IRENAEUS AGAINST HERESIES

BOOK I

PREFACE.

    1. INASMUCH(1) as certain men have set the truth aside, and bring
in lying words and vain genealogies, which, as the apostle says,(2)
"minister questions rather than godly edifying which is in faith," and
by means of their craftily-constructed plausibilities draw away the
minds of the inexperienced and take them captive, [I have felt
constrained, my dear friend, to compose the following treatise in
order to expose and counteract their machinations.] These men falsify
the oracles of God, and prove themselves evil interpreters of the good
word of revelation. They also overthrow the faith of many, by drawing
them away, under a pretence of [superior] knowledge, from Him who
rounded and adorned the universe; as if, forsooth, they had something
more excellent and sublime to reveal, than that God who created the
heaven and the earth, and all things that are therein. By means of
specious and plausible words, they cunningly allure the simple-minded
to inquire into their system; but they nevertheless clumsily destroy
them, while they initiate them into their blasphemous and impious
opinions respecting the Demiurge;(3) and these simple ones are unable,
even in such a matter, to distinguish falsehood from truth.

    2. Error, indeed, is never set forth in its naked deformity, lest,
being thus exposed, it should at once be detected. But it is craftily
decked out in an attractive dress, so as, by its outward form, to make
it appear to the inexperienced (ridiculous as the expression may seem)
more true than the truth itself. One(4) far superior to me has well
said, in reference to this point, "A clever imitation in glass casts
contempt, as it were, on that precious jewel the emerald (which is
most highly esteemed by some), unless it come under the eye of one
able to test and expose the counterfeit. Or, again, what inexperienced
person can with ease detect the presence of brass when it has been
mixed up with silver?" Lest, therefore, through my neglect, some
should be carried off, even as sheep are by wolves, while they
perceive not the true character of these men,-because they outwardly
are covered with sheep's clothing (against whom the Lord has
enjoined(5) us to be on our guard), and because their language
resembles ours, while their sentiments are very different,--I have
deemed it my duty (after reading some of the Commentaries, as they
call them, of the disciples of Valentinus, and after making myself
acquainted with their tenets through personal intercourse with some of
them) to unfold to thee, my friend, these portentous and profound
mysteries, which do not fall within the range of every intellect,
because all have not sufficiently purged(6) their brains. I do this,
in order that thou, obtaining an acquaintance with these things,
mayest in turn explain them to all those with whom thou art connected,
and exhort them to avoid such an abyss of madness and of blasphemy
against Christ. I intend, then, to the best of my ability, with
brevity and clearness to set forth the opinions of those who are now
promulgating heresy. I refer especially to the disciples of
Ptolemaeus, whose school may be described as a bud from that of
Valentinus. I shall also endeavour, according to my moderate ability,
to furnish the means of overthrowing them, by showing how absurd and
inconsistent with the truth are their statements. Not that I am
practised either in composition or eloquence; but my feeling of
affection prompts me to make known to thee and all thy companions
those doctrines which have been kept in concealment until now, but
which are at last, through the goodness of God, brought to light. "For
there is nothing hidden which shall not be revealed, nor secret that
shall not be made known."(1)

    3. Thou wilt not expect from me, who am resident among the
Keltae,(2) and am accustomed for the most part to use a barbarous
dialect, any display of rhetoric, which I have never learned, or any
excellence of composition, which I have never practised, or any beauty
and persuasiveness of style, to which I make no pretensions. But thou
wilt accept in a kindly spirit what I in a like spirit write to thee
simply, truthfully, and in my own homely way; whilst thou thyself (as
being more capable than I am) wilt expand those ideas of which I send
thee, as it were, only the seminal principles; and in the
comprehensiveness of thy understanding, wilt develop to their full
extent the points on which I briefly touch, so as to set with power
before thy companions those things which I have uttered in weakness.
In fine, as I (to gratify thy long-cherished desire for information
regarding the tenets of these persons) have spared no pains, not only
to make these doctrines known to thee, but also to furnish the means
of showing their falsity; so shalt thou, according to the grace given
to thee by the Lord, prove an earnest and efficient minister to
others, that men may no longer be drawn away by the plausible system
of these heretics, which I now proceed to describe.(3)



CHAP. I.--ABSURD IDEAS OF THE DISCIPLES OF VALENTINUS AS TO THE
ORIGIN, NAME, ORDER, AND CONJUGAL PRODUCTIONS OF THEIR FANCIED AEONS,
WITH THE PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE WHICH THEY ADAPT TO THEIR OPINIONS.



    1. THEY maintain, then, that in the invisible and ineffable
heights above there exists a certain perfect, pre-existent AEon,(4)
whom they call Proarche, Propator, and Bythus, and describe as being
invisible and incomprehensible. Eternal and unbegotten, he remained
throughout innumerable cycles of ages in profound serenity and
quiescence. There existed along with him Ennoea, whom they also call
Charis and Sige.(5) At last this Bythus determined to send forth from
himself the beginning of all things, and deposited this production
(which he had resolved to bring forth) in his contemporary Sige, even
as seed is deposited in the womb. She then, having received this seed,
and becoming pregnant, gave birth to Nous, who was both similar and
equal to him who had produced him, and was alone capable of
comprehending his father's greatness. This Nous they call also
Monogenes, and Father, and the Beginning of all Things. Along with him
was also produced Aletheia; and these four constituted the first and
first-begotten Pythagorean Tetrad, which they also denominate the root
of all things. For there are first Bythus and Sige, and then Nous and
Aletheia. And Monogenes, perceiving for what purpose he had been
produced, also himself sent forth Logos and Zoe, being the father of
all those who were to come after him, and the beginning and fashioning
of the entire Pleroma. By the conjunction of Logos and Zoo were
brought forth Anthropos and Ecclesia; and thus was formed the
first-begotten Ogdoad, the root and substance of all things, called
among them by four names, viz., Bythus, and Nous, and Logos, and
Anthropos. For each of these is masculo-feminine, as follows: Propator
was united by a conjunction with his Ennoea; then Monogenes, that is
Nous, with Aletheia; Logos with Zoe, and Anthropos with Ecclesia.

    2. These AEons having been produced for the glory of the Father,
and wishing, by their own efforts, to effect this object, sent forth
emanations by means of conjunction. Logos and Zoe, after producing
Anthropos and Ecclesia, sent forth other ten AEons, whose names are
the following: Bythius and Mixis, Ageratos and Henosis, Autophyes and
Hedone, Acinetos and Syncrasis, Monogenes and Macaria.(6) These are
the ten AEons whom they declare to have been produced by Logos and
Zoe. They then add that Anthropos himself, along with Ecclesia,
produced twelve AEons, to whom they give the following names:
Paracletus and Pistis, Patricos and Elpis, Metricos and Agape, Ainos
and Synesis, Ecclesiasticus and Macariotes, Theletos and Sophia.

    3. Such are the thirty AEons in the erroneous system of these men;
and they are described as being wrapped up, so to speak, in silence,
and known to none [except these professing teachers]. Moreover, they
declare that this invisible and spiritual Pleroma of theirs is
tripartite, being divided into an Ogdoad, a Decad, and a Duodecad. And
for this reason they affirm it was that the "Saviour"--for they do not
please to call Him "Lord"--did no work in public during the space of
thirty years,(1) thus setting forth the mystery of these AEons. They
maintain also, that these thirty AEons are most plainly indicated in
the parable(2) of the labourers sent into the vineyard. For some are
sent about the first hour, others about the third hour, others about
the sixth hour, others about the ninth hour, and others about the
eleventh hour. Now, if we add up the numbers of the hours here
mentioned, the sum total will be thirty: for one, three, six, nine,
and eleven, when added together, form thirty. And by the hours, they
hold that the AEons were pointed out; while they maintain that these
are great, and wonderful, and hitherto unspeakable mysteries which it
is their special function to develop; and so they proceed when they
find anything in the multitude(3) of things contained in the
Scriptures which they can adopt and accommodate to their baseless
speculations.



CHAP. II.--THE PROPATOR WAS KNOWN TO MONO-GENES ALONE. AMBITION,
DISTURBANCE, AND DANGER INTO WHICH SOPHIA FELL; HER SHAPELESS
OFFSPRING: SHE IS RESTORED BY HOROS. THE PRODUCTION OF CHRIST AND OF
THE HOLY SPIRIT, IN ORDER TO THE COMPLETION OF THE AEONS. MANNER OF
THE PRODUCTION OF JESUS.



    1. They proceed to tell us that the Propator of their scheme was
known only to Monogenes, who sprang from him; in other words, only to
Nous, while to all the others he was invisible and incomprehensible.
And, according to them, Nous alone took pleasure in contemplating the
Father, and exulting in considering his immeasurable greatness; while
he also meditated how he might communicate to the rest of the AEons
the greatness of the Father, revealing to them how vast and mighty he
was, and how he was without beginning,--beyond comprehension, and
altogether incapable of being seen. But, in accordance with the will
of the Father, Sige restrained him, because it was his design to lead
them all to an acquaintance with the aforesaid Propator, and to create
within them a desire of investigating his nature. In like manner, the
rest of the AEons also, in a kind of quiet way, had a wish to behold
the Author of their being, and to contemplate that First Cause which
had no beginning.

    2. But there rushed forth in advance of the rest that AEon who was
much the latest of them, and was the youngest of the Duodecad which
sprang from Anthropos and Ecclesia, namely Sophia, and suffered
passion apart from the embrace of her consort Theletos. This passion,
indeed, first arose among those who were connected with Nous and
Aletheia, but passed as by contagion to this degenerate AEon, who
acted under a pretence of love, but was in reality influenced by
temerity, because she had not, like Nous, enjoyed communion with the
perfect Father. This passion, they say, consisted in a desire to
search into the nature of the Father; for she wished, according to
them, to comprehend his greatness. When she could not attain her end,
inasmuch as she aimed at an impossibility, and thus became involved in
an extreme agony of mind, while both on account of the vast profundity
as well as the unsearchable nature of the Father, and on account of
the love she bore him, she was ever stretching herself forward, there
was danger lest she should at last have been absorbed by his
sweetness, and resolved into his absolute essence, unless she had met
with that Power which supports all things, and preserves them outside
of the unspeakable greatness. This power they term Horos; by whom,
they say, she was restrained and supported; and that then, having with
difficulty been brought back to herself, she was convinced that the
Father is incomprehensible, and so laid aside her original design,
along with that passion which had arisen within her from the
overwhelming influence of her admiration.

    3. But others of them fabulously describe the passion and
restoration of Sophia as follows: They say that she, having engaged in
an impossible and impracticable attempt, brought forth an amorphous
substance, such as her female nature enabled her to produce.(4) When
she looked upon it, her first feeling was one of grief, on account of
the imperfection of its generation, and then of fear lest this should
end(5) her own existence. Next she lost, as it were, all com- mand of
herself, and was in the greatest perplexity while endeavouring to
discover the cause of all this, and in what way she might conceal what
had happened. Being greatly harassed by these passions, she at last
changed her mind, and endeavoured to return anew to the Father. When,
however, she in some measure made the attempt, strength failed her,
and she became a suppliant of the Father. The other AEons, Nous in
particular, presented their supplications along with her. And hence
they declare material substance(1) had its beginning from ignorance
and grief, and fear and bewilderment.

    4. The Father afterwards produces, in his own image, by means of
Monogenes, the above-mentioned Horos, without conjunction,(2)
masculo-feminine. For they maintain that sometimes the Father acts in
conjunction with Sige, but that at other times he shows himself
independent both of male and female. They term this Horos both Stauros
and Lytrotes, and Carpistes, and Horothetes, and Metagoges.(3) And by
this Horos they declare that Sophia was purified and established,
while she was also restored to her proper conjunction. For her
enthymesis (or inborn idea) having been taken away from her, along
with its supervening passion, she herself certainly remained within
the Pleroma; but her enthymesis, with its passion, was separated from
her by Horos, fenced(4) off, and expelled from that circle. This
enthymesis was, no doubt, a spiritual substance, possessing some of
the natural tendencies of an AEon, but at the same time shapeless and
without form, because it had received nothing.(5) And on this account
they say that it was an imbecile and feminine production.(6)

    5. After this substance had been placed outside of the Pleroma of
the AEons, and its mother restored to her proper conjunction, they
tell us that Monogenes, acting in accordance with the prudent
forethought of the Father, gave origin to another conjugal pair,
namely Christ and the Holy Spirit (lest any of the AEons should fall
into a calamity similar to that of Sophia), for the purpose of
fortifying and strengthening the Pleroma, and who at the same time
completed the number of the AEons. Christ then instructed them as to
the nature of their conjunction, and taught them that those who
possessed a comprehension of the Unbegotten were sufficient for
themselves.(7) He also announced among them what related to the
knowledge of the Father,--namely, that he cannot be understood or
comprehended, nor so much as seen or heard, except in so far as he is
known by Monogenes only. And the reason why the rest of the AEons
possess perpetual existence is found in that part of the Father's
nature which is incomprehensible; but the reason of their origin and
formation was situated in that which may be comprehended regarding
him, that is, in the Son.(8) Christ, then, who had just been produced,
effected these things among them.

    6. But the Holy Spirit(9) taught them to give thanks on being all
rendered equal among themselves, and led them to a state of true
repose. Thus, then, they tell us that the AEons were constituted equal
to each other in form and sentiment, so that all became as Nous, and
Logos, and Anthropos, and Christus. The female AEons, too, became all
as Aletheia, and Zoe, and Spiritus, and Ecclesia. Everything, then,
being thus established, and brought into a state of perfect rest, they
next tell us that these beings sang praises with great joy to the
Propator, who himself shared in the abounding exaltation. Then, out of
gratitude for the great benefit which had been conferred on them, the
whole Pleroma of the AEons, with one design and desire, and with the
concurrence of Christ and the Holy Spirit, their Father also setting
the seal of His approval on their conduct, brought together whatever
each one had in himself of the greatest beauty and preciousness; and
uniting all these contributions so as skilfully to blend the whole,
they produced, to the honour and glory of Bythus, a being of most
perfect beauty, the very star of the Pleroma, and the perfect fruit
[of it], namely Jesus. Him they also speak of under the name of
Saviour, and Christ, and patronymically, Logos, and Everything,
because He was formed from the contributions of all. And then we are
told that, by way of honour, angels of the same nature as Himself were
simultaneously produced, to act as His body-guard. 


CHAP. III.--TEXTS
OF HOLY SCRIPTURE USED BY THESE HERETICS TO SUPPORT THEIR OPINIONS.



    1. Such, then, is the account they give of what took place within
the Pleroma; such the calamities that flowed from the passion which
seized upon the AEon who has been named, and who was within a little
of perishing by being absorbed in the universal substance, through her
inquisitive searching after the Father; such the consolidation(1) [of
that AEon] from her condition of agony by Horos, and Stauros, and
Lytrotes, and Carpistes, and Horothetes, and Metagoges.(2) Such also
is the account of the generation of the later AEons, namely of the
first Christ and of the Holy Spirit, both of whom were produced by the
Father after the repentance(3) [of Sophia], and of the second(4)
Christ (whom they also style Saviour), who owed his being to the joint
contributions [of the AEons]. They tell us, however, that this
knowledge has not been openly divulged, because all are not capable of
receiving it, but has been mystically revealed by the Saviour through
means of parables to those qualified for understanding it. This has
been done as follows. The thirty AEons are indicated (as we have
already remarked) by the thirty years during which they say the
Saviour performed no public act, and by the parable of the labourers
in the vineyard. Paul also, they affirm, very clearly and frequently
names these AEons, and even goes so far as to preserve their order,
when he says, "To all the generations of the AEons of the AEon."(5)
Nay, we ourselves, when at the giving of thanks we pronounce the
words, "To AEons of AEons" (for ever and ever), do set forth these
AEons. And, in fine, wherever the words AEon or AEons occur, they at
once refer them to these beings.

    2. The production, again, of the Duodecad of the AEons, is
indicated by the fact that the Lord was twelve(7) years of age when He
disputed with the teachers of the law, and by the election of the
apostles, for of these there were twelve.(8) The other eighteen AEons
are made manifest in this way: that the Lord, [according to them,]
conversed with His disciples for eighteen months(9) after His
resurrection from the dead. They also affirm that these eighteen AEons
are strikingly indicated by the first two letters of His name
[I<greek>hsous</greek>], namely Iota(10) and Eta. And, in like manner,
they assert that the ten AEons are pointed out by the letter Iota,
which begins His name; while, for the same reason, they tell us the
Saviour said, "One Iota, or one tittle, shall by no means pass away
until all be fulfilled."(11)

    3. They further maintain that the passion which took place in the
case of the twelfth AEon is pointed at by the apostasy of Judas, who
was the twelfth apostle, and also by the fact that Christ suffered in
the twelfth month. For their opinion is, that He continued to preach
for one year only after His baptism. The same thing is also most
clearly indicated by the case of the woman who suffered from an issue
of blood. For after she had been thus afflicted during twelve years,
she was healed by the advent of the Saviour, when she had touched the
border of His garment; and on this account the Saviour said, "Who
touched me?"(12)--teaching his disciples the mystery which had
occurred among the AEons, and the healing of that AEon who had been
involved in suffering. For she who had been afflicted twelve years
represented that power whose essence, as they narrate, was stretching
itself forth, and flowing into immensity; and unless she had touched
the garment of the Son,(13) that is, Aletheia of the first Tetrad, who
is denoted by the hem spoken of, she would have been dissolved into
the general essence(14) [of which she participated]. She stopped
short, however, and ceased any longer to suffer. For the power that
went forth from the Son (and this power they term Horos) healed her,
and separated the passion from her.

    4. They moreover affirm that the Saviour(15) is shown to be
derived from all the AEons, and to be in Himself everything by the
following passage: "Every male that openeth the womb."(16) For He,
being everything, opened the womb(17) of the enthymesis of the
suffering AEon, when it had been expelled from the Pleroma. This they
also style the second Ogdoad, of which we shall speak presently. And
they state that it was clearly on this account that Paul said, "And He
Himself is all things;"(1) and again, "All things are to Him, and of
Him are all things;"(2) and further, "In Him dwelleth all the fulness
of the Godhead;"(3) and yet again, "All things are gathered together
by God in Christ."(4) Thus do they interpret these and any like
passages to be found in Scripture.

    5. They show, further, that that Horos of theirs, whom they call
by a variety of names, has two faculties,--the one of supporting, and
the other of separating; and in so far as he supports and sustains, he
is Stauros, while in so far as he divides and separates, he is Horos.
They then represent the Saviour as having indicated this twofold
faculty: first, the sustaining power, when He said, "Whosoever doth
not bear his cross (Stauros), and follow after me, cannot be my
disciple;"(5) and again, "Taking up the cross follow me;"(6) but the
separating power when He said, "I came not to send peace, but a
word."(7) They also maintain that John indicated the same thing when
he said, "The fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge the
floor, and will gather the wheat into His garner; but the chaff He
will burn with fire unquenchable."(8) By this declaration He set forth
the faculty of Horos. For that fan they explain to be the cross
(Stauros), which consumes, no doubt, all material(9) objects, as fire
does chaff, but it purifies all them that are saved, as a fan does
wheat. Moreover, they affirm that the Apostle Paul himself made
mention of this cross in the following words: "The doctrine of the
cross is to them that perish foolishness, but to us who are saved it
is the power of God."(10) And again: "God forbid that I should glory
in anything(11) save in the cross of Christ, by whom the world is
crucified to me, and I unto the world."

    6. Such, then, is the account which they all give of their
Pleroma, and of the formation(12) of the universe, striving, as they
do, to adapt the good words of revelation to their own wicked
inventions. And it is not only from the writings of the evangelists
and the apostles that they endeavour to derive proofs for their
opinions by means of perverse interpretations and deceitful
expositions: they deal in the same way with the law and the prophets,
which contain many parables and allegories that can frequently be
drawn into various senses, according to the kind of exegesis to which
they are subjected. And others(13) of them, with great craftiness,
adapted such parts of Scripture to their own figments, lead away
captive from the truth those who do not retain a stedfast faith in one
God, the Father Almighty, and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of
God.



CHAP. IV.--ACCOUNT GIVEN BY THE HERETICS OF THE FORMATION OF ACHAMOTH;
ORIGIN OF THE VISIBLE WORLD FROM HER DISTURBANCES.



    1. The following are the transactions which they narrate as having
occurred outside of the Pleroma: The enthymesis of that Sophia who
dwells above, which they also term Achamoth,(14) being removed from
the Pleroma, together with her passion, they relate to have, as a
matter of course, become violently excited in those places of darkness
and vacuity [to which she had been banished]. For she was excluded
from light(15) and the Pleroma, and was without form or figure, like
an untimely birth, because she had received nothing(16) [from a male
parent]. But the Christ dwelling on high took pity upon her; and
having extended himself through and beyond Stauros,(17) he imparted a
figure to her, but merely as respected substance, and not so as to
convey intelligence.(18) Having effected this, he withdrew his
influence, and returned, leaving Achamoth to herself, in order that
she, becoming sensible of her suffering as being severed from the
Pleroma, might be influenced by the desire of better things, while she
possessed in the meantime a kind of odour of immortality left in her
by Christ and the Holy Spirit. Wherefore also she is called by two
names--Sophia after her father (for Sophia is spoken of as being her
father), and Holy Spirit from that Spirit who is along with Christ.
Having then obtained a form, along with intelligence, and being
immediately deserted by that Logos who had been invisibly present with
her--that is, by Christ--she strained herself to discover that light
which had forsaken her, but could not effect her purpose, inasmuch as
she was prevented by Horos. And as Horos thus obstructed her further
progress, he exclaimed, IAO,(1) whence, they say, this name Iao
derived its origin. And when she could not pass by Horos on account of
that passion in which she had been involved, and because she alone had
been left without, she then resigned herself to every sort of that
manifold and varied state of passion to which she was subject; and
thus she suffered grief on the one hand because she had not obtained
the object of her desire, and fear on the other hand, lest life itself
should fail her, as light had already done, while, in addition, she
was in the greatest perplexity. All these feelings were associated
with ignorance. And this ignorance of hers was not like that of her
mother, the first Sophia, an AEon, due to degeneracy by means of
passion, but to an [innate] opposition [of nature to knowledge].(2)
Moreover, another kind of passion fell upon her her (Achamoth),
namely, that of desiring to return to him who gave her life.

    2. This collection [of passions] they declare was the substance of
the matter from which this world was formed. For from [her desire of]
returning [to him who gave her life], every soul belonging to this
world, and that of the Demiurge(3) himself, derived its origin. All
other things owed their beginning to her terror and sorrow. For from
her tears all that is of a liquid nature was formed; from her smile
all that is lucent; and from her grief and perplexity all the
corporeal elements of the world. For at one time, as they affirm, she
would weep and lament on account of being left alone in the midst of
darkness and vacuity; while, at another time, reflecting on the light
which had forsaken her, she would be filled with joy, and laugh; then,
again, she would be struck with terror; or, at other times, would sink
into consternation and bewilderment.

    3. Now what follows from all this? No light tragedy comes out of
it, as the fancy of every man among them pompously explains, one in
one way, and another in another, from what kind of passion and from
what element being derived its origin. They have good reason, as seems
to me, why they should not feel inclined to teach these things to all
in public, but only to such as are able to pay a high price for an
acquaintance with such profound mysteries. For these doctrines are not
at all similar to those of which our Lord said, "Freely ye have
received, freely give."(4) They are, on the contrary, abstruse, and
portentous, and profound mysteries, to be got at only with great
labour by such as are in love with falsehood. For who would not expend
lull that he possessed, if only he might learn in return, that from
the tears of the enthymesis of the AEon involved in passion, seas, and
fountains, and rivers, and every liquid substance derived its origin;
that light burst forth from her smile; and that from her perplexity
and consternation the corporeal elements of the world had their
formation?

    4. I feel somewhat inclined myself to contribute a few hints
towards the development of their system. For when I perceive that
waters are in part fresh, such as fountains, rivers, showers, and so
on, and in part salt; such as those in the sea, I reflect with myself
that all such waters cannot be derived from her tears, inasmuch as
these are of a saline quality only. It is clear, therefore, that the
waters which are salt are alone those which are derived from her
tears. But it is probable that she, in her intense agony and
perplexity, was covered with perspiration. And hence, following out
their notion, we may conceive that fountains and rivers, and all the
fresh water in the world, are due to this source. For it is difficult,
since we know that all tears are of the same quality, to believe that
waters both salt and fresh proceeded from them. The more plausible
supposition is, that some are from her tears, and some from her
perspiration. And since there are also in the world certain waters
which are hot and acrid in their nature, thou must be left to guess
their origin, how and whence. Such are some of the results of their
hypothesis.

    5. They go on to state that, when the mother Achamoth had passed
through all sorts of passion, and had with difficulty escaped from
them, she turned herself to supplicate the light which had forsaken
her, that is, Christ. He, however, having returned to the Pleroma, and
being probably unwilling again to descend from it, sent forth to her
the Paraclete, that is, the Saviour.(5) This being was endowed with
all power by the Father, who placed everything under his authority,
the AEons(6) doing so likewise, so that "by him were all things,
visible and invisible, created, thrones, divinities, dominions."(7) He
then was sent to her along with his contemporary angels. And they
related that Achamoth, filled with reverence, at first veiled herself
through modesty, but that by and by, when she had looked upon him with
all his endowments, and had acquired strength from his appearance, she
ran forward to meet him. He then imparted to her form as respected
intelligence, and brought healing to her passions, separating them
from her, but not so as to drive them out of thought altogether. For
it was not possible that they should be annihilated as in the former
case,(1) because they had already taken root and acquired strength [so
as to possess an indestructible existence]. All that he could do was
to separate them and set them apart, and then commingle and condense
them, so as to transmute them from incorporeal passion into
unorganized matter.(2) He then by this process conferred upon them a
fitness and a nature to become concretions and corporeal structures,
in order that two substances should be formed,--the one evil,
resulting from the passions, and the other subject indeed to
suffering, but originating from her conversion. And on this account
(i.e., on account of this hypostatizing of ideal matter) they say that
the Saviour virtually(3) created the world. But when Achamoth was
freed from her passion, she gazed with rapture on the dazzling vision
of the angels that were with him; and in her ecstasy, conceiving by
them, they tell us that she brought forth new beings, partly after her
oven image, and partly a spiritual progeny after the image of the
Saviour's attendants.



CHAP. V.--FORMATION OF THE DEMIURGE; DESCRIPTION OF HIM. HE IS THE
CREATOR OF EVERYTHING OUTSIDE OF THE PLEROMA.



    1. These three kinds of existence, then, having, according to
them, been now formed,--one from the passion, which was matter; a
second from the conversion, which was animal; and the third, that
which she (Achamoth) herself brought forth, which was spiritual,--she
next addressed herself to the task of giving these form. But she could
not succeed in doing this as respected the spiritual existence,
because it was of the same nature with herself. She therefore applied
herself to give form to the animal substance which had proceeded from
her own conversion, and to bring forth to light the instructions of
the Saviour.(4) And they say she first formed out of animal substance
him who is Father and King of all things, both of these which are of
the same nature with himself, that is, animal substances, which they
also call right-handed, and those which sprang from the passion, and
from matter, which they call left-handed. For they affirm that he
formed all the things which came into existence after him, being
secretly impelled thereto by his mother. From this circumstance they
style him Metropator,(5) Apator, Demiurge, and Father, saying that he
is Father of the substances on the right hand, that is, of the animal,
but Demiurge of those on the left, that is, of the material, while he
is at the same time the king of all. For they say that this
Enthymesis, desirous of making all things to the honour of the AEons,
formed images of them, or rather that the Saviour(6) did so through
her instrumentality. And she, in the image(7) of the invisible Father,
kept herself concealed from the Demiurge. But he was in the image of
the only-begotten Son, and the angels and archangels created by him
were in the image of the rest of the AEons.

    2. They affirm, therefore, that he was constituted the Father and
God of everything outside of the Pleroma, being the creator of all
animal and material substances. For he it was that discriminated these
two kinds of existence hitherto confused, and made corporeal from
incorporeal substances, fashioned things heavenly and earthly, and
became the Framer (Demiurge) of things material and animal, of those
on the right and those on the left, of the light and of the heavy, and
of those tending upwards as well as of those tending downwards. He
created also seven heavens, above which they say that he, the
Demiurge, exists. And on this account they term him Hebdomas, and his
mother Achamoth Ogdoads, preserving the number of the first-begotten
and primary Ogdoad as the Pleroma. They affirm, moreover, that these
seven heavens are intelligent, and speak of them as being angels,
while they refer to the Demiurge himself as being an angel bearing a
likeness to God; and in the same strain, they declare that Paradise,
situated above the third heaven, is a fourth angel possessed of power,
from whom Adam derived certain qualities while he conversed with him.

    3. They go on to say that the Demiurge imagined that he created
all these things of himself, while he in reality made them in
conjunction with the productive power of Achamoth. He formed the
heavens, yet was ignorant of the heavens; he fashioned man, yet knew
not man; he brought to light the earth, yet had no acquaintance with
the earth; and, in like manner. they declare that he was ignorant of
the forms of all that he made, and knew not even of the existence of
his own mother, but imagined that he himself was all things. They
further affirm that his mother originated this opinion in his mind,
because she desired to bring him forth possessed of such a character
that he should be the head and source of his own essence, and the
absolute ruler over every kind of operation [that was afterwards
attempted]. This mother they also call Ogdoad, Sophia; Terra,
Jerusalem, Holy Spirit, and, with a masculine reference, Lord.(1) Her
place of habitation is an intermediate one, above the Demiurge indeed,
but below and outside of the Pleroma, even to the end.(2)

    4. As, then, they represent all material substance to be formed
from three passions, viz., fear, grief, and perplexity, the account
they give is as follows: Animal substances originated from fear and
from conversion; the Demiurge they also describe as owing his origin
to conversion; but the existence of all the other animal substances
they ascribe to fear, such as the souls of irrational animals, and of
wild beasts, and men. And on this account, he (the Demiurge), being
incapable of recognising any spiritual essences, imagined himself to
be God alone, and declared through the prophets, "I am God, and
besides me there is none else."(3) They further teach that the spirits
of wickedness derived their origin from grief. Hence the devil, whom
they also call Cosmocrator (the ruler of the world), and the demons,
and the angels, and every wicked spiritual being that exists, found
the source Of their existence. They represent the Demiurge as being
the son of that mother of theirs (Achamoth), and Cosmocrator as the
creature of the Demiurge. Cosmocrator has knowledge of what is above
himself, because he is a spirit of wickedness; but the Demiurge is
ignorant of such things, inasmuch as he is merely animal. Their mother
dwells in that place which is above the heavens, that is, in the
intermediate abode; the Demiurge in the heavenly place, that is, in
the hebdomad; but the Cosmocrator in this our world. The corporeal
elements of the world, again, sprang, as we before remarked, from
bewilderment and perplexity, as from a more ignoble source. Thus the
earth arose from her state of stupor; water from the agitation caused
by her fear; air from the consolidation of her grief; while fire,
producing death and corruption, was inherent in all these elements,
even as they teach that ignorance also lay concealed in these three
passions.

    5. Having thus formed the world, he (the Demiurge) also created
the earthy [part of] man, not taking him from this dry earth, but from
an invisible substance consisting of fusible and fluid matter, and
then afterwards, as they define the process, breathed into him the
animal part of his nature. It was this latter which was created after
his image and likeness. The material part, indeed, was very near to.
God, so far as the image went, but not of the same substance with him.
The animal, on the Other hand, was so in respect to likeness; and
hence his substance was called the spirit of life, because it took its
rise from a spiritual outflowing. After all this, he was, they say,
enveloped all round with a covering of skin; and by this they mean the
outward sensitive flesh.

    6. But they further affirm that the Demiurge himself was ignorant
of that offspring of his mother Achamoth, which she brought forth as a
consequence of her contemplation of those angels who waited on the
Saviour, and which was, like herself, of a spiritual nature. She took
advantage of this ignorance to deposit it (her production) in him
without his knowledge, in order that, being by his instrumentality
infused into that animal soul proceeding from himself, and being thus
carried as in a womb in this material body, while it gradually
increased in strength, might in course of time become fitted for the
reception of perfect rationality.(4) Thus it came to pass, then,
according to them, that, without any knowledge on the part of the
Demiurge, the man formed by his inspiration was at the same time,
through an unspeakable providence, rendered a spiritual man by the
simultaneous inspiration received from Sophia. For, as he was ignorant
of his mother, so neither did he recognise her offspring. This
[offspring] they also declare to be the Ecclesia, an emblem of the
Ecclesia which is above. This, then, is the kind of man whom they
conceive of: he has his animal soul from the Demiurge, his body from
the earth, his fleshy part from matter, and his spiritual man from the
mother Achamoth.



CHAP. VI.--THE THREEFOLD KIND OF MAN FEIGNED BY THESE HERETICS: GOOD
WORKS NEEDLESS FOR THEM, THOUGH NECESSARY TO OTHERS: THEIR ABANDONED
MORALS.



    1. There being thus three kinds of substances, they declare of all
that is material (which they also describe as being "on the left
hand") that it must of necessity perish, inasmuch as it is incapable
of receiving any afflatus of incorruption. As to every animal
existence (which they also denominate "on the right hand"), they hold
that, inasmuch as it is a mean between the spiritual and the material,
it passes to the side to which inclination draws it. Spiritual
substance, again, they describe as having been sent forth for this
end, that, being here united with that which is animal, it might
assume shape, the two elements being simultaneously subjected to the
same discipline. And this they declare to be "the salt"(1) and "the
light of the world." For the animal substance had need of training by
means of the outward senses; and on this account they affirm that the
world was created, as well as that the Saviour came to the animal
substance (which was possessed of free-will), that He might secure for
it salvation. For they affirm that He received the first-fruits of
those whom He was to save [as follows], from Achamoth that which was
spiritual, while He was invested by the Demiurge with the animal
Christ, but was begirt(2) by a [special] dispensation with a body
endowed with an animal nature, yet constructed with unspeakable skill,
so that it might be visible and tangible, and capable of enduring
suffering. At the same time, they deny that He assumed anything
material [into His nature], since indeed matter is incapable of
salvation. They further hold that the consummation of all things will
take place when all that is spiritual has been formed and perfected by
Gnosis (knowledge); and by this they mean spiritual men who have
attained to the perfect knowledge of God, and been initiated into
these mysteries by Achamoth. And they represent themselves to be these
persons.

    2. Animal men, again, are instructed in animal things; such men,
namely, as are established by their works, and by a mere faith, while
they have not perfect knowledge. We of the Church, they say, are these
persons.(3) Wherefore also they maintain that good works are necessary
to us, for that otherwise it is impossible we should be saved. But as
to themselves, they hold that they shall be entirely and undoubtedly
saved, not by means of conduct, but because they are spiritual by
nature.(4) For, just as it is impossible that material substance
should partake of salvation (since, indeed, they maintain that it is
incapable of receiving it), so again it is impossible that spiritual
substance (by which they mean themselves) should ever come under the
power of corruption, whatever the sort of actions in which they
indulged. For even as gold, when submersed in filth, loses not on that
account its beauty, but retains its own native qualities, the filth
having no power to injure the gold, so they affirm that they cannot in
any measure suffer hurt, or lose their spiritual substance, whatever
the material actions in which they may be involved.

    3. Wherefore also it comes to pass, that the "most perfect" among
them addict themselves without fear to all those kinds of forbidden
deeds of which the Scriptures assure us that "they who do such things
shall not inherit the kingdom of God."(5) For instance, they make no
scruple about eating meats offered in sacrifice to idols, imagining
that they can in this way contract no defilement. Then, again, at
every heathen festival celebrated in honour of the idols, these men
are the first to assemble; and to such a pitch do they go, that some
of them do not even keep away from that bloody spectacle hateful both
to God and men, in which gladiators either fight with wild beasts, or
singly encounter one another. Others of them yield themselves up to
the lusts of the flesh with the utmost greediness, maintaining that
carnal things should be allowed to the carnal nature, while spiritual
things are provided for the spiritual. Some of them, moreover, are in
the habit of defiling those women to whom they have taught the above
doctrine, as has frequently been confessed by those women who have
been led astray by certain of them, on their returning to the Church
of God, and acknowledging this along with the rest of their errors.
Others of them, too, openly and without a blush, having become
passionately attached to certain women, seduce them away from their
husbands, and contract marriages of their own with them. Others of
them, again, who pretend at first. to live in all modesty with them as
with sisters, have in course of time been revealed in their true
colours, when the sister has been found with child by her [pretended]
brother.

    4. And committing many other abominations and impieties, they run
us down (who from the fear of God guard against sinning even in
thought or word) as utterly contemptible and ignorant persons, while
they highly exalt themselves, and claim to be perfect, and the elect
seed. For they declare that we simply receive grace for use, wherefore
also it will again be taken away from us; but that they themselves
have grace as their own special possession, which has descended from
above by means of an unspeakable and indescribable conjunction; and on
this account more will be given them.(6) They maintain, therefore,
that in every way it is always necessary for them to practise the
mystery of conjunction. And that they may persuade the thoughtless to
believe this, they are in the habit of using these very words,
"Whosoever being in this world does not so love a woman as to obtain
possession of her, is not of the truth, nor shall attain to the truth.
But whosoever being of(1) this world has intercourse with woman, shall
not attain to the truth, because he has so acted under the power of
concupiscence." On this account, they tell us that it is necessary for
us whom they call animal men, and describe as being of the world, to
practise continence and good works, that by this means we may attain
at length to the intermediate habitation, but that to them who are
called "the spiritual and perfect" such a course of conduct is not at
all necessary. For it is not conduct of any kind which leads into the
Pleroma, but the seed sent forth thence in a feeble, immature state,
and here brought to perfection.



CHAP. VII.--THE MOTHER ACHAMOTH, WHEN ALL HER SEED ARE PERFECTED,
SHALL PASS INTO THE PLEROMA, ACCOMPANIED BY THOSE MEN WHO ARE
SPIRITUAL; THE DEMIURGE, WITH ANIMAL MEN, SHALL PASS INTO THE
INTERMEDIATE HABITATION; BUT ALL MATERIAL MEN SHALL GO INTO
CORRUPTION. THEIR BLASPHEMOUS OPINIONS AGAINST THE TRUE INCARNATION OF
CHRIST BY THE VIRGIN MARY. THEIR VIEWS AS TO THE PROPHECIES. STUPID
IGNORANCE OF THE DEMIURGE.



    1. When all the seed shall have come to perfection, they state
that then their mother Achamoth shall pass from the intermediate
place, and enter in within the Pleroma, and shall receive as her
spouse the Saviour, who sprang from all the AEons, that thus a
conjunction may be formed between the Saviour and Sophia, that is,
Achamoth. These, then, are the bridegroom and bride, while the nuptial
chamber is the full extent of the Pleroma. The spiritual seed, again,
being divested of their animal souls,(2) and becoming intelligent
spirits, shall in an irresistible and invisible manner enter in within
the Pleroma, and be bestowed as brides on those angels who wait upon
the Saviour. The Demiurge himself will pass into the place of his
mother Sophia;(3) that is, the intermediate habitation. In this
intermediate place, also, shall the souls of the righteous repose; but
nothing of an animal nature shall find admittance to the Pleroma. When
these things have taken place as described, then shall that fire which
lies hidden in the world blaze forth and bum; and while destroying all
matter, shall also be extinguished along with it, and have no further
existence. They affirm that the Demiurge was acquainted with none of
these things before the advent of the Saviour.

    2. There are also some who maintain that he also produced Christ
as his own proper son, but of an animal nature, and that mention
was(4) made of him by the prophets. This Christ passed through Mary(5)
just as water flows through a tube; and there descended upon him in
the form of a dove it the time of his baptism, that Saviour who
belonged to the Pleroma, and was formed by the combined efforts of all
its inhabit ants. In him there existed also that spiritual seed which
proceeded from Achamoth. They hold, accordingly, that our Lord, while
preserving the type of the first-begotten and primary tetrad, was
compounded of these four substances,--of that which is spiritual, in
so far as He was from Achamoth; of that which is animal, as being from
the Demiurge by a special dispensation, inasmuch as He was formed
[corporeally] with unspeakable skill; and of the Saviour, as respects
that dove which descended upon Him. He also continued free from all
suffering, since indeed it was not possible that He should suffer who
was at once incomprehensible and invisible. And for this reason the
Spirit of Christ, who had been placed within Him, was taken away when
He was brought before Pilate. They maintain, further, that not even
the seed which He had received from the mother [Achamoth] was subject
to suffering; for it, too, was impassible, as being spiritual, and
invisible even to the Demiurge himself. It follows, then, according to
them, that the animal Christ, and that which had been formed
mysteriously by a special dispensation, underwent suffering, that the
mother might exhibit through him a type of the Christ above, namely,
of him who extended himself through Stauros,(6) and imparted to
Achamoth shape, so far as substance was concerned. For they declare
that all these transactions were counterparts of what took place
above.

    3. They maintain, moreover, that those souls which possess the
seed of Achamoth are superior to the rest, and are more dearly loved
by the Demiurge than others, while he knows not the true cause
thereof, but imagines that they are what they are through his favour
towards them. Wherefore, also, they say he distributed them to
prophets, priests, and kings; and they declare that many things were
spoken(7) by this seed through the prophets, inasmuch as it was
endowed with a transcendently lofty nature. The mother also, they say,
spake much about things above, and that both through him and through
the souls which were formed by him. Then, again, they divide the
prophecies [into different classes], maintaining that one portion was
uttered by the mother, a second by her seed, and a third by the
Demiurge. In like manner, they hold that Jesus uttered some things
under the influence of the Saviour, others under that of the mother,
and others still under that of the Demiurge, as we shall show further
on in our work.

    4. The Demiurge, while ignorant of those things which were higher
than himself, was indeed excited by the announcements made [through
the prophets], but treated them with contempt, attributing them
sometimes to one cause and sometimes to another; either to the
prophetic spirit (which itself possesses the power of
self-excitement), or to [mere unassisted] man, or that it was simply a
crafty device of the lower [and baser order of men].(1) He remained
thus ignorant until the appearing of the Lord. But they relate that
when the Saviour came, the Demiurge learned all things from Him, and
gladly with all, his power joined himself to Him. They maintain that
he is the centurion mentioned in the Gospel, who addressed the Saviour
in these words: "For I also am one having soldiers and servants under
my authority; and whatsoever I command they do."(2) They further hold
that he will continue administering the affairs of the world as long
as that is fitting and needful, and specially that he may exercise a
care over the Church; while at the same time he is influenced by the
knowledge of the reward prepared for him, namely, that he may attain
to the habitation of his mother.

    5. They conceive, then, of three kinds of men, spiritual,
material, and animal, represented by Cain, Abel, and Seth. These three
natures are no longer found in one person,(3) but constitute various
kinds [of men]. The material goes, as a matter of course, into
corruption. The animal, if it make choice of the better part, finds
repose in the intermediate place; but if the worse, it too shall pass
into destruction. But they assert that the spiritual principles which
have been sown by Achamoth, being disciplined and nourished here from
that time until now in righteous souls (because when given forth by
her they were yet but weak), at last attaining to perfection, shall be
given as brides to the angels of the Saviour, while their animal souls
of necessity rest for ever with the Demiurge in the intermediate
place. And again subdividing the animal souls themselves, they say
that some are by nature good, and others by nature evil. The good are
those who become capable of receiving the [spiritual] seed; the evil
by nature are those who are never able to receive that seed.



CHAP. VIII.--HOW THE VALENTINIANS PERVERT THE SCRIPTURES TO SUPPORT
THEIR OWN PIOUS OPINIONS.



    1. Such, then, is their system, which neither the prophets
announced, nor the Lord taught, nor the apostles delivered, but of
which they boast that beyond all others they have a perfect knowledge.
They gather their views from other sources than the Scriptures;(4)
and, to use a common proverb, they strive to weave ropes of sand,
while they endeavour to adapt with an air of probability to their own
peculiar assertions the parables of the Lord, the sayings of the
prophets, and the words of the apostles, in order that their scheme
may not seem altogether without support. In doing so, however, they
disregard the order and the connection of the Scriptures, and so far
as in them lies, dismember and destroy the truth. By transferring
passages, and dressing them up anew, and making one thing out of
another, they succeed in deluding many through their wicked art in
adapting the oracles of the Lord to their opinions. Their manner of
acting is just as if one, when a beautiful image of a king has been
constructed by some skilful artist out of precious jewels, should then
take this likeness of the man all to pieces, should rearrange the
gems, and so fit them together as to make them into the form of a dog
or of a fox, and even that but poorly executed; and should then
maintain and declare that this was the beautiful image of the king
which the skilful artist constructed, pointing to the jewels which had
been admirably fitted together by the first artist to form the image
of the king, but have been with bad effect transferred by the latter
one to the shape of a dog, and by thus exhibiting the jewels, should
deceive the ignorant who had no conception what a king's form was
like, and persuade them that that miserable likeness of the fox was,
in fact, the beautiful image of the king. In like manner do these
persons patch together old wives' fables, and then endeavour, by
violently drawing away from their proper connection, words,
expressions, and parables whenever found, to adapt the oracles of God
to their baseless fictions. We have already stated how far they
proceed in this way with respect to the interior of the Pleroma.

    2. Then, again, as to those things outside of their Pleroma, the
following are some specimens of what they attempt to accommodate out
of the Scriptures to their opinions. They affirm that the Lord came in
the last times of the world to endure suffering, for this end, that He
might indicate the passion which occurred to the last of the AEons,
and might by His own end announce the cessation of that disturbance
which had risen among the AEons. They maintain, further, that that
girl of twelve years old, the daughter of the ruler of the
synagogue,(1) to whom the Lord approached and raised her from the
dead, was a type of Achamoth, to whom their Christ, by extending
himself, imparted shape, and whom he led anew to the perception of
that light which had forsaken her. And that the Saviour appeared to
her when she lay outside of the Pleroma as a kind of abortion, they
affirm Paul to have declared in his Epistle to the Corinthians [in
these words], "And last of all, He appeared to me also, as to one born
out of due time."(2) Again, the coming of the Saviour with His
attendants to Achamoth is declared in like manner by him in the same
Epistle, when he says, "A woman ought to have a veil upon her head,
because of the angels."(3) Now, that Achamoth, when the Saviour came
to her, drew a veil over herself through modesty, Moses rendered
manifest when he put a veil upon his face. Then, also, they say that
the passions which she endured were indicated by the Lord upon the
cross. Thus, when He said, "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken
Me?"(4) He simply showed that Sophia was deserted by the light, and
was restrained by Horos from making any advance forward. Her anguish,
again, was indicated when He said, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful,
even unto death;"(5) her fear by the words, "Father, if it be
possible, let this cup pass from Me;"(6) and her perplexity, too, when
He said, "And what I shall say, I know not."(7)

    3. And they teach that He pointed out the three kinds of men as
follows: the material, when He said to him that asked Him, "Shall I
follow Thee?"(8) "The Son of man hath not where to lay His head;"--the
animal, when He said to him that declared, "I will follow Thee, but
suffer me first to bid them farewell that are in my house," "No man,
putting his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the
kingdom of heaven"(9) (for this man they declare to be of the
intermediate class, even as they do that other who, though he
professed to have wrought a large amount of righteousness, yet refused
to follow Him, and was so overcome by [the love of] riches, as never
to reach perfection)--this one it pleases them to place in the animal
class;--the spiritual, again, when He said, "Let the dead bury their
dead, but go thou and preach the kingdom of God,"(10) and when He said
to Zaccheus the publican, "Make haste, and come down, for to-day I
must abide in thine house"(11)--for these they declared to have
belonged to the spiritual class. Also the parable of the leaven which
the woman is described as having hid in three measures of meal, they
declare to make manifest the three classes. For, according to their
teaching, the woman represented Sophia; the three measures of meal,
the three kinds of men--spiritual, animal, and material; while the
leaven denoted the Saviour Himself. Paul, too, very plainly set forth
the material, animal, and spiritual, saying in one place, "As is the
earthy, such are they also that are earthy;"(12) and in another place,
"But the animal man receiveth not the things of the Spirit;"(13) and
again: "He that is spiritual judgeth all things."(14) And this, "The
animal man receiveth not the things of the Spirit," they affirm to
have been spoken concerning the Demiurge, who, as being animal, knew
neither his mother who was spiritual, nor her seed, nor the AEons in
the Pleroma. And that the Saviour received first-fruits of those whom
He was to save, Paul declared when he said, "And if the first-fruits
be holy, the lump is also holy,"(15) teaching that the expression
"first-fruits" denoted that which is spiritual, but that "the lump"
meant us, that is, the animal Church, the lump of which they say He
assumed, and blended it with Himself, inasmuch as He is "the leaven."

    4. Moreover, that Achamoth wandered beyond the Pleroma, and
received form from Christ, and was sought after by the Saviour, they
declare that He indicated when He said, that He had come after that
sheep which was gone astray.(16) For they explain the wandering sheep
to mean their mother, by whom they represent the Church as having been
sown. The wandering itself denotes her stay outside of the Pleroma in
a state of varied passion, from which they maintain that matter
derived its origin. The woman, again, who sweeps the house and finds
the piece of money, they declare to denote the Sophia above, who,
having lost her enthymesis, afterwards recovered it, on all things
being purified by the advent of the Saviour. Wherefore this substance
also, according to them, was reinstated in Pleroma. They say, too,
that Simeon, "who took Christ into his arms, and gave thanks to God,
and said, Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace,
according to Thy word,"(1) was a type of the Demiurge, who, on the
arrival of the Saviour, learned his own change of place, and gave
thanks to Bythus. They also assert that by Anna, who is spoken of in
the gospel(2) as a prophetess, and who, after living seven years with
her husband, passed all the rest of her life in widowhood until she
saw the Saviour, and recognised Him, and spoke of Him to all, was most
plainly indicated Achamoth, who, having for a little while looked upon
the Saviour with His associates, and dwelling all the rest of the time
in the intermediate place, waited for Him till He should come again,
and restore her to her proper consort. Her name, too, was indicated by
the Saviour, when He said, "Yet wisdom is justified by her
children."(3) This, too, was done by Paul in these words," But we
speak wisdom among them that are perfect."(4) They declare also that
Paul has referred to the conjunctions within the Pleroma, showing them
forth by means of one; for, when writing of the conjugal union in this
life, he expressed himself thus: "This is a great mystery, but I speak
concerning Christ and the Church."(5)

    5. Further, they teach that John, the disciple of the Lord,
indicated the first Ogdoad, expressing themselves in these words:
John, the disciple of the Lord, wishing to set forth the origin of all
things, so as to explain how the Father produced the whole, lays down
a certain principle,--that, namely, which was first-begotten by God,
which Being he has termed both the only-begotten Son and God, in whom
the Father, after a seminal manner, brought forth all things. By him
the Word was produced, and in him the whole substance of the AEons, to
which the Word himself afterwards imparted form. Since, therefore, he
treats of the first origin of things, he rightly proceeds in his
teaching from the beginning, that is, from God and the Word. And he
expresses himself thus: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word
was with God, and the Word was God; the same was in the beginning with
God."(6) Having first of all distinguished these three--God, the
Beginning, and the Word--he again unites them, that he may exhibit the
production of each of them, that is, of the Son and of the Word, and
may at the same time show their union with one another, and with the
Father. For "the beginning" is in the Father, and of the Father, while
"the Word" is in the beginning, and of the beginning. Very properly,
then, did he say, "In the beginning was the Word," for He was in the
Son; "and the Word was with God," for He was the beginning; "and the
Word was God," of course, for that which is begotten of God is God.
"The same was in the beginning with God"--this clause discloses the
order of production. "All things were made by Him, and without Him was
nothing made;"(7) for the Word was the author of form and beginning to
all the AEons that came into existence after Him. But "what was made
in Him," says John, "is life."(8) Here again he indicated conjunction;
for all things, he said, were made by Him, but in Him was life. This,
then, which is in Him, is more closely connected with Him than those
things which were simply made by Him, for it exists along with Him,
and is developed by Him. When, again, he adds, "And the life was the
light of men," while thus mentioning Anthropos, he indicated also
Ecclesia by that one expression, in order that, by using only one
name, he might disclose their fellowship with one another, in virtue
of their conjunction. For Anthropos and Ecclesia spring from Logos and
Zoe. Moreover, he styled life (Zoe) the light of men, because they are
enlightened by her, that is, formed and made manifest. This also Paul
declares in these words: "For whatsoever doth make manifest is
light."(9) Since, therefore, Zoe manifested and begat both Anthropos
and Ecclesia, she is termed their light. Thus, then, did John by these
words reveal both other things and the second Tetrad, Logos and Zoe,
Anthropos and Ecclesia. And still further, he also indicated the first
Tetrad. For, in discoursing of the Saviour and declaring that all
things beyond the Pleroma received form from Him, he says that He is
the fruit of the entire Pleroma. For he styles Him a "light which
shineth in darkness, and which was not comprehended"(10) by it,
inasmuch as, when He imparted form to all those things which had their
origin from passion, He was not known by it.(11) He also styles Him
Son, and Aletheia, and Zoe, and the "Word made flesh, whose glory," he
says, "we beheld; and His glory was as that of the Only-begotten
(given to Him by the Father), full of grace and truth."(12) (But what
John really does say is this: "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt
among us; and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only-begotten
of the Father, full of grace and truth."(1)) Thus, then, does he
[according to them] distinctly set forth the first Tetrad, when he
speaks of the Father, and Charis, and Monogenes, and Aletheia. In this
way, too, does John tell of the first Ogdoad, and that which is the
mother of all the AEons. For he mentions the Father, and Charis, and
Monogenes, and Aletheia, and Logos, and Zoe, and Anthropos, and
Ecclesia. Such are the views of Ptolemaeus.(2)



CHAP. IX.--REFUTATION OF THE IMPIOUS INTERPRETATIONS OF THESE
HERETICS.



    1. You see, my friend, the method which these men employ to
deceive themselves, while they abuse the Scriptures by endeavouring to
support their own system out of them. For this reason, I have brought
forward their modes of expressing themselves, that thus thou mightest
understand the deceitfulness of their procedure, and the wickedness of
their error. For, in the first place, if it had been John's intention
to set forth that Ogdoad above, he would surely have preserved the
order of its production, and would doubtless have placed the primary
Tetrad first as being, according to them, most venerable and would
then have annexed the second, that, by the sequence of the names, the
order of the Ogdoad might be exhibited, and not after so long an
interval, as if forgetful for the moment and then again calling the
matter to mind, he, last of all, made mention of the primary Tetrad.
In the next place, if he had meant to indicate their conjunctions, he
certainly would not have omitted the name of Ecclesia; while, with
respect to the other conjunctions, he either would have been satisfied
with the mention of the male [AEons] (since the others [like Ecclesia]
might be understood), so as to preserve a uniformity throughout; or if
he enumerated the conjunctions of the rest, he would also have
announced the spouse of Anthropos, and would not have left us to find
out her name by divination.

    2. The fallacy, then, of this exposition is manifest. For when
John, proclaiming one God, the Almighty, and one Jesus Christ, the
Only-begotten, by whom all things were made, declares that this was
the Son of God, this the Only-begotten, this the Former of all things,
this the true Light who enlighteneth every man this the Creator of the
world, this He that came to His own, this He that became flesh and
dwelt among us,--these men, by a plausible kind of exposition,
perverting these statements, maintain that there was another
Monogenes, according to production, whom they also style Arche. They
also maintain that there was another Saviour, and another Logos, the
son of Monogenes, and another Christ produced for the re-establishment
of the Pleroma. Thus it is that, wresting from the truth every one of
the expressions which have been cited, and taking a bad advantage of
the names, they have transferred them to their own system; so that,
according to them, in all these terms John makes no mention of the
Lord Jesus Christ. For if he has named the Father, and Charis, and
Monogenes, and Aletheia, and Logos, and Zoe, and Anthropos, and
Ecclesia, according to their hypothesis, he has, by thus speaking,
referred to the primary Ogdoad, in which there was as yet no Jesus,
and no Christ, the teacher of John. But that the apostle did not speak
concerning their conjunctions, but concerning our Lord Jesus Christ,
whom he also acknowledges as the Word of God, he himself has made
evident. For, summing up his statements respecting the Word previously
mentioned by him, he further declares, "And the Word was made flesh,
and dwelt among us." But, according to their hypothesis, the Word did
not become flesh at all, inasmuch as He never went outside of the
Pleroma, but that Saviour [became flesh] who was formed by a special
dispensation [out of all the AEons], and was of later date than the
Word.

    3. Learn then, ye foolish men, that Jesus who suffered for us, and
who dwelt among us, is Himself the Word of God. For if any other of
the AEons had become flesh for our salvation, it would have been
probable that the apostle spoke of another. But if the Word of the
Father who descended is the same also that ascended, He, namely, the
Only-begotten Son of the only God, who, according to the good pleasure
of the Father, became flesh for the sake of men, the apostle certainly
does not speak regarding any other, or concerning any Ogdoad, but
respecting our Lord Jesus Christ. For, according to them, the Word did
not originally become flesh. For they maintain that the Saviour
assumed an animal body, formed in accordance with a special
dispensation by an unspeakable providence, so as to become visible and
palpable. But flesh is that which was of old formed for Adam by God
out of the dust, and it is this that John has declared the Word of God
became. Thus is their primary and first-begotten Ogdoad brought to
nought. For, since Logos, and Monogenes, and Zoe, and Phos, and Sorer,
and Christus, and the Son of God, and He who became incarnate for us,
have been proved to be one and the same, the Ogdoad which they have
built up at once falls to pieces. And when this is destroyed, their
whole system sinks into ruin,--a system which they falsely dream into
existence, and thus inflict injury on the Scriptures, while they build
up their own hypothesis.

    4. Then, again, collecting a set of expressions and names
scattered here and there [in Scripture], they twist them, as we have
already said, from a natural to a non-natural sense. In so doing, they
act like those who bring forward any kind of hypothesis they fancy,
and then endeavour to support(1) them out of the poems of Homer, so
that the ignorant imagine that Homer actually composed the verses
bearing upon that hypothesis, which has, in fact, been but newly
constructed; and many others are led so far by the regularly-formed
sequence of the verses, as to doubt whether Homer may not have
composed them. Of this kind(2) is the following passage, where one,
describing Hercules as having been sent by Eurystheus to the dog in
the infernal regions, does so by means of these Homeric verses,--for
there can be no objection to our citing these by way of illustration,
since the same sort of attempt appears in both:--

    "Thus saying, there sent forth from his house deeply groaning."--
Od., x. 76.

    "The hero Hercules conversant with mighty deeds."--Od., xxi. 26.

    Eurystheus, the son of Sthenelus, descended from Perseus."--Il.,
xix. 123.

    "That he might bring from Erebus the dog of gloomy Pluto."--Il.,
viii. 368.

    "And he advanced like a mountain-bred lion confident of
strength."--Od., vi. 130.

    "Rapidly through the city, while all his friends followed."--Il.,
xxiv. 327.

    "Both maidens, and youths, and much-enduring old men."--Od., xi.
38.

    "Mourning for him bitterly as one going forward to death."--Il.,
xxiv. 328.

    "But Mercury and the blue-eyed Minerva conducted him."--Od., xi.
626.

    "For she knew the mind of her brother, how it laboured with
grief."--Il., ii. 409.



Now, what simple-minded man, I ask, would not be led away by such
verses as these to think that Homer actually framed them so with
reference to the subject indicated? But he who is acquainted with the
Homeric writings will recognise the verses indeed, but not the subject
to which they are applied, as knowing that some of them were spoken of
Ulysses, others of Hercules himself, others still of Priam, and others
again of Menelaus and Agamemnon. But if he takes them and restores
each of them to its proper position, he at once destroys the narrative
in question. In like manner he also who retains unchangeable(3) in his
heart the rule of the truth which he received by means of baptism,
will doubtless recognise the names, the expressions, and the parables
taken from the Scriptures, but will by no means acknowledge the
blasphemous use which these men make of them. For, though he will
acknowledge the gems, he will certainly not receive the fox instead of
the likeness of the king. But when he has restored every one of the
expressions quoted to its proper position, and has fitted it to the
body of the truth, he will lay bare, and prove to be without any
foundation, the figment of these heretics.

    5. But since what may prove a finishing-stroke(4) to this
exhibition is wanting, so that any one, on following out their farce
to the end, may then at once append an argument which shall overthrow
it, we have judged it well to point out, first of all, in what
respects the very fathers of this fable differ among themselves, as if
they were inspired by different spirits of error. For this very fact
forms an a priori proof that the truth proclaimed by the Church is
immoveable,(5) and that the theories of these men are but a tissue of
falsehoods.



CHAP. X.--UNITY OF THE FAITH OF THE CHURCH THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE WORLD.



    1. The Church, though dispersed through our the whole world, even
to the ends of the earth, has received from the apostles and their
disciples this faith: [She believes] in one God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are in
them; and in one Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who became incarnate
for our salvation; and in the Holy Spirit, who proclaimed through the
prophets the dispensations(6) of God, and the advents, and the birth
from a virgin, and the passion, and the resurrection from the dead,
and the ascension into heaven in the flesh of the beloved Christ
Jesus, our Lord, and His [future] manifestation from heaven in the
glory of the Father "to gather all things in one,"(7) and to raise up
anew all flesh of the whole human race, in order that to Christ Jesus,
our Lord, and God, and Saviour, and King, according to the will of the
invisible Father, "every knee should bow, of things in heaven,, and
things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue
should confess"(8) to Him, and that He should execute just judgment
towards all; that He may send "spiritual wickednesses,"(9) and the
angels who transgressed and became apostates, together with the
ungodly, and unrighteous, and wicked, and profane among men, into
everlasting fire; but may, in the exercise of His grace, confer
immortality on the righteous, and holy, and those who have kept His
commandments, and have persevered in His love, some from the beginning
[of their Christian course], and others from [the date of] their
repentance, and may surround them with everlasting glory.

    2. As I have already observed, the Church, having received this
preaching and this faith, although scattered throughout the whole
world, yet, as if occupying but one house, carefully preserves it. She
also believes these points [of doctrine] just as if she had but one
soul, and one and the same heart, and she proclaims them, and teaches
them, and hands them down, with perfect harmony, as if she possessed
only one mouth. For, although the languages of the world are
dissimilar, yet the import of the tradition is one and the same. For
the Churches which have been planted in Germany do not believe or hand
down anything different, nor do those in Spain, nor those in Gaul, nor
those in the East, nor those in Egypt, nor those in Libya, nor those
which have been established in the central regions(1) of the world.
But as the sun, that creature of God, is one and the same throughout
the whole world, so also the preaching of the truth shineth
everywhere, and enlightens all men that are willing to come to a
knowledge of the truth. Nor will any one of the rulers in the
Churches, however highly gifted he may be in point of eloquence, teach
doctrines different from these (for no one is greater than the
Master); nor, on the other hand, will he who is deficient in power of
expression inflict injury on the tradition. For the faith being ever
one and the same, neither does one who is able at great length to
discourse regarding it, make any addition to it, nor does one, who can
say but little diminish it.

    3. It does not follow because men are endowed with greater and
less degrees of intelligence, that they should therefore change the
subject-matter [of the faith] itself, and should conceive of some
other God besides Him who is the Framer, Maker, and Preserver of this
universe, (as if He were not sufficient(2) for them), or of another
Christ, or another Only-begotten. But the fact referred to simply
implies this, that one may [more accurately than another] bring out
the meaning of those things which have been spoken in parables, and
accommodate them to the general scheme of the faith; and explain [with
special clearness] the operation and dispensation of God connected
with human salvation; and show that God manifested longsuffering in
regard to the apostasy of the angels who transgressed, as also with
respect to the disobedience of men; and set forth why it is that one
and the same God has made some things temporal and some eternal, some
heavenly and others earthly; and understand for what reason God,
though invisible, manifested Himself to the prophets not under one
form, but differently to different individuals; and show why it was
that more covenants than one were given to mankind; and teach what was
the special character of each of these covenants; and search out for
what reason "God(3) hath concluded every man(4) in unbelief, that He
may have mercy upon all;" and gratefully(5) describe on what account
the Word of God became flesh and suffered; and relate why the advent
of the Son of God took place in these last times, that is, in the end,
rather than in the beginning [of the world]; and unfold what is
contained in the Scriptures concerning the end [itself], and things to
come; and not be silent as to how it is that God has made the
Gentiles, whose salvation was despaired of, fellow-heirs, and of the
same body, and partakers with the saints; and discourse how it is that
"this mortal body shall put on immortality, and this corruptible shall
put on incorruption;"(6) and proclaim in what sense [God] says, "'That
is a people who was not a people; and she is beloved who was not
beloved;"(7) and in what sense He says that "more are the children of
her that was desolate, than of her who possessed a husband."(8) For in
reference to these points, and others of a like nature, the apostle
exclaims: "Oh! the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and
knowledge of God; how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways
past finding out!"(9) But [the superior skill spoken of] is not found
in this, that any one should, beyond the Creator and Framer [of the
world], conceive of the Enthymesis of an erring AEon, their mother and
his, and should thus proceed to such a pitch of blasphemy; nor does it
consist in this, that he should again falsely imagine, as being above
this [fancied being], a Pleroma at one time supposed to contain
thirty, and at another time an innumerable tribe of AEons, as these
teachers who are destitute of truly divine wisdom maintain; while the
Catholic Church pos- sesses one and the same faith throughout the
whole world, as we have already said.



CHAP. XI.--THE OPINIONS OF VALENTINUS, WITH THOSE OF HIS DISCIPLES AND
OTHERS.



    1. Let us now look at the inconsistent opinions of those heretics
(for there are some two or three of them), how they do not agree in
treating the same points, but alike, in things and names, set forth
opinions mutually discordant. The first(1) of them, Valentinus, who
adapted the principles of the heresy called "Gnostic" to the peculiar
character of his own school, taught as follows: He maintained that
there is a certain Dyad (twofold being), who is inexpressible by any
name, of whom one part should be called Arrhetus (unspeakable), and
the other Sige (silence). But of this Dyad a second was produced, one
part of whom he names Pater, and the other Aletheia. From this Tetrad,
again, arose Logos and Zoe, Anthropos and Ecclesia. These constitute
the primary Ogdoad. He next states that from Logos and Zoe ten powers
were produced, as we have before mentioned. But from Anthropos and
Ecclesia proceeded twelve, one of which separating from the rest, and
falling from its original condition, produced the rest(2) of the
universe. He also supposed two beings of the name of Horos, the one of
whom has his place between Bythus and the rest of the Pleroma, and
divides the created AEons from the uncreated Father, while the other
separates their mother from the Pleroma. Christ also was not produced
from the AEons within the Pleroma, but was brought forth by the mother
who had been excluded from it, in virtue of her remembrance of better
things, but not without a kind of shadow. He, indeed, as being
masculine, having severed the shadow from himself, returned to the
Pleroma; but his mother being left with the shadow, and deprived of
her spiritual substance, brought forth another son, namely, the
Demiurge, whom he also styles the supreme ruler of all those things
which are subject to him. He also asserts that, along with the
Demiurge, there was produced a left-hand power, in which particular he
agrees with those falsely called Gnostics, of whom to we have yet to
speak. Sometimes, again, he maintains that Jesus was produced from him
who was separated from their mother, and united to the rest, that is,
from Theletus, sometimes as springing from him who returned into the
Pleroma, that is, from Christ; and at other times still as derived
from Anthropos and Ecclesia. And he declares that the Holy Spirit was
produced by Aletheia(5) for the inspection and fructification of the
AEons, by entering invisibly into them, and that, in this way, the
AEons brought forth the plants of truth.

    2. Secundus again affirms that the primary Ogdoad consists of a
right hand and a left hand Tetrad, and teaches that the one of these
is called light, and the other darkness. But he maintains that the
power which separated from the rest, and fell away, did not proceed
directly from the thirty AEons, but from their fruits.

    3. There is another,(4) who is a renowned teacher among them, and
who, struggling to reach something more sublime, and to attain to a
kind of higher knowledge, has explained the primary Tetrad as follows:
There is [he says] a certain Proarche who existed before all things,
surpassing all thought, speech, and nomenclature, whom I call Monotes
(unity). Together with this Monotes there exists a power, which again
I term Henotes (oneness). This Henotes and Monotes, being one,
produced, yet not so as to bring forth [apart from themselves, as an
emanation] the beginning of all things, an intelligent, unbegotten,
and invisible being, which beginning language terms "Monad." With this
Monad there co-exists a power of the same essence, which again I term
Hen (One). These powers then--Monotes, and Henotes, and Monas, and
Hen--produced the remaining company of the AEons.

    4. Iu, Iu! Pheu, Pheu!--for well may we utter these tragic
exclamations at such a pitch of audacity in the coining of names as he
has displayed without a blush, in devising a nomenclature for his
system of falsehood. For when he declares: There is a certain Proarche
before all things, surpassing all thought, whom I call Monoten; and
again, with this Monotes there co-exists a power which I also call
Henores,--it is most manifest that he confesses the things which have
been said to be his own invention, and that he himself has given names
to his scheme of things, which had never been previously suggested by
any other. It is manifest also, that he himself is the one who has had
sufficient audacity to coin these names; so that, unless he had
appeared in the world, the truth would still have been destitute of a
name. But, in that case, nothing hinders any other, in dealing with
the same subject, to affix names after such a fashion as the
following: There(5) is a certain Proarche, royal, surpassing all
thought, a power existing before every other substance, and extended
into space in every direction. But along with it there exists a power
which I term a Gourd; and along with this Gourd there exists a power
which again I term Utter-Emptiness. This Gourd and Emptiness, since
they are one, produced (and yet did not simply produce, so as to be
apart from themselves) a fruit, everywhere visible, eatable, and
delicious, which fruit-language calls a Cucumber. Along with this
Cucumber exists a power of the same essence, which again I call a
Melon. These powers, the Gourd, Utter-Emptiness, the Cucumber, and the
Melon, brought forth the remaining multitude of the delirious melons
of Valentinus.(1) For if it is fitting that that language which is
used respecting the universe be transformed to the primary Tetrad, and
if any one may assign names at his pleasure, who shall prevent us from
adopting these names, as being much more credible [than the others],
as well as in general use, and understood by all?

    5. Others still, however, have called their primary and
first-begotten Ogdoad by the following names: first, Proarche; then
Anennoetos; thirdly, Arrhetos; and fourthly, Aoratos. Then, from the
first, Proarche, there was produced, in the first and fifth place,
Arche; from Anennoetos, in the second and sixth place, Acataleptos;
from Arrhetos, in the third and seventh place, Anonomastos; and from
Aoratos, in the fourth and eighth place, Agennetos. This is the
Pleroma of the first Ogdoad. They maintain that these powers were
anterior to Bythus and Sige, that they may appear more perfect than
the perfect, and more knowing than the very Gnostics To. these persons
one may justly exclaim: "O ye trifling sophists!" since, even
respecting Bythus himself, there are among them many and discordant
opinions. For some/declare him to be without a consort, and neither
male nor female, and, in fact, nothing at all; while others affirm him
to be masculo-feminine, assigning to him the nature of a
hermaphrodite; others, again, allot Sige to him as a spouse, that thus
may be formed the first conjunction.



  CHAP. XII.--THE DOCTRINES OF THE FOLLOWERS OF PTOLEMY AND
COLORBASUS.



    1. But the followers of Ptolemy say(2) that he [Bythos] has two
consorts, which they also name Diatheses (affections), viz., Ennoae
and Thelesis. For, as they affirm, he first conceived the thought of
producing something, and then willed to that effect. Wherefore, again,
these two affections, or powers, Ennoea and Thelesis, having
intercourse, as it were, between themselves, the production of
Monogenes and Aletheia took place according to conjunction. These two
came forth as types and images of the two affections of the
Father,--visible representations of those that were invisible,--Nous
(i.e., Monogenes) of Thelesis, and Aletheia of Ennoea, and accordingly
the image resulting from Thelesis was masculine,(3) while that from
Ennoea was feminine. Thus Thelesis (will) became, as it were, a
faculty of Ennoea (thought). For Ennoea continually yearned after
offspring; but she could not of herself bring forth that which she
desired. But when the power of Thelesis (the faculty of will) came
upon her, then she brought forth that on which she had brooded.

    2. These fancied beings(4) (like the Jove of Homer, who is
represented(5) as passing an anxious sleepless night in devising plans
for honouring Achilles and destroying numbers of the Greeks) will not
appear to you, my dear friend, to be possessed of greater knowledge
than He who is the God of the universe. He, as soon as He thinks, also
performs what He has willed; and as soon as He wills, also thinks that
which He has willed; then thinking when He wills, and then willing
when He thinks, since He is all thought, [all will, all mind, all
light,](6) all eye, all ear, the one entire fountain of all good
things.

    3. Those of them, however, who are deemed more skilful than the
persons who have just been mentioned, say that the first Ogdoad was
not produced gradually, so that one AEon was sent forth by another,
but that all(7) the AEons were brought into existence at once by
Propator and his Ennoea. He (Colorbasus) affirms this as confidently
as if he had assisted at their birth.  Accordingly, he and his
followers maintain that Anthropos and Ecclesia were not produced,(8)
as others hold, from Logos and Zoe; but, on the contrary, Logos and
Zoe from Anthropos and Ecclesia. But they express this in another
form, as follows: When the Propator conceived the thought of producing
something, he received the name of Father. But because what he did
produce was true, it was named Aletheia. Again, when he wished to
reveal himself, this was termed Anthropos. Finally, when he produced
those whom he had previously thought of, these were named Ecclesia.
Anthropos, by speaking, formed Logos: this is the first-born son. But
Zoe followed upon Logos; and thus the first Ogdoad was completed.

    4. They have much contention also among themselves respecting the
Saviour. For some maintain that he was formed out of all; wherefore
also he was called Eudocetos, because the whole Pleroma was well
pleased through him to glorify the Father. But others assert that he
was produced from those ten AEons alone who sprung from Logos and Zoe,
and that on this account he was called Logos and Zoe, thus preserving
the ancestral names.(1) Others, again, affirm that he had his being
from those twelve AEons who were the offspring of Anthropos and
Ecclesia; and on this account he acknowledges himself the Son of man,
as being a descendant of Anthropos. Others still, assert that he was
produced by Christ and the Holy Spirit, who were brought forth for the
security of the Pleroma; and that on this account he was called
Christ, thus preserving the appellation of the Father, by whom he was
produced. And there are yet others among them who declare that the
Propator of the whole, Proarche, and Proanennoetos is called
Anthropos; and that this is the great and abstruse mystery, namely,
that the Power which is above all others, and contains all in his
embrace, is termed Anthropos; hence does the Saviour style himself the
"Son of man."



  CHAP. XIII.--THE DECEITFUL ARTS AND NEFARIOUS PRACTICES OF MARCUS.



    I. But(2) there is another among these heretics, Marcus by name,
who boasts himself as having improved upon his master. He is a perfect
adept in magical impostures, and by this means drawing away a great
number of men, and not a few women, he has induced them to join
themselves to him, as to one who is possessed of the greatest
knowledge and perfection, and who has received the highest power from
the invisible and ineffable regions above. Thus it appears as if he
really were the precursor of Antichrist. For, joining the buffooneries
of Anaxilaus(3) to the craftiness of the magi, as they are called, he
is regarded by his senseless and cracked-brain followers as working
miracles by these means.

    2. Pretending(4) to consecrate cups mixed with wine, and
protracting to great length the word of invocation, he contrives to
give them a purple and reddish colour, so that Charis,(5) who is one
of those that are superior to all things, should be thought to drop
her own blood into that cup through means of his invocation, and that
thus those who are present should be led to rejoice to taste of that
cup, in order that, by so doing, the Charis, who is set forth by this
magician, may also flow into them. Again, handing mixed cups to the
women, he bids them consecrate these in his presence. When this has
been done, he himself produces another cup of much larger size than
that which the deluded woman has consecrated,) and pouting from the
smaller one consecrated by the woman into that which has been brought
forward by himself, he at the same time pronounces these words: "May
that Chaffs who is before all things, and who transcends all knowledge
and speech, fill thine inner man, and multiply in thee her own
knowledge, by sowing the grain of mustard seed in thee as in good
soil." Repeating certain other like words, and thus goading on the
wretched woman [to madness], he then appears a worker of wonders when
the large cup is seen to have been filled out of the small one, so as
even to overflow by what has been obtained from it. By accomplishing
several other similar things, he has completely deceived many, and
drawn them away after him.

    3. It appears probable enough that this man possesses a demon as
his familiar spirit, by means of whom he seems able to prophesy,(6)
and also enables as many as he counts worthy to be partakers of his
Charis themselves to prophesy. He devotes himself especially to women,
and those such as are well-bred, and elegantly attired, and of great
wealth, whom he frequently seeks to draw after him, by addressing them
in such seductive words as these: "I am eager to make thee a partaker
of my Charis, since the Father of all doth continually behold thy
angel before His face. Now the place of thy angel is among us:(7) it
behoves us to become one. Receive first from me and by me [the gift
of] Chaffs. Adorn thyself as a bride who is expecting her bridegroom,
that thou mayest be what I am, and I what thou art. Establish the germ
of light in thy nuptial chamber. Receive from me a spouse, and become
receptive of him, while thou art received by him. Behold Charis has
descended upon thee; open thy mouth and prophesy." On the woman
replying," I have never at any time prophesied, nor do I know how to
prophesy;" then engaging, for the second time, in certain invocations,
so as to astound his deluded victim, he says to her," Open thy mouth,
speak whatsoever occurs to thee, and thou shalt prophesy." She then,
vainly puffed up and elated by these words, and greatly excited in
soul by the expectation that it is herself who is to prophesy, her
heart beating violently [from emotion], reaches the requisite pitch of
audacity, and idly as well as impudently utters some nonsense as it
happens. to occur to her, such as might be ex- pected from one heated
by an empty spirit. (Referring to this, one superior to me has
observed, that the soul is both audacious and impudent when heated
with empty air.) Henceforth she reckons herself a prophetess, and
expresses her thanks to Marcus for having imparted to her of his own
Chaffs. She then makes the effort to reward him, not only by the gift
of her possessions (in which way he has collected a very large
fortune), but also by yielding up to him her person, desiring in every
way to be united to him, that she may become altogether one with him.

    4. But already some of the most faithful women, possessed of the
fear of God, and not being deceived (whom, nevertheless, he did his
best to seduce like the rest by bidding them prophesy), abhorring and
execrating him, have withdrawn from such a vile company of revellers.
This they have done, as being well aware that the gift of prophecy is
not conferred on men by Marcus, the magician, but that only those to
whom God sends His grace from above possess the divinely-bestowed
power of prophesying; and then they speak where and when God pleases,
and not when Marcus orders them to do so. For that which commands is
greater and of higher authority than that which is commanded, inasmuch
as the former rules, while the latter is in a state of subjection. If,
then, Marcus, or any one else, does command,--as these are accustomed
continually at their feasts to play at drawing lots, and [in
accordance with the lot] to command one another to prophesy, giving
forth as oracles what is in harmony with their own desires,--it will
follow that he who commands is greater and of higher authority than
the prophetic spirit, though he is but a man, which is impossible. But
such spirits as are commanded by these men, and speak when they desire
it, are earthly and weak, audacious and impudent, sent forth by Satan
for the seduction and perdition of those who do not hold fast that
well-compacted faith which they received at first through the Church.

    5. Moreover, that this Marcus compounds philters and love-potions,
in order to insult the persons of some of these women, if not of all,
those of them who have returned to the Church of God--a thing which
frequently occurs--have acknowledged, confessing, too, that they have
been defiled by him, and that they were filled with a burning passion
towards him. A sad example of this occurred in the case of a certain
Asiatic, one of our deacons, who had received him (Marcus) into his
house. His wife, a woman of remarkable beauty, fell a victim both in
mind and body to this magician, and, for a long time, travelled about
with him. At last, when, with no small difficulty, the brethren had
converted her, she spent her whole time in the exercise of public
confession,(1) weeping over and lamenting the defilement which she had
received from this magician.

    6. Some of his disciples, too, addicting themselves(2) to the same
practices, have deceived many silly women, and defiled them. They
proclaim themselves as being "perfect," so that no one can be compared
to them with respect to the immensity of their knowledge, nor even
were you to mention Paul or Peter, or any other of the apostles. They
assert that they themselves know more than all others, and that they
alone have imbibed the greatness of the knowledge of that power which
is unspeakable. They also maintain that they have attained to a height
above all power, and that therefore they are free in every respect to
act as they please, having no one to fear in anything. For they
affirm, that because of the "Redemption"(3) it has come to pass that
they can neither be apprehended, nor even seen by the judge. But even
if he should happen to lay hold upon them, then they might simply
repeat these words, while standing in his presence along with the
"Redemption:" "O thou, who sittest beside God,(4) and the mystical,
eternal Sige, thou through whom the angels (mightiness), who
continually behold the face of the Father, having thee as their guide
and introducer, do derive their forms(5) from above, which she in the
greatness of her daring inspiring with mind on account of the goodness
of the Propator, produced us as their images, having her mind then
intent upon the things above, as in a dream,--behold, the judge is at
hand, and the crier orders me to make my defence. But do thou, as
being acquainted with the affairs of both, present the cause of both
of us to the judge, inasmuch as it is in reality but one cause."(6)
Now, as soon as the Mother hears these words, she puts the Homeric(7)
helmet of Pluto upon them, so that they may invisibly escape the
judge. And then she immediately catches them up, conducts them into
the bridal chamber, and hands them over to their consorts.  7. Such
are the words and deeds by which, in our own district of the Rhone,
they have deluded many women, who have their consciences seared as
with a hot iron.(1) Some of them, indeed, make a public confession of
their sins; but others of them are ashamed to do this, and in a tacit
kind of way, despairing of [attaining to] the life of God, have, some
of them, apostatized altogether; while others hesitate between the two
courses, and incur that which is implied in the proverb, "neither
without nor within;" possessing this as the fruit from the seed of the
children of knowledge.



CHAP. XIV.--THE VARIOUS HYPOTHESES OF MARCUS AND OTHERS. THEORIES
RESPECTING LETTERS AND SYLLABLES.



    1. This Marcus(2) then, declaring that he alone was the matrix and
receptacle of the Sige of Colorbasus, inasmuch as he was
only-begotten, has brought to the birth in some such way as follows
that which was committed to him of the defective Euthymesis. He
declares that the infinitely exalted Tetrad descended upon him from
the invisible and indescribable places in the form of a woman (for the
world could not have borne it coming in its male form), and expounded
to him alone its own nature, and the origin of all things, which it
had never before revealed to any one either of gods or men. This was
done in the following terms: When first the unoriginated,
inconceivable Father, who is without material substance,(3) and is
neither male nor female, willed to bring forth that which is ineffable
to Him, and to endow with form that which is invisible, He opened His
mouth, and sent forth the Word similar to Himself, who, standing near,
showed Him what He Himself was, inasmuch as He had been manifested in
the form of that which was invisible. Moreover, the pronunciation of
His name took place as follows:--He spoke the first word of it, which
was the beginning(4) [of all the rest], and that utterance consisted
of four letters. He added the second, and this also consisted of four
letters. Next He uttered the third, and this again embraced ten
letters. Finally, He pronounced the fourth, which was composed of
twelve letters. Thus took place the enunciation of the whole name,
consisting of thirty letters, and four distinct utterances. Each of
these elements has its own peculiar letters, and character, and
pronunciation, and forms, and images, and there is not one of them
that perceives the shape of that [utterance] of which it is an
element. Neither does any one know(5) itself, nor is it acquainted
with the pronunciation of its neighbour, but each one imagines that by
its own utterance it does in fact name the whole. For while every one
of them is a part of the whole, it imagines its own sound to be the
whole name, and does not leave off sounding until, by its own
utterance, it has reached the last letter of each of the elements.
This teacher declares that the restitution of all things will take
place, when all these, mixing into one letter, shall utter one and the
same sound. He imagines that the emblem of this utterance is found in
Amen, which we pronounce in concert.(6) The diverse sounds (he adds)
are those which give form to that AEon who is without material
substance and unbegotten, and these, again, are the forms which the
Lord has called angels, who continually behold the face of the
Father.(7)

    2. Those names of the elements which may be told, and are common,
he has called AEons, and words, and roots, and seeds, and fulnesses,
and fruits. He asserts that each of these, and all that is peculiar to
every one of them, is to be understood as contained in the name
Ecclesia. Of these elements, the last letter of the last one uttered
its voice, and this sound(8) going forth generated its own elements
after the image of the [other] elements, by which he affirms, that
both the things here below were arranged into the order they occupy,
and those that preceded them were called into existence. He also
maintains that the letter itself, the sound of which followed that
sound below, was received up again by the syllable to which it
belonged, in order to the completion of the whole, but that the sound
remained below as if cast outside. But the element itself from which
the letter with its special pronunciation descended to that below, he
affirms to consist of thirty letters, while each of these letters,
again, contains other letters in itself, by means of which the name of
the letter is expressed. And thus, again, others are named by other
letters, and others still by others, so that the multitude of letters
swells out into infinitude. You may more clearly understand what I
mean by the following example:--The word Delta con- tains five
letters, viz., D, E, L, T, A: these letters again, are written by
other letters,(1) and others still by others. If, then, the entire
composition of the word Delta [when thus analyzed] runs out into
infinitude, letters continually generating other letters, and
following one another in constant succession, how much raster than
that [one] word is the [entire] ocean of letters! And if even one
letter be thus infinite, just consider the immensity of the letters in
the entire name; out of which the Sige of Marcus has taught us the
Propator is composed. For which reason the Father, knowing the
incomprehensibleness of His own nature, assigned to the elements which
He also terms AEons, [the power] of each one uttering its own
enunciation, because no one of them was capable by itself of uttering
the whole.

    3.Moreover, the Tetrad, explaining these things to him more fully,
said:--I wish to show thee Aletheia (Truth) herself; for I have
brought her down from the dwellings above, that thou mayest see her
without a veil, and understand her beauty--that thou mayest also hear
her speaking, and admire her wisdom. Behold, then, her head on high,
Alpha and Omega; her neck, Beta and Psi; her shoulders with her hands,
Gamma and Chi; her breast, Delta and Phi; her diaphragm, Epsilon and
Upsilon; her back, Zeta and Tau; her belly, Eta and Sigma; her thighs,
Theta and Rho; her knees, Iota and Pi; her legs, Kappa and Omicron;
her ancles, Lambda and Xi; her feet, Mu and Nu. Such is the body of
Truth, according to this magician, such the figure of the element,
such the character of the letter. And he calls this element Anthropos
(Man), and says that is the fountain of all speech, and the beginning
of all sound, and the expression of all that is unspeakable, and the
mouth of the silent Sige. This indeed is the body of Truth. But do
thou, elevating the thoughts of thy mind on high, listen from the
mouth of Truth to the self-begotten Word, who is also the dispenser of
the bounty of the Father.

    4. When she (the Tetrad) had spoken these things, Aletheia looked
at him, opened her mouth, and uttered a word. That word was a name,
and the name was this one which we do know and speak of, viz., Christ
Jesus. When she had uttered this name, she at once relapsed into
silence. And as Marcus waited in the expectation that she would say
something more, the Tetrad again came forward and said, "Thou hast
reckoned as contemptible that word which thou hast heard from the
mouth of Aletheia. This which thou knowest and seemest to possess, is
not an ancient name. For thou possessest the sound of it merely,
whilst thou art ignorant of its power. For Jesus
(I<greek>hsous</greek>) is a name arithmetically(2) symbolical,
consisting of six letters, and is known by all those that belong to
the called. But that which is among the AEons of the Pleroma consists
of many parts, and is of another form and shape, and is known by those
[angels] who are joined in affinity with Him, and whose figures
(mightinesses) are always present with Him.

    5. Know, then, that the four-and-twenty letters which you possess
are symbolical emanations of the three powers that contain the entire
number of the elements above. For you are to reckon thus--that the
nine mute(3) letters are [the images] of Pater and Aletheia, because
they are without voice, that is, of such a nature as cannot be uttered
or pronounced. But the semi-vowels(4) represent Logos and Zoe, because
they are, as it were, midway between the consonants and the vowels,
partaking(5) of the nature of both. The vowels, again, are
representative of Anthropos and Ecclesia, inasmuch as a voice
proceeding from Anthropos gave being to them all; for the sound of the
voice imparted to them form. Thus, then, Logos and Zoe possess eight
[of these letters]; Anthropos and Ecclesia seven; and Pater and
Aletheia nine. But since the number allotted to each was unequal, He
who existed in the Father came down, having been specially sent by Him
from whom He was separated, for the rectification of what had taken
place, that the unity of the Pleromas, being endowed with equality,
might develop in all that one power which flows from all. Thus that
division which had only seven letters, received the power of eight,(6)
and the three sets were rendered alike in point of number, all
becoming Ogdoads; which three, when brought together, constitute the
number four-and-twenty. The three elements, too (which he declares to
exist in conjunction with three powers,(7) and thus form the six from
which have flowed the twenty-four letters), being quadrupled by the
word of the ineffable Tetrad, give rise to the same number with them;
and these elements he maintains to belong to Him who cannot be named.
These, again, were endowed by the three powers with a resemblance to
Him who is invisible. And he says that those letters which we call
double(8) are the images of the images of these elements; and if these
be added to the four-and-twenty letters, by the force of analogy they
form the number thirty.

    6. He asserts that the fruit of this arrangement and analogy has
been manifested in the likeness of an image, namely, Him who, after
six days, ascended(1) into the mountain along with three others, and
then became one of six (the sixth),(2) in which character He descended
and was contained in the Hebdomad, since He was the illustrious
Ogdoad,(3) and contained in Himself the entire number of the elements,
which the descent of the dove (who is Alpha and Omega) made clearly
manifest, when He came to be baptized; for the number of the dove is
eight hundred and one.(4) And for this reason did Moses declare that
man was formed on the sixth day; and then, again, according to
arrangement, it was on the sixth day, which is the preparation, that
the last man appeared, for the regeneration of the first, Of this
arrangement, both the beginning and the end were formed at that sixth
hour, at which He was nailed to the tree. For that perfect being Nous,
knowing that the number six had the power both of formation and
regeneration, declared to the children of light, that regeneration
which has been wrought out by Him who appeared as the Episemon in
regard to that number. Whence also he declares it is that the double
letters(5) contain the Episemon number; for this Episemon, when joined
to the twenty-four elements, completed the name of thirty letters.

    7. He employed as his instrument, as the Sige of Marcus declares,
the power of seven letters,(6) in order that the fruit of the
independent will [of Achamoth] might be revealed. "Consider this
present Episemon," she says--"Him who was formed after the [original]
Episemon, as being, as it were, divided or cut into two parts, and
remaining outside; who, by His own power and wisdom, through means of
that which had been produced by Himself, gave life to this world,
consisting of seven powers,(7) after the likeness of the power of the
Hebdomad, and so formed it, that it is the soul of everything visible.
And He indeed uses this work Himself as if it had been formed by His
own free will; but the rest, as being images of what cannot be [fully]
imitated, are subservient to the Enthymesis of the mother. And the
first heaven indeed pronounces Alpha, the next to this Epsilon, the
third Eta, the fourth, which is also in the midst of the seven, utters
the sound of Iota, the fifth Omicron, the sixth Upsilon, the seventh,
which is also the fourth from the middle, utters the elegant
Omega,"--as the Sige of Marcus, talking a deal of nonsense, but
uttering no word of truth, confidently asserts. "And these powers,"
she adds, "being all simultaneously clasped in each other's embrace,
do sound out the glory of Him by whom they were produced; and the
glory of that sound is transmitted upwards to the Propator." She
asserts, moreover, that "the sound of this uttering of praise, having
been wafted to the earth, has become the Framer and the Parent of
those things which are on the earth."

    8. He instances, in proof of this, the case of infants who have
just been born, the cry of whom, as soon as they have issued from the
womb, is in accordance with the sound of every one of these elements.
As, then, he says, the seven powers glorify the Word, so also does the
complaining soul of infants.(8) For this reason, too, David said: "Out
of the mouth of babes and sucklings Thou hast perfected praise;"(9)
and again: "The heavens declare the glory of God."(10) Hence also it
comes to pass, that when the soul is involved in difficulties and
distresses, for its own relief it calls out, "Oh" (<greek>W</greek>),
in honour of the letter in question,(11) so that its cognate soul
above may recognise [its distress], and send down to it relief.

    9. Thus it is, that in regard to the whole name,(12) which
consists of thirty letters, and Bythus, who receives his increase from
the letters of this [name], and, moreover, the body of Aletheia, which
is composed of twelve members, each of which consists of two letters,
and the voice which she uttered without having spoken at all, and in
regard to the analysis of that name which cannot be expressed in
words, and the soul of the world and of man, according as they possess
that arrangement, which is after the image [of things above], he has
uttered his nonsensical opinions. It remains that I relate how the
Tetrad showed him from the names a power equal in number; so that
nothing, my friend, which I have received as spoken by him, may remain
unknown to thee; and thus thy request, often proposed to me, may be
fulfilled. 


CHAP. xv.--SIGE RELATES TO MARCUS THE GENERATION OF THE
TWENTY-FOUR ELEMENTS AND OF JESUS. EXPOSURE OF THESE ABSURDITIES.

    1. The all-wise Sige then announced the production of the
four-and-twenty elements to him as follows:--Along with Monotes there
coexisted Henotes, from which sprang two productions, as we have
remarked above, Monas and Hen, which, added to the other two, make
four, for twice two are Four. And again, two and four, when added
together, exhibit the number six. And further, these six being
quadrupled, give rise to the twenty-four forms. And the names of the
first Tetrad, which are understood to be most holy, and not capable of
being expressed in words, are known by the Son alone, while the father
also knows what they are. The other names which are to be uttered with
respect, and faith, and reverence, are, according to him, Arrhetos and
Sige, Pater and Aletheia. Now the entire number of this Tetrad amounts
to four-and-twenty letters; for the name Arrhetos contains in itself
seven letters, Seige(1) five, Pater five, and Aletheia seven. If all
these be added together--twice five, and twice seven--they complete
the number twenty-four. In like manner, also, the second Tetrad, Logos
and Zoe, Anthropos and Ecclesia, reveal the same number of elements.
Moreover, that name of the Saviour which may be pronounced, viz.,
Jesus 'I<greek>hsous</greek>, consists of six letters, but His
unutterable name comprises for-and-twenty letters. The name Christ the
Son(2) (<greek>uios</greek> X<greek>reistos</greek>) comprises twelve
letter, but that which is unpronounceable in Christ contains thirty
letters. And for this reason he declares that fie is Alpha and Omega,
that he may indicate the dove, inasmuch as that bird has this number
[in its name].

    2. But Jesus, he affirms, has the following unspeakable origin.
From the mother of all things, that is, the first Tetrad; there came
forth the second Tetrad, after the manner of a daughter; and thus an
Ogdoad was formed, from which, again, a Decad proceeded: thus was
produced a Decad and an Ogdoad. The Decad, then, being joined with the
Ogdoad, and multiplying it ten times, gave rise to the number eighty;
and, again, multiplying eighty ten times, produced the number eight
hundred. Thus, then, the whole number of the letters proceeding from
the Ogdoad [multiplied] into the Decad, is eight hundred and
eighty-eight.(3) This is the name of Jesus; for this name, if you
reckon up the numerical value of the letters, amounts to eight hundred
and eighty-eight. Thus, then, you have a clear statement of their
opinion as to the origin of the supercelestial Jesus. Wherefore, also,
the alphabet of the Greeks contains eight Monads, eight Decads, and
eight Hecatads(4), which present the number eight hundred and
eighty-eight, that is, Jesus, who is formed of all numbers; and on
this account He is called Alpha and Omega, indicating His origin from
all. And, again, they put the matter thus: If the first Tetrad be
added up according to the progression of number, the number ten
appears. For one, and two, and three, and four, when added together,
form ten; and this, as they will have it, is Jesus. Moreover,
Chreistus, he says, being a word of eight letters, indicates the first
Ogdoad, and this, when multiplied by ten, gives birth to Jesus (888).
And Christ the Son, he says, is also spoken of, that is, the Duodecad.
For the name Son, (<greek>uios</greek>) contains four letters, and
Christ (Chreistus) eight, which, being combined, point out the
greatness of the Duodecad. But, he alleges, before the Episemon of
this name appeared, that is Jesus the Son, mankind were involved in
great ignorance and error. But when this name of six letters was
manifested (the person bearing it clothing Himself in flesh, that He
might come under the apprehension of man's senses, and having in
Himself these six and twenty-four letters), then, becoming acquainted
with Him, they ceased from their ignorance, and passed from death unto
life, this name serving as their guide to the Father of truth.(5) For
the Father of all had resolved to put an end to ignorance, and to
destroy death. But this abolishing of ignorance was just the knowledge
of Him. And therefore that man (Anthropos) was chosen according to His
will, having been formed after the image of the [corresponding] power
above.

    3. As to the AEons, they proceeded from the Tetrad, and in that
Tetrad were Anthropos and Ecclesia, Logos and Zoe. The powers, then,
he declares, who emanated from these, generated that Jesus who
appeared upon the earth. The angel Gabriel took the place of Logos,
the Holy Spirit that of Zoe, the Power of the Highest that of
Anthropos, while the Virgin pointed out the place of Ecclesia. And
thus, by a special dispensation, there was generated by Him, through
Mary, that man, whom, as He passed through the womb, the Father of all
chose to [obtain] the knowledge of Himself by means of the Word. And
on His coming to the water [of baptism], there descended on Him, in
the form of a dove, that Being who had formerly ascended on high, and
completed the twelfth number, in whom there existed the seed of those
who were produced contemporaneously with Himself, and who descended
and ascended along with Him. Moreover, he maintains that power which
descended was the seed of the Father, which had in itself both the
Father and the Son, as well as that power of Sige which is known by
means of them, but cannot be expressed in language, and also all the
AEons. And this was that Spirit who spoke by the mouth of Jesus, and
who confessed that He was the son of Man as well as revealed the
Father, and who, having descended into Jesus, was made one with Him.
And he says that the Saviour formed by special dispensation did indeed
destroy death, but that Christ made known the Father.(1) He maintains,
therefore, that Jesus is the name of that man formed by a special
dispensation, and that He was formed after the likeness and form of
that [heavenly] Anthropos, who was about to descend upon Him. After He
had received that AEon, He possessed Anthropos himself, and Loges
himself, and Pater, and Arrhetus, and Sige, and Aletheia, and
Ecclesia, and Zoe.

    4.  Such ravings, we may now well say, go beyond Iu, Iu, Pheu,
Pheu, and every kind of tragic exclamation or utterance of misery.(2)
For who would not detest one who is the wretched centriver of such
audacious falsehoods, when he perceives the truth turned by Marcus
into a mere image, and that punctured all over with the letters of the
alphabet? The Greeks confess that they first received sixteen letters
from Cadmus, and that but recently, as compared with the beginning,
[the vast antiquity of which is implied] in the common proverb:
"Yesterday and before;"(3) and afterwards, in the course of time, they
themselves invented at one period the aspirates, and at another the
double letters, while, last of all, they say Palamedes added the long
letters to the former. Was it so, then, that until these things took
place among the Greeks, truth had no existence? For, according to
thee, Marcus, the body of truth is posterior to Cadmus and those who
preceded him--posterior also to those who added the rest of the
letters--posterior even to thyself! For thou alone hast formed that
which is called by thee the truth into an [outward, visible] image.

    5. But who will tolerate thy nonsensical Sige, who names Him that
cannot be named, and expounds the nature of Him that is unspeakable,
and searches out Him that is unsearchable, and declares that He whom
thou maintainest to be destitute of body and form, opened His mouth
and sent forth the Word, as if He were included among organized
beings; and that His Word, while like to His Author, and bearing the
image of the invisible, nevertheless consisted of thirty elements and
four syllables? It will follow, then, according to thy theory, that
the Father of all, in accordance with the likeness of the Word,
consists of thirty elements and four syllables! Or, again, who will
tolerate thee in thy juggling with forms and numbers,--at one time
thirty, at another twenty-four, and at another, again, only
six,--whilst thou shuttest up [in these] the Word of God, the Founder,
and Framer, and Maker of all things; and then, again, cutting Him up
piecemeal into four syllables and thirty elements; and bringing down
the Lord of all who founded the heavens to the number eight hundred
and eighty-eight, so that He should be similar to the alphabet; and
subdividing the Father, who cannot be contained, but contains all
things, into a Tetrad, and an Ogdoad, and a Decad, and a Duodecad; and
by such multiplications, setting forth the unspeakable and
inconceivable nature of the Father, as thou thyself declarest it to
be? And showing thyself a very Daedalus for evil invention, and the
wicked architect of the supreme power, thou dost construct a nature
and substance for Him whom thou callest incorporeal and immaterial,
out of a multitude of letters, generated the one by the other. And
that power whom thou affirmest to be indivisible, thou dost
nevertheless divide into consonants, and vowels, and semi-vowels; and,
falsely ascribing those letters which are mute to the Father of all
things, and to His Enncea (thought), thou hast driven on all that
place confidence in thee to the highest point of blasphemy, and to the
grossest impiety.(4)

    6. With good reason, therefore, and very fittingly, in reference
to thy rash attempt, has that divine elders and preacher of the truth
burst forth in verse against thee as follows:--



   "Marcus, thou former of idols, inspector of portents, Skill'd in
consulting the stars, and deep in the black arts of magic,

   Ever by tricks such as these confirming the doctrines of error,

   Furnishing signs unto those involved by thee in deception,

   Wonders of power that is utterly severed from God and apostate,

   Which Satan, thy true father, enables thee still to accomplish,

   By means of Azazel, that fallen and yet mighty angel,--

   Thus making thee the precursor of his own impious actions."



   Such are the words of the saintly elder. And I shall endeavour to
state the remainder of their mystical system, which runs out to great
length, in brief compass, and to bring to the light what has for a
long time been concealed. For in this way such things will become
easily susceptible of exposure by all.



     CHAP. XVI.--ABSURD INTERPRETATIONS OF THE MARCOSIANS.



    1. Blending in one the production of their own AEons, and the
straying and recovery of the sheep [spoken of in the Gospel(1)], these
persons endeavour to set forth things in a more mystical style, while
they refer everything to numbers, maintaining that the universe has
been formed out of a Monad and a Dyad. And then, reckoning from unity
on to four, they thus generate the Decad. For when one, two, three,
and four are added together, they give rise to the number of the ten
AEons. And, again, the Dyad advancing from itself [by twos] up to
six--two, and four, and six--brings out the Duodecad. Once more, if we
reckon in the same way up to ten, the number thirty appears, m which
are found eight, and ten, and twelve. They therefore term the
Duodecad--because it contains the Episemon,(2) and because the
Episemon [so to speak] waits upon it--the passion. And for this
reason, because an error occurred in connection with the twelfth
number,(3) the sheep frisked off, and went astray; for they assert
that a defection took place from the Duodecad. In the same way they
oracularly declare, that one power having departed also from the
Duodecad, has perished; and this was represented by the woman who lost
the drachma,(4) and, lighting a lamp, again found it. Thus, therefore,
the numbers that were left, viz., nine, as respects the pieces of
money, and eleven in regard to the sheep,(5) when multiplied together,
give birth to the number ninety-nine, for nine times eleven are
ninety-nine. Wherefore also they maintain the word "Amen" contains
this number.

    2. I will not, however, weary thee by recounting their other
interpretations, that you may perceive the results everywhere. They
maintain for instance, that the letter Eta (<greek>h</greek>) along
with the Episemon (<s234) constitutes an Ogdoad, inasmuch as it
occupies the eighth place from the first letter. Then, again, without
the Episemon, reckoning the number of the letters, and adding them up
till we come to Eta, they bring out the Priacontad. For if one begins
at Alpha and ends with Eta, omitting the Episeman, and adds together
the value of the letters in succession, he will find their number
altogether to amount to thirty. For up to Epsilon (<greek>e</greek>)
fifteen are formed; then adding seven to that number, the sum of
twenty-two is reached. Next, Eta being added to these, since its value
is eight, the most wonderful Triacontad is completed. And hence they
give forth that the Ogdoad is the mother of the thirty AEons. Since,
therefore, the number thirty is composed of three powers [the Ogdoad,
Decad, and Duodecad], when multiplied by three, it produces ninety,
for three times thirty are ninety. Likewise this Triad, when
multiplied by itself, gives rise to nine. Thus the Ogdoad generates,
by these means, ninety-nine. And since the twelfth AEon, by her
defection, left eleven in the heights above, they maintain that
therefore the position of the letters is a true coordinate of the
method of their calculation(6) (for Lambda is the eleventh in order
among the letters, and represents the number thirty), and also forms a
representation of the arrangement of affairs above, since, on from
Alpha, omitting Episemon, the number of the letters up to Lambda, when
added together according to the successive value of the letters, and
including Zambda itself, forms the sum of ninety-nine; but that this
Lambda, being the eleventh in order, descended to seek after one equal
to itself, so as to complete the number of twelve letters, and when it
found such a one, the number was completed, is manifest from the very
configuration of the letter; for Lambda being engaged, as it were, in
the quest of one similar to itself, and finding such an one, and
clasping it to itself, thus filled up the place of the twelfth, the
letter Mu (M) being composed of two Lambdas (<s222<greek>L</greek>).
Wherefore also they, by means of their "knowledge," avoid the place of
ninety-nine, that is, the defection--a type of the left hand,(7)--but
endeavour to secure one more, which, when added to the ninety and
nine, has the effect of changing their reckoning to the right hand.

    3. I well know, my dear friend, that when thou hast read through
all this, thou wilt indulge in a hearty laugh over this their inflated
wise folly! But those men are really worthy of being mourned over, who
promulgate such a kind of religion, and who so frigidly and perversely
pull to pieces the greatness of the truly unspeakable power, and the
dispensations of God in themselves so striking, by means of Alpha and
Beta, and through the aid of numbers. But as many as separate from the
Church, and give heed to such old wives' fables as these, are truly
self-condemned; and these men Paul commands us, "after a first and
second admonition, to avoid."(8) And John, the disciple of the Lord,
has intensified their condemnation, when he desires us not even to
address to them the salutation of "good-speed;" for, says he, "He that
bids them be of good-speed is a partaker with their evil deeds;"(1)
and that with reason, "for there is no good-speed to the ungodly,"(2)
saith the Lord. Impious indeed, beyond all impiety, are these men, who
assert that the Maker of heaven and earth, the only God Almighty,
besides whom there is no God, was produced by means of a defect, which
itself sprang from another defect, so that, according to them, He was
the product of the third defect.(3) Such an opinion we should detest
and execrate, while we ought everywhere to flee far apart from those
that hold it; and in proportion as they vehemently maintain and
rejoice in their fictitious doctrines, so much the more should we be
convinced that they are under the influence of the wicked spirits of
the Ogdoad,--just as those persons who fall into a fit of frenzy, the
more they laugh, and imagine themselves to be well, and do all things
as if they were in good health [both of body and mind], yea, some
things better than those who really are so, are only thus shown to be
the more seriously diseased. In like manner do these men, the more
they seem to excel others in wisdom, and waste their strength by
drawing the bow too tightly,(4) the greater fools do they show
themselves. For when the unclean spirit of folly has gone forth, and
when afterwards he finds them not waiting upon God, but occupied with
mere worldly questions, then, "taking seven other spirits more wicked
than himself,"(5) and inflating the minds of these men with the notion
of their being able to conceive of something beyond God, and having
fitly prepared them for the reception of deceit, he implants within
them the Ogdoad of the foolish spirits of wickedness.



CHAP. XVII.--THE THEORY OF THE MARCOSIANS, THAT CREATED THINGS WERE
MADE AFTER THE IMAGE OF THINGS INVISIBLE.



    1. I wish also to explain to thee their theory as to the way in
which the creation itself was formed through the mother by the
Demiurge (as it were without his knowledge), after the image of things
invisible. They maintain, then, that first of all the four elements,
fire, water, earth, and air, were produced after the image of the
primary Tetrad above, and that then, we add their operations, viz.,
heat, cold, dryness, and humidity, an exact likeness of the Ogdoad is
presented. They next reckon up ten powers in the following
manner:--There are seven globular bodies, which they also call
heavens; then that globular body which contains these, which also they
name the eighth heaven; and, in addition to these, the sun and moon.
These, being ten in number, they declare to be types of the invisible
Decad, which proceeded from Logos and Zoe. As to the Duodecad, it is
indicated by the zodiacal circle, as it is called; for they affirm
that the twelve signs do most manifestly shadow forth the Duodecad,
the daughter of Anthropos and Ecclesia. And since the highest heaven,
beating upon the very sphere [of the seventh heaven], has been linked
with the most rapid precession of the whole system, as a check, and
balancing that system with its own gravity, so that it completes the
cycle from sign to sign in thirty years,--they say that this is an
image of Horus, encircling their thirty-named mother.(6) And then,
again, as the moon travels through her allotted space of heaven in
thirty days, they hold, that by these days she expresses the number of
the thirty AEons. The sun also, who runs through his orbit in twelve
months, and then returns to the same point in the circle, makes the
Duodecad manifest by these twelve months; and the days, as being
measured by twelve hours, are a type of the invisible Duodecad.
Moreover, they declare that the hour, which is the twelfth part of the
day, is composed(7) of thirty parts, in order to set forth the image
of the Triacontad. Also the circumference of the zodiacal circle
itself contains three hundred and sixty degrees (for each of its signs
comprises thirty); and thus also they affirm, that by means of this
circle an image is preserved of that connection which exists between
the twelve and the thirty. Still further, asserting that the earth is
divided into twelve zones, and that in each zone it receives power
from the heavens, according to the perpendicular [position of the sun
above it], bringing forth productions corresponding to that power
which sends down its influence upon it, they maintain that this is a
most evident type of the Duodecad and its offspring.

    2. In addition to these things, they declare that the Demiurge,
desiring to imitate the infinitude, and eternity, and immensity, and
freedom from all measurement by time of the Ogdoad above, but, as he
was the fruit of defect, being unable to express its permanence and
eternity, had recourse to the expedient of spreading out its eternity
into times, and seasons, and vast numbers of years, imagining, that by
the multitude of such times he might imitate its immen- sity. They
declare further, that the truth having escaped him, he followed that
which was false, and that, for this reason, when the times are
fulfilled, his work shah perish.



CHAP. XVIII.--PASSAGES FROM MOSES, WHICH THE HERETICS PERVERT TO THE
SUPPORT OF THEIR HYPOTHESIS.



    1. And while they affirm such things as these concerning the
creation, every one of them generates something new, day by day,
according to his ability; for no one is deemed "perfect," who does not
develop among them some mighty fictions. It is thus necessary, first,
to indicate what things they metamorphose [to their own use] out of
the prophetical writings, and next, to refute them. Moses, then, they
declare, by his mode of beginning the account of the creation, has at
the commencement pointed out the mother of all things when he says,
"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth;"(1) for, as
they maintain, by naming these four,--God, beginning, heaven, and
earth,--he set forth their Tetrad. Indicating also its invisible and
hidden nature, he said, "Now the earth was invisible and unformed."(2)
They will have it, moreover, that he spoke of the second Tetrad, the
offspring of the first, in this way--by naming an abyss and darkness,
in which were also water, and the Spirit moving upon the water. Then,
proceeding to mention the Decad, he names light, day, night, the
firmament, the evening, the morning, dry land, sea, plants, and, in
the tenth place, trees. Thus, by means of these ten names, he
indicated the ten AEons. The power of the Duodecad, again, was
shadowed forth by him thus:--He names the sun, moon, stars, seasons,
years, whales, fishes, reptiles, birds, quadrupeds, wild beasts, and
after all these, in the twelfth place, man. Thus they teach that the
Triacontad was spoken of through Moses by the Spirit. Moreover, man
also, being formed after the image of the power above, had in himself
that ability which flows from the one source. This ability was seated
in the region of the brain, from which four faculties proceed, after
the image of the Tetrad above, and these are called: the first, sight,
the second, hearing, the third, smell, and the fourth,(3) taste. And
they say that the Ogdoad is indicated by man in this way: that he
possesses two ears, the like number of eyes, also two nostrils, and a
twofold taste, namely, of bitter and sweet. Moreover, they teach that
the whole man contains the entire image of the Triacontad as follows:
In his hands, by means of his fingers, he bears the Decad; and in his
whole body the Duodecad, inasmuch as his body is divided into twelve
members; for they portion that out, as the body of Truth is divided by
them--a point of which we have already spoken.(4) But the Ogdoad, as
being unspeakable and invisible, is understood as hidden in the
viscera.

    2. Again, they assert that the sun, the great light-giver, was
formed on the fourth day, with a reference to the number of the
Tetrad. So also, according to them, the courts(5) of the tabernacle
constructed by Moses, being composed of fine linen, and blue, and
purple, and scarlet, pointed to the same image. Moreover, they
maintain that the long robe of the priest failing over his feet, as
being adorned with four rows of precious stones,(6) indicates the
Tetrad; and if there are any other things in the Scriptures which can
possibly be dragged into the number four, they declare that these had
their being with a view to the Tetrad. The Ogdoad, again, was shown as
follows:--They affirm that man was formed on the eighth day, for
sometimes they will have him to have been made on the sixth day, and
sometimes on the eighth, unless, perchance, they mean that his earthly
part was formed on the sixth day, but his fleshly part on the eighth,
for these two things are distinguished by them. Some of them also hold
that one man was formed after the image and likeness of God,
masculo-feminine, and that this was the spiritual man; and that
another man was formed out of the earth.

    3. Further, they declare that the arrangement made with respect to
the ark in the Deluge, by means of which eight persons were saved,(7)
most clearly indicates the Ogdoad which brings salvation. David also
shows forth the same, as holding the eighth place in point of age
among his brethren.(8) Moreover, that circumcision which took place on
the eighth day,(9) represented the circumcision of the Ogdoad above.
In a word, whatever they find in the Scriptures capable of being
referred to the number eight, they declare to fulfil the mystery of
the Ogdoad. With respect, again, to the Decad, they maintain that it
is indicated by those ten nations which God promised to Abraham for a
possession.(10) The arrangement also made by Sarah when, after ten
years, she gave(11) her handmaid Hagar to him, that by her he might
have a son, showed the same thing. Moreover, the servant of Abraham
who was sent to Rebekah, and presented her at the well with ten
bracelets of gold, and her brethren who detained her for ten days;,
Jeroboam also, who received the ten sceptresa (tribes), and the ten
courts(3) of the tabernacle, and the columns of ten cubits(4) [high],
and the ten sons of Jacob who were at first sent into Egypt to buy
com,(5) and the ten apostles to whom the Lord appeared after His
resurrection,--Thomas(6) being absent,--represented, according to
them, the invisible Decad.

    4. As to the Duodecad, in connection with which the mystery of the
passion of the defect occurred, from which passion they maintain that
all things visible were framed, they assert that is to be found
strikingly and manifestly everywhere [in Scripture]. For they declare
that the twelve sons of Jacob,(7) from whom also sprung twelve
tribes,--the breastplate of the high priest, which bore twelve
precious stones and twelve little bells,(8)--the twelve stones which
were placed by Moses at the foot of the mountain,(9)--the same number
which was placed by Joshua in the river,(10) and again, on the other
side, the bearers of the ark of the covenant,(11)--those stones which
were set up by Elijah when the heifer was offered as a
burnt-offering;(12) the number, too, of the apostles; and, in fine,
every event which embraces in it the number twelve,--set forth their
Duodecad. And then the union of all these, which is called the
Triacontad, they strenuously endeavour to demonstrate by the ark of
Noah, the height of which was thirty cubits;(13) by the case of
Samuel, who assigned Saul the chief place among thirty guests;(14) by
David, when for thirty days he concealed himself in the field;(15) by
those who entered along with him into the cave; also by the fact that
the length (height) of the holy tabernacle was thirty cubits;(16) and
if they meet with any other like numbers, they still apply these to
their Triacontad.



CHAP. XIX.--PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE BY WHICH THEY ATTEMPT TO PROVE THAT
THE SUPREME FATHER WAS UNKNOWN BEFORE THE COMING OF CHRIST.



    1. I judge it necessary to add to these details also what, by
garbling passages of Scripture, they try to persuade us concerning
their Propator, who was unknown to all before the coming of Christ.
Their object in this is to show that our Lord announced another Father
than the Maker of this universe, whom, as we said before, they
impiously declare to have been the fruit of a defect. For instance,
when the prophet Isaiah says, "But Israel hath not known Me, and My
people have not understood Me,"(17)

 they pervert his words to mean ignorance of the invisible Bythus. And
that which is spoken by Hosea, "There is no truth in them, nor the
knowledge of God,"(18) they strive to give the same reference. And,
"There is none that understandeth, or that seeketh after God: they
have all gone out of the way, they are together become
unprofitable,"(19) they maintain to be said concerning ignorance of
Bythus. Also that which is spoken by Moses, "No man shall see God and
live,"(20) has, as they would persuade us, the same reference.

    2. For they falsely hold, that the Creator was seen by the
prophets. But this passage, "No man shall see God and live," they
would interpret as spoken of His greatness unseen and unknown by all;
and indeed that these words, "No man shall see God," are spoken
concerning the invisible Father, the Maker of the universe, is evident
to us all; but that they are not used concerning that Bythus whom they
conjure into existence, but concerning the Creator (and He is the
invisible God), shall be shown as we proceed. They maintain that
Daniel also set forth the same thing when he begged of the angels
explanations of the parables, as being himself ignorant of them. But
the angel, hiding from him the great mystery of Bythus, said unto him,
"Go thy way quickly, Daniel, for these sayings are closed up until
those who have understanding do understand them, and those who are
white be made white."(21) Moreover, they vaunt themselves as being the
white and the men of good understanding.



CHAP.XX.--THE APOCRYPHAL AND SPURIOUS SCRIPTURES OF THE MARCOSIANS,
WITH PASSAGES OF THE GOSPELS WHICH THEY PERVERT.



    1. Besides the above [misrepresentations], they adduce an
unspeakable number of apocryphal and spurious writings, which they
themselves have forged, to bewilder the minds of foolish men, and of
such as are ignorant of the Scriptures of truth. Among other things,
they bring forward that false and wicked story(22) which relates that
our Lord, when He was a boy learning His letters, on the teacher
saying to Him, as is usual, "Pronounce Alpha," replied [as He was
bid], "Alpha." But when, again, the teacher bade Him say, "Beta," the
Lord replied, "Do thou first tell me what Alpha is, and then I will
tell thee what Beta is." This they expound as meaning that He alone
knew the Unknown, which He revealed under its type Alpha.

    2. Some passages, also, which occur in the Gospels, receive from
them a colouring of the same kind, such as the answer which He gave
His mother when He was twelve years of age: "Wist ye not that I must
be about My Father's business?"(1) Thus, they say, He announced to
them the Father of whom they were ignorant. On this account, also, He
sent forth the disciples to the twelve tribes, that they might
proclaim to them the unknown God. And to the person who said to Him,
"Good Master,"(2) He confessed that God who is truly good, saying,
"Why callest thou Me good: there is One who is good, the Father in the
heavens;"(3) and they assert that in this passage the AEons receive
the name of heavens. Moreover, by His not replying to those who said
to Him, "By what power doest Thou this?"(4) but by a question on His
own side, put them to utter confusion; by His thus not replying,
according to their interpretation, He showed the unutterable nature of
the Father. Moreover, when He said, "I have often desired to hear one
of these words, and I had no one who could utter it,"(5) they
maintain, that by this expression "one" He set forth the one true God
whom they knew not. Further, when, as He drew nigh to Jerusalem, He
wept over it and said, "If thou hadst known, even thou, in this thy
day, the things that belong unto thy peace, but they are hidden from
thee,"(6) by this word "hidden" He showed the abstruse nature of
Bythus. And again, when He said, "Come unto Me all ye that labour and
are heavy laden, and I will give you rest, and learn of Me,"(7) He
announced the Father of truth. For what they knew not, these men say
that He promised to teach them.

    3. But they adduce the following passage as the highest
testimony,(8) and, as it were, the very crown of their system:--"I
thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid
these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to
babes. Even so, my Father; for so it seemed good in Thy sight. All
things have been delivered to Me by My Father; and no one knoweth the
Father but the Son, or the Son but the Father, and he to whom the Son
will reveal Him."(9) In these words they affirm that He clearly showed
that the Father of truth, conjured into existence by them, was known
to no one before His advent. And they desire to construe the passage
as if teaching that the Maker and Framer [of the world] was always
known by all, while the Lord spoke these words concerning the Father
unknown to all, whom they now proclaim.



CHAP. XXI.--THE VIEWS OF REDEMPTION ENTERTAINED BY THESE HERETICS.



    1. It happens that their tradition respecting redemption(10) is
invisible and incomprehensible, as being the mother of things which
are incomprehensible and invisible; and on this account, since it is
fluctuating, it is impossible simply and all at once to make known its
nature, for every one of them hands it down just as his own
inclination prompts. Thus there are as many schemes of "redemption" as
there are teachers of these mystical opinions. And when we come to
refute them, we shall show in its fitting-place, that this class of
men have been instigated by Satan to a denial of that baptism which is
regeneration to God, and thus to a renunciation of the whole
[Christian] faith.

    2. They maintain that those who have attained to perfect knowledge
must of necessity be regenerated into that power which is above all.
For it is otherwise impossible to find admittance within the Pleroma,
since this [regeneration] it is which leads them down into the depths
of Bythus. For the baptism instituted by the visible Jesus was for the
remission of sins, but the redemption brought in by that Christ who
descended upon Him, was for perfection; and they allege that the
former is animal, but the latter spiritual. And the baptism of John
was proclaimed with a view to repentance, but the redemption by
Jesus(11) was brought in for the sake of perfection. And to this He
refers when He says, "And I have another baptism to be baptized with,
and I hasten eagerly towards it."(12) Moreover, they affirm that the
Lord added this redemption to the sons of Zebedee, when their mother
asked that they might sit, the one on His right hand, and the other on
His left, in His kingdom, saying, "Can ye be baptized with the baptism
which I shall be baptized with?"(13) Paul, too, they declare, has
often set forth, in express terms, the redemption which is in Christ
Jesus; and this was the same which is handed down by them in so varied
and discordant forms.

    3. For some of them prepare a nuptial couch, and perform a sort of
mystic rite (pronouncing certain expressions) with those who are being
initiated, and affirm that it is a spiritual marriage which is
celebrated by them, after the likeness of the conjunctions above.
Others, again, lead them to a place where water is, and baptize them,
with the utterance of these words, "Into the name of the unknown
Father of the universe--into truth, the mother of all things--into Him
who descended on Jesus--into union, and redemption, and communion with
the powers." Others still repeat certain Hebrew words, in order the
more thoroughly to bewilder those who are being initiated, as follows:
"Basema, Chamosse, Baoenaora, Mistadia, Ruada, Kousta, Babaphor,
Kalachthei."(1) The interpretation of these terms runs thus: "I invoke
that which is above every power of the Father, which is called light,
and good Spirit, and life, because Thou hast reigned in the body."
Others, again, set forth the redemption thus: The name which is hidden
from every deity, and dominion, and truth which Jesus of Nazareth was
clothed with in the lives(2) of the light of Christ--of Christ, who
lives by the Holy Ghost, for the angelic redemption. The name of
restitution stands thus: Messia, Uphareg, Namempsoeman, Chaldoeaur,
Mosomedoea, Acphranoe, Psaua, Jesus Nazaria.(3) The interpretation of
these words is as follows: "I do not divide the Spirit of Christ,
neither the heart nor the supercelestial power which is merciful; may
I enjoy Thy name, O Saviour of truth!" Such are words of the
initiators; but he who is initiated, replies, "I am established, and I
am redeemed; I redeem my soul from this age (world), and from all
things connected with it in the name of Iao, who redeemed his own soul
into redemption in Christ who liveth." Then the bystanders add these
words, "Peace be to all on whom this name rests." After this they
anoint the initiated person with balsam; for they assert that this
unguent is a type of that sweet odour which is above all things.

    4. But there are some of them who assert that it is superfluous to
bring persons to the water, but mixing oil and water together, they
place this mixture on the heads of those who are to be initiated, with
the use of some such expressions as we have already mentioned. And
this they maintain to be the redemption. They, too, are accustomed to
anoint with balsam. Others, however, reject all these practices, and
maintain that the mystery of the unspeakable and invisible power ought
not to be performed by visible and corruptible creatures, nor should
that of those [beings] who are inconceivable, and incorporeal, and
beyond the reach of sense, [be performed] by such as are the objects
of sense, and possessed of a body. These hold that the knowledge of
the unspeakable Greatness is itself perfect redemption. For since both
defect and passion flowed from ignorance, the whole substance of what
was thus formed is destroyed by knowledge; and therefore knowledge is
the redemption of the inner man. This, however, is not of a corporeal
nature, for the body is corruptible; nor is it animal, since the
animal soul is the fruit of a defect, and is, as it were, the abode of
the spirit. The redemption must therefore be of a spiritual nature;
for they affirm that the inner and spiritual man is redeemed by means
of knowledge, and that they, having acquired the knowledge of all
things, stand thenceforth in need of nothing else. This, then, is the
true redemption.

    5. Others still there are who continue to redeem persons even up
to the moment of death, by placing on their heads oil and water, or
the pre-mentioned ointment with water, using at the same time the
above-named invocations, that the persons referred to may become
incapable of being seized or seen by the principalities and powers,
and that their inner man may ascend on high in an invisible manner, as
if their body were left among created things in this world, while
their soul is sent forward to the Demiurge. And they instruct them, on
their reaching the principalities and powers, to make use of these
words: "I am a son from the Father--the Father who had a
pre-existence, and a son in Him who is pre-existent. I have come to
behold all things, both those which belong to myself and others,
although, strictly speaking, they do not belong to others, but to
Achamoth, who is female in nature, and made these things for herself.
For I derive being from Him who is pre-existent, and I come again to
my own place whence I went forth." And they affirm that, by saying
these things, he escapes from the powers. He then advances to the
companions of the Demiurge, and thus addresses them:--"I am a vessel
more precious than the female who formed you. If your mother is
ignorant of her own descent, I know myself, and am aware whence I am,
and I call upon the incorruptible Sophia, who is in the Father, and is
the mother of your mother, who has no father, nor any male consort;
but a female springing from a female formed you, while ignorant of her
own mother, and imagining that she alone existed; but I call upon her
mother." And they declare, that when the companions of the Demiurge
hear these words, they are greatly agitated, and upbraid their origin
and the race of their mother. But he goes into his own place, having
thrown [off] his chain, that is, his animal nature. These, then, are
the particulars which have reached us respecting "redemption."(1) But
since they differ so widely among themselves both as respects doctrine
and tradition, and since those of them who are recognised as being
most modern make it their effort daily to invent some new opinion, and
to bring out what no one ever before thought of, it is a difficult
matter to describe all their opinions.



CHAP. XXII.--DEVIATIONS OF HERETICS FROM THE

TRUTH.



    1. The rule(2) of truth which we hold, is, that there is one God
Almighty, who made all things by His Word, and fashioned and formed,
out of that which had no existence, all things which exist. Thus saith
the Scripture, to that effect "By the Word of the Lord were the
heavens established, and all the might of them, by the spirit of His
mouth."(3) And again, "All things were made by Him, and without Him
was nothing made."(4) There is no exception or deduction stated; but
the Father made all things by Him, whether visible or invisible,
objects of sense or of intelligence, temporal, on account of a certain
character given them, or eternal; and these eternal(5) things He did
not make by angels, or by any powers separated from His Ennoea. For
God needs none of all these things, but is He who, by His Word and
Spirit, makes, and disposes, and governs all things, and commands all
things into existence,--He who formed the world (for the world is of
all),--He who fashioned man,--He [who](6) is the God of Abraham, and
the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, above whom there is no other
God, nor initial principle, nor power, nor pleroma,--He is the Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, as we shall prove. Holding, therefore, this
rule, we shall easily show, notwithstanding the great variety and
multitude of their opinions, that these men have deviated from the
truth; for almost all the different sects of heretics admit that there
is one God; but then, by their pernicious doctrines, they change [this
truth into error], even as the Gentiles do through idolatry,--thus
proving themselves ungrateful to Him that created them. Moreover, they
despise the workmanship of God, speaking against their own salvation,
becoming their own bitterest accusers, and being false witnesses
[against themselves]. Yet, reluctant as they may be, these men shall
one day rise again in the flesh, to confess the power of Him who
raises them from the dead; but they shall not be numbered among the
righteous on account of their unbelief.

    2. Since, therefore, it is a complex and multiform task to detect
and convict all the heretics, and since our design is to reply to them
all according to their special characters, we have judged it
necessary, first of all, to give an account of their source and root,
in order that, by getting a knowledge of their most exalted Bythus,
thou mayest understand the nature of the tree which has produced such
fruits.



CHAP. XXIII.--DOCTRINES AND PRACTICES OF SIMON

MAGUS AND MENANDER.



    1. Simon the Samaritan was that magician of whom Luke, the
disciple and follower of the apostles, says, "But there was a certain
man, Simon by name, who beforetime used magical arts in that city, and
led astray the people of Samaria, declaring that he himself was some
great one, to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest,
saying, This is the power of God, which is called great. And to him
they had regard, because that of long time he had driven them mad by
his sorceries."(7) This Simon, then--who feigned faith, supposing that
the apostles themselves performed their cures by the art of magic, and
not by the power of God; and with respect to their filling with the
Holy Ghost, through the imposition of hands, those that believed in
God through Him who was preached by them, namely, Christ
Jesus--suspecting that even this was done through a kind of greater
knowledge of magic, and offering money to the apostles, thought he,
too, might receive this power of bestowing the Holy Spirit on
whomsoever he would,--was addressed in these words by Peter: "Thy
money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God
can be purchased with money: thou hast neither part nor lot in this
matter, for thy heart is not fight in the sight of God; for I perceive
that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of
iniquity."(8) He, then, not putting faith in God a whit the more, set
himself eagerly to contend against the apostles, in order that he
himself might seem to be a wonderful being, and applied himself with
still greater zeal to the study of the whole magic art, that he might
the better bewilder and overpower multitudes of men. Such was his
procedure in the reign of Claudius Caesar, by whom also he is said to
have been honoured with a statue, on account of his magical power.(1)
This man, then, was glorified by many as if he were a god; and he
taught that it was himself who appeared among the Jews as the Son, but
descended in Samaria as the Father while he came to other nations in
the character of the Holy Spirit. He represented himself, in a word,
as being the loftiest of all powers, that is, the Being who is the
Father over all, and he allowed himself to be called by whatsoever
title men were pleased to address him.

    2. Now this Simon of Samaria, from whom all sorts of heresies
derive their origin, formed his sect out of the following
materials:--Having redeemed from slavery at Tyre, a city of Phoenicia,
a certain woman named Helena, he was in the habit of carrying her
about with him, declaring that this woman was the first conception of
his mind, the mother of all, by whom, in the beginning, he conceived
in his mind [the thought] of forming angels and archangels. For this
Ennoea leaping forth from him, and comprehending the will of her
father, descended to the lower regions [of space], and generated
angels and powers, by whom also he declared this word was formed. But
after she had produced them, she was detained by them through motives
of jealousy, because they were unwilling to be looked upon as the
progeny of any other being. As to himself, they had no knowledge of
him whatever; but his Ennoea was detained by those powers and angels
who had been produced by her. She suffered all kinds of contumely from
them, so that she could not return upwards to her father, but was even
shut up in a human body, and for ages passed in succession from one
female body to another, as from vessel to vessel. She was, for
example, in that Helen on whose account the Trojan war was undertaken;
for whose sake also Stesichorus(2) was struck blind, because he had
cursed her in his verses, but afterwards, repenting and writing what
are called palinodes, in which he sang her praise, he was restored to
sight. Thus she, passing from body to body, and suffering insults in
every one of them, at last became a common prostitute; and she it was
that was meant by the lost sheep.(3)

    3. For this purpose, then, he had come that he might win her
first, and free her from slavery, while he conferred salvation upon
men, by making himself known to them. For since the angels ruled the
world ill because each one of them coveted the principal power for
himself, he had come to amend matters, and had descended, transfigured
and assimilated to powers and principalities and angels, so that he
might appear among men to be a man, while yet he was not a man; and
that thus he was thought to have suffered in Judaea, when he had not
suffered. Moreover, the prophets uttered their predictions under the
inspiration of those angels who formed the world; for which reason
those who place their trust in him and Helena no longer regarded them,
but, as being free, live as they please; for men are saved through his
grace, and not on account of their own righteous actions. For such
deeds are not righteous in the nature of things, but by mere accident,
just as those angels who made the world, have thought fit to
constitute them, seeking, by means of such precepts, to bring men into
bondage. On this account, he pledged himself that the world should be
dissolved, and that those who are his should be freed from the rule of
them who made the world.

    4. Thus, then, the mystic priests belonging to this sect both lead
profligate lives and practise magical arts, each one to the extent of
his ability. They use exorcisms and incantations. Love-potions, too,
and charms, as well as those beings who are called "Paredri"
(familiars) and "Oniropompi" (dream-senders), and whatever other
curious arts can be had recourse to, are eagerly pressed into their
service. They also have an image of Simon fashioned after the likeness
of Jupiter, and another of Helena in the shape of Minerva; and these
they worship. In fine, they have a name derived from Simon, the author
of these most impious doctrines, being called Simonians; and from them
"knowledge, falsely so called,"(4) received its beginning, as one may
learn even from their own assertions.

    5. The successor of this man was Menander, also a Samaritan by
birth, and he, too, was a perfect adept in the practice of magic. He
affirms that the primary Power continues unknown to all, but that he
himself is the person who has been sent forth from the presence of the
invisible beings as a saviour, for the deliverance of men. The world
was made by angels, whom, like Simon, he maintains to have been
produced by Ennoea. He gives, too, as he affirms, by means of that
magic which he teaches, knowledge to this effect, that one may
overcome those very angels that made the world; for his disciples
obtain the resurrection by being baptized into him, and can die no
more, but remain in the possession of immortal youth.



CHAP. XXIV. -- DOCTRINES OF SATURNINUS AND BASILIDES.



    1. Arising among these men, Saturninus (who was of that Antioch
which is near Daphne) and Basilides laid hold of some favourable
opportunities, and promulgated different systems of doctrine--the one
in Syria, the other at Alexandria. Saturninus, like Menander, set
forth one father unknown to all, who made angels, archangels, powers,
and potentates. The world, again, and all things therein, were made by
a certain company of seven angels. Man, too, was the workmanship of
angels, a shining image bursting forth below from the presence of the
supreme power; and when they could not, he says, keep hold of this,
because it immediately darted upwards again, they exhorted each other,
saying, "Let us make man after our image and likeness."(1) He was
accordingly formed, yet was unable to stand erect, through the
inability of the angels to convey to him that power, but wriggled [on
the ground] like a worm. Then the power above taking pity upon him,
since he was made after his likeness, sent forth a spark of life,
which gave man an erect posture, compacted his joints, and made him
live. He declares, therefore, that this spark of life, after the death
of a man, returns to those things which are of the same nature with
itself, and the rest of the body is decomposed into its original
elements.

    2. He has also laid it down as a truth, that the SAviour was
without birth, without body, and without figure, but was, by
supposition, a visible man; and he maintained that the God of the Jews
was one of the angels; and, on this account, because all the powers
wished to annihilate his father, Christ came to destroy the God of the
Jews, but to save such as believe in him; that is, those who possess
the spark of his life. This heretic was the first to affirm that two
kinds of men were formed by the angels,--the one wicked, and the other
good. And since the demons assist the most wicked, the Saviour came
for the destruction of evil men and of the demons, but for the
salvation of the good. They declare also, that marriage and generation
are from Satan.(2) Many of those, too, who belong to his school,
abstain from animal food, and draw away multitudes by a reigned
temperance of this kind. They hold, moreover, that some of the
prophecies were uttered by those angels who made the world, and some
by Satan; whom Saturninus represents as being himself an angel, the
enemy of the creators of the world, but especially of the God of the
Jews.

    3. Basilides again, that he may appear to have discovered
something more sublime and plausible, gives an immense development to
his doctrines. He sets forth that Nous was first born of the unborn
father, that from him, again, was born Logos, from Logos Phronesis,
from Phronesis Sophia and Dynamis, and from Dynamis and Sophia the
powers, and principalities, and angels, whom he also calls the first;
and that by them the first heaven was made. Then other powers, being
formed by emanation from these, crated another heaven similar to the
first; and in like manner, when others, again, had been formed by
emanation from them, corresponding exactly to those above them, these,
too, framed another third heaven; and then from this third, in
downward order, there was a fourth succession of descendants; and so
on, after the same fashion, they declare that more and more
principalities and angels were formed, and three hundred and
sixty-five heavens.(3) Wherefore the year contains the same number of
days in conformity with the number of the heavens.

    4. Those angels who occupy the lowest heaven, that, namely, which
is visible to us, formed all the things which are in the world, and
made allotments among themselves of the earth and of those nations
which are upon it. The chief of them is he who is thought to be the
God of the Jews; and inasmuch as he desired to render the other
nations subject to his own people, that is, the Jews, all the other
princes resisted and opposed him. Wherefore all other nations were at
enmity with his nation. But the father without birth and without name,
perceiving that they would be destroyed, sent his own first-begotten
Nous (he it is who is called Christ) to bestow deliverance on them
that believe in him, from the power of those who made the world. He
appeared, then, on earth as a man, to the nations of these powers, and
wrought miracles. Wherefore he did not himself suffer death, but
Simon, a certain man of Cyrene, being compelled, bore the cross in his
stead; so that this latter being transfigured by him, that he might be
thought to be Jesus, was crucified, through ignorance and error, while
Jesus himself received the form of Simon, and, standing by, laughed at
them. For since he was an incorporeal power, and the Nous (mind) of
the unborn father, he transfigured himself as he pleased, and thus
ascended to him who had sent him, deriding them, inasmuch as he could
not be laid hold of, and was invisible to all. Those, then, who know
these things have been freed from the principalities who formed the
world; so that it is not incumbent on us to confess him who was
crucified, but him who came in the form of a man, and was thought to
be crucified, and was called Jesus, and was sent by the father, that
by this dispensation he might destroy the works of the makers of the
world. If any one, therefore, he declares, confesses the crucified,
that man is still a slave, and under the power of those who formed our
bodies; but he who denies him has been freed from these beings, and is
acquainted with the dispensation of the unborn father.  5. Salvation
belongs to the soul alone, for the body is by nature subject to
corruption. He declares, too, that the prophecies were derived from
those powers who were the makers of the world, but the law was
specially given by their chief, who led the people out of the land of
Egypt. He attaches no importance to [the question regarding] meats
offered in sacrifice to idols, thinks them of no consequence, and
makes use of them without any hesitation; he holds also the use of
other things, and the practice of every kind of lust, a matter of
perfect indifference. These men, moreover, practise magic; and use
images, incantations, invocations, and every other kind of curious
art. Coining also certain names as if they were those of the angels,
they proclaim some of these as belonging to the first, and others to
the second heaven; and then they strive to set forth the names,
principles, angels, and powers of the three hundred and sixty-five
imagined heavens. They also affirm that the barbarous name in which
the Saviour ascended and descended, is Caulacau.(1)

    6. He, then, who has learned [these things], and known all the
angels and their causes, is rendered invisible and incomprehensible to
the angels and all the powers, even as Caulacau also was. And as the
son was unknown to all, so must they also be known by no one; but
while they know all, and pass through all, they themselves remain
invisible and unknown to all; for, "Do thou," they say, "know all, but
let nobody know thee." For this reason, persons of such a persuasion
are also ready to recant [their opinions], yea, rather, it is
impossible that they should suffer on account of a mere name, since
they are like to all. The multitude, however, cannot understand these
matters, but only one out of a thousand, or two out of ten thousand.
They declare that they are no longer Jews, and that they are not yet
Christians; and that it is not at all fitting to speak openly of their
mysteries, but right to keep them secret by preserving silence.

    7. They make out the local position of the three hundred and
sixty-five heavens in the same way as do mathematicians. For,
accepting the theorems of these latter, they have transferred them to
their own type of doctrine. They hold that their chief is Abraxas;(2)
and, on this account, that word contains in itself the numbers
amounting to three hundred and sixty-five.



CHAP. XXV.--DOCTRINES OF CARPOCRATES.



    1. Carpocrates, again, and his followers maintain that the world
and the things which are therein were created by angels greatly
inferior to the unbegotten Father. They also hold that Jesus was the
son of Joseph, and was just like other men, with the exception that he
differed from them in this respect, that inasmuch as his soul was
stedfast and pure, he perfectly remembered those things which he had
witnessed(3) within the sphere of the unbegotten God. On this account,
a power descended upon him from the Father, that by means of it he
might escape from the creators of the world; and they say that it,
after passing through them all, and remaining in all points free,
ascended again to him, and to the powers,(4) which in the same way
embraced like things to itself. They further declare, that the soul of
Jesus, although educated in the practices of the Jews, regarded these
with contempt, and that for this reason he was endowed with faculties,
by means of which he destroyed those passions which dwelt in men as a
punishment [for their sins].

    2. The soul, therefore, which is like that of Christ can despise
those rulers who were the creators of the world, and, in like manner,
receives power for accomplishing the same results. This idea has
raised them to such a pitch of pride, that some of them declare
themselves similar to Jesus; while others, still more mighty, maintain
that they are superior to his disciples, such as Peter and Paul, and
the rest of the apostles, whom they consider to be in no respect
inferior to Jesus. For their souls, descending from the same sphere as
his, and therefore despising in like manner the creators of the world,
are deemed worthy of the same power, and again depart to the same
place. But if any one shall have despised the things in this world
more than he did, he thus proves himself superior to him.

    3. They practise also magical arts and incantations; philters,
also, and love-potions; and have recourse to familiar spirits,
dream-sending demons, and other abominations, declaring that they
possess power to rule over, even now, the princes and formers of this
world; and not only them, but also all things that are in it. These
men, even as the Gentiles, have been sent forth by Satan(5) to bring
dishonour upon the Church, so that, in one way or another, men hearing
the things which they speak, and imagining that we all are such as
they, may turn away their ears from the preaching of the truth; or,
again, seeing the things they practise, may speak evil of us all, who
have in fact no fellowship with them, either in doctrine or in morals,
or in our daily conduct. But they lead a licentious life,(1) and, to
conceal their impious doctrines, they abuse the name [of Christ], as a
means of hiding their wickedness; so that "their condemnation is
just,"(2) when they receive from God a recompense suited to their
works.

    4. So unbridled is their madness, that they declare they have in
their power all things which are irreligious and impious, and are at
liberty to practise them; for they maintain that things are evil or
good, simply in virtue of human opinion.(3) They deem it necessary,
therefore, that by means of transmigration from body to body, souls
should have experience of every kind of life as well as every kind of
action (unless, indeed, by a single incarnation, one may be able to
prevent any need for others, by once for all, and with equal
completeness, doing all those things which we dare not either speak or
hear of, nay, which we must not even conceive in our thoughts, nor
think credible, if any such thing is mooted among those persons who
are our fellow-citizens), in order that, as their writings express it,
their souls, having made trial of every kind of life, may, at their
departure, not be wanting in any particular. It is necessary(4) to
insist upon this, lest, on account of some one thing being still
wanting to their deliverance, they should be compelled once more to
become incarnate. They affirm that for this reason Jesus spoke the
following parable:--"Whilst thou art with thine adversary in the way,
give all diligence, that thou mayest be delivered from him, lest he
give thee up to the judge, and the judge surrender thee to the
officer, and he cast thee into prison. Verily, I say unto thee, thou
shalt not go out thence until thou pay the very last farthing."(5)
They also declare the "adversary" is one of those angels who are in
the world, whom they call the Devil, maintaining that he was formed
for this purpose, that he might lead those souls which have perished
from the world to the Supreme Ruler. They describe him also as being
chief among the makers of the world, and maintain that he delivers
such souls [as have been mentioned] to another angel, who ministers to
him, that he may shut them up in other bodies; for they declare that
the body is "the prison." Again, they interpret these expressions,
"Thou shalt not go out thence until thou pay the very last farthing,"
as meaning that no one can escape from the power of those angels



who made the world, but that he must pass from body to body, until he
has experience of every kind of action which can be practised in this
world, and when nothing is longer wanting to him, then his liberated
soul should soar upwards to that God who is above the angels, the
makers of the world. In this way also all souls are saved, whether
their own which, guarding against all delay, participate in all sorts
of actions during one incarnation, or those, again, who, by passing
from body to body, are set free, on fulfilling and accomplishing what
is requisite in every form of life into which they are sent, so that
at length they shall no longer be [shut in the body.

    5. And thus, if ungodly, unlawful, and forbidden actions are
committed among them, I can no longer find ground for believing them
to be such.(6) And in their writings we read as follows, the
interpretation which they give [of their views], declaring that Jesus
spoke in a mystery to His disciples and apostles privately, and that
they requested and obtained permission to hand down the things thus
taught them, to others who should be worthy and believing. We are
saved, indeed, by means of faith and love; but all other things, while
in their nature indifferent, are reckoned by the opinion of men--some
good and some evil, there being nothing really evil by nature.

    6. Others of them employ outward marks, branding their disciples
inside the lobe of the right ear. From among these also arose
Marcellina, who came to Rome under [the episcopate of] Anicetus, and,
holding these doctrines, she led multitudes astray. They style
themselves Gnostics. They also possess images, some of them painted,
and others formed from different kinds of material; while they
maintain that a likeness of Christ was made by Pilate at that time
when Jesus lived among them.(7) They crown these images, and set them
up along with the images of the philosophers of the world that is to
say, with the images of Pythagoras, and Plato, and Aristotle, and the
rest. They have also other modes of honouring these images, after the
same manner of the Gentiles.



CHAP. XXVI.--DOCTRINES OF CERINTHUS, THE EBIONITES, AND NICOLAITANES.



    1. Cerinthus, again, a man who was educated(8) in the wisdom of
the Egyptians, taught that the world was not made by the primary God,
but by a certain Power far separated from him, and at a distance from
that Principality who is su- preme over the universe, and ignorant of
him who is above all. He represented Jesus as having not been born of
a virgin, but as being the son of Joseph and Mary according to the
ordinary course of human generation, while he nevertheless was more
righteous, prudent, and wise than other men. Moreover, after his
baptism, Christ descended upon him in the form of a dove from the
Supreme Ruler, and that then he proclaimed the unknown Father, and
performed miracles. But at last Christ departed from Jesus, and that
then Jesus suffered and rose again, while Christ remained impassible,
inasmuch as he was a spiritual being.

    2. Those who are called Ebionites agree that the world was made by
God; but their opinions with respect to the Lord are similar to those
of Cerinthus and Carpocrates. They use the Gospel according to Matthew
only, and repudiate the Apostle Paul, maintaining that he was an
apostate from the law. As to the prophetical writings, they endeavour
to expound them in a somewhat singular manner: they practise
circumcision, persevere in the observance of those customs which are
enjoined by the law, and are so Judaic in their style of life, that
they even adore Jerusalem as if it were the house of God.

    3. The Nicolaitanes are the followers of that Nicolas who was one
of the seven first ordained to the diaconate by the apostles.(1) They
lead lives of unrestrained indulgence. The character of these men is
very plainly pointed out in the Apocalypse of John, [when they are
represented] as teaching that it is a matter of indifference to
practise adultery, and to eat things sacrificed to idols. Wherefore
the Word has also spoken of them thus: "But this thou hast, that thou
hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate."(2)



CHAP. XXVII.--DOCTRINES OF CERDO AND MARCION.



     1. Cerdo was one who took his system from the followers of Simon,
and came to live at Rome in the time of Hyginus, who held the ninth
place in the episcopal succession from the apostles downwards. He
taught that the God proclaimed by the law and the prophets was not the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the former was known, but the
latter unknown; while the one also was righteous, but the other
benevolent.

    2. Marcion of Pontus succeeded him, and developed his doctrine. In
so doing, he advanced the most daring blasphemy against Him who is
proclaimed as God by the law and the prophets, declaring Him to be the
author of evils, to take delight in war, to be infirm of purpose, and
even to be contrary to Himself. But Jesus being derived from that
father who is above the God that made the world, and coming into
Judaea in the times of Pontius Pilate the governor, who was the
procurator of Tiberius Caesar, was manifested in the form of a man to
those who were in Judaea, abolishing the prophets and the law, and all
the works of that God who made the world, whom also he calls
Cosmocrator. Besides this, he mutilates the Gospel which is according
to Luke, removing all that is written respecting the generation of the
Lord, and setting aside a great deal of the teaching of the Lord, in
which the Lord is recorded as most dearly confessing that the Maker of
this universe is His Father. He likewise persuaded his disciples that
he himself was more worthy of credit than are those apostles who have
handed down the Gospel to us, furnishing them not with the Gospel, but
merely a fragment of it. In like manner, too, he dismembered the
Epistles of Paul, removing all that is said by the apostle respecting
that God who made the world, to the effect that He is the Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, and also those passages from the prophetical
writings which the apostle quotes, in order to teach us that they
announced beforehand the coming of the Lord.

    3. Salvation will be the attainment only of those souls which had
learned his doctrine; while the body, as having been taken from the
earth, is incapable of sharing in salvation. In addition to his
blasphemy against God Himself, he advanced this also, truly speaking
as with the mouth of the devil, and saying all things in direct
opposition to the truth,--that Cain, and those like him, and the
Sodomites, and the Egyptians, and others like them, and, in fine, all
the nations who walked in all sorts of abomination, were saved by the
Lord, on His descending into Hades, and on their running unto Him, and
that they welcomed Him into their kingdom. But the serpent(3) which
was in Marcion declared that Abel, and Enoch, and Noah, and those
other righteous men who sprang(4) from the patriarch Abraham, with all
the prophets, and those who were pleasing to God, did not partake in
salvation. For since these men, he says, knew that their God was
constantly tempting them, so now they suspected that He was tempting
them, and did not run to Jesus, or believe His announcement: and for
this reason he declared that their souls remained in Hades.

    4. But since this man is the only one who has dared openly to
mutilate the Scriptures, and unblushingly above all others to inveigh
against God, I purpose specially to refute him, convict- ing him out
of his own writings; and, with the help of God, I shall overthrow him
out of those(1) discourses of the Lord and the apostles, which are of
authority with him, and of which he makes use. At present, however, I
have simply been led to mention him, that thou mightest know that all
those who in any way corrupt the truth, and injuriously affect the
preaching of the Church, are the disciples and successors of Simon
Magus of Samaria. Although they do not confess the name of their
master, in order all the more to seduce others, yet they do teach his
doctrines. They set forth, indeed, the name of Christ Jesus as a sort
of lure, but in various ways they introduce the impieties of Simon;
and thus they destroy multitudes, wickedly disseminating their own
doctrines by the use of a good name, and, through means of its
sweetness and beauty, extending to their hearers the bitter and
malignant poison of the serpent, the great author of apostasy?



CHAP. XXVIII.--DOCTRINES OF TATIAN, THE ENCRATITES, AND OTHERS.



    1. Many offshoots of numerous heresies have already been formed
from those heretics we have described. This arises from the fact that
numbers of them--indeed, we may say all--desire themselves to be
teachers, and to break off from the particular heresy in which they
have been involved. Forming one set of doctrines out of a totally
different system of opinions, and then again others from others, they
insist upon teaching something new, declaring themselves the inventors
of any sort of opinion which they may have been able to call into
existence. To give an example: Springing from Saturninus and Marcion,
those who are called Encratites (self-controlled) preached against
marriage, thus setting aside the original creation of God, and
indirectly blaming Him who made the male and female for the
propagation of the human race. Some of those reckoned among them have
also introduced abstinence from animal food, thus proving themselves
ungrateful to God, who formed all things. They deny, too, the
salvation of him who was first created. It is but lately, however,
that this opinion has been invented among them. A certain man named
Tatian first introduced the blasphemy. He was a hearer of Justin's,
and as long as he continued with him he expressed no such views; but
after his martyrdom he separated from the Church, and, excited and
puffed up by the thought of being a teacher, as if he were superior to
others, he composed his own peculiar type of doctrine. He invented a
system of certain invisible AEons, like the followers of Valentinus;
while, like Marcion and Saturninus, he declared that marriage was
nothing else than corruption and fornication.(3) But his denial of
Adam's salvation was an opinion due entirely to himself.

    2. Others, again, following upon Basilides and Carpocrates, have
introduced promiscuous intercourse and a plurality of wives, and are
indifferent about eating meats sacrificed to idols, maintaining that
God does not greatly regard such matters. But why continue? For it is
an impracticable attempt to mention all those who, in one way or
another, have fallen away from the truth.



CHAP. XXIX.--DOCTRINES OF VARIOUS OTHER GNOSTIC SECTS, AND ESPECIALLY
OF THE BARBELIOTES OR BORBORIANS.



    1. Besides those, however, among these heretics who are Simonians,
and of whom we have already spoken, a multitude of Gnostics have
sprung up, and have been manifested like mushrooms growing out of the
ground. I now proceed to describe the principal opinions held by them.
Some of them, then, set forth a certain AEon who never grows old, and
exists in a virgin spirit: him they style Barbelos.(4) They declare
that somewhere or other there exists a certain father who cannot be
named, and that he was desirous to reveal himself to this Barbelos.
Then this Ennoea went forward, stood before his face, and demanded
from him Prognosis (prescience). But when Prognosis had, [as was
requested,] come forth, these two asked for Aphtharsia (incorruption),
which also came forth, and after that Zoe Aionios (eternal life).
Barbelos, glorying in these, and contemplating their greatness, and in
conception s [thus formed], rejoicing in this greatness, generated
light similar to it. They declare that this was the beginning both of
light and of the generation of all things; and that the Father,
beholding this light, anointed it with his own benignity, that it
might be rendered perfect. Moreover, they maintain that this was
Christ, who again, according to them, requested that Nous should be
given him as an assistant; and Nous came forth accordingly. Besides
these, the Father sent forth Logos. The conjunctions of Ennoea and
Logos, and of Aphtharsia and Christ, will thus be formed; while Zoe
Aionios was united to Thelema, and Nous to Prognosis. These, then,
magnified the great light and Barbelos.

    2. They also affirm that Autogenes was afterwards sent forth from
Ennoea and Logos, to be a representation of the great light, and that
he was greatly honoured, all things being rendered subject unto him.
Along with him was sent forth Aletheia, and a conjunction was formed
between Autogenes and Aletheia. But they declare that from the Light,
which is Christ, and from Aphtharsia, four luminaries were sent forth
to surround Autogenes; and again from Thelema and Zoe Aionios four
other emissions took place, to wait upon these four luminaries; and
these they name Charis (grace), Thelesis (will), Synesis
(understanding), and Phronesis (prudence) Of these, Chaffs is
connected with the great and first luminary: him they represent as
Sorer (Saviour), and style Armogenes.(1) Thelesis, again, is united to
the second luminary, whom they also name Raguel; Synesis to the third,
whom they call David; and Phronesis to the fourth, whom they name
Eleleth.

    3. All these, then, being thus settled, Auto-genes moreover
produces a perfect and true man, whom they also call Adamas, inasmuch
as neither has he himself ever been conquered, nor have those from
whom he sprang; he also was, along with the first light, severed from
Armogenes. Moreover, perfect knowledge was sent forth by Autogenes
along with man, and was united to him; hence he attained to the
knowledge of him that is above all. Invincible power was also
conferred on him by the virgin spirit; and all things then rested in
him, to sing praises to the great AEon. Hence also they declare were
manifested the mother, the father, the son; while from Anthropos and
Gnosis that Tree was produced which they also style Gnosis itself.

    4. Next they maintain, that from the first angel, who stands by
the side of Monogenes, the Holy Spirit has been sent forth, whom they
also term Sophia and Prunicus.(2) He then, perceiving that all the
others had consorts, while he himself was destitute of one, searched
after a being to whom he might be united; and not finding one, he
exerted and extended himself to the uttermost and looked down into the
lower regions, in the expectation of there finding a consort; and
still not meeting with one, he leaped forth [from his place] in a
state of great impatience, [which had come upon him] because he had
made his attempt without the good-will of his father. Afterwards,
under the influence of simplicity and kindness, he produced a work in
which were to be found ignorance and audacity. This work of his they
declare to be Protarchontes, the former of this [lower] creation. But
they relate that a mighty power carried him away from his mother, and
that he settled far away from her in the lower regions, and formed the
firmament of heaven, in which also they affirm that he dwells. And in
his ignorance he formed those powers which are inferior to
himself--angels, and firmaments, and all things earthly. They affirm
that he, being united to Authadia (audacity), produced Kakia
(wickedness), Zelos (emulation), Phthonos (envy), Erinnys (fury), and
Epithymia (lust). When these were generated, the mother Sophia deeply
grieved, fled away, departed into the upper regions, and became the
last of the Ogdoad, reckoning it downwards. On her thus departing, he
imagined he was the only being in existence; and on this account
declared, "I am a jealous God, and besides me there is no one."(3)
Such are the falsehoods which these people invent.



CHAP. XXX.--DOCTRINES OF THE OPHITES AND SETHIANS.



    1. Others, again, portentously declare that there exists, in the
power of Bythus, a certain primary light, blessed, incorruptible, and
infinite: this is the Father of all, and is styled the first man. They
also maintain that his Ennoea, going forth from him, produced a son,
and that this is the son of man--the second man. Below these, again,
is the Holy Spirit, and under this superior spirit the elements were
separated from each other, viz., water, darkness, the abyss, chaos,
above which they declare the Spirit was borne, calling him the first
woman. Afterwards, they maintain, the first man, with his son,
delighting over the beauty of the Spirit--that is, of the woman--and
shedding light upon her, begat by her an incorruptible light, the
third male, whom they call Christ,--the son of the first and second
man, and of the Holy Spirit, the first woman.

    2. The father and son thus both had intercourse with the woman
(whom they also call the mother of the living). When, however,(4) she
could not bear nor receive into herself the greatness of the lights,
they declare that she was filled to repletion, and became ebullient on
the left side; and that thus their only son Christ, as belonging to
the right side, and ever tending to what was higher, was immediately
caught up with his mother to form an incorruptible AEon. This
constitutes the true and holy Church, which has become the
appellation, the meeting together, and the union of the father of all,
of the first man, of the son, of the second man, of Christ their son,
and of the woman who has been mentioned.

    3. They teach, however, that the power which proceeded from the
woman by ebullition, being besprinkled with light, fell downward from
the place occupied by its progenitors, yet possessing by its own will
that besprinkling of light; and it they call Sinistra, Prunicus, and
Sophia, as well as masculo-feminine. This being, in its simplicity,
descended into the waters while they were yet in a state of
immobility, and imparted motion to them also, wantonly acting upon
them even to their lowest depths, and assumed from them a body. For
they affirm that all things rushed towards and clung to that
sprinkling of light, and begin it all round. Unless it had possessed
that, it would perhaps have been totally absorbed in, and overwhelmed
by, material substance. Being therefore bound down by a body which was
composed of matter, and greatly burdened by it, this power regretted
the course it had followed, and made an attempt to escape from the
waters and ascend to its mother: it could not effect this, however, on
account of the weight of the body lying over and around it. But
feeling very ill at ease, it endeavoured at least to conceal that
light which came from above, fearing lest it too might be injured by
the inferior elements, as had happened to itself. And when it had
received power from that besprinkling of light which it possessed, it
sprang back again, and was borne aloft; and being on high, it extended
itself, covered [a portion of space], and formed this visible heaven
out of its body; yet remained under the heaven which it made, as still
possessing the form of a watery body. But when it had conceived a
desire for the light above, and had received power by all things, it
laid down this body, and was freed from it. This body which they speak
of that power as having thrown off, they call a female from a female.

    4. They declare, moreover, that her son had also himself a certain
breath of incorruption left him by his mother, and that through means
of it he works; and becoming powerful, he himself, as they affirm,
also sent forth from the waters a son without a mother; for they do
not allow him either to have known a mother. His son, again, after the
example of his father, sent forth another son. This third one, too,
generated a fourth; the fourth also generated a son: they maintain
that again a son was generated by the fifth; and the sixth, too,
generated a seventh. Thus was the Hebdomad, according to them,
completed, the mother possessing the eighth place; and as in the case
of their generations, so also in regard to dignities and powers, they
precede each other in turn.

    5. They have also given names to [the several persons] in their
system of falsehood, such as the following: he who was the first
descendant of the mother is called Ialdabaoth;(1) he,
again, descended from him, is named Iao; he, from this one, is called
Sabaoth; the fourth is named Adoneus; the fifth, Eloeus; the sixth,
Oreus; and the seventh and last of all, Astanphaeus. Moreover, they
represent these heavens, potentates, powers, angels, and creators, as
sitting in their proper order in heaven, according to their
generation, and as invisibly ruling over things celestial and
terrestrial. The first of them, namely Ialdabaoth, holds his mother in
contempt, inasmuch as he produced sons and grandsons without the
permission of any one, yea, even angels, archangels, powers,
potentates, and dominions. After these things had been done, his sons
turned to strive and quarrel with him about the supreme
power,--conduct which deeply grieved Ialdabaoth, and drove him to
despair. In these circumstances, he cast his eyes upon the subjacent
dregs of matter, and fixed his desire upon it, to which they declare
his son owes his origin. This son is Nous himself, twisted into the
form of a serpent;(2) and hence were derived the spirit, the soul, and
all mundane things: from this too were generated all oblivion,
wickedness, emulation, envy, and death. They declare that the father
imparted(3) still greater crookedness to this serpent-like and
contorted Nous of theirs, when he was with their father in heaven and
Paradise.

    6. On this account, Ialdabaoth, becoming uplifted in spirit,
boasted himself over all those things that were below him, and
exclaimed, "I am father, and God, and above me there is no one." But
his mother, hearing him speak thus, cried out against him, "Do not
lie, Ialdabaoth: for the father of all, the first Anthropos (man), is
above thee; and so is Anthropos the son of Anthropos." Then, as all
were disturbed by this new voice, and by the unexpected proclamation,
and as they were inquiring whence the noise proceeded, in order to
lead them away and attract them to himself, they affirm that
Ialdabaoth exclaimed, "Come, let us make man after our image."(4) The
six powers, on hearing this, and their mother furnishing them with the
idea of a man (in order that by means of him she might empty them of
their original power), jointly formed a man of immense size, both in
regard to breadth and length. But as he could merely writhe along the
ground, they carried him to their father; Sophia so labouring in this
matter, that she might empty him (Ialdabaoth) of the light with which
he had been sprinkled, so that he might no longer, though still
powerful, be able to lift up himself against the powers above. They
declare, then, that by breathing into man the spirit of life, he was
secretly emptied of his power; that hence man became a possessor of
nous (intelligence) and enthymesis (thought); and they affirm that
these are the faculties which partake in salvation. He [they further
assert] at once gave thanks to the first Anthropos (man), forsaking
those who had created him.

    7. But Ialdabaoth, feeling envious at this, was pleased to form
the design of again emptying man by means of woman, and produced a
woman from his own enthymesis, whom that Prunicus [above mentioned]
laying hold of, imperceptibly emptied her of power. But the others
coming and admiring her beauty, named her Eve, and falling in love
with her, begat sons by her, whom they also declare to be the angels.
But their mother (Sophia) cunningly devised a scheme to seduce Eve and
Adam, by means of the serpent, to transgress the command of
Ialdabaoth. Eve listened to this as if it had proceeded from a son of
God, and yielded an easy belief. She also persuaded Adam to eat of the
tree regarding which God had said that they should not eat of it. They
then declare that, on their thus eating, they attained to the
knowledge of that power which is above all, and departed from those
who had created them.(1) When Prunicus perceived that the powers were
thus baffled by their own creature, she greatly rejoiced, and again
cried out, that since the father was incorruptible, he (Ialdabaoth)
who formerly called himself the father was a liar; and that, while
Anthropos and the first woman (the Spirit) existed previously, this
one (Eve) sinned by committing adultery.

    8. Ialdabaoth, however, through that oblivion in which he was
involved, and not paying any regard to these things, cast Adam and Eve
out of Paradise, because they had transgressed his commandment. For he
had a desire to beget sons by Eve, but did not accomplish his wish,
because his mother opposed him in every point, and secretly emptied
Adam and Eve of the light with which they had been sprinkled, in order
that that spirit which proceeded from the supreme power might
participate neither in the curse nor opprobrium [caused by
transgression]. They also teach that, thus being emptied of the divine
substance, they were cursed by him, and cast down from heaven to this
world.(2) But the serpent also, who was acting against the father, was
cast down by him into this lower world; he reduced, however, under his
power the angels here, and begat six sons, he himself forming the
seventh person, after the example of that Hebdomad which surrounds the
father. They further declare that these are the seven mundane demons,
who always oppose and resist the human race, because it was on their
account that their father was cast down to this lower world.

    9. Adam and Eve previously had light, and clear, and as it were
spiritual bodies, such as they were at their creation; but when they
came to this world, these changed into bodies more opaque, and gross,
and sluggish. Their soul also was feeble and languid, inasmuch as they
had received from their creator a merely mundane inspiration. This
continued until Prunicus, moved with compassion towards them, restored
to them the sweet savour of the besprinkling of light, by means of
which they came to a remembrance of themselves, and knew that they
were naked, as well as that the body was a material substance, and
thus recognised that they bore death about with them. They thereupon
became patient, knowing that only for a time they would be enveloped
in the body. They also found out food, through the guidance of Sophia;
and when they were satisfied, they had carnal knowledge of each other,
and begat Cain, whom the serpent, that had been cast down along with
his sons, immediately laid hold of and destroyed by filling him with
mundane oblivion, and urging into folly and audacity, so that, by
slaying his brother Abel, he was the first to bring to light envy and
death. After these, they affirm that, by the forethought of Prunicus,
Seth was begotten, and then Norea,(3) from whom they represent all the
rest of mankind as being descended. They were urged on to all kinds of
wickedness by the inferior Hebdomad, and to apostasy, idolatry, and a
general contempt for everything by the superior holy Hebdomad,(4)
since the mother was always secretly opposed to them, and carefully
preserved what was peculiarly her own, that is, the besprinkling of
light. They maintain, moreover, that the holy Hebdomad is the seven
stars which they call planets; and they affirm that the serpent cast
down has two names, Michael and Samael.

    10. Ialdabaoth, again, being incensed with men, because they did
not worship or honour him as father and God, sent forth a deluge upon
them, that he might at once destroy them all. But Sophia opposed him
in this point also, and Noah and his family were saved in the ark by
means of the besprinkling of that light which proceeded from her, and
through it the world was again filled with mankind. Ialdabaoth himself
chose a certain man named Abraham from among these, and made a
covenant with him, to the effect that, if his seed continued to serve
him, he would give to them the earth for an inheritance. Afterwards,
by means of Moses, he brought forth Abraham's descendants from Egypt,
and gave them the law, and made them the Jews. Among that people he
chose seven days,(1) which they also call the holy Hebdomad. Each of
these receives his own herald for the purpose of glorifying and
proclaiming God; so that, when the rest hear these praises, they too
may serve those who are announced as gods try the prophets.

    11. Moreover, they distribute the prophets in the following
manner: Moses, and Joshua the son of Nun, and Amos, and Habakkuk,
belonged to Ialdabaoth; Samuel, and Nathan, and Jonah, and Micah, to
Iao; Elijah, Joel, and Zechariah to Sabaoth; Isaiah, Ezekiel,
Jeremiah, and Daniel, to Adohai; Tobias and Haggai to Eloi; Michaiah
and Nahum to Oreus; Esdras and Zephaniah to Astanphaeus. Each one of
these, then, glorifies his own father and God, and they maintain that
Sophia, herself has also spoken many things through them regarding the
first Anthropos (man),(2) and concerning that Christ who is above,
thus admonishing and reminding men of the incorruptible light, the
first Anthropos, and of the descent of Christ. The [other] powers
being terrified by these things, and marveiling at the novelty of
those things which were announced by the prophets, Prunicus brought it
about by means of Ialdabaoth (who knew not what he did), that
emissions of two men took place, the one from the barren Elizabeth,
and the other from the Virgin Mary.

    12. And since she herself had no rest either in heaven or on
earth, she invoked her mother to assist her in her distress. Upon
this, her mother, the first woman, was moved with compassion towards
her daughter, on her repentance, and begged from the first man that
Christ should be sent to her assistance, who, being sent forth,
descended to his sister, and to the besprinkling of light. When he
recognised her (that is, the Sophia below), her brother descended to
her, and announced his advent through means of John, and prepared the
baptism of repentance, and adopted Jesus beforehand, in order that on
Christ descending he might find a pure vessel, and that by the son of
that Ialdabaoth the woman might be announced by Christ. They further
declare that he descended through the seven heavens, having assumed
the likeness of their sons, and gradually emptied them of their power.
For they maintain that the whole besprinkling of light rushed to him,
and that Christ, descending to this world, first clothed his sister
Sophia [with it], and that then both exulted in the mutual
refreshment they felt in each other's society: this scene they
describe as relating to bridegroom and bride. But Jesus, inasmuch as
he was begotten of the Virgin through the agency of God, was wiser,
purer, and more righteous than all other men: Christ united to Sophia
descended into him, and thus Jesus Christ was produced.

    13. They affirm that many of his disciples were not aware of the
descent of Christ into him; but that, when Christ did descend on
Jesus, he then began to work miracles, and heal, and announce the
unknown Father, and openly to confess himself the son of the first
man. The powers and the father of Jesus were angry at these
proceedings, and laboured to destroy him; and when he was being led
away for this purpose, they say that Christ himself, along with
Sophia, departed from him into the state of an incorruptible AEon,
while Jesus was crucified. Christ, however, was not forgetful of his
Jesus, but sent down a certain energy into him from above, which
raised him up again in the body, which they call both animal and
spiritual; for he sent the mundane parts back again into the world.
When his disciples saw that he had risen, they did not recognise
him--no, not even Jesus himself, by whom he rose again from the dead.
And they assert that this very great error prevailed among his
disciples, that they imagined he had risen in a mundane body, not
knowing that "flesh(3) and blood do not attain to the kingdom of God."

    14. They strove to establish the descent and ascent of Christ, by
the fact that neither before his baptism, nor after his resurrection
from the dead, do his disciples state that he did any mighty works,
not being aware that Jesus was united to Christ, and the incorruptible
AEon to the Hebdomad; and they declare his mundane body to be of the
same nature as that of animals. But after his resurrection he tarried
[on earth] eighteen months; and knowledge descending into him from
above, he taught what was clear. He instructed a few of his disciples,
whom he knew to be capable of understanding so great mysteries, in
these things, and was then received up into heaven, Christ sitting
down at the right hand of his father Ialdabaoth, that he may receive
to himself the souls of those who have known them,(4) after they have
laid aside their mundane flesh, thus enriching himself without the
knowledge or perception of his father; so that, in proportion as Jesus
enriches himself with holy souls, to such an extent does his father
suffer loss and is diminished, being emptied of his own power by these
souls. For he will not now possess holy souls to send them down again
into the world, except those only which are of his substance, that is,
those into which he has breathed. But the consummation [of all things]
will take place, when the whole besprinkling of the spirit of light is
gathered together, and is carried off to form an incorruptible AEon.
	
    15. Such are the opinions which prevail among these persons, by
whom, like the Lernaean hydra, a many-headed beast has been generated
from the school of Valentinus. For some of them assert that Sophia
herself became the serpent; on which account she was hostile to the
creator of Adam, and implanted knowledge in men, for which reason the
serpent was called wiser than all others. Moreover, by the position of
our intestines, through which the food is conveyed, and by the fact
that they possess such a figure, our internal configuration(1) in the
form of a serpent reveals our hidden generatrix.



CHAP. XXXI.--DOCTRINES OF THE CAINITES.



    1. Others again declare that Cain derived his being from the Power
above, and acknowledge that Esau, Korah, the Sodomites, and all such
persons, are related to themselves. On this account, they add, they
have been assailed by the Creator, yet no one of them has suffered
injury. For Sophia was in the habit of carrying off that which
belonged to her from them to herself. They declare that Judas the
traitor was thoroughly acquainted with these things, and that he
alone, knowing the truth as no others did, accomplished the mystery of
the betrayal; by him all things, both earthly and heavenly, were thus
thrown into confusion. They produce a fictitious history of this kind,
which they style the Gospel of Judas.

    2. I have also made a collection of their writings in which they
advocate the abolition of the doings of Hystera.(2) Moreover, they
call this Hystera the creator of heaven and earth. They also hold,
like Carpocrates, that men cannot be saved until they have gone
through all kinds of experience. An angel, they maintain, attends them
in every one of their sinful and abominable actions, and urges them to
venture on audacity and incur pollution. Whatever may be the nature(3)
of the action, they declare that they do it in the name of the angel,
saying, "O thou angel, I use thy work; O thou power, I accomplish thy
operation !" And they maintain that this is "perfect knowledge,"
without shrinking to rush into such actions as it is not lawful even
to name.

    3. It was necessary clearly to prove, that, as their very opinions
and regulations exhibit them, those who are of the school of
Valentinus derive their origin from such mothers, fathers, and
ancestors, and also to bring forward their doctrines, with the hope
that perchance some of them, exercising repentance and returning to
the only Creator, and God the Former of the universe, may obtain
salvation, and that others may not henceforth be drown away by their
wicked, although plausible, persuasions, imagining that they will
obtain from them the knowledge of some greater and more sublime
mysteries. But let them rather, learning to good effect from us the
wicked tenets of these men, look with contempt upon their doctrines,
while at the same time they pity those who, still cleaving to these
miserable and baseless fables, have reached such a pitch of arrogance
as to reckon themselves superior to all others on account of such
knowledge, or, as it should rather be called, ignorance. They have now
been fully exposed; and simply to exhibit their sentiments, is to
obtain a victory over them.

    4. Wherefore I have laboured to bring forward, and make clearly
manifest, the utterly ill-conditioned carcase of this miserable little
fox.(4) For there will not now be need of many words to overturn their
system of doctrine, when it has been made manifest to all. It is as
when, on a beast hiding itself in a wood, and by rushing forth from it
is in the habit of destroying multitudes, one who beats round the wood
and thoroughly explores it, so as to compel the animal to break cover,
does not strive to capture it, seeing that it is truly a ferocious
beast; but those present can then watch and avoid its assaults, and
can cast darts at it from all sides, and wound it, and finally slay
that destructive brute. So, in our case, since we have brought their
hidden mysteries, which they keep in silence among themselves, to the
light, it will not now be necessary to use many words in destroying
their system of opinions. For it is now in thy power, and in the power
of all thy associates, to familiarize yourselves with what has been
said, to overthrow their wicked and undigested doctrines, and to set
forth doctrines agreeable to the truth. Since then the case is so, I
shall, according to promise, and as my ability serves, labour to
overthrow them, by refuting them all in the following book. Even to
give an account of them is a tedious affair, as thou seest.(5) But I
shall furnish means for overthrowing them, by meeting all their
opinions in the order in which they have been described, that I may
not only expose the wild beast to view, but may inflict wounds upon it
from every side.