Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1827) Vol 2.djvu/89

 OF THE ROMAN ExMPlRE. 71 heresy and schism were huputed to the ohscure rem- CHAP, nant of the Nazarenes, which refused to accompany '^^' their Latin hishop. They still preserved their former habitation of Pella, spread themselves into the villages adjacent to Damascus, and formed an inconsiderable church in the city of Boirea, or, as it is now called, of Aleppo, in Syria ^. The name of Nazarenes was deemed too honourable for those christian jews ; and they soon received, from the supposed poverty of their understanding, as well as of their condition, the con- temptuous epithet of Ebionites^. In a few years after the return of the church of Jerusalem, it became a matter of doubt and controversy, whether a man who sincerely acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah, but who still continued to observe the law of Moses, could pos- sibly hope for salvation. The humane temper of Jus- tin Martyr inclined him to answer this question in the affirmative; and though he expressed himself with the most guarded diffidence, he ventui-ed to determine in favour of such an imperfect christian, if he were con- tent to practise the Mosaic ceremonies, without pre- tending to assert their general use or necessity. But when Justin was pressed to declare the sentiment of the church, he confessed that there were very many among the orthodox christians, who not only excluded their judaising brethren from the hope of salvation, but who declined any intercourse with them in the common offices of friendship, hospitality, and social life''. The y Le Clerc (Hist. Ecclesiast. p. 477. 535.) seems to have collected from Eusebius, Jerome, Epiphanius, and other writers, all the principal circum- stances that relate to the Nazarenes or Ebioniles. The nature of their opi- nions soon divided them into a stricter and a milder sect ; and there is some reason to conjecture, that the family of Jesus Christ remained mem- bers, at least, of the latter and more moderate party. ^ Some writers have been pleased to create an Ebion, the imaginary au- thor of their sect and name. But we can more safely rely on the learned Eusebius than on the vehement Tertullian, or the credulous Epiphanius. According to Le Clerc, the Hebrew word ebjonim may be translated into Latin by that of panperes. See Hist. Ecclesiast. p. 477. The conference between them was held at Ephesus, in the reign of Antoni- nus Plus, and about twenty years after the return of the church of Pella to Jerusalem. For this date consult the accurate note of Tillemont, Memoires Ecclesiasliques, torn. ii. p. 51 1.
 * See the very curious dialogue of Justin Martyr with the jew Tryphon.