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Hippolytus of Rome, The Refutation of All Heresies
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The Refutation of All Heresies.
Chapter I.—Thales His Physics and Theology Founder of Greek Astronomy.
Chapter III.—Empedocles His Twofold Cause Tenet of Transmigration.
Chapter IV.—Heraclitus His Universal Dogmatism His Theory of Flux Other Systems.
Chapter V.—Anaximander His Theory of the Infinite His Astronomic Opinions His Physics.
Chapter IX.—Parmenides His Theory of “Unity ” His Eschatology.
Chapter X.—Leucippus His Atomic Theory.
Chapter XI.—Democritus His Duality of Principles His Cosmogony.
Chapter XII.—Xenophanes His Scepticism His Notions of God and Nature Believes in a Flood.
Chapter XIII.—Ecphantus His Scepticism Tenet of Infinity.
Chapter XIV.—Hippo His Duality of Principles His Psychology.
Chapter XV.—Socrates His Philosophy Reproduced by Plato.
Chapter XVIII.—The Stoics Their Superiority in Logic Fatalists Their Doctrine of Conflagrations.
Chapter XX.—The Academics Difference of Opinion Among Them.
Chapter XXII.—The Druids Progenitors of Their System.
Chapter I.—System of the Astrologers Sidereal Influence Configuration of the Stars.
Chapter II.—Doctrines Concerning Æons The Chaldean Astrology Heresy Derivable from It.
Chapter VI.—Zodiacal Influence Origin of Sidereal Names.
Chapter VII.—Practical Absurdity of the Chaldaic Art Development of the Art.
Chapter IX.—Further Astronomic Calculations.
Chapter X.—Theory of Stellar Motion and Distance in Accordance with Harmony.
Chapter XI.—Theory of the Size of the Heavenly Bodies in Accordance with Numerical Harmonies.
Chapter XII.—Waste of Mental Energy in the Systems of the Astrologers.
Chapter XVI.—Type of Those Born Under Taurus.
Chapter XVII.—Type of Those Born Under Gemini.
Chapter XVIII.—Type of Those Born Under Cancer.
Chapter XIX.—Type of Those Born Under Leo.
Chapter XX.—Type of Those Born Under Virgo.
Chapter XXI.—Type of Those Born Under Libra.
Chapter XXII.—Type of Those Born Under Scorpio.
Chapter XXIII.—Type of Those Born Under Sagittarius.
Chapter XXIV.—Type of Those Born Under Capricorn.
Chapter XXV.—Type of Those Born Under Aquarius.
Chapter XXVI.—Type of Those Born Under Pisces.
Chapter XXVII.—Futility of This Theory of Stellar Influence.
Chapter XXIX.—Display of Different Eggs.
Chapter XXX.—Self-Slaughter of Sheep.
Chapter XXXI.—Method of Poisoning Goats.
Chapter XXXII.—Imitations of Thunder, and Other Illusions.
Chapter XXXIII.—The Burning Æsculapius Tricks with Fire.
Chapter XXXIV.—The Illusion of the Sealed Letters Object in Detailing These Juggleries.
Chapter XXXVI.—Mode of Managing an Apparition.
Chapter XXXVII.—Illusive Appearance of the Moon.
Chapter XXXVIII.—Illusive Appearance of the Stars.
Chapter XXXIX.—Imitation of an Earthquake.
Chapter XL.—Trick with the Liver.
Chapter XLI.—Making a Skull Speak.
Chapter XLII.—The Fraud of the Foregoing Practices Their Connection with Heresy.
Chapter XLIV.—Egyptian Theory of Nature Their Amulets.
Chapter XLV.—Use of the Foregoing Discussions.
Chapter XLVII.—Opinions of the Heretics Borrowed from Aratus.
Chapter XLIX.—Symbol of the Creature And of Spirit And of the Different Orders of Animals.
Chapter L.—Folly of Astrology.
Chapter V.—Explanation of the System of the Naasseni Taken from One of Their Hymns.
Chapter VI.—The Ophites the Grand Source of Heresy.
Chapter VII.—The System of the Peratæ Their Tritheism Explanation of the Incarnation.
Chapter IX.—System of the Peratæ Explained Out of One of Their Own Books.
Chapter XII.—Compendious Statement of the Doctrines of the Peratæ.
Chapter XIII.—The Peratic Heresy Not Generally Known.
Chapter XVII.—The Sethian Doctrines to Be Learned from the “Paraphrase of Seth.”
Chapter XVIII.—The System of Justinus Antiscriptural and Essentially Pagan.
Chapter XIX.—The Justinian Heresy Unfolded in the “Book of Baruch.”
Chapter XX.—The Cosmogony of Justinus an Allegorical Explanation of Herodotus’ Legend of Hercules.
Chapter XXII.—Oath Used by the Justinian Heretics The Book of Baruch The Repertory of Their System.
Chapter XXIII.—Subsequent Heresies Deducible from the System of Justinus.
Chapter III.—Story of Apsethus the Libyan.
Chapter V.—Simon Appeals to Scripture in Support of His System.
Chapter VI.—Simon’s System Expounded in the Work, Great Announcement Follows Empedocles.
Chapter VII.—Simon’s System of a Threefold Emanation by Pairs.
Chapter X.—Simon’s Explanation of the First Two Books of Moses.
Chapter XI.—Simon’s Explanation of the Three Last Books of the Pentateuch.
Chapter XII.—Fire a Primal Principle, According to Simon.
Chapter XIII.—His Doctrine of Emanation Further Expanded.
Chapter XVI.—Heresy of Valentinus Derived from Plato and Pythagoras.
Chapter XVII.—Origin of the Greek Philosophy.
Chapter XVIII.—Pythagoras’ System of Numbers.
Chapter XIX.—Pythagoras’ Duality of Substances His “Categories.”
Chapter XX.—Pythagoras’ Cosmogony Similar to that of Empedocles.
Chapter XXI.—Other Opinions of Pythagoras.
Chapter XXII.—The “Sayings” Of Pythagoras.
Chapter XXIII.—Pythagoras’ Astronomic System.
Chapter XXVI.—Valentinus’ Explanation of the Existence of Christ and the Spirit.
Chapter XXVII.—Valentinus’ Explanation of the Existence of Jesus Power of Jesus Over Humanity.
Chapter XXVIII.—The Valentinian Origin of the Creation.
Chapter XXIX.—The Other Valentinian Emanations in Conformity with the Pythagorean System of Numbers.
Chapter XXXI.—Further Doctrines of Valentinus Respecting the Æons Reasons for the Incarnation.
Chapter XXXII.—Valentinus Convicted of Plagiarisms from Plato.
Chapter XXXIII.—Secundus’ System of Æons Epiphanes Ptolemæus.
Chapter XXXIV.—System of Marcus A Mere Impostor His Wicked Devices Upon the Eucharistic Cup.
Chapter XXXV.—Further Acts of Jugglery on the Part of Marcus.
Chapter XXXVI.—The Heretical Practices of the Marcites in Regard of Baptism.
Chapter XXXVIII.—Marcus’ System of Letters.
Chapter XXXIX.—The Quaternion Exhibits “Truth.”
Chapter XL.—The Name of Christ Jesus.
Chapter XLI.—Marcus’ Mystic Interpretation of the Alphabet.
Chapter XLII.—His System Applied to Explain Our Lord’s Life and Death.
Chapter XLIII—Letters, Symbols of the Heavens.
Chapter XLIV.—Respecting the Generation of the Twenty-Four Letters.
Chapter XLV.—Why Jesus is Called Alpha.
Chapter XLVI.—Marcus’ Account of the Birth and Life of Our Lord.
Chapter XLVIII.—Their Cosmogony Framed According to These Mystic Doctrines of Letters.
Chapter XLIX.—The Work of the Demiurge Perishable.
Chapter L.—Marcus and Colarbasus Refuted by Irenæus.
Chapter II.—The System of Basilides Derived from Aristotle.
Chapter III.—Sketch of Aristotle’s Philosophy.
Chapter IV.—Aristotle’s General Idea.
Chapter V.—Nonentity as a Cause.
Chapter VI.—Substance, According to Aristotle The Predicates.
Chapter IX.—Basilides Adopts the Aristotelian Doctrine of “Nonentity.”
Chapter X.—Origin of the World Basilides’ Account of the “Sonship.”
Chapter XI.—The “Great Archon” Of Basilides.
Chapter XII.—Basilides Adopts the “Entelecheia” Of Aristotle.
Chapter XIII.—Further Explanation of the “Sonship.”
Chapter XVI.—The System of Saturnilus.
Chapter XVIII.—Source of Marcionism Empedocles Reasserted as the Suggester of the Heresy.
Chapter XIX.—The Heresy of Prepon Follows Empedocles Marcion Rejects the Generation of the Saviour.
Chapter XXI.—The System of Cerinthus Concerning Christ.
Chapter XXII.—Doctrine of the Ebionæans.
Chapter XXIII.—The Heresy of Theodotus.
Chapter XXIV.—The Melchisedecians The Nicolaitans.
Chapter XXV.—The Heresy of Cerdon.
Chapter XXVI.—The Doctrines of Apelles Philumene, His Prophetess.
Chapter I.—Heresies Hitherto Refuted Opinions of the Docetæ.
Chapter IV.—Docetic Doctrine Derived from the Greek Sophists.
Chapter V.—Monoïmus Man the Universe, According to Monoïmus His System of the Monad.
Chapter VI.—Monoïmus’ “Iota ” His Notion of the “Son of Man.”
Chapter VII.—Monoïmus on the Sabbath Allegorizes the Rod of Moses Notion Concerning the Decalogue.
Chapter XI.—The Quartodecimans.
Chapter XII.—The Montanists Priscilla and Maximilla Their Prophetesses Some of Them Noetians.
Chapter III.—Noetianism an Offshoot from the Heraclitic Philosophy.
Chapter IV.—An Account of the System of Heraclitus.
Chapter VIII.—Sect of the Elchasaites Hippolytus’ Opposition to It.
Chapter IX.—Elchasai Derived His System from Pythagoras Practised Incantations.
Chapter X.—Elchasai’s Mode of Administering Baptism Formularies.
Chapter XI.—Precepts of Elchasai.
Chapter XII.—The Heresy of the Elchasaites a Derivative One.
Chapter XIII.—The Jewish Sects.
Chapter XIV.—The Tenets of the Esseni.
Chapter XV.—The Tenets of the Esseni Continued.
Chapter XVI.—The Tenets of the Esseni Continued.
Chapter XVII.—The Tenets of the Esseni Continued.
Chapter XVIII.—The Tenets of the Esseni Continued.
Chapter XIX.—The Tenets of the Esseni Continued.
Chapter XX.—The Tenets of the Esseni Concluded.
Chapter XXI.—Different Sects of the Esseni.
Chapter XXII.—Belief of the Esseni in the Resurrection Their System a Suggestive One.
Chapter XXIII.—Another Sect of the Esseni: the Pharisees.
Chapter XXV.—The Jewish Religion.
Chapter XXVI.—Conclusion to the Work Explained.
Chapter II.—Summary of the Opinions of Philosophers.
Chapter III.—Summary of the Opinions of Philosophers Continued.
Chapter IV.—Summary of the Opinions of Philosophers Continued.
Chapter XV.—Marcion and Cerdo.
Chapter XXI.—The Phrygians or Montanists.
Chapter XXII.—The Phrygians or Montanists Continued.
Chapter XXIII.—Noetus and Callistus.
Chapter XXVI.—Jewish Chronology.
Chapter XXVII.—Jewish Chronology Continued.
Chapter XXVIII.—The Doctrine of the Truth.
Chapter VII.—Monoïmus on the Sabbath; Allegorizes the Rod of Moses; Notion Concerning the Decalogue.
The world, then, as Moses says, was made in six days, that is, by six powers, which (are inherent) in the one tittle of the iota. (But) the seventh (day, which is) a rest and Sabbath, has been produced from the Hebdomad, which is over earth, and water, and fire, and air. And from these (elements) the world has been formed by the one tittle. For cubes, and octahedrons, and pyramids, and all figures similar to these, out of which consist fire, air, water, (and) earth, have arisen from numbers which are comprehended in that simple tittle of the iota. And this (tittle) constitutes a perfect son of a perfect man. When, therefore, he says, Moses mentions that the rod was changeably brandished for the (introduction of the) plagues throughout Egypt915 Ex. vii.; viii.—now these plagues, he says, are allegorically expressed symbols of the creation916 The plagues, being transformations, were no doubt considered symbols of creation, in accordance with the view of the ancient philosophers, that creation itself brought nothing into existence, but simply altered the disposition of already existing elements. [Gen. i. 2. See Dr. Chalmers’ Astronomical Discourses.]—he did not (as a symbol) for more plagues than ten shape the rod. Now this (rod) constitutes one tittle of the iota, and is (both) twofold (and) various. This succession of ten plagues is, he says, the mundane creation. For all things, by being stricken, bring forth and bear fruit, just like vines. Man, he says, bursts forth, and is forcibly separated from man by being severed by a certain stroke. (And this takes place) in order that (man) may be generated, and may declare the law which Moses ordained, who received (it) from God. Conformably917 It is very much after this allegorical mode that Philo Judæus interprets the Mosaic law and history. with that one tittle, the law constitutes the series of the ten commandments which expresses allegorically the divine mysteries of (those) precepts. For, he says, all knowledge of the universe is contained in what relates to the succession of the ten plagues and the series of the ten commandments. And no one is acquainted with this (knowledge) who is (of the number) of those that are deceived concerning the offspring of the woman. If, however, you say that the Pentateuch constitutes the entire law, it is from the Pentad which is comprehended in the one tittle. But the entire is for those who have not been altogether perfected in understanding a mystery, a new and not antiquated feast, legal, (and) everlasting, a passover of the Lord God kept unto our generations, by those who are able to discern (this mystery), at the commencement of the fourteenth day, which is the beginning of a decade from which, he says, they reckon. For the monad, as far as fourteen, is the summary of that one (tittle) of the perfect number. For one, two, three, four, become ten; and this is the one tittle. But from fourteen until one-and-twenty, he asserts that there is an Hebdomad which inheres in the one tittle of the world, and constitutes an unleavened creature in all these. For in what respect, he says, would the one tittle require any substance such as leaven (derived) from without for the Lord’s Passover, the eternal feast, which is given for generation upon generation?918 [Exod. xii. 17. Comp. 1 Cor. v. 7, 8.] For the entire world and all causes of creation constitute a passover, (i.e.,) a feast of the Lord. For God rejoices in the conversion of the creation, and this is accomplished by ten strokes of the one tittle. And this (tittle) is Moses’ rod, which was given by God into the hand of Moses. And with this (rod Moses) smites the Egyptians, for the purpose of altering bodies,—as, for instance, water into blood; and the rest of (material) things similarly with these,—(as, for example,) the locusts, which is a symbol of grass. And by this he means the alteration of the elements into flesh; “for all flesh,” he says, “is grass.”919 Isa. xl. 6. These men, nevertheless receive even the entire law after some such manner; adopting very probably, as I think, the opinions of those of the Greeks who affirm that there are Substance, and Quality, and Quantity, and Relation, and Place, and Time, and Position, and Action, and Possession, and Passion.
[14] Γέγονεν οὖν [ὁ] κόσμος, ὥς φησι Μωϋσῆς, ἐν ἓξ ἡμέραις, τουτέστιν ἐν ἓξ δυνάμεσι, ταῖς [κατειλημμέναις] ἐν τῇ μιᾷ κεραίᾳ τοῦ ἰῶτα: [ἡ δὲ] ἑβδόμη, [ἡ καὶ] κατάπαυσις καὶ σάββατον, ἀπὸ τῆς Ἑβδομάδος γέγονε τῆς ἐκεῖ. γῆς καὶ ὕδατος καὶ ἀέρος καὶ πυρός, ἐξ ὧν ὁ κόσμος ἀπὸ τῆς κεραίας γέγονε τῆς μι(ᾶς). οἵ τε γὰρ κύβοι καὶ τὰ [εἰκοσάεδρα καὶ τὰ] ὀκτάεδρα καὶ [αἱ] πυραμίδες καὶ πάντα τὰ τούτοις παραπλήσια σχήμα[τα], ἐξ ὧν συνέστηκε πῦρ, ἀή(ρ), ὕδωρ, γῆ, ἀπὸ τῶν ἀριθμῶν γεγόνασι τῶν κατειλη(μ)μέν(ων) ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἁπλῇ τοῦ ἰῶτα κεραίᾳ, ἥτις ἐστὶν υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου, [ἐκ] τελείου τέλειος. Ὅταν οὖν, φησίν, ῥάβδον λέγῃ Μωϋσῆς στρεφομένην ποικίλως εἰς τὰ πάθη τὰ κατὰ τὴν Αἴγυπτον_ἅτινα, φησίν, ἐστὶ τῆς κτίσεως ἀλ[λ]ηγορού[μενα] σύμβολα_, οὐκ εἰς πλείονα πάθη τῶν δέκα σχηματίζει τὴν ῥάβδον, ἥτις ἐστίν, [φησίν, ἡ τοῦ] ἰῶτα μία κεραία, ἁπλῆ [καὶ] ποικίλη. αὕτη [δέ], φησίν, ἐστὶν ἡ δεκάπληγος ἡ κοσμικὴ κτίσις: πάντα γὰρ πλησσόμενα γεννᾶται καὶ καρποφορεῖ, καθάπερ αἱ ἄμπελοι. «ἄνθρωπος [γὰρ] ἐξ ἀνθρώπου ἐξέσ[σ]υται», φησίν, «καὶ ἀποσπᾶται, πληγῇ τινι μεριζόμενος», ἵνα γένηται. κἂν εἴπῃ[ς] νόμον, ὃν ἔθηκε Μωϋσῆς παρὰ θεοῦ λαβών, κατὰ τὴν κεραίαν ἐκείνην τὴν μίαν ὁ νόμος ἐστί, [φησίν,] ἡ δεκάλογος ἀλληγοροῦσα τὰ θεῖα τῶν ὅλων μυστήρια. πᾶσα γάρ, φησίν, ἡ γνῶσις τῶν ὅλων δεκάπληγός ἐστι καὶ δεκάλογος: ἣν οἶδεν οὐδεὶς τῶν περὶ τὸ γέν[ν]ημα τῆς θηλείας πεπλανημένων. κἂν εἴπῃς πεντάτευχον [ἢ] ὅλον τὸν νόμον, ἔστιν, [φησίν,] ἀπὸ τῆς πεντάδος τῆς ἐν τῇ μιᾷ κεραίᾳ κατειλημμένης. Τὸ δὲ ὅλον ἐστί, φησί, τοῖς μὴ πεπηρωμένοις παντελῶς τὴν διάνοιαν μυστήριον, καινὴ καὶ μὴ παλαιουμένη «ἑορτὴ νόμιμος, αἰώνιος εἰς τὰς γενεὰς ἡμῶν», «κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ πάσχα», «διατηρούμενον» τοῖς δυναμένοις βλέπειν «[ἕως] ἐναρχομένης τῆς [τεσσαρεσκαι]δεκάτης», ἥτις ἐστὶν ἀρχὴ δεκάδος, ἀφ' ἧς, φησίν, ἀριθμοῦμεν. ἡ γὰρ μονὰς ἕως τῆς [τετράδος τῆς ἐν τῇ] τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτῃ ἐστί, [φησί,] τὸ κεφάλαιον τῆς μιᾶς [κεραίας], τοῦ τελείου ἀριθμοῦ: τό τε γὰρ ἕν, δύο, τρία, τέσσαρα γίνεται δέκα, ὅπερ ἐστίν, [φησίν,] ἡ μία κεραία. [Τὴν] δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτης [φησὶν] «ἕως [ἡμέρας] μιᾶς καὶ εἰκάδος» ἑβδομάδα λέγει [τὴν] ὑπάρχουσαν ἐν τῇ μιᾷ κεραίᾳ τοῦ κόσμου [τὴν] κτίσιν, ἄζυμον [οὖσαν] ἐν τοῖς ἅπασιν. τί γὰρ [ἂν] δεηθείη, φησίν, ἡ μία κεραία οὐσίας τινὸς οἱονεὶ ζύμης ἔξωθεν εἰς «τὸ πάσχα τοῦ κυρίου», «τὴν αἰώ(ν)ιον ἑορτήν», ἥτις ἐστὶν «εἰς τὰς γενεὰς» δεδομένη; ὅλος γὰρ ὁ κόσμ(ο)ς (κα)ὶ πάντα [τὰ] τῆς κτίσεως στ[οιχ]εῖα πάσχα ἐστίν, [φησίν,] ἑορτὴ κυρίου. χαίρει γὰρ ὁ θεὸς τῆς κτίσεως τῇ μεταβολῇ, [φησίν,] ἥτις ὑπὸ τῶν δέκα πληγῶν τῆς κεραίας ἐνεργεῖται τῆς μιᾶς: ἥτις ἐστὶ Μωσέως ῥάβδος ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ δεδομένη. ᾗ τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους πλήσσων [ὁ θεὸς] μεταβάλλει τὰ σώματα, καθάπερ τὴν χεῖρα Μωσέως [εἰς χιόνα, καὶ] τὸ ὕδωρ εἰς αἷμα, καὶ τὰ λοιπά. τούτοις [δὲ] παραπλησίως [τὰς] ἀκρίδας_ὅπερ ἐστὶ χόρτος_[τὴν] τῶν στοιχείων εἰς σάρκα μεταβολὴν λέγει: «πᾶσα» γὰρ «σὰρξ χόρτος», [ὡς,] φησίν, [γέγραπται]. Οὐδὲν δὲ ἧττον καὶ τὸν ὅλον νόμον οἱ ἄνδρες οὗτοι τοιοῦτόν τινα τρόπον ἐκδέχονται, τάχα που κατακολουθήσαντες, ὡς ἐγὼ δοκῶ, Ἑλλήνων [σοφοῖς] τοῖς λέγουσιν οὐσίαν εἶναι καὶ ποιὸν καὶ ποσὸν καὶ πρός τι καὶ ποῦ καὶ πότε καὶ κεῖσθαι καὶ ἔχειν καὶ ποιεῖν καὶ πάσχειν.