The Refutation of All Heresies, Book I

Book I

• The Refutation of All Heresies I.1 — The Proœmium.—Motives for Undertaking the Refutation; Exposure of the Ancient Mysteries; Plan of the Work; Completeness of the Refutation; Value of the Treatise to Future Ages. We must not overlook any figment…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies I.2 — Thales; His Physics and Theology; Founder of Greek Astronomy. It is said that Thales of Miletus, one of the seven wise men, first attempted to frame a system of natural philosophy. This person said that some such…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies I.3 — Chapter II.—Pythagoras; His Cosmogony; Rules of His Sect; Discoverer of Physiognomy; His Philosophy of Numbers; His System of the Transmigration of Souls; Zaratas on Demons; Why Pythagoras Forbade the Eating of…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies I.4 — Empedocles; His Twofold Cause; Tenet of Transmigration. But Empedocles, born after these, advanced likewise many statements respecting the nature of demons, to the effect that, being very numerous, they pass their…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies I.5 — Heraclitus; His Universal Dogmatism; His Theory of Flux; Other Systems. But Heraclitus, a natural philosopher of Ephesus, surrendered himself to universal grief, condemning the ignorance of the entire of life, and of…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies I.6 — Anaximander; His Theory of the Infinite; His Astronomic Opinions; His Physics. Anaximander, then, was the hearer of Thales. Anaximander was son of Praxiadas, and a native of Miletus. This man said that the…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies I.7 — Anaximenes; His System of “An Infinite Air;” His Views of Astronomy and Natural Phenomena. Chapter VI.—Anaximenes; His System of “An Infinite Air;” His Views of Astronomy and Natural Phenomena. But Anaximenes, who…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies I.8 — Anaxagoras; His Theory of Mind; Recognises an Efficient Cause; His Cosmogony and Astronomy. Chapter VII.—Anaxagoras; His Theory of Mind; Recognises an Efficient Cause; His Cosmogony and Astronomy. After this…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies I.9 — Archelaus; System Akin to that of Anaxagoras; His Origin of the Earth and of Animals; Other Systems. Chapter VIII.—Archelaus; System Akin to that of Anaxagoras; His Origin of the Earth and of Animals; Other Systems.…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies I.10 — Parmenides; His Theory of “Unity;” His Eschatology. For Parmenides likewise supposes the universe to be one, both eternal and unbegotten, and of a spherical form. And neither did he escape the opinion of the great…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies I.11 — Leucippus; His Atomic Theory. But Leucippus, an associate of Zeno, did not maintain the same opinion, but affirms things to be infinite, and always in motion, and that generation and change exist continuously. And he…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies I.12 — Democritus; His Duality of Principles; His Cosmogony. And Democritus was an acquaintance of Leucippus. Democritus, son of Damasippus, a native of Abdera, conferring with many gymnosophists among the Indians, and with…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies I.13 — Xenophanes; His Scepticism; His Notions of God and Nature; Believes in a Flood. Chapter XII.—Xenophanes; His Scepticism; His Notions of God and Nature; Believes in a Flood. But Xenophanes, a native of Colophon, was…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies I.14 — Ecphantus; His Scepticism; Tenet of Infinity. One Ecphantus, a native of Syracuse, affirmed that it is not possible to attain a true knowledge of things. He defines, however, as he thinks, primary bodies to be…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies I.15 — Hippo; His Duality of Principles; His Psychology. Hippo, a native of Rhegium, asserted as originating principles, coldness, for instance water, and heat, for instance fire. And that fire, when produced by water,…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies I.16 — Socrates; His Philosophy Reproduced by Plato. Socrates, then, was a hearer of Archelaus, the natural philosopher; and he, reverencing the rule, “Know thyself,” and having assembled a large school, had Plato (there),…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies I.17 — Chapter XVI.—Plato; Threefold Classification of Principles; His Idea of God; Different Opinions Regarding His Theology and Psychology; His Eschatology and System of Metempsychosis; His Ethical Doctrines; Notions on…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies I.18 — Aristotle; Duality of Principles; His Categories; His Psychology; His Ethical Doctrines; Origin of the Epithet “Peripatetic.”. Chapter XVII.—Aristotle; Duality of Principles; His Categories; His Psychology; His…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies I.19 — The Stoics; Their Superiority in Logic; Fatalists; Their Doctrine of Conflagrations. Chapter XVIII.—The Stoics; Their Superiority in Logic; Fatalists; Their Doctrine of Conflagrations. The Stoics themselves also…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies I.20 — Epicurus; Adopts the Democritic Atomism; Denial of Divine Providence; The Principle of His Ethical System. Chapter XIX.—Epicurus; Adopts the Democritic Atomism; Denial of Divine Providence; The Principle of His…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies I.21 — The Academics; Difference of Opinion Among Them. And another opinion of the philosophers was called that of the Academics, on account of those holding their discussions in the Academy, of whom the founder Pyrrho,…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies I.22 — The Brachmans; Their Mode of Life; Ideas of Deity; Different Sorts Of; Their Ethical Notions. Chapter XXI.—The Brachmans; Their Mode of Life; Ideas of Deity; Different Sorts Of; Their Ethical Notions. But there is…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies I.23 — The Druids; Progenitors of Their System. And the Celtic Druids investigated to the very highest point the Pythagorean philosophy, after Zamolxis, by birth a Thracian, a servant of Pythagoras, became to them the…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies I.24 — Chapter XXIII.—Hesiod; The Nine Muses; The Hesiodic Cosmogony; The Ancient Speculators, Materialists; Derivative Character of the Heresies from Heathen Philosophy. But Hesiod the poet asserts himself also that he…vatican.va