*Cerinthus*, though professing belief in a Supreme Being, held that the world was not made by Him, but by an inferior _power_ (virtus) distinct from Him, and ignorant of Him. (2) That Jesus was not born of a Virgin, but the child of Joseph and Mary, born according to the ordinary course of nature. (3) That Christ (the Word) was quite distinct from Jesus; that, however, He had descended upon Jesus immediately after the latter’s baptism, and remained with Him filling His soul till shortly before the Passion; that then Christ departed from Jesus, who suffered and died a _mere_ man, while Christ suffered nothing, being indeed entirely spiritual and impassible.(14) The *Ebionites*, unlike the Cerinthians, admitted that the world was created by God, but, like them, denied that Christ was anything but a mere man. They scrupulously observed the Mosaic Law, which they held to be _obligatory_, by the observance of which Jesus had merited to be called Christ, and through which every man was able to become a Christ.(15) About the doctrine of the *Nicolaites*, which they claimed to have derived from Nicolas the Deacon (Acts vi. 5), we know nothing definite; but it is generally held that it was akin to that of the Cerinthians and Ebionites. Among the “other heretics” alluded to by St. Jerome in the passage cited above were, doubtless, the *Simonians* (followers of Simon Magus, Acts viii. 9, and foll.), and the *Docetae*. The *Simonians* agreed with the Cerinthians in denying that the world was made by God, and that Jesus was God, and St. Irenæus speaks of them as the originators of the Gnostic heresy. “Simoniani a quibus _falsi nominis scientia_ accepit initia.” (_Adv. Haer._, i. xxxiii. 4.) The *Docetae* (δοκεῖν = to seem) held that Christ had only the _appearance_ of a human body; and hence, that His sufferings and death were not real, but apparent. CHAPTER I. 1‐18. *The prologue*(*16*)* declares the Word’s eternity, distinct personality, and essential unity with God; His relations with creation generally, and with man in particular; His incarnation, and the fulness of grace, and perfection of revelation attained through Him.* 19‐34. *Some of the Baptist’s testimonies to Christ.* 35‐51. *Circumstances in which Christ’s first disciples were called.* 1. In principio erat Verbum, 1. In the beginning was the et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Word, and the Word was with Deus erat Verbum. God, and the Word was God.