ancient heretics, who denied the deity of Jesus Christ.—They took their name from Cerinthus, one of the first heresiarchs in the church, being contemporary with St John. See Cerinthus.

They believed that Jesus Christ was a mere man, born of Joseph and Mary; but that, in his baptism, a celestial virtue descended on him in form of a dove; by means whereof he was consecrated by the holy spirit, and made Christ. It was by means of this celestial virtue, therefore, that he wrought so many miracles; which, as he received it from heaven, quitted him after his passion, and returned to the place whence it came; so that Jesus, whom they called a pure man, really died and rose again; but that Christ, who was distinguished from Jesus, did not suffer at all. It was partly to refute this fact, that St John wrote his gospel. They received the gospel of St Matthew, to countenance their doctrine of circumcision, from Christ's being circumcised; but they omitted the genealogy. They discarded the epistles of St Paul, because that apostle held circumcision abolished.