a sect among the Jews. It is said that the principles of the
Sadducees were derived from Antigonus Sochæus, president of the
sanhedrim, about B. C. 250, who, rejecting the traditionary doctrines of
the scribes, taught that man ought to serve God out of pure love, and
not from hope of reward, or fear of punishment; and that they derived
their name from Sadoc, one of his followers, who, mistaking or
perverting this doctrine, maintained that there was no future state of
rewards and punishments. Whatever foundation there may be for this
account of the origin of the sect, it is certain, that in the time of
our Saviour the Sadducees denied the resurrection of the dead, Acts
xxiii, 8, and the existence of angels and spirits, or souls of departed
men; though, as Mr. Hume observes, it is not easy to comprehend how they
could at the same time admit the authority of the law of Moses. They
carried their ideas of human freedom so far as to assert that men were
absolutely masters of their own actions, and at full liberty to do
either good or evil. Josephus even says that they denied the essential
difference between good and evil; and, though they believed that God
created and preserved the world, they seem to have denied his particular
providence. These tenets, which resemble the Epicurean philosophy, led,
as might be expected, to great profligacy of life; and we find the
licentious wickedness of the Sadducees frequently condemned in the New
Testament; yet they professed themselves obliged to observe the Mosaic
law, because of the temporal rewards and punishments annexed to such
observance; and hence they were always severe in their punishment of any
crimes which tended to disturb the public tranquillity. The Sadducees
rejected all tradition, and some authors have contended that they
admitted only the books of Moses; but there seems no ground for that
opinion, either in the Scriptures or in any ancient writer. Even
Josephus, who was himself a Pharisee, and took every opportunity of
reproaching the Sadducees, does not mention that they rejected any part
of the Scriptures; he only says that “the Pharisees have delivered to
the people many institutions as received from the fathers, which are not
written in the law of Moses. For this reason the Sadducees reject these
things, asserting that those things are binding which are written, but
that the things received by tradition from the fathers are not to be
observed.” Beside, it is generally believed that the Sadducees expected
the Messiah with great impatience, which seems to imply their belief in
the prophecies, though they misinterpreted their meaning. Confining all
their hopes to this present world, enjoying its riches, and devoting
themselves to its pleasures, they might well be particularly anxious
that their lot of life should be cast in the splendid reign of this
expected temporal king, with the hope of sharing in his conquests and
glory; but this expectation was so contrary to the lowly appearance of
our Saviour, that they joined their inveterate enemies, the Pharisees,
in persecuting him and his religion. Josephus says, that the Sadducees
were able to draw over to them the rich only, the people not following
them; and he elsewhere mentions that this sect spread chiefly among the
young. The Sadducees were far less numerous than the Pharisees, but they
were in general persons of greater opulence and dignity. The council
before whom our Saviour and St. Paul were carried consisted partly of
Pharisees and partly of Sadducees.
Sadducees were derived from Antigonus Sochæus, president of the
sanhedrim, about B. C. 250, who, rejecting the traditionary doctrines of
the scribes, taught that man ought to serve God out of pure love, and
not from hope of reward, or fear of punishment; and that they derived
their name from Sadoc, one of his followers, who, mistaking or
perverting this doctrine, maintained that there was no future state of
rewards and punishments. Whatever foundation there may be for this
account of the origin of the sect, it is certain, that in the time of
our Saviour the Sadducees denied the resurrection of the dead, Acts
xxiii, 8, and the existence of angels and spirits, or souls of departed
men; though, as Mr. Hume observes, it is not easy to comprehend how they
could at the same time admit the authority of the law of Moses. They
carried their ideas of human freedom so far as to assert that men were
absolutely masters of their own actions, and at full liberty to do
either good or evil. Josephus even says that they denied the essential
difference between good and evil; and, though they believed that God
created and preserved the world, they seem to have denied his particular
providence. These tenets, which resemble the Epicurean philosophy, led,
as might be expected, to great profligacy of life; and we find the
licentious wickedness of the Sadducees frequently condemned in the New
Testament; yet they professed themselves obliged to observe the Mosaic
law, because of the temporal rewards and punishments annexed to such
observance; and hence they were always severe in their punishment of any
crimes which tended to disturb the public tranquillity. The Sadducees
rejected all tradition, and some authors have contended that they
admitted only the books of Moses; but there seems no ground for that
opinion, either in the Scriptures or in any ancient writer. Even
Josephus, who was himself a Pharisee, and took every opportunity of
reproaching the Sadducees, does not mention that they rejected any part
of the Scriptures; he only says that “the Pharisees have delivered to
the people many institutions as received from the fathers, which are not
written in the law of Moses. For this reason the Sadducees reject these
things, asserting that those things are binding which are written, but
that the things received by tradition from the fathers are not to be
observed.” Beside, it is generally believed that the Sadducees expected
the Messiah with great impatience, which seems to imply their belief in
the prophecies, though they misinterpreted their meaning. Confining all
their hopes to this present world, enjoying its riches, and devoting
themselves to its pleasures, they might well be particularly anxious
that their lot of life should be cast in the splendid reign of this
expected temporal king, with the hope of sharing in his conquests and
glory; but this expectation was so contrary to the lowly appearance of
our Saviour, that they joined their inveterate enemies, the Pharisees,
in persecuting him and his religion. Josephus says, that the Sadducees
were able to draw over to them the rich only, the people not following
them; and he elsewhere mentions that this sect spread chiefly among the
young. The Sadducees were far less numerous than the Pharisees, but they
were in general persons of greater opulence and dignity. The council
before whom our Saviour and St. Paul were carried consisted partly of
Pharisees and partly of Sadducees.