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pierced his fide, and forthwith came thereout blood and water. And he that faw it bare record, and bis record is true; and be knoweth that he faith true, that ye might believe. What could be the meaning of this remarkably ftrong affeveration, but to affure the world that Jefus had real blood, like other men? To the fame thing he probably alludes, when he mentions the blood by which Chrift came, as well as the water, 1 John v. 6. This is he that came by water and blood, not by water only, but by water and blood. Again, and probably with the fame view, he says, 1 John v. 8. There be three that bear record, the spirit, the water, and the blood, and these three agree in one; the spirit and the water, referring probably to his baptifm, and the blood to his death.

With respect to the other articles of the Gnoftic creed concerning the person of Christ, viz. that Jefus was one being, and the Christ another, and that the proper Chrift came into Jefus at his baptifm, John also bears his strongest testimony against it; and he lays no lefs ftrefs on a right faith in this refpect than in the other, 1 John ii.

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21. I have not written unto you becaufe ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lye is of the truth. Who is a liar, but be that denieth that Jefus is the Chrift? He is antichrift that denieth the Father and the Son. Whofoever denieth the Son, the fame hath not the Father. This alfo may explain what Peter meant by denying the Lord that bought them, as it may be supposed that he meant denying Jefus to be the Chrift. 1 John iv. 15. Whosoever shall confefs that Jefus is the Son of God (which is equivalent to being the Chrift) God dwelleth in him, and he in God; chap. v. 5.

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Who is he that overcometh that believeth that Jefus is the Son of God. From the conclufion of John's gofpel we may infer what several of the ancients have afferted, viz. that he wrote it with a particular view to refute the Gnoftics. Chap. xx. 31. Thefe are written that ye might believe that Jefus is the Son of God, and that, believing, ye might have life through his name.

SECTION

SECTION VI.

Of the Doctrine of the Gnoftics with respect to Martyrdom.

AN obvious confequence of denying the reality of Christ's flesh and blood was, that he never really fuffered. This, indeed, the Gnoftics contended for, as his prerogative and excellence; thinking all the affections of the flesh reproachful to a being of his high rank and natural dignity. Some of them, rather than suppose that Chrift really fuffered, faid that it was not even Jefus, but Cimon of Cyrene, who carried the crofs after him, that was hung upon it; and that Chrift, feeing this from a distance, laughed at the mistake of his enemies, and then returned to his Father who had fent him. This notion is by Theodoret afcribed to Bafilides *.

* Παθειν δε τείον εδαμώς λεγει, αλλα Σίμωνα τον Κυρηναιον υπομείναι το πάθος νομισθενία είναι χρισον τον δε χρισον πορρωθεν ορωνία, γελαν των Ικδαίων την απουσίαν, ઘઉં ύτερον, απελθειν προς τον αποδει hala. Hær. Fab. lib. 1. cap. 4. vol. 4. p. 195.

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As, in the opinion of the Gnoftics, Christ did not really fuffer, we are not furprized to find that, in general, they did not allow the obligation of martyrdom, Irenæus fays, that fome of them despised the martyrs, and reproached them for their fufferings. Clemens Alexandrinus fays, that fome of the heretics argued against martyrdom, faying, that "the true mar"tyrdom, or teftimony to the truth of God, "was the knowledge of the true God; and "that he was a felf-murderer who con"feffed Chrift by giving up his life +."

In order to extenuate the merit of martyrdom, Bafilides maintained, that the martyrs not being perfectly innocent, fuffered no more than they deferved. But this

*Et cum hæc ita fe habeant, ad tantam temeritatem progreffi funt quidam, ut etiam martyres fpernant, et vituperent eos qui propter Domini confeffionem occiduntur. Lib. 3. cap. 20. p. 247.

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+ Τίνες δε των αιρετικων τας κυρία παρακηκοότες ασεβως αμπ και δειλως φιληζουσι· μαρτυριαν λεγοντες αλόη είναι την τε ούλως ονλος γνωσια όπερ και ημεις ομολογέμεν· φονεα δε αυτον ειναι εαυίς, και αυθενίην, τον δια θανατον ομολογήσανίας και αλλα τοιαύτα δειλιας σοφισματα εις μεσον κομίζεσιν. Shern. lib.4. p. 481.

t Clem. Alex. Strom. 4. p. 506.

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he might hold, without denying the obligation to die in the cause of truth.

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According to Epiphanius, alfo, Bafilides held that martyrdom was unneceffary * In the paffage quoted above from the epiftle of Polycarp, there is an allufion to this doctrine of the Gnoftics, Every "one who shall not confefs that Jefus "Chrift is come in the flesh is antichrift, " and whofoever shall not confefs the martyrdom of the cross is of the devil, and "whofoever shall pervert the oracles of "God to his own lufts, and fay there is ❝ neither refurrection, nor judgment, is the "first-born of Satan +." Here is an enumeration of the principal, at least, the most obnoxious tenets of the Gnoftics, who were the only heretics in that early age.

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In confequence of this maxim concerning martyrdom, the Gnoftics are faid to

* Διδασκει δε παλιν καὶ ἀναίρεπει, φασκων μν δειν μαρτυρείν. Hær. 24. vol. 1. p. 71.

εληλυθέναι. + Πας γαρ, ος αν μη ομολογή Ιησεν Χρισον εν σαρκι Αντίχριτος εσι κι ος αν μη ομολογη το μαρτύριον τα σαυρό, εκ τε διαβολος επιτη ος αν μεθοδεύη τα λογια τε κυριε προς τας ιδίας επιθυμίας, λίγη μηλε ανάτασιν, μήτε κρισιν είναι, να πρωτοκος 251 78 Zalava, Ep. Ad. Eph. fect. 7. p. 187.

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