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366 Credibility of the Gospel Histori^'.
regulated, appears iu some words of Faustus, which I put
in the margin : where he speaks of the first or natural birth,
and of the second or spiritual birth.
This notion is handsomely confuted by" Titu-s of Bostra,
in a passag-e which may be seen translated by^ Beausobre:
but I presume I need not transcribe it here.
Faustus has particularly considered the charge brought
against them, of teaching what the apostle calls " doctrines
of devils," 1 Tim. iv. 1. And, if Faustus may be relied
upon, their doctrine upon'"^ the article of marriage and virginity
was much the same m ith that of the catholics, or
orthodox christians of that time. The churches of the
catholics, he says, had in them almosf as many professed
virgins as married women. If the" catholics made virgins,
Avithout being liable to the charge of forbidding to marry,
the same Mas true of them : they did not compel, they only
exhorte