MAR CIO NITES

Heretics of the second century, so called from Marcion. He was born at Sinope, in Paphlagonia or Hele no pont us, on the coast of the Pontus Euxinus , or Black Sea, and for that reason is sometimes called Pontic us . He studied the Stoic philosophy in his younger years, and was a lover of solitude and poverty; but being convicted of uncleanne with a virgin, he was, by his father, who was a bishop, expelled from the Church. After this he went to Rome, where being not admitted into Church communion, because his father had not consented to it, he in spite embraced Cerdon’s heresy, and became the author of new heresies, about A. D. 134. He held with Cerdon two gods, the one good, the other bad: the latter, he said, was the author of the world, and of the law; but the good, he said, was the author of the gospel and redeemer of the world. He said that Christ was sent on purpose to abolish the law, as being bad. Origen affirms, that he supposed there was a God of the Jews, a God of the Christians, and a God of the Gentiles. Tertullian wrote against him, and, more curiously than anybody else, observes the rest of his opinions, as that he denied the resurrection of the body, condemned marriage, excluding married people from salvation, whom he would not baptize, though he allowed of three sorts, and that the living were sometimes baptized for the dead. In his sect, the women commonly administered the sacraments. Rhodon, a Greek author, quoted by Eusebius, says, the disciples of this heresiarch added many other errors to his tenets; that the heresiarch meeting Polycarp in the streets of Rome, asked him whether he knew him. “Very well,” answered the good bishop, “I know you very well to be the first-born of Satan.” Const an tine the Great published an edict against the Mar cio nites and the other heretics, in 366; and Theodoret, bishop of Cyrus, converted 10,000 of them in 420.