The Refutation of All Heresies, Book IX

Book IX

• The Refutation of All Heresies IX.1 — An Account of Contemporaneous Heresy. A lengthened conflict, then, having been maintained concerning all heresies by us who, at all events, have not left any unrefuted, the greatest struggle now remains behind, viz.,…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies IX.2 — Chapter II.—Source of the Heresy of Noetus; Cleomenes His Disciple; Its Appearance at Rome During the Episcopates of Zephyrinus and Callistus; Noetianism Opposed at Rome by Hippolytus. There has appeared one, Noetus…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies IX.3 — Noetianism an Offshoot from the Heraclitic Philosophy. But since we have exhibited the succession of their genealogy, it seems expedient next that we should also explain the depraved teaching involved in their…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies IX.4 — An Account of the System of Heraclitus. Heraclitus then says that the universe is one, divisible and indivisible; generated and ungenerated; mortal and immortal; reason, eternity; Father, Son, and justice, God. “For…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies IX.5 — Chapter V.—Heraclitus’ Estimate of Hesiod; Paradoxes of Heraclitus; His Eschatology; The Heresy of Noetus of Heraclitean Origin; Noetus’ View of the Birth and Passion of Our Lord. In this manner Heraclitus assigns to…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies IX.6 — Chapter VI.—Conduct of Callistus and Zephyrinus in the Matter of Noetianism; Avowed Opinion of Zephyrinus Concerning Jesus Christ; Disapproval of Hippolytus; As a Contemporaneous Event, Hippolytus Competent to…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies IX.7 — Chapter VII.—The Personal History of Callistus; His Occupation as a Banker; Fraud on Carpophorus; Callistus Absconds; Attempted Suicide; Condemned to the Treadmill; Re-Condemnation by Order of the Prefect Fuscianus;…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies IX.8 — Sect of the Elchasaites; Hippolytus' Opposition to It. The doctrine of this Callistus having been noised abroad throughout the entire world, a cunning man, and full of desperation, one called Alcibiades, dwelling in…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies IX.9 — Elchasai Derived His System from Pythagoras; Practised Incantations. This Elchasai puts forward as a decoy a polity (authorized in the) Law, alleging that believers ought to be circumcised and live according to the…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies IX.10 — Elchasai's Mode of Administering Baptism; Formularies. To those, then, that have been orally instructed by him, he dispenses baptism in this manner, addressing to his dupes some such words as the following: “If,…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies IX.11 — Precepts of Elchasai. But in very many other respects he talks folly, inculcating the use of these sentences also for those afflicted with consumption, and that they should be dipped in cold water forty times during…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies IX.12 — The Heresy of the Elchasaites a Derivative One. Inasmuch as (Elchasai) considers, then, that it would be an insult to reason that these mighty and ineffable mysteries should be trampled under foot, or that they…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies IX.13 — The Jewish Sects. Originally there prevailed but one usage among the Jews; for one teacher was given unto them by God, namely Moses, and one law by this same Moses. And there was one desert region and one Mount…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies IX.14 — The Tenets of the Esseni. And they despise wealth, and do not turn away from sharing their goods with those that are destitute. No one amongst them, however, enjoys a greater amount of riches than another. For a…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies IX.15 — The Tenets of the Esseni Continued. But there is not one city of them, but many of them settle in every city. And if any of the adherents of the sect may be present from a strange place, they consider that all things…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies IX.16 — The Tenets of the Esseni Continued. And they continue in an orderly manner, and with perseverance pray from early dawn, and they do not speak a word unless they have praised God in a hymn. And in this way they each…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies IX.17 — The Tenets of the Esseni Continued. All then pay attention to the president; and whatever injunctions he will issue, they obey as law. For they are anxious that mercy and assistance be extended to those that are…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies IX.18 — The Tenets of the Esseni Continued. But to those who wish to become disciples of the sect, they do not immediately deliver their rules, unless they have previously tried them. Now for the space of a year they set…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies IX.19 — The Tenets of the Esseni Continued. With oaths, then, of this description, they bind those who come forward. If, however, any one may be condemned for any sin, he is expelled from the order; but one that has been…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies IX.20 — The Tenets of the Esseni Concluded. But as regards judicial decisions, the Essenes are most accurate and impartial. And they deliver their judgments when they have assembled together, numbering at the very least one…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies IX.21 — Different Sects of the Esseni. The Essenes have, however, in the lapse of time, undergone divisions, and they do not preserve their system of training after a similar manner, inasmuch as they have been split up into…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies IX.22 — Belief of the Esseni in the Resurrection; Their System a Suggestive One. Now the doctrine of the resurrection has also derived support among these; for they acknowledge both that the flesh will rise again, and that…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies IX.23 — Another Sect of the Esseni: the Pharisees. There is then another order of the Essenes who use the same customs and prescribed method of living with the foregoing sects, but make an alteration from these in one…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies IX.24 — The Sadducees. These, then, are the opinions even of the Pharisees. The Sadducees, however, are for abolishing fate, and they acknowledge that God does nothing that is wicked, nor exercises providence over (earthly…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies IX.25 — The Jewish Religion. Since, therefore, we have explained even the diversities among the Jews, it seems expedient likewise not to pass over in silence the system of their religion. The doctrine, therefore, among all…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies IX.26 — Conclusion to the Work Explained. It now seems to us that the tenets of both all the Greeks and barbarians have been sufficiently explained by us, and that nothing has remained unrefuted either of the points about…vatican.va