stood it of the transmigration of souls, which was a doctrine very common in those days. Others, in short have asserted, that Hymenæus and Philetus believed that the resurrection was already past, because some persons came out of their graves when our blessed Saviour rose again. But St. Augustin seems to have dived into their meaning better than any other. Some persons, saith he, finding it frequently mentioned by the Apostles, that we are dead and risen again with Christ, and not well apprehending the meaning of these expressions, have imagined that the resurrection was already past, and that there was to be no other at the end of the world. Such were, as the same Apostle tells us, HYMENÆUS and PHILETUS*, &c. That is, they acknowledged no other resurrection than the spiritual one, namely regeneration, or a change from a vicious to a virtuous course of life. However it be, as this doctrine was very pernicious in itself, and directly contrary to the gospel, one of the chief articles whereof is the resurrection, we have no reason to wonder at the severity St. Paul exercised towards those that promoted it, and especially towards Hymenæus, whom he delivered unto Satan, that is, excommunicated. We have likewise no reason to be surprised at the great progress it made in the world, as we are told by the same Apostle, since it favoured men's corrupt inclinations. The same Apostle ranks one Alexander among those that had made shipwreck of their faith". It is, in all likelihood, the same that is elsewhere called Alexander the copper-smith, and who had caused St. Paul much trouble. He places likewise among those apostates Phygellus and Hermogenes, who are mentioned in no other place. Though St. Paul does not charge them with any error, it is notwithstanding very probable that they did not forsake him till they had forsaken his (9) Epist. 55. * See our note on 2 Tim. ii. 18. (i) 2 Tim. iv. 14. doctrine. Tertullian, when writing against another Hermogenes, accuses the apostical Hermogenes (as he styles him) of heresy. Diotrephes, that ambitious man, who cast malicious and virulent reflections upon the Apostles, is likewise ranked among the heresiarchs'. The author of this accusation is indeed too modern to be relied on ". We may however easily guess, from the description St. John gives of him, that he was one of those false teachers whom St. Paul complains of". As for Demas, who accompanied him for some time, and afterwards forsook him, he is only charged with having loved this present world. St. Epiphanius hath accused him, but without any proof, of believing that JESUS CHRIST was only a mere man. From all that hath been said, one may easily judge, that the Apostles were exposed to more troublesome persecutions from those heretics and false brethren, than from the Jews and heathens themselves, though it must be owned they were not attended with so many acts of cruelty. But martyrdom added a lustre to the church, whereas by heresies it was disfigured and disgraced. After all, we ought not to think it strange that so many heresies should arise even in the time of the Apostles. For, 1. This is what was foretold by JESUS CHRIST, as well as by St. Paul and St. Peter*. 2. St. Paul says, that there must needs be heresies?. Whereby we are not to understand an absolute necessity. But the Apostle's meaning is only this, that, considering the corruption and perverseness of men, heresies are unavoidable; just as when our Saviour said, Offences must needs come. But waving this consideration, it is only reflecting on the state and condition of those that (k) Tertul. contr. Hermog. init. (m) Beda ad loc. (1) 3 John 9, 10. (q) Matt. xviii. 7. at first embraced the gospel, to discover that it was next to impossible but that sects and heresies should arise. The Jews coming out of the synagogue, brought the same spirit into the church. And the different sects that were among them, proved so many seeds of dissention and discord. Such of the Sadducees as embraced Christianity were not easily brought to believe the resurrection. The Pharisees being extremely zealous for the ceremonial law, and their own traditions could not but give the Christian religion some tincture of this zeal. The Cabala gave birth to the monstrous opinions of the Eones. The heathens, on the other hand, that had been brought up in the schools of the philosophers, introduced into the Christian institution, the subtleties of the Platonic philosophy, and of the other sects". Perhaps also the disputes that happened between them might occasion a mixture, or rather a confusion of ideas, which gave rise to ill-grounded and incoherent systems. There are besides in the Christian religion some truths that exceed human apprehension, and require such a degree of faith as new converts are not always capable of. Thus Cerinthus could not believe that JESUS CHRIST was born of a virgin, because he looked upon it as an impossible thing. The same religion recommends us to duties that seem contrary to men's natural inclinations. And this was enough to make Simon and the gnostics reckon martyrdom as a piece of weakness and folly*. As in those early times there was no canon of the books of the New Testament, and that besides all instruction was delivered viva voce, people were more apt to misunderstand, or forget things, than now, when they have them laid open before their eyes in a book. And even after the canon had been compiled, and ap (s) Iren. i. 25. (r) Tert. de An. c. 18. * Orig. contr. Cels. 1. vi. It was against this error of the gnostics that Tertullian wrote this book entitled Scorpiace. proved of by the church, some difficult passages might give rise to different notions, and even to sects, if this diversity of opinions was accompanied with perverseness and obstinancy, as it is generally known to be. Add to this, that copies of the sacred writings being then very scarce, there were persons that took the liberty of forging gospels as they thought fit. Lastly, This might be occasioned by a spirit of contradiction, and an ambitious desire of distinguishing one's self from the crowd, which as we have before observed, was the case of Diotrephes. 3. St. Paul shews of what use heresies may be to the church, namely, that they who are approved may be made manifest'. As in all numerous assemblies there will always be some wicked persons, that may for a long time conceal their pernicious dispositions, it is proper there should happen occasions of discovering and finding them out. Besides, as St. Chrysostom hath well observed", truth receives a great lustre by being opposed by falsehood. When there arose any false prophets under the Old Testament, it served only to render the true ones more illustrious. It is much the same with men as with trees, when they have once taken deep root, they grow the stronger by being shaken with storms and tempest. Had the truths of the gospel been exposed to no manner of contradiction, men might insensibly have fallen into an ignorance or neglect of them. But their being contradicted, hath induced Christians to collect all their stock of knowledge, strength and assistance, in order to defend them against their adversaries. (t) 1 Cor. xi. 19. (u) Chrys. in Acta Hom. 54. OF THE VERSIONS OF THE NEW The ancient versions of the New Testament may also serve to clear several passages in it, because most of them were made, if not from the originals themselves, at least from more ancient copies than any we now have, as St. Augustin hath observed ". The same author tells us, that even in the earliest times of Christianity, several had attempted to translate, as well as they could, the Greek text of the Old and New Testament. But among all these versions, he prefers that which he calls the Italic*, undoubtedly because it was made in Italy, or for the use of the Latins. As it was The Italic used in the church till the sixth century, Version. there are several fragments of it extant in the quotations of those Latin fathers that wrote before that time. There are some parts of it to be seen in the margins of some ancient manuscripts. Dr. Mills supposes that it was done by several hands in the second century, by order of pope Pius I. who was an Italian t. To this version succeeded that of St. Jerom, which commonly goes under the name of the The Vulgate. Vulgate. This father having observed that the Italic version was extremely faulty, and that there was a vast difference between the copies that were dispersed in the world, undertook towards the end of the fourth century, by order of pope Damascus, to revise this translation, and render it more conformable to the (a) Aug. de Doctr. Chr. ii. 11, 15. *St. Jerom calls it the Common and Vulgar. Great, the Ancient. Gregory the ↑ Dr. Mills Proleg. fol. 41, etc. You have there an account of the qualities of this version; and how far it may be of use for discovering the true reading of the original Greek. |