an inform matter, called Achamoth, which was thrown out of the Pleroma, from whose tears, laughter, sorrow and fear, proceeded the substance and foundation of all animal and material beings: under which, they included the creator himself, and the matter by which he effected the work of creation.

Now this ridiculous and monstrous opinion, was an impious reflection on the power of God, as though he had not strength sufficient to prepare matter himself for his works of creation, as well as to create his works out of matter provided to his hands in another way and manner; it is both “impious and foolish,” as Irenæus writes, "not to believe that God could by his own will, make those things that are, out of those that were not; and to ascribe the substance of matter to the tears, laughter, sorrow, and fear of an unintelligible and imagina ry Achamoth: and being ignorant of the pow er of a spiritual and divine substance, not to believe that God who is strong and rich in all things, created matter itself."

But, besides these forementioned heretics, there were also others who derogated from the omnipotent power of God, by ascribing the creation of the world unto angels; as did the followers of Simon Magus, the Menandrians,

Satunilians, Basilidians, Carpocratians, and others, who all combined in this degradation of the almighty, and the taking from him the glory of this first manifestation of his power and Godhead, in creating and framing this stupendous fabric of the universe.

Now against all these various heretics and sundry heresies, to declare our belief of the omnipotent power and operation of God, was this word almighty partly inserted in the creed, whereby it is professed, that as there was no eternal substance or matter antecedent to the Creation of the world, from whence it should be formed and taken, so God needed it not for that end; neither stood he in any want of the help and strength of angels, or others, to effect so glorious a work; but was infinitely able, and sufficient of himself, to produce that and ten thousand times more, if it had pleas ed him so to do.

In which sense, it is expounded by the au thor of the second explication of the creed to the Catechumens, extant amongst the works of St. Austin; "we believe God," saith he, "to be almighty, who making all things, is not made himself; and therefore he is al mighty, because he made of nothing whatso ever is made; for no matter helped him, on

which he should shew the power of his workmanship, but he created all things of nothing: for this is to be almighty, that not only the fab ric itself, but also the matter thereof be found by him, who had no beginning." And when Eutropius, the judge of the disputation in the dialogues of Origen, sums up the Catholic faith, he applies this term almighty, not only to God's providential government of the world, but also to his infinite power in the ma king thereof, without the aids of any matter Co-existent with them.

Irenæus bewails, that the Gnostics and Valentinians did by their craft and subtilty draw away those from the truth, who did not keep a firm faith in one God the father almighty wherefore, as a preservative against their infection, he adviseth his reader firmly to adhere unto the creed, believed by the universal church, and received from the apostles; which creed saith he, obliges us to profess, that "God is almighty, who made all things not by angels, or any other powers; for he needeth none of these things, but by his word and spirit he compleated and perfected them." And in several other places, in opposition to the forementioned heresies, he writes, "that the angels did not make us, nor any power inferior to the father of all: for God

Wanted none of these, to effect what he had before determined with himself to do, as if he had no hands of his own; for the son and spi rit were always present with him, by whom and in whom he did all things freely and spon taneously." So that, from all these citations it is most evident, that this word almighty in the creed, doth in part denote the infinite pow er and energy of God, whereby he was able without the assistance of any other, to create the world, and to have done whatsoever else had pleased him.

But, secondly, it also signifies God's univer sal, absolute, and sovereign dominion over all things and persons, and his providential regen-cy and gubernation of them all, according to counsel of his will, for his own praise and glory. This indeed is the primary notion of the Greek word Pantocrator, which hath a respect to governing and ruling, and is thus explained by Ruffinus, who writes, that in the creed God" is called almighty, because he hath dominion over all:" and to the same effect Salvian affirms, that we must believe, "according to the rule of faith, that God rules all things:" and so Cyril of Jerusalem applies this term almighty to God's providential power, whereby he governs and rules all persons and

things whatever. Now this assertion of God's providential regency of the world, and of all affairs therein, seems to be levelled and intended against the Gnostics and Marcionites; both of whom refused to own, that God concerned himself with the management and di rection of the world; and the former of them at least arrived to that pitch of blasphemy, as to attribute unto another being this very title of almighty considered under this notion of rule and authority; for of these Gnostics the venerable Irenæus assures us," that whilst they confined the supreme and eternal God within a certain and imaginary space, circumscribed by bounds and limits, and placed the maker of the world (whom they supposed 'a distinct being from the true and only God) in a se yenth heaven of their own framing and ima gination, they allotted this inferior world, the seat of mankind, to be the habitation of the Devil, wherein he governs and tyrannizes;" for which reason, they called him Cosmocra tor, or the governor of the world; and Pantocrator, which is the very word almighty aseribed to God in the creed. Or, if some of them were not arrived to that degree of im piety, as to place the government of the world in the hands of the Devil, yet the best of them refused to lodge it with the one only indepen