SECTION IV.

Of Herefy according to Irenæus.

IRENEUS, who wrote a very large work

on the subject of herefy, forty or fifty years after the time of Justin, and in a country where it is probable there were fewer unitarians than where Juftin lived, again and again characterizes heretics in fuch a manner, as makes it evident that even he did not confider any other clafs of men as properly entitled to that appellation befides the Gnoftics. He expreffes great dislike of the Ebionites; but though he appears to have known none of them befides thofe who denied the miraculous conception, he never directly calls them heretics, and he takes no notice at all of any gentile unitarians, though it will appear that they compofed the majority of the common people among chriftians.

In the introduction to his work it is exceedingly evident, that Irenæus had no view to any perfons whatever befides the Gnoftics;

Gnoftics; for he mentions their diftinguishing opinions, and no others, fpeaking of them as "drawing men off from him that "made and governs the world, as if they "had fomething higher and greater to "fhow than he who made the heavens and "the earth, and all things therein, and as "holding blafphemous and impious opi"nions*."

Irenæus confidered Simon Magus as the perfon from whom all herefies fprung †, which was an opinion univerfally received in the chriftian church, and a proof that he thought no other opinions to be properly heretical, befides those which might have been derived from him. But his doctrines were thofe of the Gnoftics, and fo directly oppofite to thofe of the unitarians,

* Ως υψηλότερον τι καὶ μείζον έχονίες επιδειξαι τε τον ερανόν, και την γην, και παλα τα εν αυτοις πεποιηκότος θες. πειθανως μεν επαγόμενοι δια λόγων τέχνης της ακεραίας εις τον τε ζήλειν τροπον, απιθανως δὲ απολλωνίες αυτές εν τω βλασφημον, και ασεβη την γνώμην αυτων καλασ κευάζειν εις τον Δημιεργον, μηδε εν τω διακρίνειν δυναμένων το ψευδος απο το αληθές .

† Simon autem Samaritanus, ex quo univerfæ hærefes fubftiterunt, habet hujufmodi fectæ materiam. Lib. 1. cap. 20. p. 94. Lib. 3. Pref. p. 198.

that they were never confidered as having the fame fource. It is likewife a proof of Irenæus confidering the Gnoftics as the only proper heretics, that, speaking of heretics in general, as foretold in the fcriptures, he fays that " though they come from different places, and teach different

things, they all agree in the fame blaf

men *."

phemy against the maker of all things, and derogating from the falvation of He likewife fays that "the "doctrine of Valentinus comprehended all “herefies †, that " by overturning his sys"tem, all herefy is overturned," that "they all blafphemed in fuppofing the

*Per omnes hæreticos qui prædicti funt hi enim omnes, quamvis ex differentibus locis egrediantur, et differentia doceant, in idem tamen blafphemiæ concurrunt propofitum, letaliter vulnerantes, docendo blafphemiam in Deum factorem et nutritorem noftrum, et derogando falutem hominis. Lib. 4. Pref. p. 275.

In quo et oftendimus doctrinam eorum recapitulationem effe omnium hæreticorum. Ibid. p. 274.

Quapropter et in fecundo tanquam fpeculum habuimus eos totius everfionis. Qui enim his contradicunt fecundum quod oportet, contradicunt omnibus qui funt malæ fententiæ; et qui hos evertunt, evertunt omnem haerefim. Ibid.

"maker

"maker of all things to be an evil being, "and that they blafphemed our Lord, "dividing Jefus from the Chrift *" It could never have been faid by any perfon, that the doctrine of Valentinus comprehended that of the unitarians, that the unitarians were ever faid to blafpheme the maker of all things, or to divide Jefus from the Christ.

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Irenæus likewife fays, that "there was "a connexion among all the heretics, except that Tatian advanced fomething that was new +." But what connexion was there ever supposed to be between the tenets of the Gnoftics and thofe of the unitarians? He likewise speaks of all heretics "as having quitted the church, and taxing

* Super omnes eft enim blafphema regula ipforum: quando quidem factorem et fabricatorem, qui eft unus Deus, fecundum quod oftendimus, de Labe five defectione eum emiffum dicunt. Blafphemant autem et in Dominum noftrum, abfcindentes et dividentes Jefum a Chrifto. Ibid.

+ Connexio quidem factus omnium hæreticorum, quemadmodum oftendimus; hoc autem a femetipfo adinvenit, uti novum aliquid præter reliquos inferens. Lib. 3. cap. 39. p. 265.

"the holy prefbyters with ignorance; not 'confidering how much better is an ignorant perfon, who is religious, than a "blafphemous and impious fophift *." Speaking of the Gnoftics, he fays, that "the apoftles were fo far from thinking as they did, that they fignified by the holy

fpirit that they who then began to teach "their doctrine were introduced by fatan, "to overturn the faith of fome, and "withdraw them from life+." He likewife fays, that "all the heretics were much

later than the bishops to whom the apof"tles committed the churches ‡." He meant, probably, the celebrated Gnoftics,

* Qui ergo relinquunt præconium ecclefiæ, imperitiam fanctorum prefbyterorum arguunt, non contemplantes quanto pluris fit idiota religiofus a blafphemo et impudente fophifta. Lib. 5. cap. 20. p. 430.

+ Neceffe habemus, univerfam apoftolorum de Domino noftro Jefu Chrifto fententiam adhibere, et oftendere, eos non folum nihil tale fenfiffe de eo, verum amplius et fignificaffe per fpiritum fanctum, qui inciperint talia docere, fummiffi a fatana, uti quorundam fidem everterent, et abftraherant eos a vita. Lib. 3. cap. 17. p. 238.

Omnes enim ii valde pofteriores funt quam epifcopi quibus apoftoli tradiderunt ecclefias. Ibid. cap. 20. p. 430,

who