1

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 Testament, 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 Christ, have not scrupled to pronounce all the works above-mentioned to be spurious. These circumstances considered, the reader must form his own judgment of the value of any testimony produced from them.

Of the Principles of the Oriental Philosophy.
IN order clearly to understand the nature

and origin of those corruptions of christianity which now remain, it will be proper to consider those which took their rise in a more early period, and which bore

some

fome relation to them, though they are now extinct, and therefore, on that account, are not, of themselves, deserving of much notice. The doctrine of the deification of Chris, which overspread the whole chrif. tian world, and which is still the prevailing opinion in all christian countries (but which is diametrically opposite to the genuine principles of christianity, and the whole fystem of revealed religion) was preceded by that system of doctrines which is generally called Gnosticism. For these principles were introduced in the very age of the apostles, and constituted the only heresy that we find to have given any alarm to them, or to the christian world in

general, for two or three centuries.

That these principles of the Gnostics were justly considered in a very serious light, we evidently perceive by the writings of the apostles. For that the doctrines which the apostles reprobated were the very fame with those which were afterwards ascribed to the Gnostics, cannot but be evident to every person who shall compare them in the most superficial manner.

The

The authority of the apoftles, which, in all its force, was directly pointed against the principles of these Gnoftics, feems 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 distinguished 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 thofe of the philofophy of the times, efpecially that which was moft 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 thofe eafily diftinguished, is another guide to us in our investigation of this subject.

But

But we have happily preserved to us one work of a singular construction, in which the principles of this philosophy are represented such as they were before they were incorporated into christianity, 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 Testament itself. And what makes this work an unique of its kind, and therefore more deserving 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 Gnostics, or of those from which they were derived, is from persons who were either trinitarians, or had adopted those principles which afterwards led to the doctrine of the trinity.

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

The au

It may,

trine of the personification of the logos, which
was borrowed from Platonism ; and yet in
the compass of his work there is an account
of every other system that made any confi-
dcrable figure in those times.
thor himself appears to have been well ac-
quainted with philosophy, and has evidently
borrowed from it a variety of opinions,
which are sufficiently absurd.
therefore, be presumed, that this writer,
who was a man of learning and ability, well
acquainted with the different systems that
prevailed in his time, and with the

arguments by which they were supported, had never heard of

any such doctrine; and that no questions relating to religion were much agitated in his time by christians, except against the heathens on the one hand, and the Gnostics on the other. Of all these a very full detail is given in this work, in which speakers are introduced on both fides, who exhibit in the best light the principles of their respective systems.

It is possible that this writer might be mistaken in his account of the opinions of persons who lived about a century before