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SECTION V.

They ascribed the Creation of the World to Angels.

THEY said that the world was made by angels, and not by the Supreme Power. Rhenford is clear that the Sethians, and all Ebionite or Jewish Christians, meant no more by this than what Christ and his apostles do when they speak of the prince of this world, the powers of this world, and the god of this world, and the like.

SECTION VI.

They believed that Jesus Christ descended from Seth in an extraordinary Way.

b

AFTERWARDS Epiphanius informs us they said that from Seth in a continued succession descended Jesus Christ, not in the ordinary way of generation, but after a wonderful manner: which shews they thought Jesus to be the Christ, and that he was born of a virgin.

This will be confirmed by Irenæus. His words are obscure; but I shall put them at the bottom of the page, and translate them as well as I can, somewhat loosely.

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They believe, says Irenæus, that Sophia, or Wisdom, spake by the prophets; and that their predictions were partly fulfilled in two men with divine commissions, one born of barren Elizabeth, the other of Mary a virgin: they say that the appearing of Jesus was foretold by John, who preached the baptism of repentance, and baptized Jesus, that the Christ, when he • descended, might find a pure vessel. That Jesus, being born of a virgin by the operation of • God, was wiser, more holy, and more excellent than all men: that Christ, the companion of • Wisdom, came down upon him, and so Jesus was made the Christ. This, they said, was not rightly understood by all Christians; and that the truth is, that Christ having come down upon Jesus, he inmediately thereupon began to work miracles, and heal diseases, and preach the true God, and thus manifestly to shew himself to be the son of the first man (or the promised • Messiah;) at which the rulers (or certain powers) being offended, they contrived to put him ⚫ to death. And they say that the Christ with Wisdom then forsook him, but Jesus was cruci'fied. However, the Christ did not forget Jesus, but raised him from the dead. Nevertheless, 'when he was risen, his disciples did not (at first) know him. And they hence endeavour to support their opinion, that Christ came down upon Jesus, and then went away from him, as

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Vide et n. 37. p. 179.

• Απο δε το Σηθ κατα σπέρμα, και κατα διαδοχην γενες ὁ Χρισος ήλθεν αυτός Ιησες, εχι κατα γενη, αλλα θαυμάς ως εν τῷ κόσμῳ πεφηνως. Ibid. n. 3. p. 286. Α.

Horum (prophetarum) igitur unusquisque glorificans suum patrem et Deum. Sophiam et ipsam per eos multa loquutam esse de primo homine- -et de illo Christo qui sit sursum, quæ a prophetis annuntiabantur duorum hominum factas esse emissiones; alterum quidem de sterili Elizabethâ, alterum autem ex Mariâ virgine-Cognoscentem autem eam quæ deorsum est Sophiam, descendere ad fratrem ejus, et annuntiâsse ejus adventum per Joannem, et præparâsse baptismum pœnitentiæ, et ante adaptâsse Jesum: uti descendens Christus inveniat vas mundum. Jesum autem, quippe ex virgine per operationem Dei generatum, sapienti orem et mundiorem et justiorem hominibus omnibus fuisse :

VOL. IV.

Christum perplexum Sophiæ descendisse, et sic factum esse Jesum Christum. Multos igitur ex discipulis ejus non cognovisse Christi descensionem in eum dicunt; descendente autem Christo in Jesum tunc coincepisse virtutes perficere, et curare, et annuntiare incognitum patrem, et se manifeste filium primi hominis confiteri. In quibus irascentes principes, et patrem Jesu, operatos ad occidendum eum; et in eo cum adduceretur, ipsum quidem Christum Sophiâ abstitisse in incorruptibilem Eonem dicunt; Jesum autem crucifixum: non autem oblitum suum (F. eum) Christum, sed misisse desuper virtutem quamdam in eum, quæ excitavit eum in corporeVidentes autem discipuli resurrexisse eum, non eum cognoverunt, sed ne ipsum quidem jesum, cujus gratià a mortuis resurrexit.—Confirmare autem volunt descensionem Christi et ascensionem ex eo, quod neque ante baptismum, neque post resurrectionem a mortuis, aliquid magni fecisse Jesum dicunt discipuli-Remoratum autem eum post resurrectionem xviii. mensibus; et paucos ex discipulis suis, quos sciebat capaces tantorum mysteriorum, docuit hæc. Et sic receptus est in cœlum, Christo sedente ad dexteram patris Jaldabaoth. Iren. L. 1. c. 30. [al. 34.] n. 11, 12, 13, 14. p. 111, 112.

40

just mentioned: forasmuch as that the disciples do not relate him to have wrought miracles either before his baptism or after his resurrection. He staid with his disciples eighteen months; ' and having in that time sufficiently instructed them, especially some of them, he was received up into heaven, and Christ sat down at the right hand of God.'

SECTION VII.

By Christ who descended upon Jesus, they probably meant the Holy Ghost.

a

IRENEUS says they believed that the Christ descended upon Jesus at his baptism. It is very likely that by Christ they meant the Holy Ghost. This may be reckoned to be confirmed by Theodoret, in his article of Sethians and Ophites, whose words I shall place below. They also said that, upon Jesus being led away to be crucified, the Christ, or Wisdom in him, went away, and that Jesus only was crucified. Their meaning probably was, that the divine nature in Jesus did not suffer. They said that Jesus staid with his disciples eighteen months after his resurrection; in which possibly there is some mistake, or misrepresentation. I think that Irenæus is the only person who mentions this: it is not in Epiphanius, or Theodoret, or other ancient writers of heresies. In the main, these Sethians appear to have been good Christians. They believed that Jesus was born of a virgin, and was a most excellent man; that John born of Élizabeth prepared the way for him, and baptized him; that the Holy Ghost descended upon Jesus at his baptism; after which he wrought miracles of healing, and taught true religion, and manifestly shewed himself to be the promised Messiah. They believed that Jesus was crucified, and was afterwards raised from the dead and received up into heaven, where he sat at the right hand of God. And if these were Jewish believers, as is reasonably supposed, it may be argued from their calling themselves by so catholic a denomination as that of Sethians, that they approved of the vocation of the Gentiles: though possibly, for themselves, they observed circumcision, and other rites of the law, so far as they could in the places where they lived.

Theodoret also confirms the account, that they believed Jesus to have been born of a virgin, and that the Christ came down upon him from heaven.

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LET us now see what books they had and made use of. They have,' says Epiphanius, certain books written by themselves, with the names of great men affixed to them: seven books of Seth, and others; another of Abraham, which they call his Revelation, and others with the name of Moses.' Afterwards Epiphanius speaks of other books called the Jubilees, and another book called the Little Genesis, in which were the names of Cain's and Seth's wives.

d

But possibly the books called The Seven Books of Seth, were not ascribed to him as the author; but only contained an account of his being the seed obtained after the death of Abel, and chosen to uphold religion in the world, with reflections upon the state of things on this earth in his time. The books were called not from the author of them, but from their subject. This was the opinion of Mr. Rhenford.

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• Θηλυ δε το πνεύμα καλέσι, και τοις σοιχείος επιφέρεσθαι· ερασθήναι δε φασι τον πρώτον ανθρωπον, και τον δευτερον, της ώρας τα πνεύματος, και παιδοποιήσαι φως, ὁ καλεσι Χρισον. H. F. L. 1 p. 204. C.

» Τον δε Ιησεν αλλον λεγεσι παρα τον Χρισον και τον μεν Ιησεν εκ της παρθενε γεννήθηναι, τον δε Χρισον ερανόθεν εις αυτόν κατελθειν. H. F. L. 1. c. 14. p. 205. C.

© BilλUS DE TIVAS σUYYPаPOνTES εE CVOμatos μeyañwv avdgwv. Εξ ονόματος μεν Σηθ ἑπτα λεγοντες είναι βίβλες αλλας δε

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The book called Abraham's Revelation, probably was not ascribed to him as the author, but rather contained only an account of his faith, or the covenant made with him, and the promises delivered to him.

The books with the names of Moses might be his Pentateuch in Hebrew, which the gentile Christians did not understand; who likewise used and preferred the Septuagint version.

I can say nothing particularly of the book called the Jubilees and the Little Genesis. But it may be reasonable to think that all these books, composed by the Sethians, who seem to have been Hebrew believers, contained explications of some parts of the books of Moses; and were designed to support their faith in Jesus, and justify their embracing the Christian revelation, by the literal or mystical sense of their ancient writings: though, possibly, some of the arguments made use of might be weak, and their traditions false and ill-grounded.

SECTION IX.

What Scriptures they received.

THERE can be no question made but the Sethians respected the books of the Old Testament. Irenæus takes particular notice of it. We can likewise perceive by the long passage transcribed from him above, that they received the gospels of Matthew and Luke, and particularly the first chapters of both: where there is an account of the birth of John the Baptist, and of Jesus, and John's baptism and ministry. They received probably all the gospels and the Acts, and most other books of the New Testament. This may be argued from the clear knowledge they appear to have had of our Lord's miracles, death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven. It is plain it was not one gospel only that was received by them, but several; for, as Irenæus assures us, they insisted upon it that the disciples had related none, or few miracles, done by Christ, before his baptism, or after his resurrection: which manner of speaking shews that they referred to more gospels than one.

illis attribui? Satis illis causa erat, cur libros illos Sethi et aλλуɛ nomine vocarent, quod in illis de Setho, ejusque doctrinâ, vitâ, et rebus gestis: de semine item alio, de filiis Sethi, eorumque civitate, jure, legibus et beneficiis ageretur: etsi libros ipsos ad Sethum, tamquam scriptorem, non referebant. Nempe facile est ad intelligendum, eumdem, qui in ecclesiâ scholâve doctrinam illam de filiis Sethi tradere solebat, éamdem etiam dignam judicâsse, quam literis etiam consignaret, librosque illos, ita uti dicebat, ab ipso argumento inscripsisse, vocâsseque libros Sethi, vel filiorum Sethi, vel axxoysvwv, vel si quâ aliâ ratione ipsi lubitum fuerit. Ibid. n. 43. P. 184.

• Eâdem itaque ratione hos Sethianos, quos et divinorum oraculorum, et veterum traditionum Judaïcarum callentissimos fuisse undique elucet, &c. Ibid. n. 28. p. 174.

b Deinde vero et illud notandum, Sethianos, de quibus hactenus egimus, fuisse credentes ex Judæis, quibus illa exempla cum, ex lectione legis notissima erant, tum a suis maxime doctoribus, Apostolis, inquam, circumcisionis, de novo serio et solicite fuerant inculcata. Ibid. n. 62. p. 191.

c Sic autem prophetas distribuunt: hujus quidem Jaldabaoth Möysen fuisse, et Jesum Nave, et Amos, et Abacuc: illius autem Jaho, Samuel, et Nathan, et Jonam, et Michæam: illius autem Sabaoth, Hebiam, et Joël, et Zachariam: illius autem Adonei, Esaiam et Ezechiel, et Jeremiam, et Daniel : illius autem Eloi, Tobiam, et Aggæum; illius autem Horei, Michæam, et Nahum: illius autem Astaphæi, Hesdram, et Sophoniam. L. 1. c. 30. n. 14. p. 3. Vide et n. 10.

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CHAP. XIV.

OF THE CAIANS, OR CAINITES.

SECTION I.

Some Account of the Accusations brought against them from Epiphanius and Irenæus.

a

THE Caians, or Cainites,' says Epiphanius in his Summary, extol Cain, saying he was from the superior power. They pay divine honours to Judas, Core, Dathan, and Abiram, and the people of Sodom.'

In his Panarium, the heretics called Caians from Cain, whom they greatly respect and call their father, say that he was from the superior power, Abel from the weaker. They esteem also Esau, Core, and the people of Sodom, whom they call their kindred. They reckon Judas likewise among their kindred, and ascribe to him a wonderful knowledge of things. And they have among them a book which they call the gospel of Judas: they have also some other like books. And they say, that in order to be saved men must run through a course of all ⚫ manner of iniquity, like the Carpocratians.' Epiphanius proceeds to relate more to the same purpose; and afterwards adds:They have also forged a book with the name of Paul the apostle, called his Ascension, filled with mysteries of iniquity.' Their pretence for it is taken from what he writes, 2 Cor. xii. 4. Afterwards: Judas,' they said, was induced to betray Jesus from the heavenly knowledge he had obtained. The princes were aware that if Jesus was crucified their power would be weakened; Judas therefore hastened to betray him 'for our salvation: for which reason he ought to be honoured, because he had procured for us 'the salvation which is by the cross of Christ, and the heavenly knowledge obtained thereby.' Irenæus gives the like account of the wickedness of this people and of the gospel of Judas. Epiphanius undoubtedly borrowed from him. His words will be placed below.

i

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SECTION II.

Observations tending to shew the Incredibility of these Accounts.

THESE are the accounts left us of these men. But can they be true? It seems not. For, first, the wickedness ascribed to those men is incredible. It is not easy to conceive, that any number of men, calling themselves Christians, should honour Cain, and Core, and Judas, and all

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και ἡ δια ταύτης υποθέσεως των ανω αποκάλυψις. Ibid. n. 3. p. 278. B. C.

Alii autem rursus Caïn a superiore principalitate dicunt, et Esau, et Core, et Sodomitas. Et omnes tales cognatos confitentur-Et hæc Judam proditorem diligenter cognovisse dicunt, et solum præ cæteris cognoscentem veritatem, perfecisse proditionis mysterium-Etconfictionem afferunt hujusmodi, Judæ Evangelium illud vocantes-Nec enim aliter salvari eos, nisi per omnia eant, quemadmodum et Carpocrates dixit. Et in unoquoque peccatorum et turpium operationum angelum adsistere, et operantem-id quod inest ei operationi angeli nomine dicere: O tu, angele, abutor opere tuo: O tu, illa potestas, perficio tuam operationem.' Et hoc esse scientiam perfectam, sine timore in tales abire operationes, quas ne nominare fas est. lib. 1. cap. 30. [al. 35.] n. 1, 2. p. 112, 113.

those who lie under just condemnation in the scriptures both of the Old and New Testament for the most notorious wickedness."

Secondly, the account is inconsistent, therefore overthrows itself. It is not possible that men should be extremely wicked in practice and in principle, and at the same time be concerned about the salvation that is by the cross of Christ, and honour Judas for his love of truth, and solicitous concern for the salvation of the world and the general good.

b

Thirdly, the rise of this denomination of the Cainites may be accounted for another way, without making a particular sect. It might arise from the Sethians. They who called themselves by that name, and extolled their ancestor Seth, could not well avoid declaiming against Cain. And they might sometimes say of those in a different course of life from themselves, that they acted as if they were the children of Cain, who was of the evil one; and seemed to show themselves kindred of Core, and Dathan, and even Judas himself.

SECTION HI.

That the Denomination Cainites arose from a way of speaking among the Sethians, rendered probable by Passages from Scripture and other Writings.

d

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AFTER the same manner speak Peter and Jude in their epistles, of some wicked Christians: "cursed children, which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness. And woe unto them, for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam, for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core." They are also reminded by the same sacred writers of the ' judgments on the fallen angels, the old world that was drowned by the flood, and the overthrow of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

This will be much confirmed from what the Sethians are represented by Epiphanius and some others to have said of two men, or two sorts of men, which I shall now take somewhat at large.

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h

The Sethians,' says Epiphanius, agree with the former heresy of the Caians in this

Ejusmodi vero homines, quales Epiphanius nobis hic describit, unquam aliquo numero extitisse, et cœtum sectamque constituisse, id adeo nullam veri speciem habet, ut fidem omnem superare videatur. Tametsi enim primis Christianismi temporibus sceleratissimi flagitiosissimique quidam homines in ecclesiam irrepserunt, Petro Judâque testibus; tamen nobis non est verosimile, tantà illos et tam immani impudentiâ fuisse, ut cum Christiani, si non esse, certe videri vellent, cum historiam item Caïni reliquorumque istorum scelatorum nôssent-ut, inquam, se illorum socios publice profiteri, et gloriari voluerint, et a bipedum omnium nequissimis simul atque miserrimis, generis sui atque originis deducere commendationem. Rhenf. de Sethian. cap. 61. p. 191.

Nec non etiam erupit alia quoque hæresis, quæ dicitur Caïnæorum. Et ipsi quidem magnificant Caïn, quasi ex quâ dam potenti virtute conceptum,- -procreatum- -Hi qui

hoc adserunt, etiam Judam proditorem defendunt, admirabilem illum et magnum esse memorantes, propter utilitates quas humano generi contulisse jactatur. Quidam enim ipsorum gratiarum actionem Judæ propter hanc causam reddendam putant. Animadvertens enim, inquiunt, Judas, quod Christus vellet veritatem subvertere, tradidit illum, ne subverti veritas posset. Et alii sic contra disputant, et dicunt: quia potestates hujus mundi nolebant pati Christum, ne humano generi per mortem ipsius salus pararetur, saluti consulens generis humani, tradidit Christum, ut salus, quæ impediebatur per virtutes, quæ obsistebant ne pateretur Christus, impediri omnino non posset: et ideo per passionem Christi non posset salus humani generis retardari. Ter. de Pr. c. 47. p. 251. B. C. Simul et

Judam traditorem divinum aliquid putant, et scelus ejus beneficium deputant; asserentes cum præscisse, quantum esset generi humano Christi passio profutura, et occidendum Judæis propterea tradidisse. Aug. H. 18.

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Cum enim Sethianorum antistites Sethum-audito-
ribus suis vitæ Christianæ, et pietatis virtutisque omnis ex-
emplar ad oculos ponerent; vix fieri potuisse, quin per anti-
thesin Caïni aliorumque impietatem, et horrendas quas passi
sint pœnas, exposuerint. Quemadmodum vero iidem se suos-
que Sethi filios appellabant, quod vestigia fidei et pietatis
Sethi premerent,ita quoque eos, quos Judas viam Caïni'
ingressos ait, eodem jure filios Caïni' dicere potuerunt-
Ita et in reliquis illis exemplis fecerit, atque identidem inge-
minârit: qui his illis moribus sunt, illos re ipsâ declarare, et
quasi publice profiteri, se non Sethi, sed Sodomæorum, Esaui,
Cora, Bileami, Judæ denique proditoris, filios, fratres, affines
esse. Unde quotusquisque non perspiciat atque intelligat, quam
facile illorum doctrina ab imperitis quibusdam doctoribus,
maxime Gentilibus, eo accipi potuerint, quo putârint esse
peculiarem quamdam sectam ejusmodi,qui professi sint,
se Caïnitas, Sodomitas, Esavitas esse, et si quæ alia infamia et
æternis tenebris damnata nomina in sacris literis legantur.
Rhenf. de Sethian. n. 63, 64, 65. p. 192, 193. V. n. 65. p.
192, 193. Vide et n. 63, 64.
d2 Pet. ii. 14, 15.

e Jude 11.
f 2 Pet. ii. 4, 8, and Jude v. 5, 6.
* Vide Iren. lib. 1. cap. 30. [al. 34.] n.
h H. 39. n. 2, 3. P. 284, 286.

8, 9, 10.

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