(7) Esehatology. — While Gnostics alone were certain of return to the Kingdom of Light, some at least were disposed to think charitably of the destiny of the psychics, who might attain a measure of felicity. Gnostics denied a resurrection of the body, as we should expect. The whole world of matter was to be at last destroyed by fires spring- ing from its own bosom.
(8) Old Testament. — While there existed a Juda- istic Gnosticism, represented by Essenes, Gnostic Ebionites, and Cerinthus [qq.v.), who with various modifications accepted the OT, the great mass of Gnostics were anti-Judaistic, and rejected the OT. This followed logically from their identification of the God of the Jews with the Demiurge, an ignor- ant, and in some cases an evil. Being. No doubt they found also some plausible support in Pauline anti-legalism. We can see here what ground some schools could have for making heroes of the char- acters represented as wicked in the OT. If it was inspired by an ignorant or wicked Being, truth would be found by inverting its estimates.
Such in outline is Gnosticism as a system, though schools varied in detail under every heading (cf. Harnack, Dogmengeschichte ; P. Wernle, Begin- nings of Christianity, Eng. tr., London, 1903-04; Schaff, Church History, ' Ante - Nicene Christi- anity').
(9) Gnostic cxiltus and ethic. — The full develop- ment of these (as of the whole system), of course, lies outside our period, but of the latter we see the tendencies in the NT itself ; and it is desirable to say something of the former, to make our sketch of the main features of Gnosticism complete.
(a) As to cultus. Gnosticism produced two oppo- site movements which are comparable with puri- tanism and ritualism respectively. The abhorrence of matter led some consistently to the utmost simplicity of worship. Some rejected all sacraments and other outward means of grace, and the Prodi- cians rejected even prayer (Epiphan. Hcer. xxvi. ; Clem. Alex. Strom, i. 15 [304], vii. 7 [722]). On the other hand, many groups, especially the Marcosians, went to the opposite extreme with a symbolic and mystic pomp in worship. This, while inconsistent with the Gnostic views of matter, is in line with the ideas of magico-mystical salvation indicated above. Sacraments were numerous, rites many and varied. It seems clear that they led the way in introducing features which became characteristic of the Catliolic Church. They were distinguished as hymn-writers (Bardesanes, Ophites, Valentin- ians). The Basilideans seem to have been the first to celebrate the festival of Epiphany. The Simon- ians and Carpocratians first used images of Christ and others (see Church Histories of Schafl, Kurtz, etc.).
(6) The ethic also took two directions — one to-
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wards an unbridled antinomianisni, the other to- wards a gloomy asceticism. Antinomian Gnostics {e.g. Nicolaitans, Ophites) held that sensuality is to be overcome by indulging it to exhaustion, and they practised the foulest debaucheries. The Ascetics (e.g. yaturninus, Tatian) abhorred matter, and strove to avoid all contact with flesh as far as possible. This led them to forbid marriage and indulgence in certain kinds of food. This ethic in both branches is the unfailing outcome of the primary dualism characteristic of Gnosticism. Wherever dualistic notions are influential, we find this twin development of antinomianism and asceti- cism. In the NT we find both kinds of error referred to (see below). It is to be remembered that neither by itself is sufficient to indicate Gnosticism. There are many sources conceivable, for asceticism especially.
3. Origins. — The older view was that Gnostics are Christian heretics, i.e. errorists within the Church who gradually diverged from normal Christianity, under an impulse to make a philosophy of their religion. To fill up the blanks of the Christian revelation, they adopted heathen (mainly Greek) speciilations. Mosheim was among the first to perceive that the roots of what is peculiar in Gnos- ticism are to be sought in Eastern rather than in Greek speculation. In recent times there has taken place a thorough examination of all Gnostic remains, and knowledge of Eastern speculation has advanced. The result of the two-fold investi- gation has been to show that Gnosticism is far more closely in aflSnity with Eastern thought than had been imagined, not only in its deviations from Christianity, but as a whole.
It is well known that the age with which we deal was marked by nothing more strongly than by its syncretism. All the faiths and philosophies of the world met, and became fluid, so to say. Strange combinations resulted, and were dissolved again for lack of something round which they might crystallize. Alike in philosophy and re- ligion, attempts were made to establish by sjti- cretism a universal system out of the confusion. Gnosticism owes its being to that syncretism. In view of the lack of definite information, any attempt to trace or reconstruct its actual history must be made with diffidence. Probably we should regard its primary impulse as philosophical rather than religious. It was an answer to the problem, AVhence comes evil ? (Tert. de Prase. Hcer. vii. ; Euseb. HE v. 27 ; Epiphan. Hcer. xxiv. 6). This led to the other question, What is the origin of the world? Oriental thought identified the two ques- tions. In the origin of the world was involved the existence of evil. A full explanation of the one included an explanation of the other.