Section 144
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ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 113 manner, not acknowledging his pre-existence, though he was God, the word, and wisdom, they turned aside into the same irreligion, as with the former they evinced great zeal to observe the ritual service of the law. These, indeed, thought on the one hand that all the epistles of the apostles ought to be rejected, calling him an apostate from the law, but on the other, only using the gospel according to the Hebrews, they esteem the others as of but little value. They also observe the Sabbath and other dis cipline of the Jews, just like them, but on the other hand, they also celebrate the Lord's days very much like us, in commemo ration of his resurrection. Whence, in consequence of such a course, they have also received their epithet, the name of Ebionites, exhibiting the poverty of their intellect. For it is thus that the Hebrews call a poor man. CHAPTER XXVIII. Cerinihus the Heresiarch. ABOUT the same time, we have understood, appeared Cerinthus, the leader of another heresy. Caius, whose words we quoted above, in " The Disputation" attributed to him, writes thus respecting him : " But Cerinthus, by means of revelations which he pretended were written by a great apostle, also false ly pretended to wonderful things, as if they were showed him by angels, asserting, that after the resurrection there would be an earthly kingdom of Christ, and that the flesh, i. e. men, again inhabiting Jerusalem, would be subject to desires and plea sures. Being also an enemy to the divine Scriptures, with a view to deceive men, he said that there would be a space of a thousand years for celebrating nuptial festivals." Dionysius also, who obtained the episcopate of Alexandria in our day, in the second book " On Promises," where he says some things as if received by ancient tradition, makes mention of the same man, in these words : " But it is highly probable that Cerinthus, the same that established the heresy that bears his name, designedly *