The Refutation of All Heresies, Book X

Book X

• The Refutation of All Heresies X.1 — Recapitulation. After we have, not with violence, burst through the labyrinth of heresies, but have unravelled (their intricacies) through a refutation merely, or, in other words, by the force of truth, we approach…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies X.2 — Summary of the Opinions of Philosophers. Having, therefore, embraced (a consideration of) the tenets of all the wise men among the Greeks in four books, and the doctrines propounded by the heresiarchs in five, we…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies X.3 — Summary of the Opinions of Philosophers Continued. But among those who derive all entities from more things than one, and from numerable quantities, the poet Homer asserts that the universe consists of two…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies X.4 — Summary of the Opinions of Philosophers Continued. Persuaded, then, that the principle of physiology is confessedly discovered to be encumbered with difficulties for all these philosophers, we ourselves also shall…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies X.5 — The Naasseni. But since it so appears expedient, let us begin first from the public worshippers of the serpent. The Naasseni call the first principle of the universe a Man, and that the same also is a Son of Man; and…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies X.6 — The Peratæ. The Peratæ, however, viz., Ademes the Carystian, and Euphrates the Peratic, say that there is some one world,—this is the denomination they use,—and affirming that it is divided into three parts. But of…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies X.7 — The Sethians. But to the Sethians it seems that there exist three principles, which have been precisely defined. And each of the principles is fitted by nature for being able to be generated, as in a human soul every…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies X.8 — Simon Magus. But that very sapient fellow Simon makes his statement thus, that there is an indefinite power, and that this is the root of the universe. And this indefinite power, he says, which is fire, is in itself…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies X.9 — Valentinus. Valentinus, however, and the adherents of this school, though they agree in asserting that the originating principle of the universe is the Father, still they are impelled into the adoption of a contrary…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies X.10 — Basilides. But Basilides also himself affirms that there is a non-existent God, who, being non-existent, has made the non-existent world, that has been formed out of things that are not, by casting down a certain…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies X.11 — Justinus. But Justinus also himself attempted to establish similar opinions with these, and expresses himself thus: That there are three unbegotten principles of the universe, two males and one female. And of the…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies X.12 — The Docetæ. Now the Docetæ advance assertions of this description: that the primal Deity is as a seed of the fig-tree; and that from this proceeded three Æons as the stem, and the leaves and the fruit; and that these…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies X.13 — Monoïmus. But the followers of Monoïmus the Arabian assert that the originating principle of the universe is a primal man and son of man; and that, as Moses states, the things that have been produced were produced…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies X.14 — Tatian. Tatian, however, similarly with Valentinus and the others, says that there are certain invisible Æons, and that by some one of these the world below has been created, and the things existing in it. And he…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies X.15 — Marcion and Cerdo. But Marcion, of Pontus, and Cerdon, his preceptor, themselves also lay down that there are three principles of the universe—good, just, and matter. Some disciples, however, of these add a fourth,…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies X.16 — Apelles. But Apelles, a disciple of this heretic, was displeased at the statements advanced by his preceptor, as we have previously declared, and by another theory supposed that there are four gods. And the first of…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies X.17 — Cerinthus. Cerinthus, however, himself having been trained in Egypt, determined that the world was not made by the first God, but by a certain angelic power. And this power was far separated and distant from that…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies X.18 — The Ebionæans. But the Ebionæans assert that the world is made by the true God, and they speak of Christ in a similar manner with Cerinthus. They live, however, in all respects according to the law of Moses, alleging…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies X.19 — Theodotus. But Theodotus of Byzantium introduced a heresy of the following description, alleging that all things were created by the true God; whereas that Christ, he states, in a manner similar to that advocated by…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies X.20 — Melchisedecians. And others also make all their assertions similarly with those which have been already specified, introducing one only alteration, viz., in respect of regarding Melchisedec as a certain power. But…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies X.21 — The Phrygians or Montanists. The Phrygians, however, derive the principles of their heresy from a certain Montanus, and Priscilla, and Maximilla, and regard these wretched women as prophetesses, and Montanus as a…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies X.22 — The Phrygians or Montanists Continued. But others of them, being attached to the heresy of the Noetians, entertain similar opinions to those relating to the silly women of the Phrygians, and to Montanus. As regards,…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies X.23 — Noetus and Callistus. But in like manner, also, Noetus, being by birth a native of Smyrna, and a fellow addicted to reckless babbling, as well as crafty withal, introduced (among us) this heresy which originated from…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies X.24 — Hermogenes. But one Hermogenes himself also being desirous of saying something, asserted that God made all things out of matter coeval with Himself, and subject to His design. For Hermogenes held it to be an…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies X.25 — The Elchasaites. But certain others, introducing as it were some novel tenet, appropriated parts of their system from all heresies, and procured a strange volume, which bore on the title page the name of one…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies X.26 — Jewish Chronology. …From Haran, a city of Mesopotamia, (Abraham, by the command) of God, transfers his residence into the country which is now called Palestine and Judea, but then the region of Canaan. Now,…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies X.27 — Jewish Chronology Continued. But since it does not seem irrational to prove that these nations that had their attention engrossed with the speculations of philosophy are of more modern date than those that had…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies X.28 — The Doctrine of the Truth. The first and only (one God), both Creator and Lord of all, had nothing coeval with Himself; not infinite chaos, nor measureless water, nor solid earth, nor dense air, not warm fire, nor…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies X.29 — The Doctrine of the Truth Continued. Therefore this solitary and supreme Deity, by an exercise of reflection, brought forth the Logos first; not the word in the sense of being articulated by voice, but as a…vatican.va
• The Refutation of All Heresies X.30 — The Author's Concluding Address. Such is the true doctrine in regard of the divine nature, O ye men, Greeks and Barbarians, Chaldeans and Assyrians, Egyptians and Libyans, Indians and Ethiopians, Celts, and ye…vatican.va