hic docuit feptem Angelos mun- LI. Herefs. dum feciffe ; quibus cordi fuit libidines infe- 5: rere ut dum fefe concupifcit ex alterutro diverfitas fexus mundus à fui fine refrenatus poffit effe perpetuus. Hos anathematizavit Beatus Thomas, Chrifti Apoftolus; docens rationabiliter Mundum initium habuisse; & quia initium habuit ad finem effe venturum: Angelos autem omnipotentiam habere non poffe:& ideo mundum eos non potuiffe conftituere: Conditorem autem Mundi unum esse Deum, quem Moyfes prædicavit feciffe cœlum, & terram, & maria, & omnia quæ in eis funt. 'Tis true that Clemens Alexandrinus, and others after him, affirm that these two Hereticks liv'd later, in the Days of Adrian; nay, that fome of thefe elder Hereticks, particularly Bafilides, liv'd till the very days of Antoninus the Elder; 5, ei Tus aderαπό το βασιλέως χρόνες, οἱ πως αἱρέσεις Επινοής σύμτες γεγόνασι καὶ μέχρι γε τ αντονίνε το ορε To εξυτέρας διέτειναν ἡλικίας καθάπερ ὁ βασιλεία Ms. But this does not contradict the prefent Pearf vind. Affertion fince 'tis no way ftrange that Ignat. part K See allo 2. c. 7. P. fome, 379. & fome, who began to be Hereticks 15 or 20 Years within the firft Century, fhould not all dead 30 or 40 Years in the fecond. XXI. The Apoftles of our Lord, and their Succeffors, for many Ages, carefully deliver'd and strictly obferv'd a Doctrina & Difciplina Arcana; or conceal'd the mystical Parts of our Religion from the Heathens, Jews, and Catechuinens, conveying those Doctrines and Precepts to Pofterity not by their own publick Writings, but by these fecret Conftitutions of the Apostles, taken from their mouths and preaching, by fome of their Companions, as a Sacred Traditionary Depofitum, and entrufted with the Bishops of the feveral Apoftolical Churches. This Concealment in general is the main thing I fhall prove under this Propofition. Altho' fo many of the Teftimonies will also fhew, that the things concealed, were fuch as are contained in thefe Conftitutions, as diftinguilh'd from the Scriptures, and no other, that I take in that latter Affertion alfo. Now this being, as to both its Parts, a plain Matter of Fact, I fhall prove it by an Induction of particular Teftimonies, belonging all to the firft Ages of the Chriftian Church; many of which are collected by the Learned Schelftrate in his Difciplina Arcani; and are as follows. Rome A.D. 1685.4°. I Cor. 11.2. V. 23. Καθώς έδωκα ὑμῖν τὰς τεκδόσεις κατέχετε. ὑμῖν. ὑμῖν. Vid. IV. 17. XV. 1, 2, 3. 2 Theff. II. 2. 2 Κρατείτε τις οαδόσεις ἃς ἐδιδάχθητε, είτε 1 Thef. 2. δε λίγο, εἴτε δὲ ὅτις λῆς ἡμέρας. 15. ΠαραΓγέλλομαι ὑμῖν, ἀδελφοὶ, ἐν ὀνόματι τα 3. 6, κυρίς ἡμως Ιησε Χριςοςέλλεθαι ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ πέρα τὸς ἀδελφῆ ἀζίκτως αειπατόνων, καὶ μὴ καὶ ἢ το είδοσιν την παρέλαβε παρ' ἡμῶν. Vid. 2 Pet.II. 21. Jud. v. 3. 20. Ὦ Τιμόθεε, αζιθήκω φύλαξον ἐκτρες : Tim. 6. πόμμα της βεβήλες κενοφωνίας, καὶ ἀντιθέσεις η ψευδωνύμι γνώσεως. Ὑποτύπωσιν ἔχει ὑγιαινόντων λόγων, ὧν 2 Tim. 1. ἐμὲ ήκεσας, ἐν πις καὶ ἀγάπη τῇ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰη- 13,14. σε. Την κανω πλακαταθήκην φύλαξον, δε πνεύματΘ αγίς τε ἐνοικενς. ἐν ἡμῖν. Ο P. 277. Περί ή της έξης, προπετώς τι μὴ αποκρινεσ Confitut. πω, ὅπως μήτι αμαθώς φθεγξαμίνη βλασφημίδῳ τ... 5. προτίψη των λόγῳ κόκκῳ γδ (ινάπεως οικέται * λόγον ὁ κύριΘ. ἐδογμάτισε τέτο δ ̓ ἔτι κάπουρον, ᾧ ἐάν τις απείρως χρήσης πικρὸν αυτὸ ευρήστ Χρὴ γ' ἐν τοῖς μυςικοίς μή προδότω ει, αλλ' ασφαλη κινεί δ' ἡμῖν ὁ κύριθ, λέγων, μὴ βάλλετε τις μαργαρίτας ύμήν ἔμπροσθεν το χρ ρων, μή ποτε καταπατήσωσιν αυτὲς ἐν τοῖς ποσὶν αυτῶν, καὶ ςραφέντες ρήξωσιν ὑμᾶς, ακέσομτες οἱ ἄπιστι τ εὶ χειςον λόγον εἰ δεόντως, αλλ' ε δεως, και μάλισα * πει ένσωματώσεως, ἢ τὸ πα πως αυτές, μυκτηρίζοντες χλευάσεσιν μᾶλλον ὡς ψεύδη, ἢ δοξάσεσι καὶ ἔνοχα ἔςαι της προπε τείας ἡ πρεσβύτις, καὶ τῆς βλασφημίας, καὶ τὸ καὶ κληρονομήστ. καὶ δέ φησι δι 8 τὸ ὄνομα με βλαστ φημεῖο ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν. Κ 2 |