Vespasian, who brought five thousand armed men. went and made war on the Jews for killing Jesus.

With them they

Jerusalem was taken with great slaughter. A search was made, and Veronica was found, who had the portrait of Jesus. When the emperor saw the portrait, he was immediately cured. And all the blind, the lepers, and those affected in divers ways, were healed.

Nathan then came forward, and baptized Tiberius, who ascended his throne, and publicly returned thanks to God.

THE NEWLY DISCOVERED ACTS OF PILATE. - A learned German, while traveling in Missouri, some years ago, became the guest of a clergyman by the name of W. D. Mahan, at Boonville. In conver

sation, he mentioned to this clergyman, that he had seen, in the Vatican Library, at Rome, the original Acts of Pilate.

After the German had left, Mr. Mahan, deeming the matter of great importance, wrote to him, in Europe, and at considerable expense, had the manuscript copied. He then published it, with the correspondence.

Afterward, the same document was published, under an arrangement with the proprietor, by Rev. George Sluter, A. M., of the Presbyterian Synod of Missouri.

The publication is preceded by a statement of the discovery and procuring of the document; an introduction, giving the references to the Acts of Pilate by Justin Martyr and Tertullian, and the subsequent comments of Eusebius. The volume contains, also, remarks and critical notes.

Without doubt, these clergymen are acting in good faith, and think they have obtained the orig

inal Acts of Pilate. There is none the less doubt that they are mistaken. One sentence alone is sufficient to show that the document published by them is of comparatively modern date; if indeed the whole affair is not an imposition upon them, by some astute adventurers.

When Pilate requested Jesus to be more circumspect in his language, while discoursing to the Jews, he is represented in this document, as replying to Pilate, as follows:

"Say to the torrent, Stop in the midst of the mountain home, because it will uproot the trees of the valley."--[Page 55, Sluter's Ed.

This, with considerable more of the same sort, is sufficient, without taking time with other reasons, to brand the document, not only as a forgery, but as a modern, and a vulgar one. Any person of but a small degree of literary skill, would have come nearer to the simple and impressive style of Jesus. "Brief and concise utterances," says Justin Martyr, "fell from him, for he was no sophist, but his word was the power of God."

CHAPTER XVIII.

WRITERS OF THE THIRD PERIOD.

MENANDER-SATURNINUS-BASILIDES-PRODICUS-ARISTI

DES

QUADRATUS-BARNABAS-AGRIPPA CASTOR

ARISTION -JOHN THE PRESBYTER. - ANONYMOUS WRITINGS. PROVERBS OF XYSTAS-PREACHING AND DOCTRINE OF PETER-TESTIMONY OF THE TWELVE PATRIARCHS-SIBYLLINE ORACLES -PREACHING OF PAUL-SYRIAC DOCUMENTS.

Most of the Christian writers of the second century who immediately succeeded the apostolic fathers, advocated doctrines which were afterward considered heretical.

"Heresy," says Dr. Lardner, "in Greek, hairesis, signifies election, or choice; and is used for any opinion which a man chooseth as best, or more probable."-[Works, vol. 4, p. 505.

Menander, Saturninus and Basilides, are generally classed together, by the orthodox fathers, and their heresies considered in the order here named.

MENANDER,-A. D. 120,

Is said to have been the fellow countryman and disciple of Simon Magus.' This is denied, however, by some. He is said to have aspired to the honor of being a Messiah, and one of the Eons,

(1.) Westcott, Canon, p. 252.

sent from the pleroma, or celestial regions, to succor souls oppressed by the demons of earth. He had a form of baptism in his own name. His influence continued for several centuries. He was written against by Justin Martyr, by Irenæus, Eusebius, and several others. Justin speaks of him as follows:

He per

"And a man, Menander, also a Samaritan, of the town of Capparetæa, a disciple of Simon, and inspired by devils, we know to have deceived many, while he was in Antioch, by his magical art. suaded those who adhered to him, that they should never die. And even now, there are some living, who hold this opinion of his." -[Apology, 1. 25.

SATURNINUS,-A. D. 125.

Saturninus, like Menander, held that there was one Father, unknown to all, who made angels, archangels, principalities and powers. He said the world and all things therein were made by a company of seven angels. The Savior, he taught to be unbegotten and incorporeal; and that he was a man in appearance only. "He "He says that marriage and generation are of Satan."1

BASILIDES,-A. D. 125,

Was a Gnostic of Alexandria.

Is said to have written a commentary, in 24 books, on "The Gospel." This was refuted by Agrippa Castor.

Fragments of his writings are given by Hippolytus, who wrote in the third century. They have caused much discussion in reference to the gospel upon which he commented; whether it was in writing, and whether his own or another's.

(1.) Irenæus, adv. Hær. lib. 1, c. 24.

He made use of "The traditions of Matthias ;" or, as Miller supposes, the traditions of Matthew. These "claimed to be grounded on private intercourse with the Savior." They were, possibly, the much talked of Oracles of Matthew.

The fact that Basilides made use of such a collection, is significant, and may go far to explain the source of many of the sayings of Christ, so often quoted by the fathers before Irenæus, and which have been supposed to be evidence of the existence of the canonical gospels.

Some have claimed Basilides as a witness to the four gospels, more particularly to Luke. The arguments upon which the claim is based, are vague and unsatisfactory. Perhaps it will be sufficient, upon this question, to take the judgment of Dr. Davidson. He says:

"As to Basilides, his supposed quotations from the New Testament, in Hippolytus, are too precarious to be trusted."-Canon, p. 86. See also his Introduction to the N. T., vol 2, p. 388.

Any apparent use of Luke may be explained by the fact, that Basilides had access to the same manuscripts from which the Gospels of Marcion and Luke were compiled.

DOCTRINES.-"Basilides," says Irenæus, "that he may appear to have discovered something more sublime and plausible, gives an immense development to his doctrines. He sets forth that Nous was first born of the unborn Father; that from him again was born Logos, from Logos Phronesis, from Phronesis Sophia and Dynamis; and from Dynamis and Sophia, the powers and principalities, and angels, whom he calls the first; and that by them the first heaven was made. Then other powers, being formed by emanation from these, created another heaven, similar to the first," etc.

(1.) Westcott, Canon, p, 264.