The first principles of the oriental philofophy feem perfectly confiftent with the dictates of reafon; for its first founder must undoubtedly have argued in the following manner: "There are many evils in this world, and men feem impelled by a natural instinct to the practice of those things which reason condemns; but that eternal mind, from which all spirits derive their existence, must be inacceffible to all kinds of evil, and alfo of a moft perfect and beneficent nature; therefore the origin of thofe evils, with which the universe abounds, must be fought fomewhere elfe than in the deity. It cannot refide in him who is all perfection; and therefore it must be without him. Now, there is nothing without or beyond the deity, but matter; therefore matter is the center and fource of all evil, of all vice." Having taken for granted these principles, they proceeded further, and affirmed, that matter was eternal, and derived its prefent form, not from the will of the fupreme God, but from the creating power of fome inferior intelligence, to whom the world and its inhabitants owed their existence. As a proof of this affertion, they alleged that it was incredible, that the fupreme deity, perfectly good, and infinitely removed from all evil, fhould either create or modify matter, which is effentially malignant and corrupt, or beftow upon it, in any degree, the riches of his wisdom and liberality. They were, however, aware of the infuperable difficulties that lay against their fyftem; for when they were called to explain, in an accurate and fatisfactory manner, how this rude and corrupt matter came to be arranged into fuch a regular and harmonious frame as that of the universe, and, particularly, how celeftial fpirits were joined to bodies formed out of its malignant mafs, they were fadly embarraffed, and found that the plaineft dictates of reafon declared their system incapable of defence. In this perplexity, they had recourfe to wild fictions and romantic fables, in order to give an account of the formation of the world, and the origin of mankind.

Those who, by mere dint of fancy and invention, endeavour to caft a light upon obfcure points, or to folve great and intricate difficulties, are feldom agreed about the methods of procceding, and, by a neceffary confequence, feparate into different fects. Such was the cafe of the oriental philofophers, when they fet themselves to explain the difficulties mentioned above. Some imagined two eternal principles from whence all things proceeded, the one prefiding over light, and the other over matter, and, by their perpetual conflict, explained the mixture of good and evil, that appears in the univerfe. Others maintained, that the being, which prefided over matter, was not an eternal principle, but a fubordinate intelligence, one of thofe whom the fupreme God produced from himself. They fuppofed that this

being was moved, by a fudden impulfe, to reduce to order the rude mass of matter, which lay excluded from the manfions of the deity, and alfo to create the human race. A third fort fell

upon a fyftem different from the two preceding, and formed to themselves the notion of a triumvirate of beings, in which the fupreme deity was diftinguished both from the material, evil principle, and from the creator of this fublunary world. Thefe, then, were the three leading fects of the oriental philofophy, which were fubdivided into various factions, by the difputes that arose, when they came to explain more fully. their refpective opinions, and to pursue them into all their monftrous confequences. These multiplied divifions were the natural and neceffary consequences of a system which had no folid foundation, and was no more, indeed, than an airy phantom, blown up by the wanton fancies of felf-fufficient men. And that thefe divifions did really fubfift, the history of the Chriftian fects, that embraced this philofophy, abundantly teftifies.

It is, however, to be observed, that as all these sects were founded upon one common principle, their divifions did not prevent their holding, in common, certain opinions concerning the deity, the universe, the human race, and feveral other subjects. They were all, therefore, unanimous in acknowledging the existence of an eternal nature, in whom dwelt the fulness of wisdom, goodness, and all other perfections, and of whom no mortal was able to form a complete idea. This great being was confidered by them, as a moft pure and radiant light, diffufed through the immenfity of fpace, which they called pleroma, a Greek word, which fignifies fullness; and they taught concerning him, and his operations, the following things: "The eternal nature, infinitely perfect and infinitely happy, having dwelt from everlafting in a profound folitude, and in a bleffed tranquillity, produced, at length, from itself, two minds of a different fex, which refembled their fupreme parent in the most perfect manner. From the prolific union of these two beings others arofe, which were alfo followed by fucceeding generations; so that, in process of time, a celeftial family was formed in the pleroma [k]. This divine progeny, being immutable in its nature, and above the power of mortality, was called, by the philofophers, con [1]," a term which fignifies, in the Greek lan

guage,

[(4) It appears highly probable, that the apostle Paul had an eye to this fantastic mythology, when, in the first chapter of his First Epistle to Timothy, v. 4. he exhorts him not to give heed to fables and endless GENEALOGIES; which minifter questions, &c.]

[ (/) The word air, or aon, is commonly used by the Greek writers, but in different fenfes. Its fignification in the Gnoftic fyftem is not ex

tremely

guage, an eternal nature. How many in number these cons were, was a point much controverted among the oriental fages.

"Beyond the mansions of light, where dwells the deity with his celeftial offspring, there lies a rude and unwieldy mass of matter, agitated by innate, turbulent, and irregular motions. One of the celeftial natures defcending from the pleroma, either by a fortuitous impulfe, or in confequence of a divine commiffion, reduced to order this unfeemly mafs, adorned it with a rich variety of gifts, created men, and inferior animals of different kinds to flore it with inhabitants, and corrected its malignity by mixing with it a certain portion of light, and also of a matter celeftial and divine. This creator of the world is dif tinguished from the fupreme deity by the name of demiurge. His character is a compound of fhining qualities, and infupportable arrogance; and his exceffive luft of empire effaces his talents and his virtues. He claims dominion over the new world he has formed, as his fovereign right; and, excluding totally the fupreme deity from all concernment in it, he demands from mankind, for himself and his aflociates, divine honours,"

tremely evident, and feveral learned men have defpaired of finding out its true meaning. Alw, or aon, among the ancients, was used to fignify the age of man, or the duration of human life. In aftertimes it was employed by philofophers to exprefs the duration of spiritual and invifible beings. These philofophers ufed the word x, as the measure of corporeal and changing objects; and alov, as the measure of fuch as were immutable and eternal. And as God is the chief of thofe immutable beings, which are fpiritual, and confequently not to be perceived by our outward fenfes, his infinite and eternal duration was expreffed by the term air, or on, and that is the fenfe in which that word is now commonly understood. It was, however, afterwards attributed to other fpiritual and invifible beings; and the oriental philofo. phers, who lived about the time of Chrift's appearance upon earth, and made use of the Greek language, underflood by it the duration of eternal and immutable things, the space or period of time, in which they exist. Nor did the variations, through which this word paffed, end here: from expreffing only the duration of beings, it was by a metonymy employed to fignify the beings themselves. Thus the fupreme being was called av, or con; and the angels diftinguifhed alfo by the title of cons. All this will lead us to the true meaning of that word among the Gnoftics. They had formed to themselves the notion of an invifible and spiritual world, compofed of entities or virtues, proceeding from the fupreme being, and fucceeding each other at certain intervals of time, fo as to form an eternal chain, of which our world was the terminating link; a notion of eternity very different from that of the Platonists, who reprefented it as fable, permanent, and void of fucceffion. To the beings that formed this eternal chain, the Gnoftics affigned a certain term of duration and a certain sphere of action. Their terms of duration were, at firft, called aves, and they themselves were afterwards metonymically diftinguished by that title.]

"Man

"Man is a compound of a terreftrial and corrupt body, and a foul which is of celeftial origin, and, in fome meafure, an emanation from the divinity. This nobler part is miferably weighed down and encumbred by the body, which is the feat of all irregular lufts and impure defires. It is this body that feduces the foul from the pursuit of truth, and not only turns it from the contemplation and worship of the fupreme being, fo as to confine its homage and veneration to the creator of this world, but also attaches it to terreftrial objects, and to the immoderate purfuit of fenfual pleafures, by which its nature is totally polluted. The fovereign mind employs various means to deliver his offspring from this deplorable fervitude, especially, the miniftry of divine meffengers whom he fends to enlighten, to admonish, and to reform the human race. In the mean time, the imperious demiurge exerts his power in oppofition to the merciful purpose of the fupreme being, refifts the influence of thofe folemn invitations, by which he, exhorts mankind to return to him, and labours to efface the knowledge of God in the minds of intelligent beings. In this conflict, fuch fouls, as, throwing off the yoke of the creators and rulers of this world, rife to their fupreme parent, and fubdue the turbulent and finful motions, which corrupt matter excites within them, fhall, at the diffolution of their mortal bodies, afcend directly to the pleroma. Thofe, on the contrary, who remain in the bondage of fervile fuperftition, and corrupt matter, fhall, at the end of this life, pafs into new bodies, until they awake from their finful lethargy. In the end, however, the fupreme God fhall come forth victorious, triumph over all oppofition, and, having delivered from their fervitude the greatest part of those fouls that are imprisoned in mortal bodies, fhall diffolve the frame of this vifible world, and involve it in a general ruin. After this folemn period, primitive tranquillity fhail be restored in the univerfe, and God fhall reign with happy fpirits, in undisturbed felicity, through the everlasting ages.

In treating of the feditions and herefies which troubled the church during the first century, our Author tells us, that the Christian church was fcarcely formed, when, in different places, there started up certain pretended reformers, who, not fatisfied with the fimplicity of that religion which was taught by the apostles, meditated changes of doctrine and worship, and fet up a new religion, drawn from their own licentious imaginations. The influence of thefe new teachers, we are told, was but inconfiderable at firft. During the lives of the apoftles, their attempts towards the perverfion of Chriftianity were attended with little fuccefs, and the number of their followers was exceeding fmall. They, however, acquired credit and ftrength by degrees; and even, from the firft dawn of the gofpel, laid, imperceptibly,

perceptibly, the foundation of those sects, whofe animofities and difputes produced afterwards such trouble and perplexity in the Chriftian church. The true ftate of thefe divifions, our Author fays, is more involved in darkness than any other part of ecclefiaftical hiftory; and this obfcurity proceeds partly from the want of ancient records, partly from the abftrule and unintelligible nature of the doctrines that distinguished these various fects; and finally, from the ignorance and prejudices of those, who have tranfmitted to us the accounts of them, which are yet extant. Of one thing indeed, continues he, we are certain, and that is, that the most of these doctrines were chimerical and extravagant in the highest degree; and fo far from containing any thing that could recommend them to a lover of truth, that they rather deserve to occupy a place in the history of human delufion and folly.'

Among the various fects that troubled the tranquillity of the Christian church, the leading one, we are told, was that of the Gnoftics. Thefe enthufiaftic and felf-fufficient philofophers boafted of their being able to reftore mankind to the knowledge (gnofis) of the true and fupreme being, which had been lost in the world. They alfo foretold the approaching defeat of the evil principle, to whom they attributed the creation of this globe, and declared, in the most pompous terms, the deftruction of his affociates, and the ruin of his empire. An opinion has prevailed, derived from the authority of Clemens the Alexandrian, that the first rife of the Gnoftic fect is to be dated after the death of the apoftles, and placed under the reign of the Emperor Adrian; and it is also alledged, that, before this time, the church enjoyed a perfect tranquillity, und fturbed by diffentions or fects of any kind. But the smallest degree of attention to the language of the holy fcriptures, not to mention the authority of other ancient records, will, our Author fays, prevent our adopting this groundless notion. For, from several paffages of the facred writings, he tells us, it evidently appears, that, even in the first century, the general meeting of Chriftians was deserted, and separate affemblies formed in feveral places, by perfons infected with the gnoftic herefy; though, at the fame time, it must be acknowledged, that this pernicious fect was not confpicuous, either for its number or reputation, before the time of Adrian. The Doctor thinks it proper to obferve here, that, under the general appellation of Gnoftics, are comprehended all thofe, who, in the firft ages of Chriftianity, corrupted the doctrine of the gospel by a profane mixture of the tenets of the oriental philofophy, (concerning the origin of evil, and the creation of the world) with its divine truths.

As the account which our learned Author gives of the several fects which fprung from the oriental philofophy is, in our opi