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wove a spider's web, to speak prophetically. For the Master most easily refuted the lie and dissolved the factions of its advocates. And against the impiety of Manes wrote the best advocates of piety, Titus and Diodorus, the one having shepherded the Church of Bostra, the other having guided the metropolis of the Cilicians. And George of Laodicea also wrote, a man who championed the heresy of Arius, but was brought up in philosophical studies. In addition to these, also Eusebius the Phoenician, whom we have mentioned before. But I shall move on to the other phalanx. THE SECOND BOOK OF HERETICAL FABLES. Prologue. 1. Concerning Ebion. 2. Concerning the Nazarenes. 3. Concerning Cerinthus. 4. Concerning Artemon. 5. Concerning Theodotus. 83.384 6. Concerning the Melchisedechians. 7. Concerning the Elkesaites 8. Concerning Paul of Samosata. 9. Concerning Sabellius. 10. Concerning Marcellus. 11. Concerning Photinus. PROLOGUE. Concerning the heretics who flourished at the same time as the apostles. What sort of branches the most bitter root of Simon sprouted, and what deadly fruits these produced, we have clearly shown in the first book, abridging the length of the myths as far as was possible, and dreading to speak of the greatest of their blasphemies, and having committed to silence the more unholy and abominable of their most defiled orgies. For we supposed it would be a sin, if we were to teach these things to those who are ignorant of them; for not even those completely enslaved to sensual pleasures have conceived the things dared by them. But the all-wicked demon instilled these things into their souls, having undertaken the war against the heralds of the truth, and attempting through these to scatter an evil reputation for those who represent divine things; for he supposed that the commonality of the name would bring blasphemy upon all; for both the teachers of the abominable dogmas and the heralds of the evangelical ones were called Christians, and everyone ignorant of the difference supposed all who shared the one appellation to be accursed. And the inventor and artisan of wickedness dared these things as soon as the light of truth had risen, and had sent forth the divine apostles into the world like rays of light. For while they were still living, Simon appeared, and Menander, and the other disciples of Simon, whom we have mentioned before. And they say that Cerinthus, while John the all-glorious who wrote the divine Gospel was still living, sowed alongside the tares of his own heresy. And the divine Paul also accused others in his Epistles to Timothy. He speaks thus: "But avoid profane empty chatter; for they will progress to more impiety, and their word will spread like gangrene. Of whom are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have erred concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened, and they overthrow the faith of some." Then he shows the firmness and stability of the truth: "Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal." And he also teaches how the Lord cares for all his own: "For," he says, "The Lord knows those who are his." Then he exhorts to flee the company of the wicked: "And let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity." Afterwards, by an example, he heals those who are vexed that the wicked live together with the good.

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ἀράχνης, προφητικῶς εἰπεῖν, ὕφηνε. Ῥᾷστα γὰρ ὁ ∆εσπότης τὸ ψεῦδος διήλεγξε, καὶ τὰς συμμορίας τῶν τούτου συνηγόρων διέλυσε. Κατὰ δὲ τῆς τοῦ Μάνεντος δυσσεβείας συνέγραψαν οἱ ἄριστοι τῆς εὐσεβείας συνήγοροι, Τῖτος καὶ ∆ιόδω ρος, ὁ μὲν τὴν Βοστρηνῶν Ἐκκλησίαν ποιμάνας, ὁ δὲ τὴν Κιλίκων ἰθύνας μητρόπολιν. Συνέγραψε δὲ καὶ ὁ Λαοδικεὺς Γεώργιος, ἀνὴρ τῆς μὲν Ἀρείου προστατεύων αἱρέσεως, τοῖς δὲ φιλοσόφοις ἐντεθραμμένος μαθήμασι. Πρὸς δὲ τούτοις καὶ ὁ Φοίνιξ Εὐσέβιος, οὗ καὶ πρόσθεν ἐμνήσθημεν. Ἐγὼ δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν ἑτέραν μεταβήσομαι φάλαγγα. ΑΙΡΕΤΙΚΗΣ ΚΑΚΟΜΥΘΙΑΣ ΛΟΓΟΣ ∆ΕΥΤΕΡΟΣ. Πρόλογος. αʹ. Περὶ Ἐβίωνος. βʹ. Περὶ Ναζωραίων. γʹ. Περὶ Κηρίνθου. δʹ. Περὶ Ἀρτέμωνος. εʹ. Περὶ Θεοδότου. 83.384 ϛʹ. Περὶ Μελχισεδεκιανῶν. ζʹ. Περὶ Ἐλκεσαίων ηʹ. Περὶ Παύλου τοῦ Σαμοσατέως. θʹ. Περὶ Σαβελλίου. ιʹ. Περὶ Μαρκέλλου. ιαʹ. Περὶ Φωτεινοῦ. ΠΡΟΛΟΓΟΣ. Περὶ τῶν ἀποστόλοις συνακμασάντων αἱρε τικῶν. Οἵους μὲν ἡ πικροτάτη ῥίζα τοῦ Σίμωνος ἐβλάστησε κλάδους, καὶ ὡς ὀλεθρίους ἔφυσαν οὗτοι καρποὺς, ἐν τῷ πρώτῳ βιβλίῳ σαφῶς ἐπεδείξαμεν, τὸ μὲν τῶν μύθων μῆκος ὡς ἐνῆν συντεμόντες, τῶν δὲ βλασφη μιῶν τὰς μεγίστας εἰπεῖν ὀῤῥωδήσαντες, τὰ δέ γε τῶν μιαρωτάτων ὀργίων δυσαγέστερά τε καὶ μυσα ρώτερα παραδεδωκότες σιγῇ. Πλημμελεῖν γὰρ ὑπ ελάβομεν, εἰ ταῦτα τοὺς ἀγνοοῦντας διδάξαιμεν· οὐδὲ γὰρ οἱ παντελῶς ταῖς ἡδυπαθείαις δεδουλωμένοι, εἰς ἔννοιαν ἔλαβον τὰ παρ' ἐκείνων τολμώμενα. Ταῦτα δὲ αὐτῶν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὁ παμπόνηρος ἐνήχησε δαίμων, τὸν κατὰ κηρύκων τῆς ἀληθείας ἀναδεξάμενος πόλε μον, καὶ δόξαν πονηρὰν τῶν τὰ θεῖα πρεσβευόντων διὰ τούτων κατασκεδάσαι πειρώμενος· τῆς γὰρ ἐπωνυμίας τὴν κοινωνίαν πᾶσιν ὑπέλαβεν ἐποίσειν τὴν βλασφημίαν· Χριστιανοὶ γὰρ καὶ τῶν μυσαρῶν δογμάτων οἱ διδάσκαλοι, καὶ τῶν εὐαγγελικῶν οἱ κή ρυκες ὠνομάζοντο, καὶ πᾶς ἀγνοῶν τὸ διάφορον, πάντας ἐναγεῖς ὑπελάμβανε τοὺς τῆς μιᾶς προσηγο ρίας μετέχοντας. Καὶ ταῦτα τετόλμηκεν ὁ τῆς κακίας εὑρετὴς καὶ τεχνίτης, εὐθὺς τοῦ τῆς ἀληθείας φωτὸς ἀνατείλαντος, καὶ δίκην ἀκτίνων τοὺς θείους ἀποστό λους εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐκπέμψαντος. Ἔτι γὰρ αὐ τῶν περιόντων, καὶ Σίμων ἀνεφάνη, καὶ Μένανδρος, καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι τοῦ Σίμωνος φοιτηταὶ, ὧν καὶ πρόσθεν ἐμνήσθημεν. Καὶ Κήρινθον δέ φασιν, Ἰωάννου τοῦ πανευφήμου τοῦ τὸ θεῖον συγγράψαντος Εὐαγγέλιον ἔτι περιόντος, τὰ τῆς οἰκείας αἱρέσεως παρασπεῖραι ζιζάνια. Καὶ ὁ θεσπέσιος δὲ Παῦλος ἄλλων ἐν ταῖς πρὸς Τιμόθεον Ἐπιστολαῖς κατηγόρησε. Λέγει δὲ οὕ τως "Τὰς δὲ βεβήλους κενοφωνίας περιίστασο· ἐπὶ πλεῖον γὰρ προκόψουσιν ἀσεβείας, καὶ ὁ λόγος αὐτῶν ὡς γάγγραινα νομὴν ἕξει. Ὧν ἐστιν Ὑμέναιος καὶ Φιλητὸς, οἵτινες περὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἠστόχησαν, λέ γοντες τὴν ἀνάστασιν ἤδη γεγονέναι, καὶ ἀνατρέπουσι τήν τινων πίστιν." Εἶτα δείκνυσι τὸ τῆς ἀληθείας ἑδραῖον καὶ σταθηρόν· "Ὁ μέντοι στερεὸς θε μέλιος τοῦ Θεοῦ ἕστηκεν, ἔχων τὴν σφραγῖδα ταύτην." ∆ιδάσκει δὲ καὶ ὅπως κήδεται τῶν οἰκείων ὅλων ὁ Κύριος· "Ἔγνω γὰρ, φησὶ, Κύριος τοὺς ὄντας αὐτοῦ." Εἶτα παραινεῖ φεύγειν τῶν φαύλων τὴν κοινωνίαν· "Καὶ ἀποστήτω ἀπὸ ἀδικίας πᾶς ὁ ὀνομάζων τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου." Ἔπειτα ἐκ παραδείγματος ἰατρεύει τοὺς δυσχεραίνοντας ὅτι τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς οἱ πονηροὶ συνδιάγουσιν.