Jews, and fufficiently attached to their religion in other refpects, did likewife difbelieve the resurrection.. But then they difbelieved a future ftate in any form, which the chriftian Gnoftics did not.

SECTION

VIII.

Of the Immoralities of the Gnoftics, and thir Sentiments with Refpect to Marriage, &c.

THE contempt with which the Gnoftics

treated the body, was capable of two oppofite applications, and would therefore naturally operate according as perfons were previously difpofed, or as they were influenced by other principles. For either they would think to purify and elevate the foul by neglecting or macerating the body, rigorously abstaining from all carnal gratifications; or, confidering the affections of the body as bearing no relation to those of the foul, they might think it was of no great or lafting confequence whether they indulged

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indulged the body or not.

It is well

known that principles fimilar to theirs have had this twofold operation in later ages, leading fome to aufterity, and others to fenfual indulgence.

That the principles of the Gnoftics had, in fact, the worst of thofe influences in the age of the apoftles, their writings fufficiently evidence; and though it is probable, that the irregularities of the Gnoftics. were in a great measure repreffed by thefe writings, fo that we hear lefs complaint of these things afterwards; yet charges of this. kind are fo generally and fo ftrongly urged, and they are fo probable in themfelves, as to be entitled to fome degree of credit. In the treatise ascribed to Hermas, we read that fome thought" as the body was to perish, "it might fafely be abufed to luft *." Eufebius fays, that "the Nicolaitans, co

temporary with Cerinthus, but a fect of "no long continuance, were faid to have

"their women in common, on the maxims "that it was lawful to abuse the flesh *.”

But, perhaps, the moft unexceptionable evidence in this cafe may be that of a heathen philofopher; and Plotinus reprefents the Gnoftics as ridiculing all virtue. But as he intimates that the goodness of their difpofitions might over-rule the influence of their principles, it is poffible that the Gnoftics themselves might deny that fuppofed tendency of their doctrines +. It was alfo generally faid, and probably with fome foundation, that the calumnies of the heathens against the chriftians, as addicted to criminal indulgences, were occafioned by the practices of the Gnoftics, who called

* Ακολεθον γαρ είναι φασι την πραξιν ταυλην εκείνη τη φωνη τη ολι παραχράσθαι τη σαρκι δει. Hift. lib. 3. cap. 25. p. 123.

+ Ο δε λόγος ελος, ελι νεανικώτερον, τον της προναίας Κυριον, και αυλην την προνοίαν, μεμψάμενος. και πανίας νόμος της ενίαυθα αλμασας, και την αρείην την εκ παντος τε χρονς ανευρημένην, το, τε σωφρονειν τέλο εν γελωλι θεμενος, ινα μηδεν καλον ενλαυθα δη οφθείη υπαρχον. ανειλε το, τε σωφρονειν, και την εν τοις ήθεσι συμφυ τον δικαιοσυνην, την τελι μένην εκ λιγο και ασκησεως, και όλως καθ' α σπεδαιος ανθρωπο αν γενολο. ως τε αύλοις καταλείπεσθαι την ηδονην και το περι αύλες, και το 2 κοινον προς άλλες ανθρωπες και το της χρείας μονον, ει μηλις τη φύσει τη αυτε κρείτίων ειη των λόγων είων. En. lib. 9. cap. 13. p. 213.

themselves chriftians, and were not diftinguished from other chriftians by the heathens *.

That thofe who are confidered as heretics in the New Teftament were licentious in their manners, appears from a variety of paffages. The apostle Paul, applying to his own times the prophecies concerning the apoftacy of the latter days, speaks, (2 Tim. iii. 1, &c.) of fome who, having the form of godliness, denied the power of it, being addicted to almoft every vice, which he there enumerates. He expreffes this with equal clearness, chap. iv. 3. For the time will come when they will not endure found doctrine, but, after their own lufts, they will keap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and fhall be turned unto fables.

But the most shocking picture of the. irregularities of fome profeffing chriftians, though, perhaps, in a state of separation

* Τοις δε απισοις εθνεσιν πολλην παρεχειν καλα τ8 θεια λογο δυσφημίας περιεσίαν της εξ αυλων φήμης εις την τε πανε χριστιανων εθνες διαβολην καταχεομένης. Eufeb. Hift. lib. 4. cap. 7.

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from those who were termed catholic, is drawn by Peter in his fecond epiftle, and alfo by Jude. It is evident, that they are the fame perfons who are described by them both; and one feature in the account of Jude feems to fix the charge upon the Gnoftics. He says, ver. 3. It was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you, that ye would earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the faints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old pre-ordained to this condemnation; turning the grace of our God into lafcivioufnefs, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jefus Chrift. This denying of God and of Chrift in Jude, the denying the Lord that bought them of Peter, and the denying that Chrift is come in the flesh, or that Jefus is the Christ, of John, were probably phrafes of the fame import, as they nearly refemble each other, and then there can be no doubt of the perfons so described being Gnoftics.

It is poffible alfo that, by denying the only Lord God, Jude might mean their afcribing the making of the world to fome other being than the only true God, which was the blaf

phemy

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