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A

PHILOSOPHICAL

DICTIONARY.

FROM THE FRENCH OF

M. DE VOLTAIRE.

Without Philosophy, we should be little above the animals that dig or erect their
habitations, prepare their food in them, take care of their little ones in their dwellings,
and have, besides, the good fortune, which we have not, of being born ready-clothed.
Article ANTIQUITY, Vol. 1. p. 89.

How charming is divine Philosophy!

Not harsh and crabbed, as dull fools suppose,

But musical as is Apollo's lute,

And a perpetual feast of nectar'd sweets,

Where no crude surfeit reigns.

MILTON'S COMUS, Scene 2.

IN TWO VOLUMES.

VOLUME THE SECOND.

WITH A FULL-LENGTH LIKENESS OF THE AUTHOR.

London:

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY W. DUGDALE,

16, HOLYWELL STREET, STRAND.

1843.

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HERESY.

SECTION I.

who entertained chosen opinions of their own? Those who had such opinions were undoubtedly criminal in the sight of God, since they were obstinate. They A GREEK word, signifying "belief, or will, therefore, as no one can possibly elected opinion." It is not greatly to the doubt, be burnt to all eternity in another honour of human reason, that men should world; but why burn them by a slow be hated, persecuted, massacred, or burnt fire in this? The sufferers have repreat the stake, on account of their chosen sented that such conduct is an usurpation opinions; but what is exceedingly little of the jurisdiction of God; that this punto our honour is, that this mischievous ishment is very hard and severe, conand destructive madness has been as pe-sidered as an infliction by men; and that culiar to us as leprosy was to the He-it is, moreover, of no utility, since one brews, or lues formerly to the Caribs. hour of suffering added to eternity is an absolute cypher.

We well know, theologically speaking, that heresy having become a crime, as even the word itself is a reproach; we well know, I say, that the Latin church, which alone can possess reason, has also possessed the right of reproving all who were of a different opinion from her own. On the other side, the Greek church bad the same right; accordingly, it reproved the Romans when they chose a different opinion from the Greeks on the procession of the Holy Spirit, the viands which might be taken in lent, the authority of the pope, &c. &c.

But upon what ground did any arrive finally at the conclusion that, when they were the strongest, they might burn those

VOL. II.-61

915

The pious inflicters, however, replied to these reproaches, that nothing was more just than to put upon burning coals whoever had a self-formed opinion; that to burn those whom God himself would burn, was in fact a holy conformity to God; and finally, that since, by admission, the burning for an hour or two was a mere cypher in comparison with eternity, the burning of five or six provinces for chosen opinions-for heresies-was a matter in reality of very little conse

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facts? It was, we must admit with sor-; row and humiliation, even among ourselves, and in the very same cities where nothing is minded but operas, comedies, balls, fashions, and intrigue.

Christians in general, for a long time, assumed the name of Nazarenes, and even the gentiles gave them no other appellations during the two first centuries. But there soon arose a particular school Unfortunately, it was a tyrant who in- of Nazarenes, who believed a gospel diftroduced the practice of destroying here- ferent from the four canonical ones. It tics. Not one of those equivocal tyrants has even been pretended that this gospel who are regarded as saints by one party, differed only very slightly from that of and monsters by another, but one Maxi- St. Matthew, and was in fact anterior to mus, competitor of Theodosius I., a de-it. St. Epiphanius and St. Jerome place cided tyrant, in the strictest meaning of the Nazarenes in the cradle of Christithe term, over the whole empire. anity.

He destroyed at Treves, by the hands of the executioner, the Spaniard Priscillian and his adherents, whose opinions were pronounced erroneous by some bishops of Spain. These prelates solicited the capital punishment of the Priscillianists with a charity so ardent, that Maximus could refuse them nothing. It was by no means owing to them that St. Martin was not beheaded as a heretic. He was fortunate enough to quit Treves, and escape back to Tours.

Those who considered themselves as knowing more than the rest, took the denomination of gnostics, “knowers ;" and this denomination was for a long time so honourable, that St. Clement of Alexan(dria, in his "Stromata," always calls the good Christians true gnostics. Happy are they who have entered into the gnostic holiness! He who deserves the name of gnostic, resists seducers, and gives to every one that asks.”

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The fifth and sixth books of the "StroA single example is sufficient to esta-mata" turn entirely upon the perfection blish a usage. The first Scythian who of gnosticism. scooped out the brains of his enemy, and made a drinking-cup of his skull, was followed by all the rank and consequence in Scythia. Thus was consecrated the practice of employing the executioner to cut off" opinions."

No such thing as heresy existed among the religions of antiquity, because they had reference only to moral conduct and public worship. When metaphysics became connected with Christianity, controversy prevailed; and from controversy arose different parties, as in the schools of philsoophy. It was impossible that metaphysics should not mingle the uncertainties essential to their nature with the faith due to Jesus Christ. He had himself written nothing; and his incarnation was a problem which the new Christians, whom he had not himself inspired, solved in many different ways. "Each," as St. Paul expressly observes, "had his peculiar party; some were for Apollos, others for Cephas."

The Ebionites existed incontestably in the time of the apostles. That name, which signifies "poor," was intended to express how dear to them was the poverty in which Jesus was born.

Cerinthus was equally ancient. The Apocalypse of St. John was attributed to him. It is even thought that St. Paul and he had violent disputes with each other.

It seems to our weak understandings very natural to expect from the first disciples a solemn declaration, a complete and unalterable profession of faith, which might terminate all past, and preclude any future quarrels; but God permitted it not so to be. The creed called the Apostles' Creed, which is short, and in which are not to be found the consubstantiality, the word trinity, or the seven sacraments, did not make its appearance } before the time of St. Jerome, St. Augustin, and the celebrated priest Rufinus. It was by this priest, the enemy of St.

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