Page images
PDF
EPUB

*

Eusebius, Tatian, who had been a disciple of Justin Martyr, was the first author of this heresy; at least he concurred in opinion with Saturninus and Marcion; and their followers were called 'the Continents from their continence in regard to marriage and meats The Gnostics likewise, as Irenæus and Clemens Alexandrinus inform us, asserted that "to marry and beget children proceeded from the devil;" "and under pretence of continence were impious both against the creature and the Creator, teaching that men ought not to bring into the world other unhappy persons, nor supply food for death."+ Other heretics in the third century advanced the same doctrines, but they were generally reputed heretics, and their doctrines were condemned by the church. The council of Eliberis in Spain, which was held in the year of Christ 305, was, I think, the first, that by public authority forbade the clergy to marry, and commanded even those who were married to abstain altogether from their wives. The council of Neocæsarea, in the year 314, only forbade "unmarried presbyters to marry on the penalty of degradation."§ At the first general council of Nice, in the year 325, a motion was made to restrain the clergy from all conjugal society with their wives:|| but it was strongly opposed by Paphnutius, a famous Egyptian bishop, who yet himself was never married; and to him the whole council agreed, and left every man to his liberty as before. But the monks had not yet prevailed; the monks soon after overspread the eastern church, and the western too: and as the monks were the first who brought single life into repute; so they were the first also who revived and promoted the worship of demons. It is a thing universally known, that one of

ab animatis abstinere. [Translated in the text.] Theod. Hæret. fab. lib. 1, cap. 3, p. 194, tom. 4, edit. Paris. 1642.

*Iren. apud Eusebius, Eccles. Hist. lib. 4, cap. 29.

+ Nubere et generare a Satana dicunt esse. Iren. lib. 1, cap. 22, p. 97, edit. Grabe, Τοις δε εύφημως δι' ἐγκρατειας ἀσεβεσιν, εἰς τε την κτίσιν και τον δημιυργον, την παντοκράτορα μενον Θεον, και διδασκωσι μη δειν παραδέχεσθαι γαμον και παιδοποιϊαν, μηδε αντεισάγειν τω κόσμω δυςυχησοντας έτερες, μηδε ἐπιχορήγειν τω θανατω τροφην—-Adversus autem alterum genus hæreticorum, qui speciose per continentiam impie se gerunt, tum in creaturam, tum in sanctum opificem, qui est solus Deus omnipotens: et dicunt non esse admittendum matrimonium et liberorum procreationem, nec in mundum esse inducendos alios infelices futures, nec suppeditandum morti nutrimentum [Translated in the text.] Clem. Alex. Strom. lib. 3, cap. 6, p. 531, edit. Potter

Conc. Elib. c. 33. S. Basnagii Annales, vol. 222, et 600.

Conc. Neoc. can. 1. Presbyter si uxorem duxerit, ab ordine suo removeatur. [Translated in the text.] S. Basnag. ibid. p. 522, et 657.

Socratis Hist. Eccles. lib. 1, cap. 11. Sozomen, lib. 1, cap. 23. S. Basnag. ibid. p 707. Binghams's Antiquities. b. 4, ch. 5, sect. 7

the primary and most essential laws and constitutions of all monks, whether solitary or associated, whether living in deserts or in convents, is the profession of single life, to abstain from marriage themselves, and to discourage it all they can in others. It is equally certain, that the monks had the principal share in promoting and propagating the worship of the dead; and either out of credulity, or for worse reasons, recommended it to the people with all the pomp and power of their eloquence in their homilies and orations. Read only some of the most celebrated fathers; read the orations of Basil on the martyr Mamas, and on the forty martyrs; read the orations of Ephraim Syrus on the death of Basil, and on the forty martyrs, and on the praises of the holy martyrs; read the orations of Gregory Nazianzen on Athanasius, and on Basil, and on Cyprian; read the orations of Gregory Nyssen on Ephraim Syrus, and on the martyr Theodorus, and on Meletius bishop of Antioch; read the sixtysixth, and other homilies of Chrysostom; read his oration on the martyrs of Egypt, and other orations:* and you will be greatly astonished to find, how full they are of this sort of superstition, what powers and miracles are ascribed to the saints, what prayers and praises are offered up to them. All these were monks, and most of them bishops too, in the fourth century: and the superstitious worship which these monks began, the succeeding monks completed, till at length the very relics and images of the dead were worshipped as much as the dead themselves. The monks then were the principal promoters of the worship of the dead in former times: and who are the great patrons and advocates of the same worship now? Are not their legitimate successors and descendants, the monks, and priests, and bishops of the church of Rome? and do not they also profess and recommend single life, as well as the worship of saints and angels? As long ago as the year 386, pope Siricius held a council of eighty bishops at Rome, and forbade the clergy to cohabit with their wives.+ This decree was confirmed by pope Innocent at the beginning of the fifth century: and the celibacy of the clergy was fully decreed by Gregory the seventh in the eleventh century;§ and this hath been the universal law and practice of the church ever since. Thus hath the worship of demons and the prohibition of marriage constantly gone hand in hand together; and

The reader may see some extracts out of all these in Sir Isaac Newton's observations on Daniel, chap. 14.

+ Siric. Decr. c. 7. S. Basnage, ibid. p. 522.

Innocent. Decr. c. 12. S. Basnage, ibid. et vol. 3, p. 106.

S. Basnage, vol. 2, p. 523.

as they who maintain the one, maintain the other-so it is no less remarkable, that they who disclaim the one, disclaim also the other, and assert the liberty which nature, or (to speak more properly) the author of nature hath indulged to all mankind.

. Our Maker bids increase: Who bids abstain,

But our destroyer, foe to God and man?-MILTON.

VII. The last note and character of these men is 'commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth:' where, in the original, the word 'commanding' is not expressed but understood, with an ellipsis that commentators have observed to be sometimes used by the best classic authors.* The same lying hypocrites, who should promote the worship of demons, should not only prohibit lawful marriage, but likewise impose unnecessary abstinence from meats and these two, as indeed it is fit they should, usually go together, as constituent parts of the same hypocrisy. As we learn from Irenæus, "the ancient heretics, called Continents, who taught that matrimony was not to be contracted, reprobating the primitive work of God, and tacitly accusing him who made man and woman for the procreation of human kind, introduced abstinence also from animal food, showing themselves ungrateful to God who created all things." It is as much the law and constitution of all monks to abstain from meats as from marriage. Some never eat any flesh, others only of certain kinds and on certain days. Frequent fasts are the rule, the boast of their order; and their carnal humility is their spiritual pride. So lived the monks of the ancient church; so live, with less strictness perhaps, but with

Est hic is contrarii. Deest enim xλo, quod addit hunc locum citans Epiphanius, aut wero quod addit Syrus. Similis ferme en 1 Cor. xiv. 34, et hic supra, ii. 12. Sic Phædrus, "Non veto dimitti, verum cruciari fame" supple jubeo. [There is here an ellipsis of a word having a contrary signification. For, either xλow, commanding, which Epiphanius, when quoting this passage, supplies, or now, making, which is added by the Syriac interpreters, is wanting. There is a similar ellipsis in 1 Cor. xiv. 34, and in chap. ii. 12. Thus Phædrus saith, "I do not forbid her to be divorced, but to starve her to death," supply, [“I command.”] Grot. in locum.

† Οἱ καλυμένοι ἐγκρατεις ἀγαμιαν ἐκήρυξαν ἀθετωντες την άρχαιαν πλασιν τω Θεω, και ήρεμα κατηγοροντες τη άῤῥεν και θηλυ εἰς γενεσιν άνθρωπων ποποιηκοτος και των λεγομένων παρ αύτοις εμψυχων ἀποχην εἰσηγησαντο, ἀχαρίσαντες τω παντα πεποιηκοτι Θεω Qui vocantur continentes, docuerunt non contrahendum esse matrimonium; reprobantes scilicet primitivum illud opificium Dei, et tacite accusantes, Deum qui masculum et fœminam condidit ad propagationem generis humani. Induxerunt etiam abstinentiam ab esu eorum quæ animata appellant, ingratos se exhibentes erga eum qui universa cravit Deum [Translated in the text.] Iren. apud Euseb. Eccles. Hist. lib. 4, cap. 29.

greater ostentation, the monks and friars of the church of Rome: and these have been the principal propagators and defenders of the worship of the dead, both in former and in later times. The worship of the dead is indeed so monstrously absurd as well as impious, that there was hardly any possibility of its ever succeeding and prevailing in the world, but by hypocrisy and lies; but that these particular sorts of hypocrisy, celibacy under pretence of chastity, and abstinence under pretence of devotion, should be employed for this purpose, the Spirit of God alone could foresee and foretel. There is no necessary connexion between the worship of the dead, and forbidding to marry and coinmanding to abstain from meats; and yet it is certain, that the great advocates of this worship, have by their pretended purity and mortification, procured the greater reverence to their persons, and the readier reception to their doctrines. But this idle, popish, monkish abstinence is as unworthy of a Christian, as it is unnatural to a man. It is perverting the purpose of nature, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving by the believers and them who know the truth.' The apostle therefore approves and sanctifies the religious custom of blessing God at our meals, as our Saviour, when he was to distribute the loaves and the fishes, Matt. xiv. 19, xv. 36,—'looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake;' and what then can be said of those, who have their tables spread with the most plentiful gifts of God, and yet constantly sit down and rise up again without suffering so much as one thought of the giver to intrude upon them? It is but a thought, it is but a glimpse of devotion; and can they, who refuse even that, be reputed either to believe,' or to know the truth?' Man is free to partake of all the good creatures of God, but thanksgiving is the necessary condition. For,' as the apostle subjoins in the next verses, ver. 4 & 5,- every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiv ing; For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.' The apostle proceeds to say, that it is the duty of the ministers of the gospel to press and inculcate these things, ver, 6,- If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith, and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.' All that is preached up of such abstinence and mortification, as well as all the legends of the saints, are no better than 'profane and old wives' fables;' Godliness is the only thing, that will truly avail us here and hereafter ver. 7 & 8,- But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and

exercise thyself rather unto godliness; For bodily exercise profiteth little; but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.'

DISSERTATION XXIV.

AN ANALYSIS OF THE REVELATION.

IN TWO PARTS.

PART I.

IT is very useful, as well as very curious and entertaining, to trace the rise and progress of religions and governments; and in taking a survey of all the different religions and governments of the world, there is none perhaps that will strike us more with wonder and astonishment than that of Rome, how such a mystery of iniquity could succeed at first and prosper so long, and under the name of Christ introduce Antichrist. Other heresies and schisms have obtained place and credit among men for a time, and then have been happily exposed and suppressed. Arianism once succeeded almost universally; for a while it grew and flourished mightily, but in process of time it withered and faded away. But Popery hath now prevailed I know not how many centuries, and her renowned hierarchs have not, like the fathers of other sects, stole into secret meetings and conventicles, but have infected the very heart of the Christian church, and usurped the chief seat of the western world; have not only engaged in their cause private persons, and 'led captive silly women,' but have trampled on the necks of princes and emperors themselves, and the lords and tyrants of mankind have yet been the blind slaves and vassals of the holy see. Rome Christian hath carried her conquests even farther than Rome Pagan. The Romanists themselves make universality and perpetuity the special marks and characters of their church; and no people more industrious than they in compassing sea and land to make proselytes.'

All sincere protestants cannot but be greatly grieved at the success and prevalence of this religion, and the papists as much boast and glory in it, and for this reason proudly denominate theirs the catholic religion. But it will abate all confidence on the one hand, and banish all scruples on the other; if we consider that this is nothing more than what was signified before hand by the Spirit of

« PreviousContinue »