Sadoc (II)

II. SADOC, Founder of the Sect of the Saducees. This is what almost all have said, who have treated of this Sect; but they inform us but very little concerning his Person. ‘Tis said,¹ that Sadoc succeeded one Antigonus Socchæus, as a Disciple succeeds his Master, in the Tradition of his Doctrine; which Antigonus had in the same manner succeeded Simon the Just, the High-priest of the Jews. But Simon the Just died in the Year of the World 3711, before the vulgar Era 293. So that Sadoc may have lived about the Year of the World 3740.

Antigonus, Master to Sadoc, was, as it is thought, the Head of a particular Sect, who, out of an Excess of Spirituality, taught, that we must give to the Lord a pure and disinterested Worship. Be not like Slaves, said Antigonus to his Scholars; do not obey your God only on a Prospect of a Recompence, but obey him without any Views of Self-interest, and without hoping for any Recompence for your Labours: Let the Fear of the Lord be upon you. His Disciple Sadoc being not able to conform himself to so disinterested a Morality, and yet not being willing to abandon his Master, for whom he had a Respect, gave this Maxim of his a quite contrary turn to what he himself had intended. For he drew this Conclusion from it, that there was no Recompence to be hoped for, nor any Punishment to be fear’d, after this Life; and that Good was to be done, and Evil to be avoided, without any View either to Hope or Fear.

Some Rabbins make Sadoc a Disciple of Dositheus,² and pretend that he withdrew to Samaria; that he made a Schism from the other Jews, and worshipp’d upon Mount Gerizim. But this Sentiment cannot be supported, since Dositheus the Samaritan lived a long Time after Sadoc, and a little while after the Death of Jesus Christ.³ Others will have it,⁴ that Alexander the Great having permitted the Samaritans to build a Temple upon Mount Gerizim, Sadoc, Boetus, and several other prevaricating Jews, went to worship upon Gerizim, and thus separated themselves from Simon the Just and Antigonus Socchæus, who continued always stedfast to the Temple at Jerusalem. Lastly, there are some,⁵ who, without recurring to Sadoc at all, pretend that the Word Saducees comes from the Hebrew Sedec, which signifies Justice; and that they took this Name to distinguish themselves from others; being desirous to pass for great Lovers of Justice. Josephus observes,⁶ that they were very severe in punishing for Faults.

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