Imatges de pàgina
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'neither Christians, nor Jews, nor heathens, but so compounded of each one as to be nothing at all. They are said to have another little book ascribed to the brother of Elxai. They profess to believe one God, whom they worship with certain washings or purifications. They adhere to the Jews in all things. Some of them abstain from animal food. They are not unwilling to lay down their life for one of the family of Elxai. They neither receive the prophets nor the apostles, and are all over in error. Water is esteemed by them as if it were God and ⚫ the fountain of life. They confess Christ in words, but they think him a creature, and that he has often appeared; and that he first formed the body of Adam, and that he puts it on, or clothes himself with it, whenever he pleaseth; him they call Christ; and the Holy Spirit they say is his sister, making him a woman. And many other ridiculous opinions they have among them.'

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SECTION IV.

Of the Ossens, who were the same with the Elcesaites, called also Sampsaans; their Time

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and Opinions.

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As the sect of the Ossens were closely connected with the Elcesaites, and regarded Elxai with veneration, it will be proper to speak of them in this place. They are reckoned by Epiphanius to be a Jewish sect: but it will appear that they were Christians, and the same with the Sampsæans or Elcesaites. The Ossens,' says Epiphanius, agree with the forementioned, (viz. the Nazarenes.) They are Jews, as well as the foregoing: they are said to have had their original in the country of Nabatis, and Iturea, and Moab, and Areil, which lie beyond the valley of Salt. To these joined himself Elxai in the time of the emperor Trajan, after the coming of our Saviour. He was a false prophet. He composed a book after the manner of • a prophecy, as if it had been a work containing divine wisdom. They likewise say he had a brother named Jexe, or Jexeus. He was an impostor of the Jewish nation, and pretended to ⚫ have a zeal for Jewish rites, but yet lived not himself according to the law. He taught men to swear by salt, water, the earth, bread, and heaven, and the air, and the wind. Sometimes he speaks of seven other witnesses; namely, heaven, water, and spirits, and holy angels of "prayer, and oil, and salt, and the earth. He is an enemy to virginity, condemns continency, and compels men to marry.'

He has some fancies which he recommends as a revelation. He teaches men to be hypocrites, and says "it is no sin to worship idols in time of persecution, provided it be done with the mouth only, and not with the heart." Epiphanius afterwards adds: he therefore long "'ago joined himself to the forementioned heresy of the Ossens, of whom there are still remains in that same country of Nabatis and Peræa, and in the country of the Moabites, which are now. called Sampsaans. He forbids to pray towards the east, but says that every where we ought to pray looking towards Jerusalem. And yet,' as Epiphanius writes, he condemns sacrifices, and denies they were ever appointed of God. He respected water, but not fire, and spake of, the Holy Spirit as female.

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Epiphanius further relates of Elxai, that he had great respect paid him by the followers of four sects, who in some measure borrowed from him, viz. the Ebionites, two sorts of Naza

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Η Ούτος μεν εν άνω συνήπται τη προειρημένη αίρεσει τη TOY Οσσήνων καλεμένη, ἧς επί λείψανα και δεύρο υπάρχει εν τη αυτη Ναβατιδι γη, τη και Περαία προς τη Μωαζίτιδι, όπερ γενος νυνι Σαμψαίων καλείται. Ibid. No. 2. p. 40. D.

1 Κωλύει δε εις ανατολας ευξασθαι, φάσκων μη δειν poreχειν έτως, επι τα Ιεροσόλυμα δε έχειν το πρόσωπον εκ πάντων μέρων. κ. τ. λ. Ibid. No. 3. p. 42. A. B.

* Είναι δε και το άγιον πνευμα και αυτό θήλειαν. Ibid. No. 4. p. 42. C.

1 Και κεχρηνται αυτῷ τέσσαρες αίρεσεις, επειδη θελγονται Tη AUT8 wλavņ. Ibid. No. 5. p. 43. D.

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renes, and the Ossens.' He further says of him, that on his joining himself to the Ebionites, they altered their opinion in some measure concerning Christ, believing him to be Adam, or at least that he was the former of Adam's body, and assumed it whenever he pleased.' From Elxai also these Ebionites are said by Epiphanius to have learnt their silly notions concerning the great height, and breadth, and thickness of the bodies of Christ, and of the Holy Spirit; and 'to have imbibed their doctrines principally from those countries where Elxai and his followers 'flourished.'

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The foregoing passages contain all which Epiphanius says of Elxai, under the Ossen and Ebionitish heresies.

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In that part where Epiphanius speaks of him under the article Ossens, there occurs a vile reflection. He says that Elxai calls Christ a great king;' but he adds, he does not know whether he means our Lord Jesus Christ or another;' and the reason he gives for his ignorance seems to be because Elxai forbade men to worship towards the East, and enjoined them every where to worship towards Jerusalem. A sufficient foundation truly on which to rest such a malicious insinuation, which amounts at last only to this, that the object of superstitious regard, towards which this holy father, and his heretical opponent, were to turn their faces in time of divine worship, might happen to be in opposite points of the compass.

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Austin is only remarkable for the time in which he places this sect, being the thirty-second in his catalogue of ninety heresies; whereas in Epiphanius it is the fifty-third, though he reckons no more than eighty in the whole. What Austin says of them is copied from Epiphanius's Recapitulation. He also mentions them under the article Ebionites, referring again to Epiphanius.

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Theodoret speaks of them in the following manner: the Elcesæans, who are so called from one Elcesai, who set up this heresy, having borrowed divers fictions from several other heresies, thus formed their peculiar error:

In their opinions concerning the principle of all things they agree with us, for they say there is one unbegotten Being, and him they call the master of all things. But they do not 'teach one Christ, but one above, and another below; and him they represent to have dwelled in many formerly, and at last to have descended. Sometimes they acknowledge that Jesus is 'from God; at other times they say he is a spirit. Sometimes they say he had a virgin for his mother; but in other of their writings they do not own so much as this. They believe him to transmigrate into other bodies, and every time to appear differently.

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They use songs and invocations of dæmons, and washings in the consecration of the elements. They profess to follow astrology and magic, and the mathematical error, and call themselves prognosticators. They have rejected the apostle altogether, and have composed a

a The latter Nazarenes, which is one of the four sects mentioned by Epiphanius, are perhaps the same with the Sampseans, or Elcesaites. Le Clerc was of this opinion, for he says, Vult idem (Epiphanius) Elxæo magistro usas quatuor Hæreses, Ossenos, Ebionæos, Nazaræos posteriores et Sampsæos. His. Eccles. p. 535. No. 3. He thinks indeed that Epiphanius trifles egregiously in making two sorts of Nazarenes. Ibid. p. 538. No. 9. and p. 539. 12.

b Ταχα δε οιμαι απο τα συναφθήναι αυτοίς Ηλξαιον τον ψευδοπροφήτην ώς εκείνος φαντασίαν τινα περι Χρισε διηγείται και περι πνεύματος άγιο. Τινες γαρ εξ αυτών και Αδαμ του Χρισον είναι λεγεσιν ερχεσθαι δε ενταυθα ότε βυλεται, ὡς και εν τῳ Αδαμ ήλθε. Ad. Hær. 36. No. 3. p. 127. Α.

• Και πρώτον μεν πεπλασθαι αυτόν το σώμα το Αδαμ, και waλiv Evduertaι iтe Beλeтai. Adv. Hær. 53. No. 1. p. 461. D. 4 Το δε Ηλξαι την φαντασίαν ώςε νομίζειν μεν τον Χρισον ειναι τι ανδροεικελον εκτύπωμα αερατον ανθρωποις μιλίων εννενή κοντα ἐξ το μήκος, δήθεν σχοινων εικοσιτεσσάρων, το δε πλατος σχοινων ἑξ μιλίων εικοσιτεσσάρων, το παχος δε κατα μετρησιν AλλŋY TIYA. H. 7. λ. Adv. Hær. 30. No. 17. p. 141. D.

• Τας δε ρίζας των ακανθώδων παραφυάδων εχεσιν από της Ναβατέας και Πανέαδος το πλείςον, Μωαβιτιδος δε. κ. τ. λ. Ibid. No. 18. p. 142. A.

• Αλλα και παλιν δήθεν μεν Χρισον ονόματι ὁμολογεί, λεγων ότι Χρισος ὁ μέγας βασιλεύς" αν μην πάνυ γε κατείληφα, εκ

περι το Κύριο ημών Ιησε Χρισε υφηγήσατο ετε γαρ τετα ὁρίζει, Χρισον δε άπλως λεγεί, ὡς, ἐξ ὧν κατειληφαμεν, τινα ἕτερον σημαίνων η προσδοκών κωλυει γαρ εις ανατολήν εύξασε Ox. x. T. λ. Adv. Hær. 19, No. 3. p. 41. D. 42. A.

8 Vide the Index of Heresies in the Preface to his Treatise on Heresies, Vol. 6. p. 4. col. 1. Ed. Ven. 1570.

Elceseos et Sampseos hic tamquam ordine suo commemorat Epiphanius, quos dicit a quodam pseudoprophetâ esse, deceptos, qui vocabatur Elci, ex cujus genere duas mulieres. tanquam Deas ab eis perhibet adoratas. Catera Hebionis tenere similia. De Hæres. vol. 6. cap. 32. p. 6. col. 1. Ed, Ven. 1570.

Huic hæresi Epiphanius Sampseos et Elceseos ita copulat, ut sub eodem numero, tamquam una sit hæresis, ponat;: aliquid tamen interesse significans. Ibid. cap. 10. p. 5. col. 1. * Οἱ δε Ελκεσαιος εκ τίνος Ελκεσαι, της αίρεσεως αρξαντος, την προσηγορίαν λαβοντες, εκ διαφόρων αιρεσεων μύθος ερανισ αμενοι, την οικείαν συντεθείκασι πλανην και τέτον δε παλιν μετενσωματωσίαι, και εις άλλα ιεναι σωματα λεγει, και καθ' ἕκασον καιρον διαφόρως δεικνυσθαι Επωδαις δε και δαιμονων επικλήσεσι και αυτοί κεχρηνται, και βαπτισμασιν επι τη TWY σοιχείων ὁμολογια αερολογίαν δε και μαγικήν και μαθηματ τικήν ήσπάζοντο πλάνην, και προγνωσικός ἑαυτές προσηγόρευον.. x. T. λ. Hær. Fab. lib. 2. cap. 7. p. 221, 2. Vol. 4. Paris Cramoisy, 1642.

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'certain book, which they say fell down from heaven. He who attends to this book will receive a remission of his sins, but a remission different from that which Christ bestowed. Against this heresy Origen has written well. But Alcibiades, of Apamea in Syria, has commended it.' Thus far Theodoret, on which it may be observed that Epiphanius does not mention any thing of their teaching two Christs, one above, and another below; unless a passage concerning Elxai before referred to, and introduced by him under the article Ebionites, may be thought to convey some such meaning. He had been representing Ebion as holding the opinion that Christ was born of the seed of Joseph, by ordinary generation; and his followers as differing in their sentiments concerning Christ, yet all of them entertaining some absurd and perplexed notions about him. He proceeds: But from the time that Elxai the false prophet joined him'self to them, who was followed by those that are called Sampsæans, Ossens, and Elcesaites, they have adopted certain fancies from him concerning Christ and the Holy Spirit. For some of them say that Christ was Adam, meaning he that was first formed by God, and animated 'with his breath. But others among them say that he is from above, that he was created before *all things, and is a spirit: that he is superior to angels, that he is Lord of all, and is called Christ, and has obtained an inheritance there for ever: but that he comes here when he pleases, as he 'came in Adam, and as he appeared to the patriarchs, being clothed with a body: and that he who came to Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, was the same who appeared in these last days; * and that he assumed the very body of Adam, and that he was seen by men, and was crucified, * and was raised from the dead, and ascended into heaven. Again, when they please, they con*tradict all this, and say that that Spirit which was the Christ, came into, and clothed itself with him who is called Jesus. Thus there is much obscurity among them as to this point, since they ⚫ sometimes deliver one thing, and sometimes another, as their opinion about this matter.'

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This passage also illustrates what Theodoret mentions as part of their belief, viz. that Christ transmigrates into other bodies, and every time appears differently. Perhaps this might be only the consequence of their opinion as Unitarians, that God, or the divine power, appeared differently in the different manifestations of himself.

SECTION V.

Öf the Name of the Founder of this Sect, and of several Authors who mention him.

THEODORET calls this person Elcesai, whereas in the Synopsis of Epiphanius he is called Elxa, and in his larger work Elxai, or Elxaios. He owns this heresy was composed out of the opinion of several others, and speaks of it as past, using the preter tense; from whence one may conclude that the heresy was not then in being, but had become extinct long before, agreeable to what is said by Eusebius. Epiphanius does not charge them with magic, though Theodoret does. But in alleviation of this accusation, it is to be observed that the ancient fathers, as has been frequently mentioned, were very apt to charge those with this crime, who had any thing in their doctrines or rites which they did not well understand. Had this charge been true, it cannot be supposed that Epiphanius, who is not backward in attributing this to the heretics he mentions, and who lived much nearer their time than Theodoret, would have omitted it.

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Damascenus mentions these under the article Ebionites; and again under the article Sampsæi, and Elcesæi, saying they were called so from Elxa, which is the reading in Epiphanius's Synopsis, as observed before. He has also Marthus and Marthina, which is also the reading in Epiphanius's Synopsis; whereas the latter in every place in his larger work is Marthana. Which confirms what Cave says, that only the latter part of this work of Damascenus's De Hæresi

Vide page 685, note b.

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De Hæresibus, cap. 30. De Ebionais.

e Ibid. c. 53. De Sampsais et Elcesæis.

Pars posterior (Libri De Hæresibus) a Nestorianis incipiens, quæ sola Damasceno debetur. Pars enim prior nihil aliud nisi Epiphanii Anacephalæosis. Cave His. Liter. p. 411. Edit. Geneva, 1729.

bus, beginning from the Nestorians, is really his own, the other being a transcript of the Synopsis of Epiphanius. "

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Nicetas Chroniates speaks also of these heretics; but he plainly confounds Ossens with Essens; as Fleury also does in his Ecclesiastical History. Nicetas agrees with other authors in the main; but is not to be relied on unless other authors confirm what he says. There is still one author more referred to in Ittigius, viz. Nicephorus Callisti, who mentions them in his Ecclesiastical History.

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SECTION VI.

Of the time when he flourished according to modern Authors.

BARONIUS Speaks of these Anno 249, No. vii. Pagi speaks of them Anno 247, No. xii. Basnage places them under the year 104, No. iii. iv. v. vi. vii. viii.

Spondanus in his Epitome of Baronius places them under the year 105.

Tillemont speaks of them under their proper article of the heresy of the Elcesaites. And in his table of matters there are references to some other places, besides the article itself which belongs to these people. Thus he says that the Ebionites in joining themselves to them, altogether corrupted them in their manners.' Again, Elxai, the author of the Elcesaites, • made his appearance under Trajan.'

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Fleury, in the place before referred to, speaks of Elxai as joining himself to the Ossens under the reign of the emperor Trajan. He there gives a pretty large and full account of his peculiar tenets, from what Epiphanius says under the articles Ebionites and Ossens. But he speaks of the Elcesaitæ under the year 247, about the latter end of Philip's reign, * where he says, it was rather an old error new revived, than a new one, for it has a near affinity to that of Elxai in the reign of Trajan.'

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The time and duration of this heresy is much and justly enough disputed. According to Eusebius it died away soon after it sprang up, and its beginning was not long before Origen preached his homilies against the followers of this sect. For Origen's words, as before quoted from Eusebius, are that it was newly sprang up " against the churches.' Now this could not be long before the year 244," because it was not till that year that he permitted his Homilies to be taken down in writing. But Epiphanius on the other hand expressly says that they were called Elcesaians from one Elxaios or Elxai; and he assures us that Elxai flourished and joined himself to the Ossens, under the time of the emperor Trajan, which must be some time about or before the year 120, for in that year Trajan died.

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The following supposition may possibly reconcile this difference. Those who were holders of such tenets were not distinguished by the name of Elcesaites, or Elcesaians, till a little before the time when Origen preached against them, but went under the name Ossens or Ebionites; with the followers of both which sects Elxai had some connection, or at least they adopted some of

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1 His. Eccles. lib. 6. c. 38. p. 233.

Νεως, επανισαμένης τους εκκλησίαις.

" Ibid. cap. 36. p. 232. Credibility, Vol. i. p. 524. • Adv. Hær. 53. No. 1. p. 461. B. Edit. Petav. Either reading is indifferent, it being in the same page Hata and Hλaios. The followers of him are indeed called by Eusebius and Origen Exxeraïrwy; but Theodoret calls. them Exxeσai, as Epiphanius also does; and from what he says, it is evident he considered the Exxeraïrwy of Origen and Eusebius, as the same sect with the Exxɛσaw of Epiphanius. Though he called their founder Exxeral, and not Hλa or Halos. This small difference in the reading can afford no. room for a supposition that the founders or the people were different, since the same person is called by Epiphanius HA Ηλξαι, and Ηλξαιος.

9 Ibid. 19. No. 1. A. P. 40.

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his peculiar notions. Ittigius seems to have reckoned them a heresy of the third rather than of the second century; for it is his last in the second, and he speaks of it slightly.

Basnage is plainly of the same opinion: but he says he would not however depart from the Chronology of Epiphanius, because it is followed by very learned men; although he should rather be inclined to place this sect in the third century. In this place Basnage well argues that the Ossens of Epiphanius were Christians.

Tillemont had the same opinion of them, for he says the heretics which we call Elcesaites, were also called Ossenians, Sampseans and Amsenians.'

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Basnage thinks they were called Sampseni or Sampseans, from Sampsa a city of Arabia. Though Le Clerc, grounding upon what Epiphanius says, that the Sampseans are inter'preted to mean people that have some relation to the sun,' derives their name from a Hebrew word which signifies the sun. Scaliger had done the same before him, but very absurdly, as Basnage well shows, who observes that Epiphanius never accused them of worshipping the 'sun.' On the contrary, a passage in him plainly shews that the opinion and practice of Elxai their founder was directly opposite; for he thus introduces him instructing his disciples: My ⚫ children do not draw near to the appearance of fire, because this same thing is deceit, and will 'cause you to wander; for when you think it near, at the same time it is far off. Wherefore go not after its appearance, but follow rather the sound of water.' Agreeable to this he declared water to be good, but fire of an opposite nature.

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Mosheim places Elxai in the second century, and considers him as the author of the sect of the Elcesaites. He says he was a Jew, meaning I suppose of Jewish extraction, and, with Epiphanius, seems to doubt whether he and his followers are to be ranked among Christians.

SECTION VII.

Of the Duration of this Sect.

As to the continuance of them according to Epiphanius,' some of the Sampseans were still in being at the time he wrote, in Nabathis and Peræa, who regarded as divine persons two of the family of Elxai, viz. Marthus and Marthana, the latter of whom was living when he wrote, or at least had died but a little while before. This may be thought to contradict what has been quoted from Eusebius; but perhaps his words are not to be taken in their utmost extent, but may only be intended to inform us that, in consequence of the opposition it met with from Origen, this sect never spread much, and was chiefly confined to those places in the neighbourhood of Palestine where it took its rise at first; and that the followers of it were but few in number, and for the most part in great obscurity.

It seems indeed, from one of the passages last referred to, that their number was small; for

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it was some of the remains of the Ossens, who were still in being, and were called Sampseans.'

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