Editing Basilides (section)

==Practices==

===Marriage===
Reciting the views of different heretics on marriage, Clement<ref>{{harvnb|Hort|1911}} cites ''Strom.'' iii. 508 ff.</ref> gives specimens of the teaching of Basilides and his son Isidore, by way of rebuke to the immorality of the later Basilidians. He first reports the exposition of {{bibleverse|Matthew|19:12}} (or a similar evangelic passage), in which there is nothing specially to note except the interpretation of the last class of eunuchs as those who remain in celibacy to avoid the distracting cares of providing a livelihood. He goes on to the paraphrase of {{bibleverse|1|Corinthians|7:9}}, interposing in the midst an illustrative sentence from Isidore, and transcribes the language used about the class above mentioned. 
{{blockquote|But suppose a young man either poor or depressed, and in accordance with the word [in the Gospel] unwilling to marry, let him not separate from his brother; let him say 'I have entered into the holy place, nothing can befall me'; but if he have a suspicion, let him say, 'Brother, lay thy hand on me, that I may sin not,' and he shall receive help both to mind and to senses; let him only have the will to carry out completely what is good, and he shall succeed. But sometimes we say with the lips, 'We will not sin,' while our thoughts are turned towards sinning: such as one abstains by reason of fear from doing what he wills, lest the punishment be reckoned to his account. But the estate of mankind has only certain things at once necessary and natural, clothing being necessary and natural, but sexual intercourse natural, yet not necessary.<ref>{{harvnb|Hort|1911}} cites Cf. Plut. ''Mor.'' 989.</ref>}}

===Epiphany===
Although we have no evidence that Basilides, like some others, regarded [[Baptism of Jesus|Jesus's Baptism]] as the time when a Divine being first was joined to Jesus of Nazareth, it seems clear that he attached some unusual significance to the event. St. Hippolytus of Rome implied that Basilides regarded the Baptism as the occasion when Jesus received "the Gospel" by a Divine illumination.<ref>[[s:Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume V/Hippolytus/The Refutation of All Heresies/Book VII/Part 14|St. Hippolytus of Rome, ''Philosophumena'' Book vii.]]</ref>

"They of Basilides," says Clement,<ref>''Strom.'' i. 146, p. 408.</ref> "celebrate the day of His Baptism by a preliminary night-service of [Scripture] readings." The Venice MS. states that the Basilideans celebrated the night before the Epiphany singing and flute-playing in a heathen temple at Alexandria: so that probably the Basilidian rite was a modification of an old local custom.<ref>{{harvnb|Hort|1911}} cites Venice MS. ii. 483 Dind.: iii. 632 Oehler.</ref>

===Meat offered to idols and apostasy===
Eusebius of Caesarea is quoting Agrippa Castor, when he states that Basilides: "taught also that the eating of meat offered to idols and the unguarded renunciation of the faith in times of persecution were matters of indifference".<ref name=Eusebius4-7/> However, from St. Clement of Alexandria's Stromata, it appears that Agrippa Castor misunderstood the purpose of Basilides's argument, partly from the actual doctrine and practices of later Basilidians; but it may also have had some justification in incidental words which have not been preserved.{{citation needed|date=April 2011}} It appears as if Basilides was actually saying that the eating of meat offered to idols and apostasy weren't condemned for immorality, but were punishments because of immorality.<ref name=Martyrdom/>

===Silence===
According to Agrippa Castor, Basilides "in Pythagorean fashion" prescribed a silence of five years to his disciples.<ref name=Eusebius4-7>[[s:Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Series II/Volume I/Church History of Eusebius/Book IV/Chapter 7|Eusebius of Caesarea, ''Ecclesiastical History'' Book iv. Chapter vii.]]</ref>

===Prophets===
Agrippa Castor stated that Basilides "invented prophets for himself named Barcabbas and Barcoph, and others that had no existence".<ref name=Eusebius4-7/> The alleged prophecies apparently belonged to the apocryphal Zoroastrian literature popular with various Gnostics.{{sfn|Hort|1911}}

===''Traditions of Matthias''===
According to Basilides and Isidore, Matthias spoke to them mystical doctrines which he heard in private teaching from the Saviour.<ref name=Matthias>[[s:Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume V/Hippolytus/The Refutation of All Heresies/Book VII/Part 9|St. Hippolytus of Rome, ''Philosophumena'' Book vii. Chapter viii.]]</ref><ref>''Strom.'' vii. 900. {{Verify source|date=April 2011}}</ref> Origen also<ref>{{harvnb|Hort|1911}} cites ''Hom. in Luc.'' i. t. iii p. 933.</ref> and after him Eusebius refer to a "Gospel" of or according to Matthias.<ref>{{harvnb|Hort|1911}} cites ''H. E.'' iii. 25, 6.</ref> The true name was apparently the ''Traditions of Matthias''.<ref>{{harvnb|Hort|1911}} cites ''Strom.'' ii. 452; iii. 523 (copied by [[s:Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Series II/Volume I/Church History of Eusebius/Book III/Chapter 29|Eusebius, ''H. E.'' iii. 29. 4]]); vii. 882.</ref>