THE DECLINE AND PAI.Z.

318

CHAP.

XXI.

Mysteri-ous natureof the tri-nity.

that the imperfections of matter are incompa-tible with the purity of a celestial substance.While the blood of Christ yet smoked on mountCalvary, the docetes invented the impious andextravagant hypothesis, that instead of issuingfrom the womb of the virgin, d he had descendedon the banks of the Jordan in the form of per-fect manhood ; that he had imposed on thesenses of his enemies, and of his disciples ; andthat the ministers of Pilate had tvasted theirimpotent rage on an airy phantom, who seemedto expire on the cross, and, after three days torise from the dead. 1

The divine sanction, which the apostle hadbestowed on the fundamental principle of thetheology of Plato, encouraged the learned pro-selytes of the second and third centuries to admire and study the writings of the Atheniansage, who had thus marvellously anticipatedone of the most surprising discoveries of theChristian revelation. The respectable name of

trinity from the valentinians and marcionites. See Beausobre, Hist,du Manicheisme, 1. iii, c. 5-7.

d Non dignum est ex utcro credere Deum, et Deum Christum.... non dignum est ut tanta majestas per sordes et squalores mulie-ris transire credatur. The gnostics asserted the impurity of matter,and of marriage ; and they were scandalized by tile gross interpreta-tions of the fathers, and even of Augustin himself. See Beausobre,tom. ii, p. 523.

* Apostolis adhuc in saeculo superstitibus apud Judasam Christi san-guine recente, et phantasma corpus Domini asserebatur. Coteleriusthinks (Patres Apostol. tom. ii, p. 24) that those who will not allow thedocetes to have arisen in the time of the apostles, may with equal reasondeny that the sun shines at noon-day. These docetes, who formed themost considerable party among the gnostics, were so called, becausethey granted only a seeming body to Christ.