ancient christian writers we are well assured that he was his follower; but some while after his death, which happened about the year 165, he went into a great variety of absurd opinions. He is said to be the author of the sect of the Encratites, or Continents; condemned the use of wine; denied the lawfulness of marriage, the reality of Christ's sufferings, the salvation of Adam; embraced the Eons of Valentinus; asserted, with Marcion, that there are two gods. But whatever were his principles in the latter part of his life, he will afford a good proof of the antiquity, and high esteem of the gospels in his time, and be otherwise of considerable use to us. I shall farther observe briefly the notice that has been taken of him by the ancients. Irenæus says, he was a follower of Justin, and mentions the heresies he taught after Justin's martyrdom. Clements of Alexandria makes frequent mention of him, and confutes him. Origen h speaks of his Oration to the Greeks as a learned work. Eusebius, in his Chronicle, dates his heresy at the 12th of the emperor Marcus Antoninus, or the year 172. What Eusebius says farther of Tatian will be placed below distinctly. Epiphanius has given a particular account of his heresy. 6 St. Jerom's account of Tatian, in his book' of Illustrious Men, is this: Tatian, who first taught rhetoric, and gained a great deal of honour thereby, was a follower of Justin Martyr, and flourished in the church as long as he adhered to him. But afterwards puffed up with the pride ' of eloquence, he founded a new heresy, called that of the • Encratites, which was afterwards improved by Severus. Tatian wrote an infinite number of books; of which there is one written against the Gentiles, which is reckoned the most considerable of all his works. He flourished under the emperor M. Antoninus Verus, and L. Aurelius • Commodus.' I shall take no more passages concerning the history of this writer. I proceed to those which will set before us his testimony to the scriptures of the New Testament. I. Eusebius, in his Ecclesiastical History, having given an account of Tatian, and his opinions, from Irenæus, and then of Severus, and his followers, who had made additions Adv. Hær. l. i. cap. 28. Επιτ. 806. C. [al. 30, 31.] 1. iii. cap. 23. [al. 36, &c.] i Tatianus hæreticus agnoscitur: a quo Encratitæ. Chr. p. 170. Hær. 26. al. 46. Cap. 29. 6 to some of Tatian's opinions, adds: But their first leader, Tatian, composed I know not what harmony and collection of the gospels, which he called [Dia Tessaron] Of the Four, which is still in the hands of some. And it is said, ⚫ that he had the assurance to alter [or explain] some words of the apostle, as pretending to correct the composition and order of his style. He left a great number of books: of which, his celebrated discourse against the Gentiles has 'been quoted by many; which seems to be the most ele'gant, and most useful, of all his writings.' This is a strong proof that there were four, and but four gospels, which were in esteem with christians. It seems that Eusebius had not seen this harmony or collection of Tatian. 6 6 • He Theodoret," who flourished in the fifth century, about 423, speaks of this book in the following manner: [Tatian] composed a gospel which is called Dia Tessaron, [Of the Four,] leaving out the genealogies, and every thing that shows the Lord to have been born of the seed of David according to the flesh: which has been used not only by those of his sect, but also by them who follow the apostolical doctrine; they not perceiving the fraud of the composition, but simply using it as a com'pendious book. I have also met with above two hundred ' of these books, which were in esteem in our churches: all which I took away, and laid aside in a parcel, and placed in their room the gospels of the four evangelists.' Victor Capuanus, a writer of the sixth century, says, that Tatian called his harmony Ata ПevTE, Of the Five. Whence some learned moderns have inferred, that Tatian used also the Gospel according to the Hebrews. Ittigius has shown it, I think, to be very probable, that this Aa Пevтe, Of the Five, in Victor, is only an error of the transcribers for Ata Паντшv, Of All. Eusebius calls it Of the 'Four,' as does Theodoret. All the fault that Theodoret, who had seen so many copies, finds with this performance is, that Tatian had left out the genealogies. It is said that Ephraim the Syrian, of the fourth cen * Ο μεντοι γε πρότερος αυτων αρχηγος ὁ Τατιανος, συνάφειαν τινα και συναγωγήν εκ οιδ' όπως των ευαγγελιων συνθεις, το δια τεσσα ων τετο προπωνόμασεν ὁ και παρα τισιν εισετι νυν φερεται· τε δε αποτολε φασι τολμησαι τινας αυτον μεταφράσαι φωνας ὡς επιδιορθέμενον αυτών την της φράσεως συνταξιν. H. E l. iv. c. 28. Vid. et cap. 16. de Tatiano. " Hæret. Fab. l. i. cap. 20. • Tho. Ittigii de Hæresiarchis, sect. 2. cap. 12. p. 182. P Syriacum Tatiani Diatessarôn commentariis illustravit Sanctus Ephremus, testibus Barsalibao et Barhebræo, quorum verba retuli. T. i. p. 57, 58. Asseman. Bib. Orient. T. 3. P. i. p. 13. tury, wrote commentaries upon Tatian's harmony, or Dia tessaron. Whether this harmony be now extant, is disputed by a learned men: I think I need not concern myself with that question. The apostle, whose words Tatian had the assurance to alter, or explain, undoubtedly is Paul. But it cannot be determined from this passage of Eusebius, what epistles of Paul Tatian owned, or how many of them he had explained, or corrected. Nay, it seems, that Eusebius had never seen the work itself. What he writes of it is only from the report of others. Mill thinks there was no ill design in this work of Tatian: that his altering the words of Paul amounted to no more than some interlineary or marginal explications: putting here and there over against the apostle's other synonymous words, which were somewhat clearer. Tatian's correcting of the composition of the apostle's style,' likewise, according to him, was only disposing in the margin some of the words of St. Paul in a more natural order, without intending, or in the event doing, any prejudice to the apostle's original text. The Oration against the Gentiles being commended by so many, affords an argument, that it was written before the year 172, about which time Tatian left the Catholic opinions; and as it seems to have been written after Justin's death, therefore some time between 165 and 172. In this Oration are a few references or allusions to the gospels. which I shall take notice of. 9 Vid. Vales. Not. ad Euseb. H. E. 1. iv. cap. 29. Tillemont, Mem. T. ii. Part 3. Les Encratites, Not. 2. Basnage, Ann. 172. n. vi. Fabr. Bibl. Gr. T. vi. p. 83. r S Proleg. n. 361, 362. Ουαι ὑμῖν οἱ γελωντες νυν· ὅτι πενθήσετε και κλαυσετε. · Γελατε δε ύμεις, ὡς και κλαυσοντες. p. 167. C. " Παντα δί αυτε εγενετο και χωρις αυτό εγενετο εδε έν, ὁ γεγονεν. Παντα ὑπ' αυτό, και χωρις αυτε γεγονεν εδε έν. p. 158. D. IV. John i. 5. “ And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not." IV. This is what is said: The darkness comprehendeth not the light. And the word [or reason] is the light of God: the ignorant soul is darkness." V. He seems to refer to the beginning of St. John's gospel in another place. He likewise says," God is a spirit,' in the very words of John iv. 24. 6 VI. Hea that wants nothing is not to be traduced by us as if he wanted.' This is much the same thought, and applied to the same purpose with Paul's, Acts xvii. 25, “as though he needeth any thing." But it is a character of the Deity so obvious, that I think it cannot determine us to suppose he had an eye to those words of the apostle. VII. St. Clement has informed us, that Tatian, in a book called Perfection according to the Saviour, argued against marriage from the words of Paul, 1 Cor. vii. 5; and from St. Jerom it appears, that Tatian had abused to the same purpose the words of Paul, Gal. vi. 8: but I do not think it needful to translate either of these passages. And from Irenæus we learn, that Tatian had endea'voured to support his opinion concerning Adam, that he 'was not saved, from these words, 1 Cor. xv. 22, that " in Adam all die:" and from some other expressions of the ' apostle.' VIII. Lastly, St. Jerom, in his preface to his Commentary upon the Epistle to Titus, says: But Tatian, the patriarch of the Encratites, though he rejected some of 'Paul's epistles, was of opinion, that this to Titus ought to 'be owned as the apostle's without any hesitation.' Και ή σκοτια αυτο 8 καταλαμβάνει. το ειρημένον' ἡ σκοτία το φως 8 καταλαμβάνει. p. 152. C. P. 245. A. B. C. b * Και τετο εςιν αρα Πνευμα ο Θεός. p. 144. C. * P. 144. D. Γράφει γεν κατα λεξιν εν τῳ περι του κατα τον Σωτηρα καταρτισμου Συμφωνιαν μεν ουν ἁρμοζει προσευχη κοινωνία δε φθορας λύει την εντευξιν. κ. λ. Strom. l. iii. p. 460. Α. Tatianus, qui putativam Christi carnem introducens, omnem conjunctionem masculi ad feminam immundam arbitratur, Encratitarum vel acerrimus hæresiarches, tali adversum nos sub occasione præsentis testimonii usus est argumento: Si qui seminat in carne, de carne metet corruptionem:' in carne autem seminat, qui mulicri jungitur. Ergo et is qui uxore utitur, et seminat in carne ejus, de carne metet corruptionem. Comm. in Gal. cap. 6. d Tentans et subinde uti hujusmodi a Paulo assidue dictis: quoniam in • Adam omnes morimur.' 1. iii. cap. 23. sect. 8. al. cap. 39. Sed Tatianus Encratitarum patriarches, qui et ipse nonnullas Pauli epistolas repudiavit, hanc vel maxime, hoc est, ad Titum, apostoli pronunciandam credidit; parvi pendens Marcionis et aliorum, qui cum eo in hac parte consentiunt, assertionem. IX. We see then plainly, that the gospels, and many of Paul's epistles, were received by Tatian, and owned by him to the last and his rejecting any of the rest is of no weight, when a man gave way to such manifest absurdities as he did in the latter part of his life. CHAP. XIV. 6 6 HEGESIPPUS. HEGESIPPUS, as we are informed by Eusebius, was originally a Jew, converted to the christian faith. He is supposed to have been born in the beginning of the second century; and died, according to the Alexandrine Chronicle, in the reign of Commodus. He wrote,' says Eusebius, a faithful relation of the apostolic preaching in a ' very plain style.' And in these books, Eusebius says, he mentions his journey to Rome: that in his way he conversed with many bishops: that in all of them he perceived one and the same doctrine. When I came to Rome,' says he, I took up my abode with Anicetus, whose deaEleutherus [then] was. After Anicetus succeeded 'Soter, and after him Eleutherus.' And in another place Eusebius says, that Hegesippus writes, he came to Rome in the time of Anicetus, and staid there until the bishopric of Eleutherus. Though therefore learned men are not exactly agreed about the time of these bishops of Rome, we must suppose the five books of Hegesippus not finished till after 170, very few placing the beginning of Eleutherus's bishopric before that year. 6 con d Eusebiush however assures us, he was in the first suc'cession of the apostles:' and Stephen Gobar, in Photius, b c a H. E. l. iv. c. 22. p. 143. B. Εν πεντε δη ουν συγγραμμασιν ούτος την απλανη παραδοσιν του αποςολικού κηρύγματος απλότατη συντάξει γραφης υπομνηματισάμενος. 1. iv. c. 8. init. Γενόμενος δε εν Ρωμη διαδοχην [al. διατριβην] εποιησαμην μέχρις Ανίκητε, οὐ διάκονος ην Ελεύθερος και παρα Ανικητε διαδέχεται Σωτηρ, μεθ' ὁν Ελεύθερος. ibid. c. 22. d Vid. Vales. Not. in loc. Eus. e Or, as others: 'I com'posed a succession (of the bishops of Rome) to Anicetus.' Vid. Pearson. Op. Post. p. 24. Grabe, Spicil. T. 2. p. 212, et 256. f Ibid. cap. xi. p. 125. B. Vid. Grabe, Spic. T. 2. p. 204. Η Επι της πρώτης των αποτόλων γενόμενος διαδοχης. 1. 2. c. 23. p. 63. C. Αρχαίος τε ανηρ και αποτολικός. Phot. Cod. 232. |