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SECTION II.

What Authors say of him, and by whom he is omitted.

HERMOGENES is not in Irenæus. Possibly he had not appeared when Irenæus wrote; or at least not long before: for which reason he might be totally ignorant of him. Nor is Hermogenes in Epiphanius. He is also omitted in the Appendix to Tertullian's book of Prescriptions. Nor has Philaster, or Augustine, a distinct article for him. They only speak of him in their chapters concerning Sabellius, before taken notice of. However, they mention one Hermias, together with Seleucus; who by some may be thought to be the same as Hermogenes. But Philaster calls them Galatians. And in Augustine these are placed in a late order, after all the heresies mentioned by Epiphanius, and are entirely taken by him from Philaster. In my account of Hermogenes therefore I shall make little or no use of those articles. Hermogenes is mentioned by Eusebius and Jerom in their accounts of the works of Theophilus of Antioch: of which I took notice formerly. But our main intelligence concerning Hermogenes must be received from Tertullian.

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SECTION III.

Some Account of him, and those who wrote against him.

HOWEVER as a summary may be of use, I shall here put down that of Theodoret, which is to this purpose. Hermogenes' taught, that God made the world out of matter, which was coeternal with him; for the foolish man thought it not possible for God to make all things out of nothing. He also taught that our Lord's body was deposited in the sun, and that the devil and dæmons would be again resolved into matter. Against him wrote Theophilus, bishop of Antioch, and Origen.

We still have a Treatise of Tertullian against the heresy of Hermogenes. And he refers to another work against him concerning the origin of the soul, not now extant.

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SECTION IV.

He was skilled in painting, and was originally a Christian.

We learn from Tertullian that Hermogenes' was skilled in painting. Whether he practised it as a trade, or for his diversion only, may not be quite certain from Tertullian's expressions; but that he was a painter by profession is somewhat probable. It seems likewise that Hermo genes was originally a Christian. For Tertullian does not say that he brought over his principles from heathenism, but that of a Christian he became a philosopher and a stoic. We may

Ap. Philast. H. 55. p. 109. 112. Ap. Aug. H. 59.

b Quæ est hæc vanitas Galatarum, Seleuci, et Hermiæ, hæreticorum? p. 109.

c See before, Vol. i. p. 383.

d

4 Ο δε εξ υποκειμένης ύλης και συναγεννησε τον θεον εφη δημιεργήσαι τα παντα· αδύνατον γαρ υπέλαβεν ὁ εμβρόντητος και τῷ θεῷ των όλων, εκ μη οντων δημιεργείν. Οὗτος τα κύρια το σώμα εν τῳ ἡλιῳ ειπεν αποτεθηναι· τον δε διαβολον και τες δαιμονας εις την ύλην ανατεθησεσθαι. Η. F. L. 1. c. 19.

e Vide de Animâ. cap. 1. p. 304. B. p. 639.

f Præterea pingit illicite. Adv. Herm. c. 1. p. 265. C. p. 335. Hanc primam umbram plane sine lumine pessimus pictor illis argumentationibus coloravit. Ibid. D. Vide et cap. ult. p. 288. D. 356.

A Christianis enim conversus ad philosophos, de ecclesià in Academiam et Porticum. Inde sumsit a stoïcis materiam cum domino ponere. p. 265. D. 335.

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conclude that Hermogenes was not only learned and ingenious, but likewise virtuous. For Tertullian seems not able to charge him with any vice; he only insinuates that he had more favourable sentiments of marriage than some others had. He likewise seems not to like his painting. But wherein the fault lay does not clearly appear.

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SECTION V.

Some Account of his Opinions concerning the Eternity of Matter.

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THEODORET informed us that Hermogenes asserted the eternity of matter: out of which God made the world, and not out of nothing. The chief design of Tertullian's book is to confute that notion, which was the opinion of the stoics, of which therefore Tertullian speaks very frequently; and he calls him and others of that opinion Materialists. Of this he speaks likewise in another work. He also represents at large the reasonings of Hermogenes to shew that God made the world out of pre-existent matter. For,' says he, God must have made the world out of himself, or out of nothing, or out of something. That God should make the world out of himself is too manifest an absurdity to need a long confutation. And that God did not make it out of nothing, he argues in this manner. He lays it down for a certain truth 'that God is good, yea most good and excellent; he therefore cannot choose nor will evil; and yet there is evil in the world: consequently it was necessary, and can be owing to nothing but ' matter. Moreover, he was always Lord. But he could not have been always Lord as well as God if there had not ever been somewhat subject to him. It follows therefore that ' God made the world out of something, even matter.'

I need not enlarge any farther. But I do not see that Hermogenes argued so much from the impossibility of God's making the world out of nothing, as from the unfitness of it. If the world has been made out of nothing, he feared that the evil therein must be ascribed to the will of God, which would have been a reflection on his goodness. But matter, out of which the world was made, being inherently evil, he supposed that he thereby vindicated the Divine Being:

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a Qui loquacitatem facundiam existimat -Præterea pingit illicite pubit-assidue-totus adulter, et prædicationis et carnis siquidem et habentium contagio fœtet. C. 1. p. 265. C. D. 335.

b

-nolens illum ex nihilo universa fecisse-—inde sumsit a stoïcis materiam cum Domino ponere, quæ ipsa semper fuerit, neque nata, neque facta, nec initium habens nec finem, ex quâ Dominus omnia postea fecerit. Cap. 1. p. 265. D. 335. Cum enim neget materiam natam aut factam. Cap. 3. p. 267. B. 336. Vide et cap. 4, 5, 6.

dit. Bonum et Optimum definiens Dominum, qui bona atque optima tam velit facere quam sit : imo nihil non bonum atque optimum et velle eum et facere. Igitur omnia ab eo bona et optima oportuisse fieri secundum conditionem ipsius. Inveniri autem et mala ab eo facta, utique non ex arbitrio nec ex voluntate Quod ergo non ex arbitrio suo fecerit, intelligi oportere ex vitio alicujus rei factum, ex materiâ esse sine dubio. Adjicit et aliud: Deum semper Deum etiam Dominum fuisse, nunquam non Deum. Nullo porro modo potuisse illum semper Dominum haberi, sicut et semper Deum, si non fuisset aliquid retro semper, cujus semper Dominus baberetur. Fuisse itaque materiam semper Deo Domino. Ad. Hermo. c. 2, 3. p. 296. A. B. C.

Audio enim, apud Hermogenem, cæterosque materiarios hæreticos, terram quidem illam informem et invisibilem et rudem fuisse; hanc vero nostram proinde et formam ct conspectum et cultum a Deo consecutum. f Cap. 25. p. 278. B. 13. 346.

d Hæc erit materia, quæ nos commisit cum Hermogene, cæterisque, qui Deum ex materiâ, non ex nihilo operatum cuncta, præsumunt. Adv. Val. c. 16. p. 297. B. 10. 394.

• Præstruens, aut Dominum de semet ipso fecisse cuncta, ánt de nihilo, aut de aliquo-Igitur non de semetipso fecisse. Proinde ex nihilo non potuisse cum facere, sic conten

-cum vult eum de materiâ cuncta fecisse. Cap. 8. p. 269. C. Magis autem, inquit Tertullianus, eum decuit ex voluntate fecisse, quam ex necessitate, id est, ex nihilo potius quam ex materiâ. Cap. 14. p. 272. C.

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* Et tamen unde nobis persuadet Hermogenes, malam esse. materiam? Cap. 11. p. 270. D. 340. Age nunc, malam ac pessimam credamus esse materiam. Cap, 12. p. 271. B.

340.

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SECTION VI.

He believed one supreme God unchangeably good.

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b

TERTULLIAN says that if matter be eternal there must be two Gods. But Hermogenes did not allow that; he asserted one God supreme over all, maker of the world, unchangeably good, with whom no other being could be compared. Nevertheless, it must be allowed that Tertullian has well enough confuted the opinion of Hermogenes; and he well observes, that the schemes of Hermogenes and others, for accounting for the origin of evil, are not satisfactory.

SECTION VII.

He ascribed to Matter an irregular Motion, but introduced no Æons.

HERMOGENES ascribed to matter originally an irregular and turbulent motion.

We now perceive the scheme of Hermogenes: he did not introduce any Eons, nor any Creator different from the one God the Father; but he said that matter was eternal, and God made the world out of it. To this matter he ascribed all the evil and all the defects which there are in any creatures. Matter had always a confused and irregular turbulent motion. God brought order and beauty, and proportion, out of that confused and indigested matter."

SECTION VIII.

No distinct Account of his Opinion concerning the Person of Jesus Christ.

We are not distinctly informed what were the conceptions of Hermogenes concerning the person of Jesus Christ. Theodoret says he thought the body of Jesus was lodged in the sun. The same notion is ascribed to him in the extracts of the Prophets' at the end of Clement of Alexandria. Philaster and Augustine ascribe the same opinion to the followers of Seleucus and Hermias, before taken notice of.

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* Ita Hermogenes duos deos infert- -Innatus Deus. An non et innata materia? Ambo sine initio sine fine-Vel quâ, inquit, et sic habente materiâ, salva sit Deo et auctoritas et substantia, quâ solus et primus auctor est, et Dominus omnium censeatur- Dicit salvum Deo esse, ut et solus sit, et primus, et omnium auctor, et omnium Dominus, et nemini comparandus. Cap. 4, 5, 6. p. 267, 268. 337.

Sicut deum bonum et optimum credimus-porro naturam certam quam in bono apud Deum incorruptibilem et indemutabilem: Cap. 12. p. 271. B.

Addit et alias rationes non omnino malas, si in meliore luce collocarentur; hoc est, clariore dictione exprimerentur, et commodiore ordine disponerentur. Cleric. H. E. 168.

n. 14.

Ergo, inquit, ex nihilo faceret, ut mala quoque arbitrio ejus imputarentur? Magna, bonâ fide, cæcitas hæreticorum pro hujusmodi argumentatione. Cum ideo aut alium Deum bonum et optimum volunt credi, quia mali auctorem existiment creatorem; aut materiam cum Creatore proponunt, ut malum a materiâ, non a Creatore deducant; quando nullus qmnino Deus liberetur istâ quæstione, ut non auctor mali videri proinde possit, quisquis ille est, qui malum, etsi non ipse fecit, tamen a quocumque, et unde passus est fieri. Cap. 10. p. 270. B. Ita enim sine causâ laboras, ne malorum auctor constituatur Deus; qui etsi de materiâ fecit, ipsi deputabun

tur, qui fecit, proinde quâtenus fecit. Cap. 14. p. 272. B.

341.

d Commune autem inter illos facis, quod a semet ipsis moventur, et semper moventur. Quid minus materiæ quam Deo adscribis? Totum consortium Divinitatis hoc erit, libertas et æternitas motûs. Sed Deus composite, materia incondite movetur. Nam, secundum ollæ siinilitudinem, sic erat, inquis, materiæ motus, antequam disponeretur, concretus, inquietus, inadprehensibilis, præ nimietate certaminis. Cap.42; 43. p. 287. 354. B. C. Vide et cap. 45. p. 288. C.D.

Audio enim, apud Hermogenem, cæterosque materiarios hæreticos, terram quidem illam informem et invisibilem et rudem fuisse; hanc vero nostram proinde et formam et conspectum et cultum a Deo consecutam. Cap. 25. p. 278. B.

Postea infers at ubi accepit compositionem a Deo, et ornata est, cessavit a naturâ. Cap. 43. p. 287. C. 22. 355. P. 808. D. Paris. p. 1002. Potter.

g Salvatorem autem in carne negant sedere ad dexteram Patris, sed exspoliâsse carnem, et posuisse in solem æstiment: quia dixit Propheta: In sole posuit tabernaculum suum. H. 55. p. 111.

Seleuciani sunt vel Hermiani, ab auctoribus Seleuco et Hermia- -Negant salvatorem in carne sedere ad dexteram Patris, sed eâ se exuisse perhibent, eamque in sole posuisse, accipientes occasionem de Psalmo. H. 59.

SECTION IX.

Some other Opinions of his about the Origin of the Soul, human Liberty, the Devil, Dæmons, and a

future Judgment.

a

TERTULLIAN seems to say that, according to Hermogenes, God made the soul out of matter. The reason of this is assigned in one of the passages at the bottom of the page.

Tertullian asserted human liberty. And I think he does not deny it to have been held by Marcion and Hermogenes.

Theodoret, as before quoted, said Hermogenes taught that the devil and demons would be again resolved into matter. In which there is nothing wonderful; since from thence they had arisen. Moreover possibly he conceived the confluence of matter, or some part of it, to be the abyss and place of torment assigned to the devil and his angels at their final condemnation. Whence we are led to observe, that this person believed a future judgment, and probably all the other great articles of religion. That he believed a future judgment appears from the passage just transcribed, and from another a little while ago.

d

SECTION X.

He never set up a separate Communion.

THUS we have taken notice of all the particular opinions ascribed to Hermogenes by the an cients; but perhaps none of the accounts need to be relied upon, except those in Tertullian. And it seems to me somewhat probable that Hermogenes never formed a party, or set up a separate communion: for Tertullian says nothing of his having separate assemblies. I apprehend therefore that Hermogenes was willing to communicate with catholic Christians, if they would admit him though he indulged himself in speculations that led him into some sentiments a little out of the common road.

SECTION XI.

His Testimony to Scripture.

NOTHING remains but that we consider his testimony to the scriptures.

f

Le Clerc takes notice that Tertullian argues with him as one who received the scriptures. Indeed Tertullian, in arguing with Hermogenes, quotes every part of scripture as received by him particularly the books of Moses and his account of the creation. Nay Hermogenes and his friends endeavoured to support the notion of God's making the world out of matter, or chaos, from that account, and he argued that the scriptures had not expressly said that God made

h

* De solo censu animæ congressus Hermogeni, quâtenus et istum ex materiæ potius suggestu, quam ex Dei flatu constituisse præsumsit. De Anim. cap. 1. p. 334. B. 639. Unå jam congressione décisâ adversus Hermogenem, ut præfati sumus; quia animam ex Dei Alatu, non ex materiâ vindicamus. Ibid. c. 3. p. 307. A. Cæterum adversus Hermogenem, qui eam ex materiâ, non ex Dei flatu contendit, flatum proprie tuemur. Ille enim adversus ipsius scripturæ fidem flatum in spiritum vertit, ut, dum incredibile est, spiritum Dei in delictum, et mox in judicium devenire, ex materiâ potius anima credatur, quam ex Dei spiritu. Ibid. c. 11. p. 313. C. D. 648. Inesse autem nobis auratov naturaliter, jam et Marcioni ostendimus, et Hermogeni. De Anim. c. 21. p. 324. C. 658.

c Quod si tunc erit mali finis, cum præses ejus diabolus abierit in iguem, quem præparavit illi Deus et angelis ejus, prius in puteum abyssi relegatus. In Herm. c. 11. p. 271. A. B. 6. 340.

d -et ita nos frustra laboramus de auferendo malo ex nobis ipsis: tum et Deus hoc frustra mandat et præcipit : imo et judicium frustra constituit Deus, injustitiâ utique puniturus. Ib. p. 271. A. 34C.

f

See the third passage in note".

Ideoque cum eo agit, quasi cum homine, qui S. scripturam admitteret. H. E. p. 722. n. 13.

* Sed et ad originale instrumentum Moysis provocabo, unde et diversa pars suspiciones suas ingratis fulcire conatur, ne scilicet non inde instrui videretur, unde oportet. Itaque occasiones sibi sumsit quorumdam verborum, ut hæreticis fere mos est simplicia quæque torquere. Nam et ipsum principium, in quo Deus fecit cœlum et terram, aliquid volunt fuisse quasi substantivum et corpulentum, quod in materiam interpretari possit. Cap 19. p. 275. A. Sed ex sequentibus argumentatur, quia scriptum sit: terra autem erat invisibilis et incomposita.' Nam et terræ nomen redigit in materiam, Ibid. cap. 23. p. 277. C. Vult igitur duas proponi terras in istâ scripturâ; unam, quam in principio Deus fecit; aliam, materiam, ex quâ fecit, de quâ dictum sit: Terra autem erat invisibilis et rudis.' Cap. 25. p. 278. B.

h Ergo, inquis, si tu ideo præjudicas, ex nihilo facta omnia, quia non sit manifeste relatum de materiâ præcedenti factum quid; vide, ne diversa pars ideo contendat, ex materiâ omnia facta, quia proinde non aperte significatum sit, ex nihilo quid factum. Cap. 21. p. 276. C.

the world out of nothing. Tertullian warns him not to assert the world to have been made out of matter, without authority from scripture: and speaks as if Hermogenes must have dreaded such a conduct and the consequences of it.

SECTION XII.

He received both the Old and New Testament.

TERTULLIAN refers to the book of Proverbs. He quotes David in the 102d Psalm, and seve ral of the prophets by name.

d

That Hermogenes and others respected Christ, the prophets, and the apostles, is apparent. Tertullian quotes the Old and New Testament to him, particularly St. Matthew's and St. John's gospels, and Paul's epistles.

Upon the whole, I think it plain that Hermogenes received and respected the scriptures of the Old and the New Testament as other Christians of his time did.

SECTION XIII.

No Account of any Writings of his.

h

THERE is no account of any writings of Hermogenes, though it may be reckoned probable that he was an author. Possibly it might be inferred from many things in Tertullian, and from the tenour of his arguments. Cave, however, at his conclusion of this article triumphs in 'the loss of his works, if there were any; which I am sorry to see: for it appears to me below a man of letters. The notions and reasonings of Hermogenes could have done no harm to any men of these times who are capable of examining. And we might have made some good use of his works, as we have done of the fragments of Heracleon and others.

Adoro scripturæ plenitudinem, quâ mihi et factorem manifestat et facta. In Evangelio vero amplius et ministrum atque arbitrium rectoris invenio sermonem. An autem de aliquâ subjacenti materiâ facta sint omnia, nusquam adhuc legi. Scriptum esse doceat Hermogenis officina. Si non est scriptum, timeat væ illud, adjicientibus aut detrahentibus destinatum. Cap. 22. p. 277. B.

Si necessaria est Deo materia ad opera mundi, ut Hermogenes existimavit, habuit Deus materiam longe digniorem... non apud philosophos æstimandam, sed apud prophetas, Sophiam suam scilicet... Quum pararet cœlum, inquit, aderam ei, &c. Cap. 18. p. 274. B. C. D.

Sic et David, p. 283. Sic enim et Esaïas. Cap. 29. p. 280. B. et c. 32. p. 282. B. Sic enim et Hieremias commendat. Cap. 45. p. 288. B. Apud Danielem. Cap. 44. p. 287. C. De spiritu æque Amos. Cap. 32. p. 282. B.

d Nisi quod solus eam (materiam) Hermogenes cognovit, et hæreticorum patriarchæ philosophi. Prophetis enim et Apostolis usque adhuc latuit, puto et Christo. Cap. 8. p. 269. D. Plane a philosophis recedis: sed tamen et a prophetis. Cap. 44. p. 287. C. At enim Prophetæ et apostoli non ita tradunt mundum factum. Cap. 45. p. 288. A.

• Cum præses ejus diabolus abierit in ignem, quem præparavit illi Deus et angelis ejus. Cap. 11. p. 271. B. Vide et c. 12. p. 271. C.

f Denique evangelium, ut supplementum instrumenti veteris, adhibebo, in quo vel eo magis debuerat ostendi Dens ex aliquâ materiâ universa fecisse, quod illis etiam per quem omnia fecerit, revelatur. In principio erat sermo. Et sermo erat apud Deum...omnia per ipsum facta sunt, et sine ipso factum est nihil. Cap. 20. p. 276. A. B. Vide et cap. 18. p. 275. A.

Hæc autem sunt invisibilia ejus, quæ secundum Apostolum ab institutione mundi de factis ejus conspiciuntur, &c. Cap. 45. p. 258. C. Vide et C. 11. p. 271. B. et c. 4. p. 267, C. et passim.

Et quidem epinöemata illius retorquebo adversus illum Cap. 3. p. 267. B. Nam et Hermogenes expugnat quorumdam argumentationes, dicentium, mala necessaria fuisse ad inluminationem bonorum. Cap. 15. p. 273. B. Dehinc subjicis . . . . supra certamen motus adscribis, hic tarditatem... Supra dicis.... Horum immemor, postea infers. Cap. 43. p. 287. B.

Verum scripta ista in Deum blasphema piorum zelus et propria impietas æternis tenebris merito damnavit. H. L. p. 74,

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