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The works of Nathaniel Lardner - The Christian Researcher - Home

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384 Credibility <strong>of</strong> the Gospel History.<br />

' them, it is only an act <strong>of</strong> sublime virtue, the end <strong>of</strong>i which<br />

' is, on the one hand, to teach men not to fear death, and to<br />

' crucify the flesh ; and on the other hand to assure them<br />

' <strong>of</strong> the immortality, <strong>of</strong> which Christ has given them a pat-<br />

' tern in his resurrection.'<br />

And, after quoting- the passages <strong>of</strong> Fortunatus transcribed<br />

above,' the same learned author says :<br />

' It^ hence appears<br />

' that the Manichees ascribed the salvation <strong>of</strong> the soul to<br />

' the doctrine <strong>of</strong> the Saviour. <strong>The</strong>y could not ascribe it in<br />

' any manner to the virtue <strong>of</strong> his blood, or <strong>of</strong> his sacrifice;<br />

' furasiuuch as they did not believe that he had blood, or<br />

' that he made himself a sacrifice. All the eflicacy <strong>of</strong> the mi-<br />

' nistry <strong>of</strong> Christ consisted in the power <strong>of</strong> his doctrine, sup-<br />

' ported by his miracles.' He then adds, ' he cannot certainly<br />

' say how they explained those texts <strong>of</strong> scripture which speak<br />

' <strong>of</strong> our being- redeemed by the blood <strong>of</strong> Christ : but perhaps<br />

' they thereby meant his doctrine, an explication which he<br />

' has met with in so ancient and venerable a writer as*<br />

' Clement <strong>of</strong> Alexandria.'<br />

SECT. V.<br />

THEIR WORSHIP.<br />

I, Its simplicity. II. <strong>The</strong>ir public worship ; prayers,<br />

reading the scriptvres, with discoifrses. HI. <strong>The</strong>ir baptism<br />

and eucharist. IV. <strong>The</strong>y observed the Lord's-day,<br />

V. Jlnd Easter, and Pentecost, and the anniversary <strong>of</strong><br />

Manias martyrdom. VI. <strong>The</strong>ir discipline.<br />

I. IT is now proper to take some notice <strong>of</strong> their worship.<br />

Here a fine passage <strong>of</strong> Faustus <strong>of</strong>fers itself. He is showing<br />

the difference between his sect and heathens: * <strong>The</strong>y* think<br />

1 See more to the same purpose, ib. p. 546.<br />

See notes " and " p. 383. • Beaus. T. 2. p. 549.<br />

^ ' Et sanguis filii ejus mundat nos.' Doctrina quippe Domini, quae valde<br />

fortis est, sanguis ejus appellala est. Clem. Admnbr. in Ep. i. Joan. p. 1009.<br />

ed. Pott. Ayopa^fi ^t tj/ia^KvptoQ rifiui) (t'lfiuTi, SimroTwv TraXai rov ttikqcov<br />

airaWaaauiv cifiapriojv. Si ag ra Trvtvua-iica rr/g Troi'jjpiat,- tKvpitvrfv rjjMov.<br />

Id. in Eel. p. 994. n. 20.<br />

* Item Pagani aris, delubris, simulachris, victimis, atque incenso, Deum

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