ancient heretics, who denied the divinity of Jesus Christ. They took their name from Cerinthus, one of the first heresiarchs in the church, and contemporary with St John. They believed that Jesus was a mere man, born of Joseph and Mary; but that, in his baptism, a celestial virtue descended upon him in form of a dove, by means of which 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 virtue, as he received it from heaven, quitted him after his passion, and returned to the place whence it came; so that, according to them, Jesus, whom they called a pure man, really died and rose again, but Christ, who was distinguished from Jesus, did not suffer at all. It was partly to refute this sect that St John wrote his gospel. They received the gospel of St Matthew, in order to countenance their doctrine of circumcision, from Christ's being circumcised; but they omitted the genealogy. They also discarded the Epistles of St Paul, because that apostle held that circumcision was abolished.