Dr. Lardner obferves (Credibility, vol. 2. p. 819.) that the Clementine Homilies and Recognitions deferve a more particular examination than has yet been given to them. And indeed, in the view in which I have mentioned them, and alfo, in many others, they are justly intitled to it; as they contain a particular account of the opinions of those tines, especially of the manner in which christianity was treated and defended by philofophers. More may be learned concerning the theology and philofophy of those times, from this fingle work, than from many others. It is true that the philofophical doctrines in it are abfurd enough; but the age afforded no better, and they are exhibited in a very pleafing drefs.

ρω τον μέγαν αιώνα ως κεντρον πήξας, ο ερανόν εφάπλωσας, καὶ γην πίλωσας, ὕδωρ ταμιευσας, αερα εν ερανω διαθείς, πηγας γη βρυσας, καρπες εκφυσας, όρη ύψωσας, θαλασσαν περιορίσας, ανεμες τε και πνευμαλα διαλαξας - ο τό περιεχον σώμα εν απείρω πελαγει πνευματι βελης ασφαλής ασφαλισαμενος. Hom. 2. feat.

45. P. 632.

VOL. III.

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SEC

SECTION. II.

Direct Evidence in Favour of the Gentile Chriftians having been generally Unitarians.

BUT there is no occafion to argue in this

manner from circumftances, and the nature of the thing, fince it appears from the evidence of all history, fo as never to have been questioned by any writer of reputation, that the unitarians had not any places of worship separate from thofe of other chriftians in early times. It was allowed by Mofheim, a zealous trinitarian, who says, (Hift. vol. 1. p. 191) "However, ready many "have been to embrace this erroneous doc"trine, it does not appear that this sect "formed to themselves a feparate place of

worship, or removed themselves from "the ordinary affemblies of chriftians." But does it not alfo follow from the fame fact, that these unitarians were not expelled from christian focieties by others, as they certainly would have been, if they had been confidered as heretics?

"In

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"In former times," fays Nicephorus, all who were called chriftians, though they held different opinions, being confi"dered in the fame light by the Gentiles, "and fuffering from them, made little ac"count of their differences, while they were expofed to equal hardships, on which ac"count they eafily joined in the common

affemblies; and having frequent inter"courfe, while they were few in number, "did not divide into parties *." In these circumstances, however, the Gnoftics held feparate affemblies, and as the violence of perfecution did not make the orthodox receive them into their affemblies, fo neither would they have admitted the unitarians, if they had been at all obnoxious to them.

That unitarians were included among those who, holding different opinions, were

* Επι μεν γαρ των ανω χρονων οσοι κλησει χριςε εσεμνυνονίο ει, κα διαφοροι ταις δόξαις ησαν, ισοι πανίες προς των τα Ελληνων θαυμαζον· των ενόμιζονίο· καὶ κακως εξ εκείνων πασχονίες, απολυπραγμονήίον το διακρινεσθαι είχον, κοινας υφισαμενοι συμφορας· δια τι κὶ ρατα και εαυίες συνιονίες, εκκλησιαζον · πυκνην τε την ομιλαν εχοντες, ει δε ολιγοί ησαν, όμως εκ εις πολλα διελύθησαν. Hift. lib. 8. cap. 52. vol. I. p. 661.

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confidered by the orthodox as fellow chriftians, is evident from the following paf-, fage of Origen; but it will be more evident from other paffages which I shall, have occafion to quote from him hereafter, It is only to be observed, that the unitarians are here described as being patripaffians; but these were only the more philo-, fophical of the unitarians, as I shall show in its proper place. "It is allowed," he fays, "that as in the great multitude of believers, "who admit of difference of opinion, there "are fome who fay that the Saviour is God "over all; but we do not fay fo, who be"lieve him when he faid, My Father is greater than I? *”

plains that Marcellus, one of them, even prefided in it, being then bishop of Ancyra *.

That Chryfoftom confidered almost all the christians as being unitarians in the age of the apostles has been fhewn already; and yet he says, that in their time there was no herefy t." This, however, could not be ftrictly true, because there were Gnoftics. in the time of the apoftles; but they were few compared with their numbers afterwards. On this account, it is faid by feveral of the ancients, that herefy began in the time of Adrian, when the most distinguished of the Gnostics made their appearance. Cyprian fays, that "the worst of the

* Των γαρ εἹεροδόξων, οι μεν, μη προειναι μηδε πρεπαρχειν τον υιον τι θες φανίες, ανθρωπον ενα αυτον τοις λοιποις ομοίον, υποθεμένοι εξ ανθρωπε, υιοθεσια τελμησθαι αυτον εφασαν, καὶ τελο δονίες, αθανατον και αλελευθ η αυλο τιμην καὶ δοξαν καὶ βασίλειον αιώνιον ωμολόγησαν. οι δε τον ανθρωπον αρνησαμενοι, υιον είναι θε8. θεον προονία υφεσησανίο· αλλ' οι μεν της εκκλησιας αλλοίριοι, μεχρι τοτείς πλάνης ελασαν· ο δε της εκκλησίας τ8 θες τοσούλοις καθηγησαμενος χρόνοις, την υπαρξιν αναι ρει τες υια το θεό, τω αύτε λειτοργησας θυσιατηρία. Contra Marcellum, vol. I. p. 33.

+ Τότε τοινον, ηνικα εκηρυτίον αυτοι κατά την οικεμένην άπασαν, αίρεσις εδεμια ην. Ser, 61. Opera, vol. 5. p. 809.