Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History

epistle, and the so-called Teachings of the Apostles, and moreover, as I said, the Apocalypse of John, if it should seem right; which some, as I said, reject, but others count among the acknowledged books. And among these some have also placed the Gospel according to the Hebrews, in which those of the Hebrews who have accepted Christ especially delight. All these would be among the disputed books. But we have nevertheless been compelled to make a catalogue of these also, distinguishing the writings that are true and genuine and acknowledged according to the tradition of the Church from those others which are in addition to them, not canonical but disputed, yet nevertheless known to most of the ecclesiastical writers, that we might know them and those that are brought forward by the heretics in the name of the apostles, containing either gospels such as those of Peter and Thomas and Matthias, or of certain others besides them, or acts such as those of Andrew and John and the other apostles; not one of which has any ecclesiastical writer in the succession ever thought it right to mention in his writings. And furthermore, the character of the style is at variance with apostolic usage, and the thought and the purpose of the things that are related in them is so very far from true orthodoxy, that they clearly show themselves to be the fictions of heretical men; whence they are not to be placed even among the spurious writings, but are all to be cast aside as absurd and impious. Let us now proceed to the subsequent history. Menander succeeded Simon Magus, and showed himself in his conduct a second and no less powerful instrument of diabolical power than his predecessor. He also was a Samaritan, and having advanced to a summit of sorcery no less than his master, he abounded in greater marvels, saying that he was the savior sent from some invisible aeons from above for the salvation of men, teaching that no one could get the better even of the world-making angels themselves, unless he were first led through the magical experience taught by him and through the baptism which he delivered, of which those who were counted worthy would partake of an eternal immortality in this very life, no longer dying, but remaining here for ever, to be ageless and immortal. These things can be easily learned from Irenaeus. And Justin, in the same way, after mentioning Simon, adds the following account of this man, saying: ‘We know that a certain Menander, also a Samaritan, from the village of Caparattaea, who was a disciple of Simon, and was also driven mad by the demons, came to Antioch and deceived many by his magic art. He persuaded his followers that they would not die, and there are some of them now who profess this.’ It was indeed an operation of the devil, through such sorcerers who assumed the name of Christians, to endeavor to slander the great mystery of godliness by magic, and through them to tear to pieces the doctrines of the church concerning the immortality of the soul and the resurrection of the dead. But they who have inscribed these men as their saviors have fallen away from the true hope. But the evil demon, being unable to shake others from their disposition towards the Christ of God, finding them of another mind, made them his own. These the men of the first age properly called Ebionites, because they held poor and mean opinions concerning Christ. For they considered him to be a plain and common man, who was justified only by his progress in virtue, and born of the intercourse of a man and Mary. And they thought that it was necessary for them in every way to observe the ceremonial law, on the ground that they could not be saved by faith in Christ alone and by a life according to it. But there were others besides these, who were of the same name, but escaped the strange absurdity of the former, not denying that the Lord was born of a virgin and the Holy Spirit. But nevertheless, they did not in like manner with them acknowledge that he pre-existed,

ἐπιστολὴ καὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων αἱ λεγόμεναι ∆ιδαχαὶ ἔτι τε, ὡς ἔφην, ἡ Ἰωάννου Ἀποκάλυψις, εἰ φανείη· ἥν τινες, ὡς ἔφην, ἀθετοῦσιν, ἕτεροι δὲ ἐγκρίνουσιν 3.25.5 τοῖς ὁμολογουμένοις. ἤδη δ' ἐν τούτοις τινὲς καὶ τὸ καθ' Ἑβραίους εὐαγγέλιον κατέλεξαν, ᾧ μάλιστα Ἑβραίων οἱ τὸν Χριστὸν 3.25.6 παραδεξάμενοι χαίρουσιν. ταῦτα δὲ πάντα τῶν ἀντιλεγομένων ἂν εἴη, ἀναγκαίως δὲ καὶ τούτων ὅμως τὸν κατάλογον πεποιήμεθα, διακρίνοντες τάς τε κατὰ τὴν ἐκκλησιαστικὴν παράδοσιν ἀληθεῖς καὶ ἀπλάστους καὶ ἀνωμολογημένας γραφὰς καὶ τὰς ἄλλως παρὰ ταύτας, οὐκ ἐνδιαθήκους μὲν ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀντιλεγομένας, ὅμως δὲ παρὰ πλείστοις τῶν ἐκκλησιαστικῶν γινωσκομένας, ἵν' εἰδέναι ἔχοιμεν αὐτάς τε ταύτας καὶ τὰς ὀνόματι τῶν ἀποστόλων πρὸς τῶν αἱρετικῶν προφερομένας ἤτοι ὡς Πέτρου καὶ Θωμᾶ καὶ Ματθία ἢ καί τινων παρὰ τούτους ἄλλων εὐαγγέλια περιεχούσας ἢ ὡς Ἀνδρέου καὶ Ἰωάννου καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀποστόλων πράξεις· ὧν οὐδὲν οὐδαμῶς ἐν συγγράμματι τῶν κατὰ τὰς διαδοχὰς ἐκκλησιαστικῶν τις ἀνὴρ εἰς μνήμην 3.25.7 ἀγαγεῖν ἠξίωσεν, πόρρω δέ που καὶ ὁ τῆς φράσεως παρὰ τὸ ἦθος τὸ ἀποστολικὸν ἐναλλάττει χαρακτήρ, ἥ τε γνώμη καὶ ἡ τῶν ἐν αὐτοῖς φερομένων προαίρεσις πλεῖστον ὅσον τῆς ἀληθοῦς ὀρθοδοξίας ἀπᾴδουσα, ὅτι δὴ αἱρετικῶν ἀνδρῶν ἀναπλάσματα τυγχάνει, σαφῶς παρίστησιν· ὅθεν οὐδ' ἐν νόθοις αὐτὰ κατατακτέον, ἀλλ' ὡς ἄτοπα πάντῃ καὶ δυσσεβῆ παραιτητέον. 3.26.1 Ἴωμεν δὴ λοιπὸν καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν ἑξῆς ἱστορίαν. Σίμωνα τὸν μάγον Μένανδρος διαδεξάμενος, ὅπλον δεύτερον οὐ χεῖρον τοῦ προτέρου τῆς διαβολικῆς ἐνεργείας ἀποδείκνυται τὸν τρόπον. ἦν καὶ οὗτος Σαμαρεύς, εἰς ἄκρον δὲ γοητείας οὐκ ἔλαττον τοῦ διδασκάλου προελθών, μείζοσιν ἐπιδαψιλεύεται τερατολογίαις, ἑαυτὸν μὲν ὡς ἄρα εἴη, λέγων, ὁ σωτὴρ ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἄνωθέν ποθεν ἐξ ἀοράτων αἰώνων ἀπεσταλμένος σωτηρίᾳ, 3.26.2 διδάσκων δὲ μὴ ἄλλως δύνασθαί τινα καὶ αὐτῶν τῶν κοσμοποιῶν ἀγγέλων περιγενήσεσθαι, μὴ πρότερον διὰ τῆς πρὸς αὐτοῦ παραδιδομένης μαγικῆς ἐμπειρίας ἀχθέντα καὶ διὰ τοῦ μεταδιδομένου πρὸς αὐτοῦ βαπτίσματος, οὗ τοὺς καταξιουμένους ἀθανασίαν ἀΐδιον ἐν αὐτῷ τούτῳ μεθέξειν τῷ βίῳ, μηκέτι θνῄσκοντας, αὐτοῦ δὲ παραμένοντας εἰς τὸ ἀεὶ ἀγήρως τινὰς καὶ ἀθανάτους 3.26.3 ἐσομένους. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν καὶ ἐκ τῶν Εἰρηναίου διαγνῶναι ῥᾴδιον· καὶ ὁ Ἰουστῖνος δὲ κατὰ τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦ Σίμωνος μνημονεύσας, καὶ τὴν περὶ τούτου διήγησιν ἐπιφέρει, λέγων· «Μένανδρον δέ τινα καὶ αὐτὸν Σαμαρέα, τὸν ἀπὸ κώμης Καπαρατταίας, γενόμενον μαθητὴν τοῦ Σίμωνος, οἰστρηθέντα καὶ αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τῶν δαιμόνων καὶ ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ γενόμενον, πολλοὺς ἐξαπατῆσαι διὰ μαγικῆς τέχνης οἴδαμεν· ὃς καὶ τοὺς αὐτῷ ἑπομένους ὡς μὴ ἀποθνῄσκοιεν, ἔπεισεν, καὶ νῦν τινές εἰσιν, ἀπ' ἐκείνου τοῦτο ὁμολογοῦντες». 3.26.4 ἦν δ' ἄρα διαβολικῆς ἐνεργείας διὰ τοιῶνδε γοήτων τὴν Χριστιανῶν προσηγορίαν ὑποδυομένων τὸ μέγα τῆς θεοσεβείας μυστή ριον ἐπὶ μαγείᾳ σπουδάσαι διαβαλεῖν διασῦραί τε δι' αὐτῶν τὰ περὶ ψυχῆς ἀθανασίας καὶ νεκρῶν ἀναστάσεως ἐκκλησιαστικὰ δόγματα. ἀλλ' οὗτοι μὲν τούτους σωτῆρας ἐπιγραψάμενοι τῆς ἀληθοῦς ἀποπεπτώκασιν ἐλπίδος· 3.27.1 ἄλλους δ' ὁ πονηρὸς δαίμων, τῆς περὶ τὸν Χριστὸν τοῦ θεοῦ διαθέσεως ἀδυνατῶν ἐκσεῖσαι, θατεραλήπτους εὑρὼν ἐσφετερίζετο Ἐβιωναίους τούτους οἰκείως ἐπεφήμιζον οἱ πρῶτοι, πτω3.27.2 χῶς καὶ ταπεινῶς τὰ περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ δοξάζοντας. λιτὸν μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸν καὶ κοινὸν ἡγοῦντο, κατὰ προκοπὴν ἤθους αὐτὸ μόνον ἄνθρωπον δεδικαιωμένον ἐξ ἀνδρός τε κοινωνίας καὶ τῆς Μαρίας γεγεννημένον· δεῖν δὲ πάντως αὐτοῖς τῆς νομικῆς θρῃσκείας ὡς μὴ ἂν διὰ μόνης τῆς εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν πίστεως καὶ 3.27.3 τοῦ κατ' αὐτὴν βίου σωθησομένοις. ἄλλοι δὲ παρὰ τούτους τῆς αὐτῆς ὄντες προσηγορίας, τὴν μὲν τῶν εἰρημένων ἔκτοπον διεδίδρασκον ἀτοπίαν, ἐκ παρθένου καὶ ἁγίου πνεύματος μὴ ἀρνούμενοι γεγονέναι τὸν κύριον, οὐ μὴν ἔθ' ὁμοίως καὶ οὗτοι προϋπάρχειν αὐτὸν