ΣΙ.

CHAP. 12. "This school was first kept by Pantaenus, whom 'Clement first assisted, and then succeeded, as Origen' 'did him. Each improved upon his predecessor, and

Ee. Hist.

vol. i. p. 164, 165.

Rom. i. 22, 28.

Eccl. Re searches, p. 51.

all together invented questions about the christian ' religion, sufficient to perplex and puzzle the whole 'world." To this may be added the following account from Mosheim.

13. "Towards the conclusion of this [second] cen. tury, a new sect of philosophers arose on a sudden, "spread with amazing rapidity throughout the great'est part of the Roman empire, swallowed up almost 'all other sects, and was extremely detrimental to 'the cause of christianity."

14. "Alexandria in Egypt, which had been, for a 6 long time, the seat of learning, and, as it were, the centre of all the liberal arts and sciences, gave birth to this new philosophy; which was embraced by 'such of the Alexandrian christians as were desirous 'to retain, with the profession of the gospel, the title, the dignity, and the habit of philosophers." 15. Thus, professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, even vain in their imagination; and as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient.

16. It is stated by Robinson, that, "From a wild enthusiastical philosopher of Alexandria, named 'Ammonius Saccas, these men imbibed a chaos of

gross errors called philosophy. Vain questions about matter and spirit; the whole and the parts, human souls, demons, &c. were all applied, by these 'men, to the christian religion; and the inspired writers put upon the rack, and tortured to give an'swers and determine points, of which probably they had never heard the names, and never entertained a thought."

17. And who were these men, but the highly respected Fathers and founders of that which, for ma◄ ny ages, has been called the christian system? In the Ec. Hist. first place, This new philosophy had the particular approbation of Athenagoras, Pantaenus, Clemens, the Alexandrian, and all those who, in this century, were charged with the care of the public school, which the Christians had at Alexandria.

165.

II.

18. "The title and dignity of philosophers delight- CHAP. ed so much these vain men, that, though they were advanced in the church to the rank of presbyters, Eccl Re 'they would not abandon the philosopher's cloak."

searches.

p. 52.

Ecel. His

19. "These sages were of opinion, that true phi'losophy, the most salutary gift of God to mortals, tory, vol. was scattered in various portions through all the i. p. 106 'different [Pagan] sects; and that it was the duty of 'every wise man, and more especially of every chris'tian doctor, to gather it from the several corners, 'where it lay dispersed, and to employ it, thus re'united, in the defence of religion." From hence they were called Eclectics, [i. e. Selecters.]

ibil

20. The former Egyptian philosophers, from whom these Alexandrian doctors selected the materials of their system, held, "That in every sect there was a vol. i. p. 'mixture of good and bad, of truth and falsehood, and accordingly they chose and adopted out of each of them, such tenets as seemed to them conformable

" to reason and truth, and rejected such as they thought ' repugnant to both."

6

21. Here then, appears the ground-work of what has long passed in a deceived world, under the honorable name of Christianity, and upon which the Alexandrian Doctors began their building.

107.

ibid

22. "Ammonius Saccas, (says Maclaine,) was a 'christian, who adopted with such dexterity the doc- Note[n] 'trines of the Pagan philosophy, as to appear a chris

tian to the christians, and a pagan to the pagans.' And says Mosheim ; "As his genius was vast and 'comprehensive, so were his projects bold and sin'gular. For he attempted a reconciliation or coalition of all sects, whether philosophical or religious, and taught a doctrine, which he looked upon as 'proper to unite them all, the christians not excepted, in the most perfect harmony."

ibisl.

23. "He maintained, that the great principles of all 'philosophical and religious truth, were to be found, p. 168. equally, in all sects; that they differed from each other, only in their method of expressing them, and in some opinions of little or no importance; ⚫ and that by a proper interpretation of their respec

CHAP.
II.

'tive sentiments, they might easily be united into one 'body."

24. "How this vast project was effected by Am'monius, the writings of his disciples and followers, that yet remain, abundantly testify.-All the gentile religions, and even the christian, were to be ex'plained by the principles of this universal philosophy; but that, in order to this, the fables of the priests were to be removed from paganism, and the comments and interpretations of the disciples of JESUS from christianity."

25. How evidently does this deep laid scheme of Antichrist strike at the very foundation of the gospel, by excluding the disciples of Jesus from the liberty of interpreting their own original doctrine! And if the foundation be destroyed what shall the righteous Eucl. Re- do?" Some christians, (says Robinson,) foresaw 'the mischief that this school would produce, and ⚫ remonstrated against it; but they soon sunk into 'neglect and contempt."

searches.

P. 51.

Eccl. His

26. "The number of learned men, (says Mestory, vol. heim,) among the christians, which was very small i. p. 172. in the preceding century, grew considerably in this, [second century.] The most part were philosophers attached to the Eclectic system, though they were not all of the same sentiments concerning the utility of letters and philosophy."

ibil D. 173.

27. "Hence the early beginnings of that unhappy contest between faith and reason, religion and philosophy, piety and genius, which increased in the 'succeeding ages, and is prolonged, even to our " times, with a violence that renders it extremely diffi'cult to be brought to a conclusion."

28. "Those who maintained that learning and philosophy were rather advantageous, than detrimental, to the cause of religion, gained, by degrees, the 'ascendant; and in consequence thereof, laws were ' enacted, which excluded the ignorant and illiterate from the office of public teachers. The opposite side of the question was not, however, without de'fenders; [Heretics;] and the defects and vices of learned men and philosophers contributed much to increase their number."

II.

Eeel. His

tory, vol.

i. p. 170.

29. Doubtless, to remedy this inconvenience, these CHAP. learned Pharisees invented many of those austere and monkish rules of discipline, which neither they nor their followers ever observed; but merely to blind the eyes of the ignorant, and carry the appearance of sanctity to the multitude, they taught the propriety of such rules of discipline, as a necessary part of their system. 30. "To this monstrous coalition of heterogeneous 'doctrines, (says Mosheim,) its fanatical author added a rule of life and manners, which carried an ' aspect of high sanctity, and uncommon austerity. As Ammonius was born and educated among the christians, he set off, and even gave an air of authority to his injunctions, by expressing them partly in terms borrowed from the sacred scriptures." 31. But what follows?" He permitted the people to live according to the dictates of nature;" Of what use then, was either this laboured philosophy, or those rules of high sanctity, but merely, through a vain show, to deceive mankind into a belief, that it was the once living revealed religion of CHRIST JESUS, that they were promoting, while their own interest, honour, and pleasure, were at the bottom.

32. Thus the gospel was evidently supplanted, both as to faith and practice; from which time the church assumed entirely a different visible form. The academy became the head of influence, the learned reasoner was respected as the oracle of truth, and the admirers of a vain philosophy, garnished with the words of scripture, constituted the body. Titles of honour were adopted, offices of dignity created, councils called, and the vote of the majority established as the test of truth.

33. This compound of clashing principles, in its very constitution and laws, excluded the disciples of JESUS from any part or interest in it: hence, as Robinson expresses it, "Modest plain people retired Ecel. Ro and kept at due distance."

34. A general division, both in faith and practice, evidently appears. Historians say, that genuine christianity had almost disappeared, that solid piety, at this time, was scarcely to be found in the church, that little remained but a motley spectacle of superstition.'

searches. p.52&36.

CHAP.

IL

35. And yet, notwithstanding the evident truth of these assertions, this same church, this numerous party, who called themselves the catholic and orthodox church, is distinguished as the legitimate descendant from the apostolic order; while such as followed the precepts and examples of CHRIST, in any degree of simplicity, and kept their proper distance from those subtle deceivers, are known and distinguished by the odious name of Heretics.

36. But who has a right to give names? And who is to be credited in this case? Admitting the principal matters of fact to have been correctly handed down in history, it is little matter what those high sounding professors called either themselves or others. Names cannot alter the nature of things, they may blind and dazzle the eyes for a season; but each party must finally be distinguished by their merits, and named and rewarded according to their works.

37. However, from what has been already stated, it is evident, that, in the second century, there was a vast distinction between those who stiled themselves Catholics, and those who, by this compound body, were treated as Heretics; and the most evident marks of this distinction are worthy of notice at this early period.

38. Besides that vast and extensive body that was ruled by the influence of learned bishops, arch-bishops, patriarchs, and councils, history furnishes an account of Marcionites, Valentinians, Basilidians, and others, who were so far from meditating a coalition with the general mass of Pagans, Jews and christian philosophers, that they stood as common objects of hatred to them all.

39. It is difficult, at this distance of time, without the writings of those reputed heretics, to ascertain precisely their faith and practice in every particular; the most that can be collected, is from the writings of their adversaries, who frequently contra

dict each other.

40. But notwithstanding all the learned labours of Catholic philosophers and historians, in support of their own orthodoxy, and in blackening the characters of those who differed from them, they nevertheless,