have made no difficulty of eating things facrificed to idols, though nothing can be more expressly forbidden than this practice is in the New Teftament; as it makes one of the four articles of things prohibited to the Gentile converts by an affembly of all the apostles, is most pointedly argued against by Paul, in his epiftles to the Corinthians, and is likewife feverely reprehended in the book of Revelation.

In the dialogue of Juftin Martyr, Trypho fays, that many who were called chrif"tians ate of things facrificed to idols, and "faid there was no harm in it." But it appears by Justin's answer, that they were Gnoftics*. Irenæus fays of the Valentinians, that," without diftinction, they ate "of things facrificed to idols, not thinking "themfelves defiled by them, and were the "firft to attend the feafts in honour of the

heathen godst." The Nicolaitans alfo

* Και ο τρύφων, και μην πολλές των τον Ιησεν λεγονίων ομολογειν, καὶ λεγομένων χρισιανων, πυνθανομαι εθιειν τα ειδωλόθυτα, και μηδεν εκ τελος βλάπίεσθαι λεγειν. Ρ. 207:

+ Και γαρ ειδωλοθυία αδιαφόρως εθιεσι μηδε μολύνεσθαι υπ' αυτό ηγόμενοι. και επι πασαν εορίασιμον των εθνων τερψιν εις τιμην των ειδωλων γινομένην πρωτοι συνίασιν, Lib. 1. cap. I. p. 30.

Auftin fays, facrificed to idols, and did not oppose the Gentile fuperftitions *.

Upon the whole, this doctrine of the non-obligation of martyrdom, and the practice of facrificing to idols, is fo generally laid to the charge of the Gnoftics, and it is fo confonant to their other principles, that it is impoffible not to give fome credit to the accounts. It is evident, however, that the charge was not univerfally true. Some Marcionites, in particular, had so great a value for the gofpel, and held the obligation. of truth fo facred, that they fuffered martyrdom rather than renounce their profeffion of christianity. In Eufebius the Marcionites are faid to have boafted of many martyrs; and particular mention is made by him of one Afclepius, a Marcionite martyr .

*Hi nec ab iis quæ idolis immolantur cibos fuos feparant, et alios ritus gentilium fuperftitionum non adverfantur. Catalogus Hær. vol. 6. p. 14.

+ Και πρώτοι γε οι απο της Μαρκίωνος αιρεσεως Μαρκιωνίσαι καλά μενοι, πλείσες οσες εχειν χρισε μαρίερας λεγεσιν· αλλα τον γε χρισον αυλον καλα αληθειαν εκ ομολογεσι Hi . lib. 5.

De Martyribus Paleftine, cap. 10.

cap. 16. p. 232.

p. 426.

We

We may learn from the New Testament, that fome perfons profeffing chriftianity did not, for fome time at least, refrain from eating things facrificed to idols, or from fornication. But though this might be from want of confideration, rather than from principle, the apostle Paul does not fail to expoftulate with them with peculiar earneftness on the fubject. See 1 Cor. x. 20. 2 Cor. vi. 16. See alfo what he obferves concerning the neceffity of all who would walk godly in Chrift Jefus, fuffering perfecution, 2 Tim. iii. 10. with the enumeration of his own fufferings in feveral places, which feems to allude to the contrary principles and practices of others.

There are alfo perfons characterized by holding the doctrine of Balaam, both in the fecond epistle of Peter, the epiftle of Jude, and the book of Revelation; and in this book, chap. ii. 14. they are defcribed as teaching to eat things facrificed to idols, as well as to commit fornication. It is probable, that they were all the fame clafs of perfons, and that they were Gnoftics, who held thefe principles. The particular commendation

mendation given to the martyr Antipas, in this book, ch. ii. 13. and the reproof given to the church of Thyatira, for fuffering a perfon called Jezebel to teach, and to feduce perfons to eat things facrificed to idols, chap. ii. 20. fhews that there were of these Gnoftics when that book was written.

Alfo the folemn promife at the conclufion of each of the epiftles to the feven churches, of efpecial favour to those who fhould overcome, plainly points out the obligation that christians were under to maintain the truth at the hazard of their lives. Nothing can more clearly prove this obligation on all chriftians, than our Lord's own doctrine and example, Matt. x. 39. He that findeth his life fhall lofe it, and he that lofeth his life for my fake fhall find it. But his own death, with refpect to which we are particularly exhorted to follow his example, is the strongest sanction that he could give to his precept on this head.

Indeed, nothing but the fenfe of this obligation, to maintain the profeffion of our faith in all events, could have fecured the prevalence of christianity in the world,

and

and have enabled it to triumph over all the obftacles that it had to encounter. Nothing elfe could have been fo well calculated to give mankind in general such a full perfuafion of the fincerity of chriftians, and of their high fenfe of the importance of the gospel, and confequently, to procure a proper attention to its principles, and gain converts to it.

The Gnoftics difbelieved the Refurrection. ALL the Gnoftics, without exception,

from those who made their appearance in the time of the apoftles, down to the Manicheans, difbelieved the refurrection. They held matter and the body in fuch abhorrence, that they could not perfuade themselves that the foul was to be incumbered with it any longer than in this life. But they did not, therefore, give up all belief of future rewards and punishments. They believed the immortality of the foul;

and