 Preface through Chapter 4 of Irenaeus Against Heresies, Book 3. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Anne Boulet. Irenaeus Against Heresies, Book 3. Translated by Alexander Roberts and William H. Rambeau. Thou hast indeed enjoined upon me, my very dear friend, that I should bring to light the Valentinian doctrines, concealed, as their votaries imagine, that I should exhibit their diversity and compose the treeses in refutation of them. I therefore have undertaken, showing that they spring from Simon, the father of all heretics, to exhibit both their doctrines and successions, and to set forth arguments against them all. Therefore, since the conviction of these men and their exposure is in many points but one work, I have sent unto thee certain books, of which the first comprises the opinions of all these men, and exhibits their customs and the character of their behavior. In the second again, their perverse teachings are cast down and overthrown, and, such as they really are, laid bare and open to view. But in this, the third book I shall adduce proofs from the scriptures, so that I may come behind in nothing of what thou hast enjoined. Yea, that over and above thou disrecked upon me, thou mayest receive from me the means of combating and vanquishing those who, in whatever manner, are propagating falsehood. For the love of God, being rich and ungrudging, confers upon the suppliant more than he can ask from it. Call to mind, then, the things which I have stated in the two preceding books, and, taking these in connection with them, thou shalt have from me a very copious refutation of all the heretics, and faithfully and strenuously shalt thou resist them in defense of the only true and life-giving faith, which the church has received from the apostles and imparted to her sons. For the Lord of all gave to his apostles the power of the gospel, through whom also we have known the truth, that is, the doctrine of the Son of God, to whom also did the Lord declare, he that heareth you, heareth me, and he that despiseth you, despiseth me, and him that sent me. Chapter 1 The apostles did not commence to preach the gospel or to place anything on record until they were endowed with the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit. They preached one God alone, maker of heaven and earth. 1. We have learned from none others the plan of our salvation, then from those through whom the gospel has come down to us, which they did at one time proclaim in public and, at a later period, by the will of God, handed down to us in the Scriptures to be the ground and pillar of our faith. For it is unlawful to assert that they preached before they possessed perfect knowledge, as some do even venture to say, boasting themselves as improvers of the apostles. 4. After our Lord rose from the dead, the apostles were invested with power from on high when the Holy Spirit came down upon them, were filled with all his gifts, and had perfect knowledge. They departed to the ends of the earth, preaching the glad tidings of the good things sent from God to us, and proclaiming the peace of heaven to men, who indeed do all equally and individually possess the gospel of God. Matthew also issued a written gospel among the Hebrews in their own dialect, while Peter and Paul were preaching at Rome and laying the foundations of the church. After their departure, Mark, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, did also hand down to us in writing what had been preached by Peter. Luke also, the companion of Paul, recorded in a book the gospel preached by him. Afterwards, John, the disciple of the Lord, who also had learned upon his rest, did himself publish a gospel during his residence at Ephesus in Asia. 2. These have all declared to us that there is one God, creator of heaven and earth, announced by the law and the prophets, and one Christ, the Son of God. If anyone do not agree to these truths, he despises the companions of the Lord. Nay, more. He despises Christ himself, the Lord. Yea, he despises the Father also, and stands self-condemned, resisting and opposing his own salvation, as is the case with all heretics. Chapter 2. The heretics follow neither scripture nor tradition. 1. When, however, they are confuted from the scriptures, they turn round and accuse these same scriptures as if they were not correct nor of authority, and assert that they are ambiguous, and that the truth cannot be extracted from them by those who are ignorant of tradition, for they allege that the truth was not delivered by means of written documents, wherefore also Paul declared, but we speak wisdom among those that are perfect, but not the wisdom of this world. And this wisdom each one of them alleges to be the fiction of his own inventing, forsooth, so that, according to their idea, the truth properly resides at one time in Valentinas, at another time in Marquion, at another in Saryntas, then afterwards in Basilites, or has even been indifferently in any other opponent, who could speak nothing pertaining to salvation, for every one of these men, being altogether of a perverse disposition, depraving the system of truth, is not ashamed to preach himself. 2. But again, when we refer them to that tradition which originates from the apostles, and which is preserved by means of the succession of presbyters in the churches, they object to tradition, saying that they themselves are wiser not merely than the presbyters, but even than the apostles, because they have discovered the unadulterated truth, for they maintain that the apostles intermingle the things of the law with the words of the Saviour, and that not the apostles alone, but even the Lord himself spoke as at one time from the Demiurge, at another time from the Intermediate Place, and yet again from the Pluroma, but that they themselves, indubitly, unsulliedly, and purely, have knowledge of the hidden mystery. This is indeed to blaspheme their Creator after a most impudent manner. It comes to this, therefore, that these men do now consent neither to Scripture nor to tradition. 3. Such are the adversaries with whom we have to deal, my very dear friend, endeavoring like slippery servants to escape at all points. Wherefore they must be opposed at all points. If, perchance, by cutting off their retreat, we may succeed in turning them back to the truth. For, though, it is not an easy thing for a soul under the influence of error to repent. Yet, on the other hand, it is not altogether impossible to escape from error when the truth is brought alongside it. 3. A refutation of the heretics, from the fact that, in the various churches, a perpetual succession of bishops was kept up. 1. It is within the power of all, therefore, in every church, who may wish to see the truth, to contemplate clearly the tradition of the apostles manifested throughout the whole world. And we are in a position to reckon up those who were by the apostles, instituted bishops in the churches, and to demonstrate the succession of these men to our own times, those who neither taught nor knew of anything like what these heretics rave about. 4. For if the apostles had known hidden mysteries, they were in the habit of imparting to the perfect, apart and privily from the rest, they would have delivered them especially to those to whom they were also committing the churches themselves, for they were desirous that these men should be very perfect and blameless in all things, whom also they were leaving behind as their successors, delivering up their own place of government to these men, which men, if they discharged their functions honestly, would be a great boon to the church, but if they should fall away, the dire is calamity. 2. Since, however, it would be very tedious, in such a volume as this, to reckon up the successions of all the churches, we do put to confusion all those who, in whatever manner, whether by an evil self-pleasing, by vain glory, or by blindness in perverse opinion, assemble in unauthorized meetings. We do this, I say, by indicating that tradition derived from the two most glorious apostles of the very great, the very ancient, and universally known church founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious apostles, Peter and Paul, as also by pointing out the faith preached to men, which comes down to our time by means of the successions of the bishops. For it is a matter of necessity that every church should agree with this church, on account of its preeminent authority, that is, the faithful everywhere, that apostolic tradition has been preserved continuously by those faithful men who exist everywhere. Three. The blessed apostles, then, having founded and built up the church, committed into the hands of Linus the office of the Episcopate. Of this Linus, Paul makes mention in the Epistles to Timothy. To him succeeded Anacletus, and after him, in the third place from the apostles, Clement was allotted the bishopric. This man, as he had seen the blessed apostles, and had been conversant with them, might be said to have the preaching of the apostles still echoing in his ears, and their traditions before his eyes. Nor was he alone in this, for there were many still remaining who had received instructions from the apostles. In the time of this Clement, no small dissension having occurred among the brethren at Corinth, the church in Rome dispatched the most powerful letter to the Corinthians, exhorting them to peace, in their faith, and declaring the tradition which it had lately received from the apostles, proclaiming the one God, omnipotent, the maker of heaven and earth, the creator of man, who brought on the Deluge, and called Abraham, who led the people from the land of Egypt, spake with Moses, set forth the law, sent the prophets, and who has prepared fire for the devil and his angels. From this document, he, the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, was preached by the churches, and may also understand the apostolic tradition of the church. Since this epistle is of later date than these men who are now propagating falsehood, and who conjure into existence another God beyond the creator and the maker of all existing things. To this Clement there succeeded Ivaristus. Alexander followed Ivaristus. Then, six from the apostles, Sixtus was appointed. After him, Teleforus, who was gloriously martyred. Then Hygenus, after him, Pius. Then after him, Anacetus. Sorer, having succeeded Anacetus, Eleutherius does now, in the twelfth place from the apostles, hold the inheritance of the Episcopate. In this order, and by this succession, the ecclesiastical tradition from the apostles, and the preaching of the truth, and this is most abundant proof that there is one and the same vivifying faith, which has been preserved in the church from the apostles until now, and handed down in truth. Four, but Polycarp also was not only instructed by apostles, and conversed with many who had seen Christ, but was also, by apostles in Asia, appointed bishop of the church in Smyrna, whom I also saw in my early youth, for he tarried on earth a very long time, and, when a very old man, gloriously and most nobly, suffered martyrdom, departed this life, having also taught the things which he had learned from the apostles, and which the church has handed down, and which alone are true. To these things all the Asiatic churches testify, as do also those men who have succeeded Polycarp down to the present time, a man who was of much greater weight to witness to the truth, than Valentinas, and Marqueon, and the rest of the heretics. He was who, coming to Rome in the time of Anacetus, caused many to turn away from the aforesaid heretics to the church of God, proclaiming that he had received this one and sole truth from the apostles, that namely, which is handed down by the church. There are also those who heard from him that John, the disciple of the Lord, going to bathe at Ephesus and perceiving Seryntas within, rushed out of the bath house without bathing, exclaiming, let us fly, lest even the bath house fall down, because Seryntas, the enemy of the truth, is within. And Polycarp himself replied to Marqueon, who met him on one occasion and said, Does Thou know me? I do know thee, the firstborn of Satan. Such was the horror which the apostles and their disciples had against holding even verbal communication with any corruptors of the truth. As Paul also says, a man that is a heretic after the first and second admonition rejects, knowing that he that is such is subverted and sineth being condemned of himself. There is also a very powerful epistle of Polycarp written to the Philippians, from which those who choose to do so and are anxious about their salvation can learn the character of his faith and the preaching of the truth. Then again the church in Ephesus, founded by Paul and having John remaining among them permanently until the times of Trajan, is a true witness of the tradition of the apostles. Chapter 4 The truth is to be found nowhere else but in the Catholic Church, the sole depository of apostolic doctrine. Heresies are of recent formation and cannot trace their origins up to the apostles. Since therefore we have such proofs, it is not necessary to seek the truth among others which it is easy to obtain from the church. Since the apostles, like a rich man depositing his money in a bank, launch in her hands most copiously all things pertaining to the truth, so that every man, whosoever will, can draw from her the water of life. For she is the entrance to life, all others are thieves and robbers. On this account are we bound to avoid them but to make choice of the thing pertaining to the church with the utmost diligence and to lay hold of the tradition of the truth. For how stands the case? Suppose there arise a dispute related to some important question among us. Should we not have recourse to the most ancient churches with which the apostles held constant intercourse and learn from them what is certain and clear in regard to the present question? For who should it be if the apostles themselves had not left those writings? Would it not be necessary, in that case, to follow the course of the tradition which they handed down to those to whom they did commit the churches? Two. To which course many nations of those barbarians who believe in Christ do ascent, having salvation written in their hearts by the Spirit, without paper or ink, and carefully preserving the ancient tradition, believing in one God, the Creator of heaven and earth, and all things therein by means of Christ Jesus, the Son of God. Who, because of his surpassing love towards his creation, condescended to be born of the Virgin, he himself uniting man through himself to God, and having suffered under Pontius Pilate, and rising again, and having been received up in splendor, shall come in glory, the Savior of those who are saved, and the Judge of those who are judged, and sending into eternal fire those who transform the truth, and despise his father and his advent. Those who, in the absence of written documents, have believed this faith are barbarians, so far as regards our language, but as regards doctrine, manner, and tenor of life, they are, because of faith, very wise indeed, and they do please God, ordering their conversation in all righteousness, chastity, and wisdom. If anyone were to preach through these men the inventions of the heretics, in their own language, they would at once stop their ears, and flee as far off as possible, not enduring to listen to the blasphemous address. Thus, by means of that ancient tradition of the apostles, they do not suffer their mind to conceive anything of the doctrine suggested by the portentous language of these teachers, among whom neither church nor doctrine has ever been established. Three. Four, prior to Valentinas, although Valentinas had no existence, nor did those for Marqueon exist before Marqueon, nor in short had any of those malign-minded people, whom I have above enumerated, any being previous to the initiators and inventors of their perversity. For Valentinas came to Rome in the time of Hygienus, flourished under Pius, and remained until Anacetus. Certain, too, Marqueon's predecessor, himself arrived in the time of Hygienus, who was the Ninth Bishop. Coming frequently into the church and making public confession, he thus remained, one time teaching in secret, and then again making public confession. But at last, having been denounced for corrupt teaching, he was excommunicated from the assembly of the brethren. Marqueon then, succeeding him, flourished under Anacetus, who held the tenth place of the Episcopate. But the rest, who are called Gnostics, take rise under Simon's disciple, as I have shown, and each one of them appeared to be both the father and the high priest of that doctrine into which he has been initiated. But all these, the Marcosians, broke out into their apostasy much later, even during the intermediate period of the church. End of Book 3, Preface through Chapter 4 Chapters 5 through 7 of Irenaeus against Heresies, Book 3 This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Anne Boulet. Irenaeus against Heresies, Book 3, translated by Alexander Roberts and William H. Rambeau. Chapter 5 Christ and his Apostles without any fraud, deception or hypocrisy, preached that one God, the Father, was the founder of all things. They did not accommodate their doctrine to the prepossessions of their hearers. 1. Since therefore the tradition from the Apostles does thus exist in the church and is permanent among us, let us revert to the scriptural proof furnished by those Apostles who did also write the Gospel, in which they recorded the doctrine regarding God, pointing out that our Lord Jesus Christ is the truth and that lies in him. As also David says, prophesying his birth from a virgin and the resurrection from the dead, truth has sprung out of the earth. The Apostles likewise, being disciples of the truth, are above all falsehood, for a lie has no fellowship with the truth, just as darkness has none with light, but the presence of the one shuts out that of the other. Our Lord therefore, being the truth, does not speak lies and whom he knew to have taken origin from a defect he never would have acknowledged as God, even the God of all, the Supreme King too, and his own Father, an imperfect being as a perfect one, an animal one as a spiritual. Him who was without the pluroma as him who was within it, neither did his disciples make mention of any other God or term any other Lord, except him who was truly the God of all, as these most vain Sophists affirm that the Apostles did with hypocrisy frame their doctrine according to the capacity of their hearers, and gave answers after the opinions of their questioners, fabling blind things for the blind according to their blindness, for the dull according to their dullness, for those in error according to their error, and to those who imagine that the demiurge alone was God, they were comprehending the unnameable Father, they did declare the unspeakable mystery through parables and enigmas, so that the Lord and the Apostles exercised the office of teacher not to further the cause of truth, but even in hypocrisy, and as each individual was able to receive it. 2. Such a line of conduct belongs not to those who heal or who give life, it is rather that of those bringing on diseases and diseases. Much more true than these men shall the law be found, which pronounces everyone accursed who sends the blind man astray in the way. For the Apostles, who were commissioned to find out the wanderers, and to be foresight to those who saw not, and medicine to the weak, certainly did not address them in accordance with their opinion at the time, but according to revealed truth, for no person of any kind would act properly if they should advise one just to fall over a precipice, to continue their most dangerous path, as if it were the right one, and as if they might go on in safety. Or what medical man, anxious to heal a sick person, would prescribe in accordance to the patient's whims, and not according to the requisite medicine? But that the Lord came as the physician of the sick, he does himself declare, saying, that they are whole need not of sick, I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. How then shall the sick be strengthened, or how shall sinners come to repentance? Is it by persevering in the very same courses, or, on the contrary, is it by undergoing a great change in reversal of their former mode of living, by which they have brought upon themselves no slight amount of sickness, and many sins? But ignorance, the mother of all these, is by knowledge. Wherefore the Lord used to impart knowledge to his disciples, by which also it was his practice to heal those who were suffering, and to keep back sinners from sin. He therefore did not address them in accordance with their pristine notions, nor did he reply to them in harmony with the opinion of his questioners, but according to the doctrine leading to salvation, without any hypocrisy or respective person. He also made clear from the words of the Lord, who did truly reveal the Son of God to those of circumcision, he who had been foretold as Christ by the prophets, that is, he set himself forth who had restored liberty to men and bestowed on them the inheritance of incorruption. And again, the apostles taught the Gentiles that they should leave vain stocks and stones, which they imagined to be gods, and worship the true God, who had been family, and by means of his creation, did nourish, increase, strengthen, and preserve them in being, and that they might look for his Son, Jesus Christ, who redeemed us from apostasy with his own blood, so that we should also be a sanctified people, who shall also descend from heaven in his Father's power and pass judgment upon all, and who shall freely give the good things of God to those who shall have kept his commandments. He, appearing in these last times, the chief cornerstone has gathered into one and united those that were far off and those that were near, that is, the circumcision and the uncircumcision, enlarging Jaffet, and placing him in the dwelling of Shem. Chapter 6 The Holy Ghost, throughout the Old Testament scriptures, made mention of no other God or Lord, save him who is the true God. 1. Therefore neither would the Lord nor the Holy Spirit nor the Apostles have ever named as God, definitely and absolutely him who was not God, unless he were truly God. Nor when they have named anyone in his own person, Lord, except God the Father ruling over all, and his Son who has received dominion from his Father over all creation, as this passage has it. The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. Here the scripture represents to us the Father addressing the Son, he who gave him the inheritance of the heathen, and subjected to him all his enemies. Since therefore the Father is truly Lord, and the Son truly Lord, the Holy Spirit has fitly designated them by the title of Lord. And again, referring to the destruction of the Sodomites, the scripture says, then the Lord reigned upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah fire and brimstone from the Lord out of heaven. For it here points out that the Son, who had also been talking with Abraham, had received power to judge the Sodomites for their wickedness. And this following text does declare the same truth. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever. The sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity. Therefore, God, hath anointed thee. For the Spirit designates both of them by the name of God, both him who is anointed as Son and him who does anoint, that is, the Father. And again, God stood in the congregation of the Gods, he judges among the Gods. He here refers to the Father and the Son, those who have received the adoption, but these are the Church, she is the synagogue of God, which God, the Son himself, has gathered by himself. Of whom he again speaks, the God of Gods, the Lord hath spoken and hath called the earth. Who is meant by God? He of whom he has said, God shall come openly, our God, and shall not keep silence. That is, the Son, who came manifested to man, who said, I have openly appeared to those who seek me not. But of what Gods does he speak? He says, I have said ye our Gods and all sons of the Most High, to those no doubt who have received the grace of the adoption by which we cry Abba, Father. 2. Wherefore, as I have already stated, no other is named as God or is called Lord except him who is God and Lord of all, who also said to Moses, I am that the children of Israel. He who is hath sent me unto you. And his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who makes those that believe in his name the sons of God. And again when the Son speaks to Moses he says, I am come down to deliver this people. For it is he who descended and ascended for the salvation of men. Therefore God has declared through the Son who is in the Father and Moses, the Father bearing witness to the Son and the Son announcing the Father. As also Isaiah says, I too am witness, he declares, sayeth the Lord God and the Son whom I have chosen, that ye may know and believe and understand that I am. 3. When, however, the Scripture turns them Gods which are no Gods, it does not, as I have already remarked, declared them as Gods in heaven, but with a certain addition and signification by which they are shown to be no Gods at all. As with David the Gods of the heathen are idols of demons, and ye shall not follow other Gods. For in that he says the Gods of the heathen, but the heathen are ignorant of the true God and calls them other Gods. He bars their claim to be looked upon as Gods at all. But as to them, for they are, he says, the idols of demons, and Isaiah's. Let them be confounded all who blaspheme God and carve useless things, even I am witness, sayeth the Lord. He removes them from the category of Gods, but he makes use of the Word alone, for this purpose that they may know of whom he speaks. Jeremiah also says the same, the Gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, let them be the earth which is under the heaven. For from the fact of his having subjoined their destruction, he shows them to be no Gods at all. Elias too, when all Israel was assembled at Mount Carmel, wishing to turn them from idolatry, says to them, how long haught ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him. And again, at the burnt offering, he thus says of your Gods, and I will call upon the name of the Lord my God. And the Lord that will hearken by fire, he is God. Now, from the fact of the prophet having said these words, he proves that these Gods which were reputed so among those men are no Gods at all. He directed them to that God upon whom he believed, and who was truly God, whom invoking he exclaimed, Lord today, and let all this people know that thou art the God of Israel. Four. Wherefore I do also call upon thee, Lord God of Abraham, and God of Isaac, and God of Jacob and Israel, who art the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God who, through the abundance of thy mercy, has had a favor towards us, that we should know thee, who has made heaven and earth, who rulest over all, who art God, above whom there is no other God. Grant, by our Lord Jesus Christ, the governing power of the Holy Spirit, give to every reader of this book to know thee, that thou art God alone, to be strengthened in thee, and to avoid every heretical and godless and impious doctrine. Five. And the apostle Paul also saying, for though ye have served them which are no Gods, ye or rather are known of God, has made a separation between those that were not Gods and him who is God. And again, speaking of Antichrist, he says, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped? He points out here those who are called Gods. By such as no not God, that is idols, for the Father of all is called God, and is so, and Antichrist shall be up, not above him, but above those which are indeed called Gods, but are not. And Paul himself says that this is true. We know that an idol is nothing, and that there is none other God but one, for though there be that are called Gods, whether in heaven or in earth, yet to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we through him, and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we are called by him. For he has made a distinction, and separated those which are indeed called Gods, but which are none, from the one God the Father, from whom are all things, and as he confessed in the most decided manner in his own person, one Lord Jesus Christ. But in this clause, whether in heaven or in earth, he does not speak of the formers of the world as these teachers of Moses, when it is said, Thou shalt not make to thyself any image for God, of whatsoever things are in heaven above, whatsoever in the earth beneath, and whatsoever in the waters under the earth. And he does thus explain what are meant by the things in heaven. Last when, he says, looking towards heaven, and observing the sun and the moon and the stars, and all the ornament of the earth, he does not speak of the formers of the world, nor of the God. And Moses himself, being a man of God, was indeed given as a God before Pharaoh. But he is not properly termed Lord, nor is called God by the prophets, but is spoken of by the spirit as Moses, the faithful minister and servant of God, which also he was. Chapter 7. 5. Saint Paul occasionally uses words not in their grammatical sequence. 1. As to their affirming that Paul said plainly in the second epistle to the Corinthians, in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not, and maintaining that there is indeed one God of this world, but another who is beyond all principality and beginning in power, we are not able to tell no mysteries beyond God, know not how to read Paul. For if anyone read the passage thus, according to Paul's custom, as I show elsewhere, and by many examples, that he uses transposition of words, in whom God, then pointing it off, and making a slight interval, and at the same time read also the rest of the sentence in one clause, hath blinded the minds of them of this world, and this is shown by means of the little interval between the clauses. For Paul does not say, the God of this world, as if recognizing any other beyond him, but he confesses God as indeed God. He says, the unbelievers of this world, because they shall not inherit the future age of incorruption. I shall show from Paul himself, how it is that God has blinded the minds of them that believe not, in the course of this work, that we may not just at present distract our mind from the matter in hand, by wandering at large. 2. From many other instances also, we may discover that the apostle frequently uses a transposed order in his sentences, due to the rapidity of his discourses, and the impetus of the spirit which is in him. An example occurs in Paul to the Galatians, where he expresses himself as follows. Wherefore, then, the law of works, it was added until the seed should come to whom the promise was made, and it was ordained by angels in the land of the mediator. For the order of the words runs thus. Wherefore, then, the law of works, ordained by angels in the hand of the mediator, it was added until the seed should come to whom the promise was made, and the spirit making answer. And again in the second Thessalonians, speaking of Antichrist, he says, and then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus Christ shall slay with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy him with the presence of his coming. Even him whose coming is after the workings of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the presence of his coming. For he does not mean that the coming of the Lord is after the working of Satan, but the coming of the wicked one, whom we also call Antichrist. If then one does not attend to the proper reading of the passage, and if he do not exhibit the intervals of what they occur, there shall be not only incongruities, but also, when reading, he will utter blasphemy, as if the advent of the Lord could take place according to the working of Satan. So therefore, in such passages, the hyper baton must be exhibited by the reading, and the Apostles meaning following on, preserved, and thus we do not read in that passage the God of this world, but God, whom we declared of the unbelieving and the blinded of this world, that they shall not inherit the world of life which is to come. End of Book 3, chapters 5 through 7. Chapters 8 through 10 of Irenaeus against Heresies, Book 3. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Irenaeus against Heresies, Book 3. Translated by Alexander Roberts and William H. Rambeau. Chapter 8 Answer to an objection arising from the words of Christ, Matthew 6, verse 24. God alone is to be really called God and Lord, for he is without beginning and end. 1. This Columbia then of these men, having been quashed, it is clearly that neither the prophets nor the apostles did ever name another God, or call him Lord, except the true and only God. Much more would this be the case with regard to the Lord himself, who did also direct us to render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's, naming indeed Caesar as Caesar, but confessing God as God. In like manner also, that text which says, ye cannot serve God. He does himself interpret saying, ye cannot serve God and Mammon. Acknowledging God indeed as God, but mentioning Mammon, a thing having also in existence. He does not call Mammon Lord when he says, ye cannot serve two masters, but he teaches his disciples who serve God not to be subject to Mammon, nor to be ruled by it. For he says, he that committed sin is the slave of sin. In as much he turns those the slaves of sin who serve sin, but does not certainly call sin itself God. Thus also he turns those who serve Mammon the slaves of Mammon, not calling Mammon God. For Mammon is, according to the Jewish language, which the Samaritans do also use, a covetous man, one who wishes to have more than he ought to have. But according to the Hebrew, it is by the addition of a syllable, adjunctive, a vowel, and signifies Galosim, that is, one whose gullet is insatiable. Therefore, according to both these things which are indicated, we cannot serve God and Mammon. Two, but also when he spoke of the devil as strong, not absolutely so, but as in comparison with us, the Lord showed himself under every aspect and truly to be the strong man, saying that one will spoil the goods of a strong man if he do not first bind the strong man himself, and then he will spoil his house. Now we were the vessels in the house of this strong man, when we were in a state of apostasy, for he put us to whatever use he pleased and the unclean spirit dwelt within us. For he was not strong, as opposed to him who bound him and spoiled his house, but as against those persons who were his tools, in as much as their thought to wander away from God, these did the Lord snatch from his grasp, as also Jeremiah declares, the Lord hath redeemed Jacob and has snatched him from the hand of him that was stronger than he. If then he had not pointed out him who binds and spoils his goods, but had merely spoken of him as being strong, the strong man should have been unconquered. But he also subjoined him who obtains and retains what he is held who is bound. And this he did without any comparison, so that apostate slave as he was he might not be compared to the Lord, for not he alone, but not one of created and subject things shall ever be compared to the Word of God, by whom all things were made, who is our Lord Jesus Christ. Three, for that all things, whether angels or archangels or thrones or dominions, were established and created by him who is God over all. Through his Word, John has thus pointed out, for when he had spoken of the Word of God as having been in the Father, he added, all things were made by him, and without him was not anything made. David also, when he had enumerated his praises, subjoins by name all things whatsoever I have mentioned, both the heavens and the powers therein. For he commanded they spake and they were made. Whom therefore did he command? The Word no doubt, by whom he says, the heavens were established and all their power by the breath of his mouth, but that he did himself make all things freely, and as he pleased, again David says, but our God is in the heavens above and in the earth. He hath made all things whatsoever he pleased. But the things established are distinct from him who has established and what have been made from him who has made them, for he is himself uncreated, both without beginning and end and lacking nothing. He is himself sufficient for himself and still further. He grants to all others this very thing, existence. But the things which have been made by him have received a beginning. But whatever things had a beginning, and are liable to disillusion, and are subject to and stand in need must necessarily, in all respects, have a different term applied to them, even by those who have but a moderate capacity for discerning such things, so that he indeed who made all things can alone, together with his word, properly be termed God and Lord, but the things which have been made cannot have this term applied to them, neither should they justly assume that appellation which belongs to the Creator. Chapter 9 God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, is he whom the prophets foretold and who was declared by the Gospel, proof of this, at the outset, from Saint Matthew's Gospel. 1. This therefore, having been clearly demonstrated here, and it shall yet be so still more clearly, that neither the prophets nor the apostles, nor the Lord Christ in his own person, did acknowledge any other Lord or God, but the God and Lord Supreme. The prophets and the apostles confessing the Father and the Son, but naming no other as God, and confessing no other as Lord, and the Lord himself handing down to his disciples that he, the Father, is the only God and Lord, who alone is God and ruler of all. It is incumbent on us to follow, if we are their disciples indeed, their testimonies to this effect. For Matthew the Apostle, knowing as one the same God, him who had given promise to Abraham, that he would make his seed as the stars of heaven, and him who, by his son Christ Jesus, has called us to the knowledge of himself, from the worship of stones, so that those who were not a people were made a people, and she beloved who was not beloved, declares that John, when preparing the way for Christ, said to those who were boasting of their relationship to God, with all manner of evil, preaching that repentance which should call them back from their evil doings, said, oh generation of vipers, who have shown you to flee from the wrath to come. Bring forth, therefore, fruit meat for repentance, and think not to say within yourselves, we have Abraham to our Father, for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. He preached to them, therefore, repentance from wickedness, but he did not declare to them another God, besides him who made the promise to Abraham. He, the forerunner of Christ, of whom Matthew again says, and Luke likewise, for this is he that was spoken of from the Lord by the prophet, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight the paths of our God. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill brought it shall be made straight, and the rough into smooth ways, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God. There is, therefore, one in the same God, the Father of our Lord, who also promised through the prophets that he would send his forerunner and his salvation, that is, his word. He caused to be made visible to all flesh, the word himself being made incarnate, that in all things their king might become manifest, for it is necessary that those beings which are judged do see the judge, and know him from whom they receive judgment, and it is also proper that those which follow on to glory should know him who bestows upon them the gift of glory. 2. Then again Matthew, when speaking of the angel, says, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in sleep. Of what Lord does he himself interpret? That it may be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet. 3. I have called my son, behold, a virgin shall conceive and shall bring forth the son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which is being interpreted God with us. 4. David likewise speaks of him who from the virgin is Emmanuel. 5. Turn not away the face of thine appointed. The Lord hath sworn a truth to David, and will not turn from him. Of the fruit of thy body I will set upon thy seat. And again, Judea is God known, his place has been made in peace, and his dwelling in Zion. Therefore there is one in the same God, who was proclaimed by the prophets and announced by the Gospel, and his son, who was the fruit of David's body, that is, of the virgin of the house of David, and Emmanuel, whose star also belonged thus prophesied. There shall come a star out of Jacob, and a leader shall rise in Israel. The Magi coming from the east exclaimed, For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. And that having been led by the star into the house of Jacob to Emmanuel, they showed, by these gifts which they offered, who it was that was worshiped. Mer, because it was he who should die and be buried for the mortal human race. Gold, because he was a king, of whose kingdom is no end. And frankincense, also, was made known in Judea, and was declared to those who sought him not. 3. And then speaking of his baptism, Matthew says, The heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God, as a dove coming upon him, and lo, a voice from heaven saying, This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. For Christ did not at that time descend upon Jesus. Neither was Christ one and Jesus the Lord of God, who is the Savior of all, and the ruler of heaven and earth, who is Jesus, as I have already pointed out, who did also take upon him flesh, and was anointed by the Spirit of the Father, was made Jesus Christ, as Isaiah also says, There shall come forth a rod from the root of Jesse, and a flower shall rise from his root, and the Spirit of God shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of knowledge and piety, and the Spirit of the fear of God shall fill him. He shall not judge according to glory, nor reprove after the manner of speech, but he shall dispense judgment to the humble man, and reprove the haughty ones of the earth. And again Isaiah's, pointing out beforehand his unction, and the reason why he was anointed, does himself say, The Spirit of God is upon me, because he hath anointed me, he hath sent me to preach the gospel to the lowly, to heal the broken up in heart, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and sight to the blind, to announce the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance, to comfort all that mourn. For inasmuch as the word of God was man from the root of Jesse, and son of Abraham, in this respect the Spirit of God rest upon him, and anoint him to preach the gospel to the lowly. For inasmuch as he was God, he did not judge according to glory, nor reprove after the manner of speech. For he needed not that any should testify to him of man, for he himself knew what was in man. For he called all men that mourn, and granting forgiveness to those who had been led into the captivity by their sins. He loosened them from their chains, of whom Solomon says, Everyone shall beholden with accords of his Spirit of God descend upon him, the Spirit of him who had promised by the prophets that he would anoint him, so that we, receiving from the abundance of his unction, might be saved. Such then is the witness of Matthew. Chapter 10 Proofs of the Forgoing Drawn from the Gospels of Mark and Luke 1 Luke also, the follower and disciple of the apostles, referring to Zacharias and Elizabeth, from John, according to promise John was born, says, And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And again, speaking of Zacharias, and it came to pass that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course, according to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense, and he came to sacrifice, entering into the temple of the Lord. Also, who stands prominently in the presence of the Lord, simply absolutely and decidedly confessed in his own person as God and Lord, him who had chosen Jerusalem, and had instituted the sacerdotal office, for he knew of none other above him, since if he had been in possession of the knowledge of any other more perfect God and Lord besides him, he surely would never, as I have already shown, have confessed him, whom he knew to be the fruit of a defect, as absolutely and altogether God and Lord. And then, speaking of John, he thus says, For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God, and he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. For whom, then, did he prepare the people, and in the sight of what Lord was he made great? And that among those born of women, none is greater than John the Baptist, who did also make the people ready for the Lord's advent, warning his fellow servants, and preaching to them repentance, that they might receive remission from the Lord when he should be present, having been converted to him, from whom they had been alienated because of sins and transgressions. As also David says, the alienated are sinners from the womb, they go astray as soon as they are born. And it was on account of this that he, turning them to their Lord, prepared in the spirit and power of Elias a perfect people for the Lord. Two, and again, speaking in reference to the angel, he says, But at that time the angel Gabriel was sent from God, who did also say to the Virgin, Fear not Mary, for thou hast found favor with God. And he says And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end. For who else is there who can reign uninterruptedly over the house of Jacob forever, except Jesus Christ our Lord, the son of the Most High God, who promised by the law and the prophets that he would make his salvation visible to all flesh, so that he would become the son of man for this person, and that he would become the son of man for this purpose, that man also might become the son of God? And Mary, exulting because of this, cried out, prophesying on behalf of the church, My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior, for he hath taken up his child Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spake to our fathers Abraham and his seed forever. By these and such light passages the Lord said that it was God who spake to the fathers, that it was he who, by Moses, instituted the legal dispensation, by which giving of the law we know that he spake to the fathers. This same God, after his great goodness, poured his compassion upon us, through which compassion the day spring from on high hath looked upon us, and appeared to those who sat in darkness and the shadow of death, and has guided our feet in darkness also, recovering from the state of dumbness which he had suffered on account of unbelief, having been filled with a new spirit, did bless God in a new manner. For all things had entered upon a new phase, the word arranging after a new manner the advent in the flesh, that he might win back to God that human nature, hominem, which had departed from God, and therefore men were taught to worship God after a new fashion, for there is but one God who justified the circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision through faith, but Zachariah's prophesying exclaimed, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets which have been since the world begun, salvation from us to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant, the oath which he swore to our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us, that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all our days. Then he says to John, And thou, child, shall be called the prophet of the highest, for thou shall go before the face of the Lord to prepare the knowledge of salvation to his people, for the remission of their sins. For this is the knowledge of salvation which was wanting to them, that the Son of God, which John made known, saying, Behold the Lamb of God who takeeth away the sin of the world, this is he of whom I said, after me come of the man who was made before me, because he was prior to me, and of his fullness have all we received. This, therefore, was not, it did not consist in another God, nor another father, nor Bithas, nor the Pluroma of thirty aeons, nor the mother of the lower Agduad, but the knowledge of salvation was the knowledge of the Son of God, who is both called, and actually is, salvation, and Savior, and salutary. Salvation indeed, as follows, I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord, and then again, Savior, behold God, my Savior, I will put my trust in him. But as bringing salvation thus God hath made known his salvation, salutary, in the sight of the heathen. For he is indeed Savior, as being the Son and Word of God, but salutary, since he is Spirit, for he says, the Spirit of our countenance, Christ the Lord. But salvation, as being flesh, for the Word was made flesh in us. This knowledge of salvation, therefore, John did impart to those repenting and believing in the Lamb of God, who takeeth away the sin of the world. 3. And the angel of the Lord, he says, appeared to the shepherds, proclaiming joy to them, for there is born in the house of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord, then appeared a multitude of the heavenly hosts, praising God and on earth peace, to men of good will. The falsely called Gnostics say that these angels came from the Octawad, and may manifest the descent of the Superior Christ. But they are again in error, when saying that the Christ and Savior from above was not born, but that also, after the baptism of the dispensational Jesus, he, the Christ of the Pluroma, descended upon him as a dove. According to these men, the angels of the Octawad lied, when they said, for unto you is born this day a Savior, who is Christ the Lord in the city of David, for neither was Christ nor the Savior born at that time by their account, but it was he, the dispensational Jesus, who is of the framer of the world, the demiurge, and upon whom after his baptism, that is after the lapse of 30 times above, descended. But why did the angels add, in the city of David, if they did not proclaim the glad tidings of the fulfillment of God's promise made to David, that from the fruit of his body there should be an eternal king? For the framer, demiurge, of the entire universe made promise to David, as David himself declares, my help is from God, who made heaven and earth his, for the sea is his, and he did himself make it, and his hands founded the dry land. Come, ye, let us worship and fall down before him, and weep in the presence of the Lord who made us, for he is the Lord our God. The Holy Spirit evidently thus declares by David to those hearing him, that there shall be those who despise him who formed us, and who is God alone. In other words, meaning to say, see that ye do not err, besides or above him there is no other God, to whom ye should rather stretch out your hands, thus rendering us pious and grateful towards him who made, established, and stills nourishes us. What then shall happen to those who have been the authors of so much blasphemy against their Creator? This identical truth was also what the angels said in earth peace. They have glorified with these words him who is the Creator of the highest, that is, a super celestial things, and the founder of everything on earth who has sent to his own handiwork, that is, to men the blessing of his salvation from heaven. Wherefore, he adds, the shepherds returned, glorifying God for all which they had heard and seen, as it was told unto another God, but him who had been announced by the law and the prophets, the maker of all things, whom also the angels glorified. But if the angels who were from Agduad were accustomed to glorify any other, different from him whom the shepherds adored, these angels from the Agduad brought to them error and not truth. Four, and still further does Luke say in reference to the Lord, when Jerusalem, to present him before the Lord, as it is written in the law of the Lord, that every male opening the womb shall be called holy to the Lord, and that they should offer a sacrifice, as it is said in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtle doves, or two young pigeons. In his own person most clearly calling him Lord, who appointed the legal dispensation. But Simeon, he also says, bless God, and said, now let us thou, thy servant, depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light for the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. And Anna also, the prophetess, he says, in like manner glorify God when she saw Christ, and spake of him to all them who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. Now by all these one God is shown forth, revealing to men the new dispensation of liberty, the covenant, through the new advent of his Son. Five. Wherefore also Mark, the interpreter and follower of Peter, does thus commence his gospel narrative. The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as it is written in the prophets, behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make the path straight before our God. Plainly does the commencement of the gospel quote the words of the holy prophets, and point out him at once, whom they confess as God and Lord. Him, the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who had also made promise to him that he would send his messenger before his face, who was John crying in the wilderness, in the spirit and power of Elias. He, the way of the Lord, makes straight paths before our God. For the prophets did not announce one and another God, but one and the same, under various aspects, however, and many titles. For varied and rich in attribute is the father, as I have already shown in the book preceding this, and I shall show the same truth from the prophets themselves in the further course of this work. Also, towards the conclusion of his gospel, Mark says, So then, after the Lord Jesus has spoken to them, he was received up into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God, confirming what had been spoken by the prophets. The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool. Thus God and the Father are truly one in the same. He who was announced by the prophets, and handed down by the true gospel, whom we Christians worship and worship, as the maker of heaven and earth, and of all things therein. Chapter 11 of Irenaeus against Heresies Book 3 This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Ann Boulet Irenaeus against Heresies Book 3 Translated by Alexander Roberts and William H. Rambeau Chapter 11 Proofs in Continuation Extracted from St. John's gospel The gospels are foreign number, neither more nor less, mystic reasons for this. 1 John the disciple of the Lord preaches this faith, and seeks by the proclamation of the gospel to remove that error which Serentus had been disseminated among men, and a long time previously by those term Nicoladians who are an offset of that knowledge falsely so called, that he might confound them and persuade them that there is but one God, who made all things by his word, and not as they allege, that the Creator was one, but the father of the Lord another, and that the son of the Creator was, forsooth one, but the Christ from above another, who also continued impassable, descending upon Jesus, the son of the Creator, and flew back again into his pluroma, and that monogenes was the beginning, but logos was the true son of monogenes, and that this creation to which we belong was not made by the primary God, but by some power lying far below him, and shut off from communion with the things invisible and ineffable. The disciple of the Lord therefore came in and to all such doctrines and to establish the rule of truth in the church, that there is one Almighty God, who made all things by his word, both visible and invisible, showing at the same time that by the word through whom God made creation, he also bestowed salvation on the men included in the creation, thus commenced his teaching in the Gospel. In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was with God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him, and without him was nothing made. What was made was life in him, and the life was the light of men, and the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. All things, he says, were made by him. Therefore, in all things, this creation of ours is included, for we cannot concede to these men that the words, all things, are spoken of. For if their pluroma do indeed contain these, this creation, as being such, is not outside, as I have demonstrated in the preceding book, but if they are outside the pluroma, which indeed appeared impossible, it follows in that case, that their pluroma cannot be all things. Therefore this vast creation is not outside the pluroma. 2. John, however, does himself put this matter beyond all controversy on our part when he says, he was in this world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own things, and his own people received him not. But according to Marcyon, and those like him, neither was the world made by him. Nor did he come to his own things, but to those of another. And according to certain of the Gnostics, this world was made by angels, the word of God. But according to the followers of Valentinas, the world was not made by him, but by the Demiurge, for he, Sotir, caused such similitudes to be made after the pattern of things above, as they allege. But the Demiurge accomplished the work of creation, for they say that he, the Lord and Creator of the plan of creation, by whom they hold that this world was made, was produced from the mother. While by the word, which was in the beginning with God, all things were made, which word he says, was made flesh and dwelt among us. Three. But, according to these men, neither was the word made flesh, nor Christ, nor the Savior, Sotir, who was produced from the joint contributions of all the aons. For they have it, that the word and Christ never came into this world, that the word came incarnate, nor suffered, but that he descended like a dove upon the dispensational Jesus, and that, as soon as he had declared the unknown father, he did again ascend into the pluroma. Some, however, make the assertion that this dispensational Jesus did become incarnate, and suffered, whom they represent as having passed through Mary just as water through a tube. But others allege him to be the son of upon whom the dispensational Jesus descended, while others again say that Jesus was born from Joseph and Mary, and that the Christ from above descended upon him, being without flesh, and impassable. But, according to the opinion of no one of the heretics, was the word of God made flesh, for if anyone carefully examines the systems of them all, he will find that the word of God is brought in by all of them as not having become incarnate, and impassable, as is also the Christ from above. Others consider him to have been manifested as a transfigured man, but they maintain him to have been neither born, nor to have become incarnate, whilst others hold that he did not assume a human form at all, but that, as a dove, he did descend upon that Jesus who was born from Mary, therefore the Lord's disciple, pointing them all out as false witnesses, says, and the word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Four, and that we may not have to ask of what God was the word made flesh, he does himself previously teach us saying, there was a man sent from God whose name was John, the same came as a witness that he might bear witness of that light, he was not that light, but came that he might testify of the light. By what God then was John, the forerunner who testified of the light, sent into the world? Truly it was by him, of whom Gabriel is the angel, who also announced the glad tidings of his birth, that God, who also had promised by the prophets that he would send his messenger before the face of his son, who should prepare his way, that is that he should bear witness of that light and the spirit and power of Elias, but again of what God was Elias the who made heaven and earth, as he does himself confess. John therefore, having been sent by the founder and maker of this world, how could he testify of that light, which came down from things unspeakable and invisible? For all the heretics have decided that the demiurge was ignorant of that power above him, whose witness and herald John is found to be. Wherefore the Lord said that he deemed him more than a prophet. For all the other prophets preached the advent of the paternal light and desired to be worthy of seeing him whom they preached. But John did both announce the advent beforehand, in a like manner as did the others, and actually saw him when he came, and pointed him out, and persuaded many to believe on him, so that he did himself hold the place of both prophet and apostle. For this is to be more than a prophet, because first apostles secondarily prophets, but all in one and the same God himself. Five. That wine, which was produced by God in a vineyard, and which was first consumed, was good. None of those who drank of it found fault with it, and the Lord partick of it also. But that wine was better which the word made from water, on the moment, and simply for the use of those who had been called to the marriage. For although the Lord had the power to supply wine to those feasting, independently of existence, and to fill with food those who were hungry, he did not adopt this course, but taking the loaves which the earth had produced and giving thanks, and on the other occasion making water wine, he satisfied those who were reclining at table, and gave drink to those who had been invited to the marriage, showing that the God who made the earth, and commanded it to bring forth fruit, who established the waters and brought forth the fountains, and the last times bestowed upon mankind, by his Son, the blessing of food and the favor of drink, the incomprehensible acting thus by means of the comprehensible, and the invisible by the visible, since there is none beyond him, but he exists in the bosom of the Father. 6. For no man, he says, hath seen God at any time, unless the only begotten Son of God, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. 7. For he, the Son who is in his bosom, declares to all the Father who is invisible, wherefore they know him to whom the Son reveals him, and again the Father, by means of the Son, gives knowledge of his Son to those who love him, by whom also Nathaniel, being taught, recognized him, he to whom also the Lord bear witness, that he was an Israelite in whom was no guile. The Israelite recognized his king, therefore did he cry out to him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the king of Israel, by whom also Peter, having been taught, recognized Christ as the Son of the living God, when God said, Behold my dearly beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall show judgment to the king, and he shall not strive nor cry, neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, until he send forth judgment into contention, and in his name shall the Gentiles trust. Seven. Such, then, are the first principles of the Gospel, that there is one God, the maker of this universe, he who was also by Moses sent forth the dispensation of the law, principles which proclaim the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and ignore any other God or Father except him. So firm is the ground upon which these Gospels rest, that the very heretics themselves bear witness to them, and, starting from these documents, each one of them endeavors to establish his own peculiar doctrine. For the Ebionites, who use Matthew's word, are confuted out of this very same, making false suppositions with regard to the Lord, but Markian, mutilating that according to Luke, is proved to be a blasphemer of the only existing God, from those passages which he still retains. Those again who separate Jesus from Christ, alleging that Christ remained impassable, but that it was Jesus who suffered, preferring the Gospel by Mark, if they read it with love of truth, may be rectified. Those moreover who follow Valentine's, may copious use of that according to John, to illustrate their conjunctions, shall be proved to be totally in error by a means of this very Gospel, as I have shown in the first book. Since then our opponents do bear testimony to us, and make use of these documents, our proof derived from them is firm and true. 8. It is not possible that the Gospels can be either more or fewer in number than they are, for since there are four zones of the world in which we live, and four principle winds, while the Church is scattered throughout all the world, and the pillar and ground of the Church is the Gospel and the Spirit of life. It is fitting that she should have four pillars, breathing out immortality on every side, and vivifying men afresh, from which fact it is evident that the Word, the Artificer of all, cherubim, and contains all things. He who was manifested to men has given us the Gospel under four aspects, but bound together by one Spirit. As also David says, when in treating his manifestation thou that sittis between the cherubim shine forth. For the cherubim, too, were four faced, and their faces were images of the dispensation of the Son of God. Four, as the Scripture says, the first living creature was a man, symbolizing his effectual working, his leadership, and royal power. The second living creature was like a calf, signifying his sacrificial and sacerdotal order. But the third had, as it were, the face of a man, an evident description of his advent as a human being. The fourth was like a flying eagle, pointing out the gift of the Spirit hovering with his wings over the Church, and therefore the Gospels are in accord with these things, which Jesus Christ is seated. For that according to John relates his original, effectual, and glorious generation from the Father, thus declaring, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Also, all things were made by him, and without him was nothing made. For this reason, too, is the Gospel full of all confidence, for such is his person. But that according to Luke, taking up his priestly character, was Zacharias the priest offering sacrifice to God. For now was made ready the fatted calf, about to be immolated for the finding again of the younger son. Matthew, again, relates his generation as a man, saying, the Book of the Generation of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham, and also the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise. This, then, is the Gospel of his humanity, for which reason it is, too, that the character of a humble and meek man is kept up through the whole Gospel. Mark, on the other hand, commences with a reference to the prophetical spirit coming down from on high to men, saying, the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as it is written in Isaias the prophet, pointing to the winged aspect of the Gospel, and on this account he made a compendious and cursory narrative, for such is the prophetical character, and the Word of God himself used to converse with the anti-mosaic patriarchs in accordance with his dignity and glory. But for those under the law he instituted a sacerdotal and liturgical service. Afterwards, being made man for us, he sent the gift of the celestial spirit over all the earth, protecting us with his wings. Such, then, as was the course followed by the Son of God, so was also the form of the living creatures, and such as was the living creatures, so was also the character of the Gospel. For the living creatures are quadruformed, and the Gospel is quadruformed. As is also the course followed by the Lord, for this reason were four principal covenants given to the human race, one prior to the deluge under Adam, the second after the deluge under Noah, the third the giving of the law under Moses, the fourth that which renovates man and sums up all things in itself by means of the Gospel, raising and bearing men upon its wings into the heavenly kingdom. Nine. These things being so, all who destroy the form of the Gospel are vain, unlearned and also audacious. Those I mean, who represent the aspects of the Gospel as being either more in number than as aforesaid, or, on the other hand, fewer. The former class do so, that they may discover more than is of the truth, the latter, that they may set the dispensations of God aside. For Marquion, rejecting the entire Gospel, yea, rather cutting himself off from the Gospel, both that he has part in the blessings of the Gospel. Others again, the Montanus, that they may set at not the gift of the Spirit, which in the latter times has been, by the good pleasure of the Father, poured out upon the human race, do not admit that aspect of the evangelical dispensation presented by John's Gospel, in which the Lord promised that he would send the Paraclete, but set aside at once both the Gospel and the Prophetical Spirit. Wretched men indeed, who wish to be pseudo- prophets, forsooth, but who set aside the gift of prophecy from the Church, acting like those, the Encretite, who, on account of such as come to hypocrisy, hold themselves aloof from the Communion of the Brethren. We must conclude, moreover, that these men, the Montanus, cannot admit the Apostle Paul either. For, in his epistle to the Corinthians, he speaks expressly of Prophetical gifts and recognizes men and women prophesying in the Church. Sinning, therefore, in all these particulars against the Spirit of God, they fall into the irremissible sin, but those who are from Valentinas, being men altogether reckless, while they put forth their own compositions, boast that they possess more Gospels than there really are. Indeed, they have arrived at such a pitch of audacity as to entitle their comparatively recent writing, the Gospel of Truth, though it agrees in nothing with the Gospels of the Apostles, so that they have really no Gospel which is not full of blasphemy. For if what they have published is the Gospel which has been handed down to us from the Apostles, any who please may learn, as is shown from the Scriptures themselves, that that which has been handed down from the Apostles can no longer be reckoned the Gospel of Truth, but that these Gospels alone are true and reliable, and admit neither an increase nor diminution of the aforesaid number. I have proved by so many and such arguments. For, since God made fit also that the outward aspect of the Gospel should be well arranged and harmonized, the opinion of those men, therefore, who handed the Gospel down to us, having been investigated from their very fountain heads, let us proceed also to the remaining Apostles, and inquire into their doctrine with regard to God, then in due course we shall listen to the very words of the Lord. Chapter 12 of Irenaeus against Heresies Book 3 This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Anne Boulay Irenaeus against Heresies Book 3 Translated by Alexander Roberts and William H. Rambeau Chapter 12 Doctrine of the Rest of the Apostles Chapter 1 The Apostle Peter, therefore, after the resurrection of the Lord and his assumption into the heavens, being desires of filling up the number of the twelve Apostles, and in electing into the place of Judas any substitute who should be chosen by God, thus address those who were present. Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, but the Holy Ghost, by the mouth of David, spake before concerning Judas, which was made guide to them that took Jesus. For he was numbered with us, let his habitation be desolate and let no man dwell therein, and his bishopric let another take. Thus leading to the completion of the Apostles, according to the words spoken by David, again when the Holy Ghost had descended upon the disciples, that they all might prophesy and mock them, as if drunken with new wine. Peter said that they were not drunken, for it was the third hour of the day, but that this was what had been spoken by the prophet. It shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh, and they shall prophesy. The God, therefore, who did promise by the prophet that he would send his spirit upon the whole human race, was he who did send, and God himself announced by Peter as having fulfilled his own promise. Two. For Peter said, Ye men of Israel, hear my words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved by God among you by powers and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know, him being delivered by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, by the hands of wicked men ye have slain, affixing to the gods. Whom God hath raised up, having loose the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be holding of them. For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, lest I should be moved. Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad. Moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope, because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, nor give thy holy one to see corruption. Then he proceeds to speak confidently to them concerning the patriarch David, that he was dead and buried, and that his supple-cur is with them to this day. He said, but since he was a prophet and knew that God hath sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his body one should sit on his throne, foreseeing this, he spake of the resurrection of Christ, that he was not left in hell, to see corruption. This Jesus, he said, hath God raised up, of which we all are witnesses, who being exalted by the right hand of God, receiving from the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, hath shed forth this gift which ye now see and hear. For David has not ascended into the heavens, but he sayeth himself, the Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou on my right hand, until I make thy foes free. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. And when the multitudes exclaimed, what shall we do then? Peter says to them, repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Thus the apostles did not preach another God, or another Jesus, nor that the Christ who suffered and rose again was one, while he who flew off on high was another and remained impassable. But that there was one in the same God the Father, and Christ Jesus who rose from the dead, and they preached faith in him, to those who did not believe in the Son of God, and exhorted them out of the prophets, that the Christ whom God promised to send, he sent in Jesus, whom they crucified and God raised up. 3. Again when Peter, accompanied by John, had looked upon the man laying from his birth, before that gate of the temple which is called beautiful, sitting and seeking alms, he said to him, silver and gold I have none, but such as I have, I give thee. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk, and immediately his legs and his feet receive strength, and he walked, and entered with faith in him. 4. Then when a multitude had gathered around them from all quarters because of this unexpected deed, Peter addressed them, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this, or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power we had made this man to walk, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our Fathers, hath glorified him, and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he wished to let him go. But ye were bitterly set against the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you. But ye killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead, whereof we are witnesses. In the faith of his name, him whom ye see and know, hath his name made strong, yea, the faith which is by him, hath in the presence of you all. And now, brethren, I want that through ignorance ye did this wickedness. But those things which God before had shown by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. Repent ye therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, and that the times of refreshing may come to you from the presence of the Lord, and he shall send Jesus Christ, prepared for you beforehand, whom ye indeed receive unto the times of the arrangement of all things, of which God hath spoken by his holy prophets. For Moses truly said unto our fathers, Your Lord God shall raise up to you a prophet from your brethren, like unto me. Him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you, and it shall come to pass, that every soul whosoever will not hear that prophet shall be destroyed from among the people, and all the people from Samuel, and henceforth as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our forefathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindres of the earth be blessed. Unto you first God, having raised up his son, sent him blessing you, that each may turn himself from his iniquities. Peter, together with John, preached to him this plain message of glad tidings, that the promise which God made to the fathers had been fulfilled by Jesus, not certainly proclaiming another God, but the son of God, who also was made man and suffered, thus leading Israel into knowledge, and through Jesus preaching the resurrection of the dead, and showing that whatever the prophets had proclaimed as the suffering of Christ, these had God fulfilled. And two, when the chief priests were assembled, Peter, full of boldness, said to them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, if we this day be examined by you of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means has he been made whole, be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man hear before you whole. This is a stone which was set at knot of ye builders, which has become the headstone of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven, which is given to men, whereby we must be saved. Thus the apostles did not change God, but preached to the people that Christ was Jesus the crucified one, whom the same God that had sent the prophets, being God himself, raised up, and gave in him salvation to men. 5. They were confounded, therefore, both by this instance of healing, for the man was above 40 years old on whom this miracle of healing took place, and by the doctrine of the apostles, and by the exposition of the prophets, when the chief priests had sent away Peter and John. These latter returned to the rest of their fellow apostles and disciples of the Lord, that is, to the church, and how courageously they had acted in the name of Jesus. The whole church, it is then said, when they had heard that, lifted up the voice to God with one accord and said, Lord, thou art God, which has made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that in them is. Who, through the Holy Ghost, by the mouth of our Father David, thy servant hath said, Why did the heathen rage and the people imagine vain that the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ? For of a truth in this city, against thy holy Son Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. These are the voices of the church from which every church had its new covenant. These are the voices of the apostles. These are the voices of the disciples of the Lord, the truly perfect, who, after the assumption of the Lord, were perfected by the Spirit, and called upon the God who made heaven and earth and the sea, who was announced by the prophets, and Jesus Christ his Son, whom God anointed, and who knew no other God. For at that time and place there was subverters of the truth and their adherents, wherefore God, the maker of all things, heard them, for it is said, the place was shaken where they were assembled together, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness to everyone that was willing to believe. And with great power, it is added, gave the apostles' witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, saying to Jesus Christ, who was raised and slew, hanging him upon a beam of wood, him hath God raised up by his right hand to be a prince and saviour, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are in this witness of these words, as also is the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that believe in him. And daily, it is said, in the temple and from house to house, they cease not to teach and learn the truth of their salvation, which renders those who acknowledge his son's advent perfect towards God. 6. But as some of these men imputantly assert that the apostles, when preaching among the Jews, could not declare to them another God besides him in whom they, their hearers, believed, we say to them that if the apostles used to speak to people in accordance with the opinion instilled into them such earlier date from the Lord, for they say that he did himself speak after the same fashion. Wherefore, neither do these men themselves know the truth, but since such was their opinion regarding God, they had just received doctrine as they were able to hear it. According to this manner of speaking, therefore, the rule of truth can be with nobody, but all learners will ascribe this practice to all teachers, that just as every person did, so was also the language addressed to him. But the advent of the Lord will appear superfluous and useless if he did indeed come intending to tolerate and to preserve each man's idea regarding God rooted in him from of old. Besides this, also, it was a much heavier task that he whom the Jews had seen as a man and had fastened to the cross should be preached as Christ the son of God, their eternal God so. They certainly did not speak to them in accordance to their old belief, for they, who told them to their face that they were the slayers of the Lord, would themselves also much more boldly preach that Father who is above the Demiurge, and not what each individual bid himself believe respecting God, and the sin was much less, if indeed they had not fastened to the cross the superior Savior, to whom it behoove them to ascend, since as they did not speak to the Gentiles in compliance with their notions, but told them with boldness that their gods were no gods, but the idols of demons, so would they in like manner have preached to the Jews if they had known another or more perfect Father, not nourishing nor strengthening the untrue opinion of these men regarding God. Moreover, while destroying the error of the Gentiles and bearing them away from their gods, they did not certainly induce fear upon them, but removing those which were no gods, they pointed out him who alone was God and the true Father. 7. From the words of Peter therefore, which he addressed in Sazaria to Cornelius the Centurion, and those Gentiles with him, to whom the word of God was first preached, we can understand what the apostles used to preach, the nature of their preaching, and their idea with regard to God. For this Cornelius was, it is said, a devout man and one who feared God with all his house, giving much alms to the people and praying to God always. He saw therefore, about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming into him and saying, Thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. Wherefore send to Simon who is called Peter. But when Peter saw the vision in which the voice from heaven said to him, what God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. This happened to teach him that God who had through the law, distinguished between clean and unclean, was he who had purified the Gentiles through the blood of his son. He whom also Cornelius worshiped, to whom Peter coming in said, of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation, he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is acceptable to him. He thus clearly indicates that he whom Cornelius had previously feared as God, of whom he had heard through the law and the prophets, for whose sake also he used to give alms is, in truth, God. The knowledge of the son was, however, wanting to him. Therefore did Peter add, the word ye know which was published throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached, Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him with the Holy Ghost, and with power, who went about good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil. For God was with him, and we are witnesses of all those things which he did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they slew, hanging him on a beam of wood. Him, God raised up the third day, and showed him openly, not to all the people, but unto us, witnesses chosen before of God, who did eat and drink with him after the resurrection from the dead, and he commanded us to preach and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead, to him give all the prophets witness that, through his name, every one that believeth in him does receive remission of sins. The apostles, therefore, did preach the son of God, of whom men were ignorant, and his advent, to those who had been already instructed as to God, but they did not bring in another God. For if Peter had known any such thing, he would have believed to the Gentiles, that the God of the Jews was indeed one, but the God of the Christians another, and of all of them, doubtless, being awestruck because of the vision of the angel, would have believed whatever he told them. But it is evident from Peter's words that he did indeed still retain the God who was already known to them, but he also bear witness to them that Jesus Christ was the son of God, the judge of quick and dead, into whom he did also command them remission of sins, and not this alone, but he witnessed that Jesus was himself the son of God, who also, having been anointed with the Holy Spirit, is called Jesus Christ. He is the same being that was born of Mary, as the testimony of Peter implies. Can it really be that Peter was not at that time as yet in possession of the perfect knowledge which these men discovered afterwards? According to them, therefore, Peter was imperfect, and the rest of the apostles were imperfect, and so it would be fitting that they, coming to life again, should become disciples of these men, in order that they too might be made perfect. But this is truly ridiculous. These men, in fact, are proven to be not disciples of the apostles, but of their own wicked notions. To this cause also are due the various opinions which exist among them, in as much as each one adopted error just as he was capable of embracing it. But the prophets threw out all the world, having its origin firm from the apostles, perseveres in one and the same opinion with regard to God and His Son. Eight. But again, whom did Philip preach to the eunuch of the queen of the Ethiopians, returning from Jerusalem, and reading Isaias the prophet, when he and this man were alone together? Was it not he of whom the prophet spoke? He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and so he opened not the mouth? But who shall declare his nativity? For his life shall be taken away from the earth. Philip declared that this was Jesus and that the scripture was fulfilled in him, as did also the believing eunuch himself, and immediately requesting to be baptized, he said, I believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God. This man was also sent into the regions of Ethiopia to preach what he had himself believed, that there was one prophet, but that the Son of this God had already made his appearance in human nature, succundum hominem, and had been led as a sheep to the slaughter, and all the other statements which the prophets made regarding him. Nine. Paul himself also, after the Lord spoke to him out of heaven and showed him that in persecuting his disciples, he persecuted his own Lord, and sent Ananias to him that he was baptized. Preached, it is said, Jesus in the synagogues at Damascus, with all freedom of speech, that this is the Son of God, the Christ. This is the mystery which he says was made known to him by revelation, that he who suffered under Pontius Pilate the same as Lord of all, and king, and God, and judge, receiving power from him who is the God of all, because he became obedient unto death, even the death of the church as this is true. When preaching to the Athenians on the Archaeopagas, where, no Jews being present, he had it in his power to preach God with freedom of speech, he said to them, God who made the world and all things therein, he being Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands, neither is he touched by men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life and from one blood the whole race of men to dwell upon the face of the whole earth, predetermining the times according to the boundary of their habitation, to seek the deity, if by any means they might be able to track him out, or find him, although he be not far from each of us, for in him we live and move and have our being, as certain men of your own have said, for we are also his offspring. In fact, we ought not to think that the deity is like unto gold or silver, or stone graven by art or man's device, therefore God, winking at the times of ignorance, does now command all men everywhere to turn to him with repentance, because he hath appointed a day on which the world shall be judged in righteousness by the man Jesus, whereof he hath given assurance by raising him from the dead. Now in this creator of the world, no Jews being present, but that he did also make one race of men to dwell upon all the earth, as also Moses declared, when the Most High divided the nations, as he scattered the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the nations after the number of the angels of God, but that people which believes in God is not now under the power of angels, but under the Lord's rule. For his people Jacob was made the portion of the Lord, the inheritance, and again at Leistra of Lycia, Lacaonia, when Paul was with Barnabas, and in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ had made a man to walk who had been lame from his birth, and when the crowd wished to honor them as God's because of the astonishing deed he said to them, we are men like unto you, preaching to you God, that ye may be turned away from these vain idols to serve the living God, who made heaven and earth and the sea that are therein, who in time's past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways, although he left not himself without witness, performing acts of goodness, giving you reign from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness, but that all his epistles are constant in these declarations, I shall when expounding the apostle, show from the epistles themselves in the right place, but while I bring out by these proofs the truth of Scripture and set forth briefly and compendiously things which are stated in various ways, do thou also attend to them in patience, and not deem them prolix, taking this into account, that proofs of the things which are contained in the Scriptures cannot be shown except from the Scriptures themselves. 10. And still further, Stephen, who was chosen the first deacon by the apostles, and who, of all men, was the first to follow the footsteps of the martyrdom of the Lord, being the first to follow the footsteps of the martyrdom of the Lord, was slain for confessing Christ, speaking boldly among the people and teaching them, says, The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, and said to him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall show thee. And he removed him into this land, where in ye now dwell. And he gave him none inheritance in it. No, not so much as to him, and to his seed after him. And God spake on this wise that his seed should sojourn in a strange land, and should be brought into bondage, and should be evil-intreated four hundred years. And the nation whom they shall serve will I judge, says the Lord. And after that shall they come forth and serve me in this place. And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham begat Isaac. And the rest of his words announced the same with Joseph, and with the patriarchs, and who spake with Moses. Eleven. And that the whole range of the doctrine of the apostles proclaimed one and the same God, who removed Abraham, who made to him the promise of inheritance, who in due season gave to him the covenant of circumcision, who called his descendants out of Egypt, preserved outwardly by circumcision, for he gave it to the Egyptians. That he was the maker of all things. That he was the father of our Lord, Jesus Christ. That he was the God of glory. They who wish may learn from the very words and acts of the apostles, and may contemplate the fact that this God is one, above whom is no other. But even if there were another God above him, we should say, upon instituting a comparison of the quality of the work done by each, that the supplier to the former. For by deeds the better man appears, as I have already remarked. And in as much as these men have no works of their father to adduce, the latter is shown to be God alone. But if anyone doting upon questions, do imagine that what the apostles have declared about God should be allegorized. Let him consider my previous statements, in which I set forth one God as the founder and maker of all things, and destroyed their allegations, and he shall find them agreeable to the doctrine of the Apostles, and so to maintain what they used to teach, and we're persuaded of, that there is one God, the maker of all things, and when he shall have divested his mind of such error, and of that blasphemy against God which it implies, he will of himself find reason to acknowledge that both the Mosaic Law and the Grace of the New Covenant, as both fitted for the times at which they were given, were bestowed by one and the same God for the benefit of the human race. 12. For all those who are of a perverse mind, having been set against the Mosaic legislation, judging it to be dissimilar and contrary to the doctrine of the Gospel, have not applied themselves to investigate the causes of the difference of each covenant. Since therefore they have been deserted by the paternal love, and puffed up by Satan, being brought over to the doctrine of Simon Magus, they have apostasized in their opinions from him who is God, and imagine that they have themselves discovered more than the Apostles, by finding out another God, and maintain that the Apostles preached the Gospel still somewhat under the influence of Jewish opinions, but that they themselves are purer in doctrine and more intelligent than the Apostles. For also Markeon and his followers have be taken themselves to mutilating the Scriptures, not acknowledging some books at all, and curtailing the Gospel according to Luke and the Apostles of Paul, they assert that these are alone authentic, which they have themselves thus shortened. In another work, however, I shall, God granting me strength, refute them out of these which they still retain, but all the rest, inflated with the false name of knowledge, you certainly recognize the Scriptures, but they pervert the interpretations, as I have shown in the first book. And indeed the followers of Markeon do directly blaspheme the Creator, alleging him to be the Creator of evils, but holding a more tolerable theory as to his origin, and maintaining that there are two beings, God's by nature, differing from each other, the one being good but the other evil. Those from Valentinus, however, while they employ names of a more honorable kind, and set forth that he who is Creator is both Father and Lord and God, do nevertheless render their theory or sect more blasphemous, by maintaining that he was not produced from any one of those aeons within the Pluroma, but from that defect which had been expelled beyond the Pluroma. Ignorance of the Scriptures and the dispensation of God has brought all these things upon them, and in the course of this work I shall touch upon the cause of the difference of the covenants on one hand, and on the other, of their unity and harmony. Thirteen. But that both the apostles and their disciples thus taught as the church preaches, and thus teaching were perfected, wherefore also they were called away to that which is perfect. Stephen, teaching these truths, when he was yet on earth, saw the glory of God and Jesus on his right hand, and exclaimed, Behold I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God. These words he said, and was stoned, and thus did he fulfill the perfect doctrine, copying in every respect the leader of martyrdom, and praying for those who were slaying him in these words, Lord lay not this sin to their charge. Thus were they perfected who knew one and the same God, who from beginning to end was present with mankind in the various dispensations, as the prophet Hosea declares, I have filled up visions and used similitudes by the hands of the prophets, those therefore who delivered up their souls to death for Christ's gospel. How could they have spoken to men in accordance with all the established opinion? If this had been the course adopted by them, they should not have suffered, but inasmuch as they did preach things contrary to those persons who did not assent to the truth, for that reason they suffered. It is evident, therefore, that they did not relinquish the truth, but with all boldness preached to the Jews and the Greeks. To the Jews, indeed, they proclaimed that the Jesus who was crucified by them was the Son of God, the Judge of Quick and Dead, and that he has received from his father an eternal kingdom in Israel, as I have pointed out, but to the Greeks they preached one God, who made all things, and Jesus Christ his Son. 14. This is shown in a still clearer light from the letter of the apostles, which they forwarded neither to the Jews nor to the Greeks, but to those who from the Gentiles believed in Christ, confirming their faith, for when certain men had come down from Judea to Antioch, where also, first of all, the Lord's apostles were called Christians, because of their faith in Christ, and sought to persuade those who had believed on the Lord to be circumcised, and to perform other things after the observance of the law, and when Paul and Barnabas had gone up to Jerusalem to the apostles on account of this question, and the whole church had convened together, Peter thus addressed them. Men, brethren, ye know that from the days of old God made choice among you that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the Gospel and believe. One God, the searcher of the heart, bear them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as to us, and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore, why tempt ye, God, to impose a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that, through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are to be saved, even as they. After him James spoke as follows, men, brethren, Simon hath declared how God did purpose to take from among the Gentiles a people for his name, and thus do the words of the prophets agree, as it is written. After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down, and I will build the ruins thereof, and I will set it up, that the residue of men may seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, among whom my name has been invoked, sayeth the Lord, doing these things. Known from eternity is his work to God. Wherefore I, for my part, give judgment, that we trouble not them who from among the Gentiles are turned to God, but that it be enjoined them, that they do abstain from the vanities of idols, and from fornication, and from blood, and whatsoever they wish not to be done to themselves, let them not do to others. And when all these things had been said, and all had given their consent, they wrote to them after this manner, the apostles, and the presbyters, and the brethren, unto those brethren from among the Gentiles who are in Antioch, and Syria, and Cilicia, greeting. For as much as we have heard that certain persons going out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your soul, saying ye must be circumcised and keep the law, to whom we gave no such commandment, it seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have delivered up their soul for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, that they may declare our opinion by word of mouth, for it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things, that ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from fornication, and whatsoever ye do not wish to be done to you, do not ye to others, for which, preserving yourselves, ye shall do well, walking in the Holy Spirit. From all these passages, then, it is evident they did not teach the existence of another Father, but gave the covenant of liberty to those who had lately believed in God by the Holy Spirit. But they clearly indicated, from the nature of the point debated by them, as to whether or not it was still necessary to circumcise the disciples, that they had no idea of another God. 15 Neither in that case would they have had such a tenor with regard to the first covenant, as not even to have been willing to eat with the Gentiles, for even Peter, although he had been sent to instruct them, and had been constrained by a vision to that effect, spake nevertheless with not a little hesitation, saying to them, Ye know how it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company with, or to come unto one of another nation? But God hath shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. Therefore came I without gain saying, indicating by these words, that he would not have come to them unless he had been commanded. Neither for a like reason would he have given them baptism so readily, had he not heard them prophesying when the Holy Ghost rested upon them. And therefore did he exclaim, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? He persuaded at the same time those that were with him, and pointed out that, unless the Holy Ghost had rested upon them, there might have been someone who would have raised objections to their baptism. And the apostles who were with James allowed the Gentiles to act freely, yielding us up to the Spirit of God. But they themselves, while knowing the same God, continued in the ancient observances, so that even Peter, fearing also lest he might incur their reproof, although formerly eating with the Gentiles, because of the vision, and of the Spirit who had rested upon them, yet when certain persons came from James withdrew himself and did not eat with them. And Paul said that Barnabas likewise did the same. Thus did the apostles, whom the Lord made witnesses of every action and of every doctrine, for upon all occasions did we find Peter and James and John present with him, scrupulously act according to the dispensation of the Mosaic Law, showing that it was from the one and the same God, which they certainly never would have done, as I have already said, if they learned from the Lord that there existed another Father besides him who appointed the dispensation of the Law.