CHAPTER IV.

THE FIRST DISTINCTION BETWEEN CATHOLICS AND HERETICS,

IN THE SECOND CENTURY.

THE title of Catholic, which signifies universal, appears to have CHAP. IV. been first adopted by those Christian fathers, so called, who, in the second century, embraced the philosophy of the Alexandrian school; which distinguishing title answered well to the system of Ammonius Saccas, who proposed to incorporate all sects and denominations of mankind into one body, or universal church.

2. Hence the writings of those renowned fathers, have been considered, through all succeeding ages, as the only key to open the Scriptures; as the only exposition of the words of God, and the only test of truth, by which all controversies were to be decided.

3. Consequently, those writings have been preserved by their successors, as the most precious fountain of light, without which, the Scriptures must (in their esteem) be entirely useless. Then it must be from the writings of these fathers, that the real foundation of the Catholic church is to be ascertained, and the spirit from which it originated, made manifest.

p. 178.

4. Among the famous foundation pillars of this Catholic build- Eccl. Hising, may be ranked Justin, Irenaeus, Athenagoras, Theophilus, tory, vol. i. Pantaenus, Clement,* and Origen. There were also many other learned commentators of less note. Clement, the Alexandrian, who succeeded Pantaerus in the eare of the Christian school, wrote several books which are yet extant. Mosheim says, they show the extent of his learning and the force of his genius; but at the same time, acknowledges, that his excessive attachment to the reigning philosophy led him into a variety of pernicious

errors.

searches, p.

5. ORIGEN Succeeded him. "This rash young man," (says Ecel ReRobinson,) came quibbling into the church when he was about 54. eighteen. Old Clement, and the pedants emboldened him. He persecuted the, world with an endless number of books, and wrote twenty tomes to explain the hidden mysteries of the Gospel of John. At length death forced him to quit his delightful work of disputing and wrangling, in the year two hundred and fifty-four."

• His name was Titus Flavius Clemens, usually called St. Clement of Alexandria, to distinguish him from Clement of Rome, mentioned in Paul's epistle to the Philippians. See Phil. iv. 3.

CHAP. IV.
Eccl. His-

6. To this agree the following observations of Mosheim: "This new species of philosophy, imprudently adopted by Origen, and tory, vol. i. many other Christians, was extremely prejudicial to the cause of the Gospel, and to the beautiful simplicity of its celestial doc

p. 171.

Ibid. p. 182.

Mil. Chh.

Hist. vol i.

p. 145. Philadelphia

edit. 1835.

Eccl. Researches, p. 51, 52 See also Mo

sheim, Ecl. History, vol. ii. p. 183.

trines.

7. "For hence it was, that the Christian doctors began to introduce their subtle and obscure erudition into the religion of JESUS; to involve in the darkness of a vain philosophy, some of the principal truths of Christianity, that had been revealed with the utmost plainness, and were indeed obvious to the meanest capacity; and to add to the divine precepts of our Lord, many of their own, which had no sort of foundation in any part of the sacred writings.

8. "Pantaemus, the head of the Alexandrian school, was probably the first who enriched the church with a version of the sacred writings. All were unanimous in regarding with veneration the holy Scriptures, as the great rule of faith and manners." Clement wrote a Commentary upon the canonical epistles, or those epistles which had been selected for a canonical purpose by his learned master Pantaenus. He is also said to have explained, in a compendious manner, almost all the sacred writings. 9. Milner says, "Pantaenus was much addicted to the sect of Stoics. The combination of Stoicism with Christianity in the system of Pantaenus, must have very much debased the sacred truths. He always retained the title of the Stoic philosopher, after he had been admitted to eminent employment in the Christian church."

10. Every effect," (says Robinson,) "produced by these causes, became itself the cause of another effect: Origen broached a new and universal maxim in explaining the Scriptures. This was, "that scripture had a double sense; the one obvious and literal, the other hidden and mysterious, which lay concealed, as it were, under the veil of the outward letter.

11. "The former they treated with the utmost neglect, and turned the whole force of their genius and application to unfold the latter; or in other words, they were more studious to darken the holy Scriptures with their idle fictions, than to investigate their true and natural sense.

12. "Some of them also forced the expressions of sacred writ out of their obvious meaning, in order to apply them to the support of their philosophical systems; of which dangerous and pernicious attempts, Clemens is said to have given the first example. The Alexandrian version, commonly called the Septuagint, they regarded almost as of divine authority."

13. This, in conjunction with such of the Apostle's writings as these Eclectics chose to select, formed the orthodox canon, or law. From Jews and Pagans they received, or adopted the

tory, vol. i. p. 198.

maxim, "That it was not only lawful, but even praiseworthy, CHAP. IV. to deceive, or even to use the expedient of a lie, in order to ad- Eccl. Hisvance the cause of truth and piety." Doubtless for this practice their double sense of scripture opened a large field. "Such" Eccl Re(says Robinson) "were the benefits which the Alexandrian school, searches, p. and chiefly Origen, conferred on the Primitive [Catholic] Church!"

53.

14. "The charge of the Alexandrian school (says Milner) was committed to Origen when quite young, (17) by Demetrius, the bishop of that city; and here is the platform of his doctrines on Rom. iii. 28. We conclude that a man is justified by faith,' &c., he says: The justification by faith only is sufficient; so that, if any person only believe, he may be justified, though no Jas. ii. 19. good work hath been fulfilled by him."

6

15. Here is the whole and sole foundation of antichristian doctrine; this is the true Catholic faith, the true Protestant faith, and the true Orthodox faith, as systematized by Origen. On this ground the devils may be justified, for they believe and tremble.

Mil. Chh. His. vol. i. 20.

p. 149 &

16. Yet Milner goes on: "Thus this precious doctrine of justification was yet alive in the third century. This it was that kept Origen, with all his hay and stubble, firm on Christian foundations." "Christian foundations !" What astonishing blindness! But what follows? "A thick mist pervaded the Ibid. p. 221 Christian world, supported and strengthened by his absurd, allegorical manner of interpretation.' Yet his false and absurd theories have been handed down as true orthodox faith, to the present time.

tory, vol. i.

17. "Justin Martyr," (says Mosheim) "had frequented all Eccl. Histhe different sects of philosophy, in an ardent and impartial pur- p 177. suit of truth; but finding, neither in the Pythagorean nor Platonic schools, any satisfactory account of the perfections of the Supreme Being, and the nature and destination of the human soul, he embraced Christianity, on account of the light which it cast upon these interesting subjects."

18. He wrote in defence of the Christians, and even presented an Apology to the emperor in their behalf. His apologies are Ibid. p. 157. said to be "most deservedly held in high esteem;" notwithstanding, "He shows himself an unwary disputer, and betrays a want of acquaintance with ancient history." And where is the disputer of this world?

1 Cor. i. 20.

p. 178.

19. Irenaeus turned his pen against those whom Mosheim calls, Ecel His"The internal and domestic enemies of the church," to which tory, vol. i. his labors are said to have been "singularly useful;" for he wrote five books against heresies, and refuted the whole tribe of Heretics.

20. Athenagoras wrote a Treatise upon the Resurrection,

CHAP. IV. and an Apology for the Christians.-"He was a philosopher of no mean reputation," says Mosheim, "and deserves a place among the estimable writers' of the second century;" of course he could not be an Apostle, hated of all men, and counted as the filth and off-scouring of all things.

Ibid 187.

p. 186,

Ibid. vol. i. p. 178,

21. But who were those estimable writers? and what are the merits of their works? Mosheim himself confesses that, "they abound with stoical and academical dictates, vague and indeterminate notions, and, what is yet worse, with decisions that are absolutely false, and in evident opposition to the precepts of Christ." Such is the heterogeneous description of qualities which truly belong to the fathers, the self-styled orthodox, and first founders and defenders of the Catholic faith.

22. "Theophilus, bishop of Antioch, wrote three books in deNote a fence of Christianity-a Commentary on the Proverbs-another on the Four Evangelists. He also wrote against Marcion and Hermogenes, and refuting the errors of these Heretics, he quotes several passages of the Revelations. He was the first who made use of the word TRINITY to express the distinction of what divines [or rather blind guides] call, Persons in the Godhead." 23. The Christian church," (says Maclaine) "is very little obliged to him for his invention. The use of this and other unscriptural terms, to which men attach either no ideas, or false ones, has wounded charity and peace, without promoting truth and knowledge. It has produced heresies of the very worst kind."

Ibid vol. vi. p. 137.

Chronol.
Table.

Cent. II.

Eccl. History, vol. i. p. 149.

Note [1]

i.e. plurality of gods.

Eccl. Re

53.

24. Nothing more injurious can be conceived than the terms of contempt, indignation, and reproach, which the heathens employed in expressing their hatred against the Christians, who were called by them atheists, because they derided the heathen Polytheism; magicians, because they wrought miracles; selfmurderers, because they suffered cheerfully for the truth; haters of the light," because they held religious assemblies in the night: "with a multitude of other ignominious epithets."

25. Then, what could ever have induced such indignant despisers to embrace a religion against which they had such indignation? The truth is, they never did receive nor embrace it; they quarrelled about the name, for the sake of honor and promotion; but the power and substance of the religion of Christ they never knew or received. It is unnecessary to say any thing about the miraculous power of God; for of this the learned doctors professed to stand in no need.

26. "It was," (says Robinson,) "an enormous compliment, searches, P. which these gentlemen paid themselves." "The gospel," (said they,)" is evidently divine, because nothing but the miraculous power of God could support it in the hands of illiterate men. As if they and their quirks, were, to all succeeding ages, to sup

ply the place of the miraculous power of God." Doubtless the CHAP. IV. quirk of Theophilus removed much of the Pagan indignation and

contempt.

p. 150.

27. The following remarks of Mosheim, on this subject, are worthy of particular notice. "The religious sentiments of the Eccl. Hisfirst Christians were most unjustly treated, and most perfidiously tory, vol. i. misrepresented to the credulous multitude, who were restrained by this only from embracing the Gospel." Here the doctor seems to have forgotten that the carnal mind is enmity against God, and in love with gods many. But observe what follows:

28. "Those therefore, who, by their apologetic writings in favor of the Christians, destroyed the poisonous influence of detraction, rendered, no doubt, signal service to the doctrines of Christ," [he ought to have said, to the doctrine of Saccas,]" by removing the chief impediment that retarded its progress.

29. Nor were the writings of such as combated with success the ancient heretics without their use. For the insipid and extravagant doctrines of these sectaries, and the gross immoralities with which they were chargeable, were extremely prejudicial to the Christian religion, by disgusting many at whatever carried the Christian name.

30. But, when it was known, by the writings of those who defended Christianity, that these corrupt heretics were held in aversion, instead of being patronized by the true followers of Christ, then the clouds that were cast over the religion of Jesus were dispersed, and the prejudices that had been raised against it were fully removed."

31. How Dr. Mosheim could give the name of followers of Jesus Christ, to the votaries of that system, which he elsewhere denominates "a motley spectacle of superstition," is a mystery; but, granting that it was the religion forged in the Alexandrian school, that the learned fathers rescued from the indignation and contempt of the Pagans against the Christian name, his statement is doubtless correct.

6.

32. To us," (said the followers of Christ from the begin- 1 Cor. viii. ning) "there is but one God." This was detraction enough; it overthrew at once the whole Pagan system. This must surely be charged to the followers of Saccas, if they assume the name of Christians. To remove this disgraceful charge, they apply Origen's two-fold sense of scripture; according to this, the literal sense must be, One God; and the mysterious sense, Three Persons; and so of the rest.

33. Thus it appears that the Catholics hold that more persons than one may be called God and worshipped. This doctrine they established by a council of learned bishops, doctors and patriarchs, from which the illiterate were excluded, and into which, none of the comments of the disciples of Jesus on the scriptures