Against Heresies, Book II

Book II

• Against Heresies II.1 — There is but one God: the impossibility of its being otherwise. 1. It is proper, then, that I should begin with the first and most important head, that is, God the Creator, who made the heaven and the earth, and all…vatican.va
• Against Heresies II.2 — 1. Those, moreover, who say that the world was formed by angels, or by any other maker of it, contrary to the will of Him who is the Supreme Father, err first of all in this very point, that they maintain that angels…vatican.va
• Against Heresies II.3 — 1. The Bythus, therefore, whom they conceive of with his Pleroma, and the God of Marcion, are inconsistent. If indeed, as they affirm, he has something subjacent and beyond himself, which they style vacuity and…vatican.va
• Against Heresies II.4 — The absurdity of the supposed vacuum and defect of the heretics is demonstrated. 1. The cause, then, of such a dispensation on the part of God, is to be inquired after; but the formation of the world is not to be…vatican.va
• Against Heresies II.5 — This world was not formed by any other beings within the territory which is contained by the Father. 1. The remarks, therefore, which I made a little while ago are suitable in answer to those who assert that this…vatican.va
• Against Heresies II.6 — The angels and the Creator of the world could not have been ignorant of the Supreme God. 1. How, again, could either the angels, or the Creator of the world, have been ignorant of the Supreme God, seeing they were…vatican.va
• Against Heresies II.7 — Created things are not the images of those Æons who are within the Pleroma. 1. While the Demiurge was thus ignorant of all things, they tell us that the Saviour conferred honour upon the Pleroma by the creation…vatican.va
• Against Heresies II.8 — Created things are not a shadow of the Pleroma. 1. If, again, they declare that these things [below] are a shadow of those [above], as some of them are bold enough to maintain, so that in this respect they are…vatican.va
• Against Heresies II.9 — There is but one Creator of the world, God the Father: this the constant belief of the Church. 1. That God is the Creator of the world is accepted even by those very persons who in many ways speak against Him, and…vatican.va
• Against Heresies II.10 — Perverse interpretations of Scripture by the heretics: God created all things out of nothing, and not from pre-existent matter. 1. It is therefore in the highest degree irrational, that we should take no account of…vatican.va
• Against Heresies II.11 — The heretics, from their disbelief of the truth, have fallen into an abyss of error: reasons for investigating their systems. 1. They do not believe that He, who is God above all, formed by His Word, in His own…vatican.va
• Against Heresies II.12 — 1. We may remark, in the first place, regarding their Triacontad, that the whole of it marvellously falls to ruin on both sides, that is, both as respects defect and excess. They say that to indicate it the Lord came…vatican.va
• Against Heresies II.13 — The first order of production maintained by the heretics is altogether indefensible. 1. I now proceed to show, as follows, that the first order of production, as conceived of by them, must be rejected. For they…vatican.va
• Against Heresies II.14 — Valentinus and his followers derived the principles of their system from the heathen; the names only are changed. 1. Much more like the truth, and more pleasing, is the account which Antiphanes, one of the ancient…vatican.va
• Against Heresies II.15 — No account can be given of these productions. 1. But let us return to the fore-mentioned question as to the production [of the Æons]. And, in the first place, let them tell us the reason of the production of the Æons…vatican.va
• Against Heresies II.16 — 1. But if they will not yield assent to any one of these conclusions, since in that case they would be proved by us as incapable of rendering any reason for such a production of their Pleroma, they will of necessity…vatican.va
• Against Heresies II.17 — 1. That system, then, which has respect to their Pleroma, and especially that part of it which refers to the primary Ogdoad being thus burdened with so great contradictions and perplexities, let me now go on to…vatican.va
• Against Heresies II.18 — 1. How can it be regarded as otherwise than absurd, that they also affirm this Sophia (wisdom) to have been involved in ignorance, and degeneracy, and passion? For these things are alien and contrary to wisdom, nor…vatican.va
• Against Heresies II.19 — Absurdities of the heretics as to their own origin: their opinions respecting the Demiurge shown to be equally untenable and ridiculous. 1. But what sort of talk also is this concerning their seed—that it was…vatican.va
• Against Heresies II.20 — 1. That they improperly and illogically apply both the parables and the actions of the Lord to their falsely-devised system, I prove as follows: They endeavour, for instance, to demonstrate that passion which, they…vatican.va
• Against Heresies II.21 — The twelve apostles were not a type of the Æons. 1. If, again, they maintain that the twelve apostles were a type only of that group of twelve Æons which Anthropos in conjunction with Ecclesia produced, then let them…vatican.va
• Against Heresies II.22 — 1. I have shown that the number thirty fails them in every respect; too few Æons, as they represent them, being at one time found within the Pleroma, and then again too many [to correspond with that number]. There…vatican.va
• Against Heresies II.23 — The woman who suffered from an issue of blood was no type of the suffering Æon. 1. Moreover, their ignorance comes out in a clear light with respect to the case of that woman who, suffering from an issue of blood,…vatican.va
• Against Heresies II.24 — Folly of the arguments derived by the heretics from numbers, letters, and syllables. 1. This very thing, too, still further demonstrates their opinion false, and their fictitious system untenable, that they endeavour…vatican.va
• Against Heresies II.25 — God is not to be sought after by means of letters, syllables, and numbers; necessity of humility in such investigations. 1. If any one, however, say in reply to these things, What then? Is it a meaningless and…vatican.va
• Against Heresies II.26 — “Knowledge puffeth up, but love edifieth.”. 1. It is therefore better and more profitable to belong to the simple and unlettered class, and by means of love to attain to nearness to God, than, by imagining ourselves…vatican.va
• Against Heresies II.27 — Proper mode of interpreting parables and obscure passages of Scripture. 1. A sound mind, and one which does not expose its possessor to danger, and is devoted to piety and the love of truth, will eagerly meditate…vatican.va
• Against Heresies II.28 — Perfect knowledge cannot be attained in the present life: many questions must be submissively left in the hands of God. 1. Having therefore the truth itself as our rule and the testimony concerning God set clearly…vatican.va
• Against Heresies II.29 — Refutation of the views of the heretics as to the future destiny of the soul and body. 1. Let us return, however, to the remaining points of their system. For when they declare that, at the consummation of all…vatican.va
• Against Heresies II.30 — Absurdity of their styling themselves spiritual, while the Demiurge is declared to be animal. 1. Such being the state of the case, these infatuated men declare that they rise above the Creator (Demiurge); and,…vatican.va
• Against Heresies II.31 — Recapitulation and application of the foregoing arguments. 1. Those, then, who are of the school of Valentinus being overthrown, the whole multitude of heretics are, in fact, also subverted. For all the arguments I…vatican.va
• Against Heresies II.32 — Further exposure of the wicked and blasphemous doctrines of the heretics. 1. Moreover, this impious opinion of theirs with respect to actions—namely, that it is incumbent on them to have experience of all kinds of…vatican.va
• Against Heresies II.33 — Absurdity of the doctrine of the transmigration of souls. 1. We may subvert their doctrine as to transmigration from body to body by this fact, that souls remember nothing whatever of the events which took place in…vatican.va
• Against Heresies II.34 — Souls can be recognised in the separate state, and are immortal although they once had a beginning. 1. The Lord has taught with very great fulness, that souls not only continue to exist, not by passing from body to…vatican.va
• Against Heresies II.35 — Refutation of Basilides, and of the opinion that the prophets uttered their predictions under the inspiration of different gods. 1. Moreover, in addition to what has been said, Basilides himself will, according to…vatican.va