CAP. XXI.
By the reporte of Egesippus he declareth what vniforme consent in relligion, there was in that age, and who of olde were authors of sectes and heresies.
EGesippus in his fiue bookes, left vnto the posteritie a full remembrance of him, where he de∣clareth that comminge to Rome, and conferringe with many byshopes: he founde them all of one minde, and the same doctrine: we haue also to vnderstande of the worthy reporte al∣leaged by him toutching the Epistle of Clemens, wrytten vnto the Corinthiās saying: The church* 1.1 of Corinthe remayned in the pure and right rule of doctrine, vnto the tyme of Primus byshop there, vvith vvhome (meaninge the Corinthians) sayling to Rome, I conferred: and abode many dayes: and vvas conforted very much by reason of them and their doctrine. Being come* 1.2 to Rome, I stayd there vntill that Anicetus vvas stalled byshop, vvhose Deacon vvas Eleutherius vvhome Sother succeded, and after him Eleutherius. In all their successions, and in euery one of their Cities: it is no othervvise then the lavve, and prophets, and the Lorde himselfe preached. The same author reciteth y• originalles of y• heresies in his tyme wryting thus: After that Iacobus Iustus, had bene martyred, in such sorte as Christ himself vvas put to death this vncle Simō Cleo∣pas vvas chosen byshope, vvhome all preferred, because that he vvas the Lordes seconde kins∣man, vvherefore they called that church a pure virgin, for as yet the deuell had not sovvne there any corrupt seed of false doctrine. But Thebulis because he vvas not chosen byshop, vvent about to corrupt the same, beinge partaker of the seuen heresies vvhere of one is Symon, of vvhome the Simoniani: and Cleobius, of vvhome Cleobiani: and Dositheus, of vvhome Dositheani: and Gor∣thaeus, of vvhome Gorthaeani: and Masbothaei, of vvhome spronge the Menandrianists: Marcio¦nists: Carpocratians: Valentinians: Basilidians: and Saturnilians, vvhereof euery one hath sett a broche, a proper & seuerall opinion. Of these sprang the false christs: the false prophets: the false∣apostles: renting a sunder the Church vvith their false doctrine directed agaynst God, & Christ our Sauiour. The same author describeth likewise yt old heresies of the Ievves, saying: There vvere in the time of the circumcision sundry sectes among the children of Israell, varying in opinions, & sett opposite agaynst the tribe of Iuda, and Christ, namely theese: the Essaeans▪ the Galilaeās: the Hemerobaptistes: the Masbothaeans: the Samaritans: the Sadduces, the Pharises. diuerse other thinges he wryteth of, the which haue bene partly remembred of vs before, and applyes to their proper and peculier places. Afterwardes he maketh relation of the Gospell after the He∣brevves, and Syrians, and seuerally of certayne Hebrue dialectes: and that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 mean••s of the He∣brevves, he attained vnto the Christian fayth: with a recitall of other vnwrytten traditions of the Ievves▪ Moreouer Egesippus, and yet not onely he but also Irenaeus, with the whole assembly and company of the elders •• haue termed the prouerbes of Salomon, wisedome it self, replenished with all kinde of vertue and godlines, and by occasion, reasoninge of the Scriptures called A∣pocrypha he sayde that in his time, diuerse of them were published by Heretickes. hereof thus much, now to that which by order of history we are bounde vnto.