l 4 _Oppojition made unto tl;t Church - •!faulted and pefl:ered for fome centuries ofyears, were oppo– fitions unto their Faith in the Perfon ofChrifr. I fl1all briefly refleCt on the heads of this Oppofition; becaufe they are /)/ ~ no~ after a revolution offo many Ages lifting up themfelves t/''1(!)(! agam, though under new vizards and pretences. And they - were of three forts. , a/_ ..Ji. I. That which introduced other Doctrines and Notions of ~ ~ivine things, abfolutely exclufive of the Perfon and Media· . tion of(hrijf. Such was that of the Gnoflicks, begun-as it is · fuppofed by Simon the Magician. Afort of people they were with whom the firfl: Churches after the deceafe of the A– pofl:les, were exceedingly pefiered, and the Faith ofmany was overthrown. For initead ofChrifr, and God in him recon– ciling the world unto himfelf, and the obedience of Faith thereon according unto the Gofpel, they introduced endlefs Fables, Genealog,ies, and conjugations of "Deities, or Divine Powers,which praCtically i!ftied in this, that Chrift was fuch an Emanation of Light and Knowleclge in them, as made them perfeCt; that is, it took away all differences of Good and ' Evil, and gave them liberty to do wha·t they pleafed witlt– out fenfe of fin, or danger of punifl1ment. This was the firft way that Satan attempted the Faith of the Church, namely, by fubfl:ituting aperfecting, Light andKnowledge in the room of the Perfon of Chrifr; and for ought I know it may be one of the lail: waies whereby he will endeavour the Accom– plifllment of the fame defign. Nor had I made me~tiop of thefe pernicious Imaginations, which have-lain rottil1g in Oblivion for fo many Generations, but that fome again en– deavour to .revive them, at leail: fo far as they were advanced and direCted againfi: the Faith and Knowledge of the Perfon of Chrifi:. . a 2 , Satan attempted the fame work by them who denied _, . his Divine Nature, that .is in eflecr denied him to be the Son of
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