called pleroma, a Greek word, which signifies fulness; and they taught concerning him, and his operations, the following things; "the eternal nature, infinitely perfect, and infinitely happy, having dwelt from everlasting in a profound solitude, and in a blessed tranquillity, produced, at length from itself, two minds of a different sex, which resembled their supreme parent in the most perfect manner. From the prolific union of these two beings others arose, which were also followed by succeeding generations; so that, in process of time, a celestial family was formed in the pleroma.' This divine progeny, being immutable in its nature, and above the power of mortality, was called, by the philosophers, aon," a term which signifies, in the Greek language, an eternal nature. How How many in number these aons were, was a point much controverted among the oriental sages.

of this

m

VIII. "Beyond the mansions of light, where dwells the Concern- Deity with his celestial offspring, there lies a rude ing the ori, and unwieldy mass of matter, agitated by innate, world. turbulent, and irregular motions. One of the celestial natures descending from the pleroma, either by a fortuitous impulse, or in consequence of a divine commission, reduced to order this unseemly mass, adorned it with a rich variety of gifts, created men, and inferior animals of

It appears highly probable, that the apostle Paul had an eye to this fantastic mythology, when, in the first chapter of his First Epistle to Timothy, ver. 4, he exhorts him not to give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, &c.

Im The word av, or con, is commonly used by the Greek writers, but in different senses. Its signification in the gnostic system is not extremely evident, and several learned men have despaired of ånding out its true meaning. Aav, or con, among the ancients, was used to signify the age of man, or the duration of human life. In after times, was employed by philosophers to express the duration of spiritual and invisible beings. These philosophers used the word vos, as the measure of corporeal and changing objects; and anov, as the measure of such as were immutable and eternal. And as God is the chief of those immutable beings which are spiritual, and consequently not to be perceived by our outward senses, his infinite and eternal duration was expressed by the term aer, or con, and that is the sense in which that word is now commonly understood. It was, however, afterward attributed to other spiritual and invisible beings; and the oriental philosophers, who lived about the time of Christ's appearance upon earth, and made use of the Greek language, understood by it the duration of eternal and immutable things, the space or period of time, in which they exist. Nor did the variations, through which this word passed, end bere; from expressing only the duration of beings, it was by a metonomy, employed to signify the beings themselves. Thus the Supreme Being was called at, or con; and the angels distinguished also by the title of cons. All this will lead us to the true meaning of that word among the gnostics. They had formed to themselves the notion of an invisible and spiritual world, composed of entities or virtues, proceeding from the Supreme Being, and succeeding each other at certain inter vals of time, so as to form an eternal chain, of which our world was the terminating link; a notion of eternity very different from that of the platonists, who represented it as stable, permanent, and void of succession. To the beings that formed this eternal chain, the gnostics assigned a certain term of duration, and a certain sphere of action. Their terms of duration were, at first, called aves, and they themselves were afterward metonymically distinguished by that title.

different kinds, to store it with inhabitants, and corrected its malignity by mixing with it a certain portion of light, and also of a matter celestial and divine. This creator of the world is distinguished from the Supreme Deity by the name of demiurge. His character is a compound of shining qualities, and insupportable arrogance; and his excessive lust of empire effaces his talents and his virtues. He claims dominion over the new world he has formed, as his sovereign right; and excluding totally the Supreme Deity from all concernment in it, he demands from mankind, for himself and his associates, divine honours."

and

IX. "Man is a compound of a terrestrial and corrupt body, and a soul which is of celestial origin, and, concerning in some measure, an emanation from the divinity. destination of This nobler part is miserably weighed down and human souls. encumbered by the body, which is the seat of all irregular lusts and impure desires. It is this body that seduces the soul from the pursuit of truth, and not only turns it from the contemplation and worship of the Supreme Being, so as to confine its homage and veneration to the Creator of this world, but also attaches it to terrestrial objects, and to the immoderate pursuit of sensual pleasures, by which its nature is totally polluted. The sovereign mind employs various means to deliver his offspring from this deplorable servitude, especially the ministry of divine messengers, whom he sends to enlighten, to admonish, and to reform the human race. In the mean time, the imperious demiurge exerts his power in opposition to the merciful purpose of the Supreme Being, resists the influence of those solemn invitations by which he exhorts mankind to return to him, and labours to efface the knowledge of God in the minds of intelligent beings. In this conflict, such souls, as throwing off the yoke of the creators and rulers of this world, rise to their Supreme Parent, and subdue the turbulent and sinful motions, which corrupt matter excites within them, shall, at the dissolution of their mortal bodies, ascend directly to the pleroma. Those, on the contrary, who remain in the bondage of servile superstition, and corrupt inatter, shall, at the end of this life, pass into new bodies, until they awake from their sinful lethargy. In the end, however, the Supreme God shall come forth victorious, triumph over all opposition, and, having delivered from their servitude the greatest part of those souls that are imprisoned in mortal bodies, shall dissolve the frame of this 11

VOL. I.

visible world, and involve it in a general ruin. After this solemn period, primitive tranquillity'shall be restored in the universe, and God shall reign with happy spirits, in undisturbed felicity, through the everlasting ages."

x. Such were the principal tenets of the oriental philoof the Jewish Sophy. The state of letters and philosophy philosophy. among the Jews comes next under consideration; and of this we may form some idea from what has been said already concerning that nation. It is chiefly to be observed, that the dark and hidden science, which they called the kabbala, was at this time taught and inculcated by many among that superstitious people." This science, in many things, bears a strong resemblance to the oriental philosophy; or, to speak more accurately, it is indeed that same philosophy accommodated to the Jewish religion, and tempered with a certain mixture of truth. Nor were the doctrines of the Grecian sages unknown to the Jews at the period now before us; since, from the time of Alexander the the Great, some of them had been admitted even into the Mosaic religion. We shall say nothing concerning the opinions which they adopted from the philosophical and theological systems of the Chaldeans, Egyptians, and Syrians."

learning in

Grece.

XI. The Greeks in the opinion of most writers, were yet in possession of the first rank among the nations The state of that cultivated letters and philosophy.. In many places, and especially at Athens, they were a considerable number of men distinguished by their learning, acuteness, and eloquence; philosophers of all sects, who taught the doctrines of Plato, Aristotle, Zeno, and Epicurus; rhetoricians also, and men of genius, who instructed the youth in the rules of eloquence, and formed their taste for the liberal arts. So that those who had a passion for the study of oratory, resorted in multitudes to the Grecian schools, in order to perfect themselves in that noble science. Alexandria, in Egypt, was also much frequented for the same purpose, as a great number of the Grecian philosophers and rhetoricians dwelt in that city.

XII. The Romans also, at this time, made a shining

figure among the polished and learned nations. At Rome. All the sciences flourished at Rome. The youth of a

» See Jo. Franc. Buddei Introductio in Historiam Philos. Hebræorum; as also the authors which B. Wolf mentions, with encomiums, in his Bibliotheca Hebraica, tom.iii. • See Jo. Franc. Buddei Introductio in Historiam Philos. Hebræorum; as also the authors recommended by Wolf in his Bibliotheca Hebraica, tom, iii.

higher rank were early instructed in the Greek language and eloquence. From thence they proceeded to the study of philosophy, and the laws of their country; and they finished their education by a voyage into Greece, where they not only gave the last degree of perfection to their philosophical studies, but also acquired that refined wit and elegance of taste, that served to set off their more solid attainments in the most advantageous manner. None of the philosophical sects were more in vogue among the Romans than the Epicureans and the Academics, which were peculiarly favoured by the great, who, soothed by their doctrines into a false security, indulged their passions, without remorse, and continued in their vicious pursuits without terror. During the reign of Augustus, the culture of polite learning and of the fine arts, was held in great honour, and those that contributed with zeal and success to this, were eminently distinguished by that prince. But, after his death, learning languished without encouragement, and was neglected, because the succeeding emperors were more intent upon the arts of war and rapine, than those more amiable arts and inventions that are the fruits of leisure and peace.

XIII. With respect to the other nations, such as the Germans, Celts, and Britons, it is certain that they in the other were not destitute of learned and ingenious men.

nations.

Among the Gauls, the people of Marseilles had long acquired a shining reputation for their progress in the sciences; and there is no doubt, but that the neighbouring countries received the benefit of their instructions. Among the Celts, their Druids, priests, philosophers, and legislators were highly remarkable for their wisdom; but their writings, at least such as are yet extant, are not sufficient to inform us of the nature of their philosophy. The Romans, indeed, introduced letters and philosophy into all the provinces which submitted to their victorious arms, in order to soften the rough manners of the savage nations, and form in them, imperceptibly, the sentiments and feelings of humanity."

P See Paganani Gaudentii Liber de Philosophiæ apud Romanos initio et progressu, in Tertio Fasciculo Nore Collectionis Variorum Scriptorum. Hale, 1717.

q See the Histoire Literaire de la France par des Religieux Benedictins. Dissert, Prelim. p. 42, &c.

r Jac. Martin, Religion des Gaulois, livr. i. cap. xxi. p. 175.

8

* Juvenal, Satir. xv. ver. 110.

"Nunc totus Graias nostrasque habet orbis Athenas,
Gallia Causidicos docuit facunda Britannos,

De conducendo loquitur jam Rhetore Thule."

CHAPTER II.

CONCERNING the doctoRS AND MINISTERS OF THE CHURCH, AND ITS FORM OF GOVERNMENT.

The necessity

teachers.

1. The great end of Christ's mission was to form a universal church, gathered out of all the nations of the of public world, and to extend the limits of this great society from age to age. But in order to this, it was necessary first to appoint extraordinary teachers, who, converting the Jews and Gentiles to the truth, should érect every where Christian assemblies; and then to establish ordinary ministers, and interpreters of the divine will, who should enforce and repeat the doctrines delivered by the former, and maintain the people in their holy profession, and in the practice of the Christian virtues. For the best system of religion must necessarily either dwindle to nothing, or be egregriously corrupted, if it is not perpetually inculcated and explained by a regular and standing ministry.

ry teachers.

II. The extraordinary teachers, whom Christ employed Extraordina- to lay the foundations of his everlasting kingdom, were the XII apostles, and the LXX disciples, of whom mention has been made above. To these the evangelists are to be added, by which title those were distinguished whom the apostles sent to instruct the nations, or who of their own accord, abandoned every worldly attachment, and consecrated themselves to the sacred office of propagating the gospel. In this rank, also, we must place those, to whom in the infancy of the church, the marvellous power of speaking in foreign languages which they had never learned, was communicated from above. For the person to whom the divine omnipotence and liberality had imparted the gift of tongues, might conclude, with the utmost assurance, from the gift itself, which a wise being would not bestow in vain, that he was appointed by God to minister unto the truth, and to employ his talents in the service of Christianity."

I See St. Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians, iv. 11. As also Euseb. Hist. Eccles. lib. fii. cap. xxxvii.

u 1 Cor. xiv. 22.