224 UNIVERSAL ERUDITION. 



gin and date of each article of faith, and each 

 dogma, contained in the theory or dogmatic, 

 and in the catechifms of modern Chriftians , as 

 they have deduced them from the principles of 

 the gofpel. 



XII. The Hifiory of the Here/ies. Any doctrine 

 that is contrary to the decifions of the catholic 

 church is called a herefy: an herefiarch, therefore, 

 is one who invents and maintains fuch dodrinc, 

 and from whom it takes its name ; and a heretic 

 is he who embraces and follows that doctrine. 

 According to this definition we cannot fay that 

 there have been any heretics, properly fo called, 

 fmce the time of the apoftles, becaufe the gene- 

 ral fyftem of the catholic religion, as it is at this 

 day, has been formed by the fuccefilve decifions 

 of the councils only : for otherwife, a man who 

 had advanced, in the fecond or third century, a 

 point of doctrine that was not eftablimed by any 

 council till the tenth century, would have been 

 a heretic. This is fo clear, that it is not likely 

 any one will be hardy enough to deny it. But 

 if we agree to call thofe heretics who have ad- 

 vanced and maintained doctrines contrary to 

 thofe received and taught by the Chriftian church 

 at that very time, there have been certainly he- 

 retics without number in all ages of the church, 

 from Simon the Magician and Dofithea, who 

 lived in the time of the apoftles, down to count 

 Sintzendorff, leader of the Herrenhutters. Ec- 

 ckfiaftic hiftory informs us, from age to age* 



what 



