ON THE MARTYRDOM OF POLYCARP.

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er, and blesses our Lord the governor of our (souls and) bodies, and the Shepherd of the catholic church throughout the world.

20. Whereas, therefore, ye desired that we would at large declare to you what was done, we have, for the present, briefly signified it to you, by our brother Marcus. When, therefore, ye have read this epistle, send it also to the brethren that are more remote, that they also, may glorify God, who makes such choice of his own servants, and is able to bring us all, by his grace and help, to his eternal kingdom, through his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ; to whom be glory, honor, might and majesty, for ever and ever, Amen. Salute all the saints. They that are with us salute you and Evarestus, who wrote this epistle, with his whole house.

21. Now the martyrdom of the blessed Polycarp, was on the second day, of the month Xanthicus, that is, the seventh of the calends of May, on the great Sabbath, about the eighth hour. He was taken by Herod Philip, the Trullian, being the chief priest, Statius Quadratus proconsul; but our Saviour Christ reigning for evermore, to him be honor, glory, majesty, and an eternal throne, from generation to gen

eration.

Amen.

22. We wish you, brethren, all happiness, by living according to the rule of the gospel of Jesus Christ; with whom, glory be to God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, for the salvation of his chosen saints: after whose example, the blessed Polycarp suffered;

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BY WHOM TRANSCRIBED.

at whose feet may we be found, in the kingdom of Jesus Christ.

This epistle was transcribed by Caius, out of the copy of Irenæus, the disciple of Polycarp, who also lived and conversed with Irenæus. And I, Socrates, transcribed it at Corinth, out of the copy of the said Caius. Grace be with all.

CHAPTER XII.

SECTS AND HERESIES.

Secta Apois, and Exopa-The foundation of Heresies-Sensual Judaism and Pagan Christianity-The Union Maintained-The Zealots of both Extremes-Pseudo-Petrians and Pseudo-Pauline-The Loss of Jewish Iden tity-New. Churches and Admixtures-Ebionites-Gnostics-Their Ori, gin-Doctrine-Connection with Christianity-The Ivois of the Alexandrian Jews-Cerenthus-Basilides-Valentinus-The Ophites-Antinomian Gnostics-Simionians-Simon Magus-Justin Martyr's Error-Marcion→→ Manischeism The Injury of these Sects.

CHRISTIANITY found other enemies beside the civil power, and the mob; for the state of the Jewish and Pagan world, favored serious perversions of its doctrines, and threatened its purity. Judaism, and the Pagans ystems, so strongly exhibited their imperfections to the minds of the thinking and refined, that they were soon mingled with Christianity. Jewish doctors and Pagan philosophers held to their peculiar dogmas with great tenacity: many of them sought in the religion of Christ, something to complete their own systems, without relinquishing theirtenets; and they, therefore, soon founded a variety of sects, varying in their character, as the Jewish or Pagan opinions happened to predominate.

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THE TWO GREAT EXTREMES.

The word secta, and its corresponding Greek word aipos, implied the adoption of certain opinions, without attaching to them the disapprobation which is understood by the term heresy, in more modern times; and between these words, and the word schisma, or division, there is also a considerable difference. Heresy meant a difference in point of doctrine or ecclesiastical policy. Heresies were numerous without producing schisms in the body; and the differences of opinion were, in many instances, so great, as to leave but little Christianity, yet the church fellowship of the controversialists remained unbroken for a length of time. In the course of time, when the Christian and Jewish zealots were in warm dispute, a moderate party, being the most numerous, kept off a schism, but the two great extremes, finally succeeded in breaking up the power that restrained them, and every thing was drawn within their strife.

There were two great extremes which formed the foundation of numerous heresies, and opposed the purity of the faith, from the very introduction of Christianity. The one arose in the effort to bring every thing to the level of sense, and to rest wholly upon the material appearance of divinity; overlooking the spirit, it determined to have in Christianity, the human nature only. The other took the opposite extreme and spiritualized every thing; and excluded the human nature, having the divine only. Among the Jews, every thing was lowered to the level of

JEWISH AND HEATHEN ZEALOTS.

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sense, which brought this extreme first into contact with Christianity, as Christianity arose necessarily out of Judaism, and it became the fruitful source of all those sects which mistook the spiritual and proper nature of the gospel, regarding it as a perfected Judaism.

Those churches which consisted entirely of Jews, professing Christianity, but adhering to the peculiarities of Judaism, formed a striking contrast to the churches of converted gentiles; where the pure spiritual worship prevailed, without the sensuous observances which characterized the former. The Jews continued to hold, that sanctification might be obtained by ceremonial observances, and continued the observance of the ceremonial law; but the heathen converts began at once with an outward amendment, even if the inward power of truth had not effected every thing necessary. It is remarkable, that with these differences, both classes looked upon each other as brethren, so that the communion of love and Christian fellowship was not broken; in consequence, the tone and spirit with which the earliest writers met what they supposed to be errors, form a striking contrast with the more recent modes of treating differences of opinion in the church of Christ.

The Christian Jewish zealots, were the pseudoPetrians, and the zealots among the converted heathens were the pseudo-Paulian. These appellations were derived from the apostolic leaders, whom these parties fancied they possessed; and although the