Though the Jews, at the time of the appearance of our Lord, were so much divided in sentiment, and though the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Essenes, had each their theological peculiarities, their sectarianism did not involve any complete severance or separation.  Notwithstanding their differences of creed, the Pharisees and Sadducees sat together in the Sanhedrim, [207:2] and worshipped together in the temple.  All the seed of Abraham constituted one Church, and congregated in the same sacred courts to celebrate the great festivals.  In the Christian Church, in the days of the apostles, there was something approaching to the same outward unity.  Though, for instance, there were so many parties among the Corinthians—­though one said, I am of Paul, and another I am of Apollos, and another I am of Cephas, and another I am of Christ—­all assembled in the same place to join in the same worship, and to partake of the same Eucharist.  Those who withdrew from the disciples with whom they had been previously associated, appear generally to have relinquished altogether the profession of Christianity. [207:3] Some, at least, of the Gnostics acted very differently.  When danger appeared they were inclined to temporize, and to discontinue their attendance on the worship of the Church; but they were desirous to remain still nominally connected with the great body of believers. [207:4] Any form of alliance with such dangerous errorists was, however, considered a cause of scandal; and the inspired teachers of the gospel insisted on their exclusion from ecclesiastical fellowship.  Hence Paul declares that he had delivered Hymenaeus and Alexander “unto Satan” that they might learn “not to blaspheme;” [208:1] and John upbraids the Church in Pergamos because it retained in its communion “them that held the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes.” [208:2] During the first century the Gnostics seem to have been unable to create anything like a schism among those who had embraced Christianity.  Whilst the apostles lived the “science falsely so called” could not pretend to a divine sanction; and though here and there they displayed considerable activity in the dissemination of their principles, they were sternly and effectually discountenanced.  It is accordingly stated by one of the earliest ecclesiastical writers that, in the time of Simeon of Jerusalem, who finished his career in the beginning of the second century, “they called the Church as yet a virgin, inasmuch as it was not yet corrupted by vain discourses.” [208:3] Other writers concur in bearing testimony to the fact that, whilst the apostles were on earth, false teachers failed “to divide the unity” of the Christian commonwealth, “by the introduction of corrupt doctrines.” [208:4]