 |
Heretic
means “one who chooses,” and heresy means simply “a
choice.” A heretic is one who chooses his own creed, and does not adopt
the creed authorised by the national church. (Greek, hairesis,
choice.)
HERETICS OF THE FIRST CENTURY were the Simonians (so called
from Simon Magus), Cerinthians (Cerinthus), Ebionites
(Ebion), and Nicolaitans (Nicholas, deacon of Antioch).
SECOND CENTURY: The Basilidians (Basilides), Carpocratians
(Carpocrates), Valentinians (Valentinus), Gnostics
(Knowing Ones), Nazarenes, Millenarians, Cainites (Cain),
Sethians (Seth), Quartodecimans (who kept Easter on the
fourteenth day of the first month), Cerdonians (Cerdon),
Marcionites (Marcion), Montanists (Montanus), Tatianists
(Tatian), Alogians (who denied the “Word”), Artotyrites
(q.v.), and Angelies (who worshipped angels).
Tatianists belong to the third or fourth century. The Tatian of the
second century was a Platonic philosopher who wrote Discourses
in good Greek; Tatian the heretic lived in the third or fourth century,
and wrote very bad Greek. The two men were widely different in every
respect, and the authority of the heretic for “four gospels” is of no
worth.
THIRD CENTURY: The Patri-passians, Arabaci, Aquarians, Novatians,
Origenists (followers of Origen), Melchisedechians (who
believed Melchisedec was the Messiah), Sabellians (from
Sabellius), and Manicheans (followers of Mani).
FOURTH CENTURY: The A'rians (from Arius), Colluthians
(Colluthus), Macedonians, Agne'tæ, Apollinarians (Apollinaris),
Timotheans (Timothy, the apostle), Collyridians (who offered
cakes to the Virgin Mary), Seleucians (Seleucius),
Priscillians (Priscillian), Anthropomorphites (who ascribed
to God a human form), Jovinianists (Jovinian), Messalians,
and Bonosians (Bonosus).
FIFTH CENTURY: The Pelagians (Pelagius), Nestorians
(Nestorius), Eutychians (Eutychus), Theo-paschites (who
said all the three persons of the Trinity suffered on the cross).
SIXTH CENTURY: The Predestinarians, Incorruptibilists (who
maintained that the body of Christ was incorruptible), the new
Agnoe'tæ (who maintained that Christ did not know when the day of
judgment would take place), and the Monothelites (who maintained
that Christ had but one will).
Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894 More on Heretic from Infoplease:
|
|
