*I. Basilides lived near the age of the apostles, about the year 120, or,
perhaps, sooner. (Lardner, vol. ix. p. 271.) He rejected the Jewish
institution, not as spurious, but as proceeding from a being inferior to
the true God; and in other respects advanced a scheme of theology widely
different from the general doctrine of the Christian church, and which,
as it gained over some disciples, was warmly opposed by Christian
writers of the second and third century. In these writings there is
positive evidence that Basilides received the Gospel of Matthew; and
there is no sufficient proof that he rejected any of the other three: on
the contrary, it appears that he wrote a commentary upon the Gospel, so
copious as to be divided into twenty-four books. (Lardner, vol. ix. ed.
1788, p. 305, 306.)
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* The materials of the former part of this section are taken from Dr.
Lardner's History of the Heretics of the first two centuries, published
since his death, with additions, by the Rev. Mr. Hogg, of Exeter, and
inserted into the ninth volume of his works, of the edition of 1778.
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