Hippolytus of Rome, The Refutation of All Heresies

Justinus539 What Hippolytus here states respecting Justinus is quite new. No mention occurs of this heretic in ecclesiastical history. It is evident, however, that, like Simon Magus, he was contemporary with St. Peter and St. Paul. Justinus, however, and the Ophitic sect to which he belonged, are assigned by Hippolytus and Irenæus a prior position as regards the order of their appearance to the system of Simon, or its offshoot Valentinianism. The Ophites engrafted Phrygian Judaism, and the Valentinians Gentilism, upon Christianity; the former not rejecting the speculations and mysteries of Asiatic paganism, and the latter availing themselves of the cabalistic corruptions of Judaism. The Judaistic element soon became prominent in successive phases of Valentinianism, which produced a fusion of the sects of the old Gnostics and of Simon. Hippolytus, however, now places the Ophitic sect before us prior to its amalgamation with Valentinianism. Here, for the first time, we have an authentic delineation of the primitive Ophites. This is of great value. [See Irenæus, vol. i., this series, p. 354; also Bunsen (on Baur), vol. i. p. 42.] was entirely opposed to the teaching of the holy Scriptures, and moreover to the written or oral teaching of the blessed evangelists, according as the Logos was accustomed to instruct His disciples, saying, “Go not into the way of the Gentiles;”540 Matt. x. 5. and this signifies that they should not attend to the futile doctrine of the Gentiles. This (heretic) endeavours to lead on his hearers into an acknowledgment of prodigies detailed by the Gentiles, and of doctrines inculcated by them. And he narrates, word for word, legendary accounts prevalent among the Greeks, and does not previously teach or deliver his perfect mystery, unless he has bound his dupe by an oath. Then he brings forward (these) fables for the purpose of persuasion, in order that they who are conversant with the incalculable trifling of these books may have some consolation in the details of these legends. Thus it happens as when in like manner one making a long journey deems it expedient, on having fallen in with an inn, to take repose. And so it is that, when once more they are induced to turn towards studying the diffuse doctrine of these lectures, they may not abhor them while they, undergoing instruction unnecessarily prolix, rush stupified into the transgression devised by (Justinus); and previously he binds his followers with horrible oaths, neither to publish nor abjure these doctrines, and forces upon them an acknowledgment (of their truth). And in this manner he delivers the mysteries impiously discovered by himself, partly, according to the statements previously made, availing himself of the Hellenic legends, and partly of those pretended books which, to some extent, bear a resemblance to the foresaid heresies. For all, forced together by one spirit, are drawn into one profound abyss of pollution, inculcating the same tenets, and detailing the same legends, each after a different method. All those, however, style themselves Gnostics in this peculiar sense, that they alone themselves have imbibed the marvellous knowledge of the Perfect and Good (Being).

[23] Ἰουστῖνος πάντῃ ἐναντίος τῇ τῶν ἁγίων γραφῶν γενόμενος διδαχῇ, προσέτι δὲ καὶ τῇ τῶν μακαρίων εὐαγγελι[στ]ῶν [γραφῇ ἢ] φωνῇ ὡς ἐδίδασκεν ὁ Λόγος τοὺς μαθητὰς λέγων: «εἰς ὁδὸν ἐθνῶν μὴ ἀπέλθητε»_ὅπερ δηλοῖ μὴ προσέχειν τῇ τῶν ἐθνῶν ματαίᾳ διδασκαλίᾳ_, οὗτος ἐπὶ τὰ ἐθνῶν τερατολογούμενα καὶ διδασκόμενα ἀπαγαγεῖν πειρᾶται τοὺς ἀκροωμένους, αὐτολεξεὶ τὰ παρ' Ἕλλησι μυθευόμενα διηγούμενος, οὐ [δέ] γε πρότερον διδάξας οὔτε παραδοὺς τὸ τέλειον αὐτοῦ μυστήριον, εἰ μὴ ὅρκῳ δήσῃ τὸν πλανώμενον. ἔπειτα τοὺς μύθους παρατίθησι ψυχαγωγίας χάριν, ὅπως οἱ ἐντυγχάνοντες τῇ τῶν βίβλων [αὐτοῦ] ἀναριθμ[ήτ]ῳ φλυαρίᾳ παραμύθιον ἔχωσι τὰ μυθευόμενα_ὃν τρόπον εἴ τις ὁδὸν μακρὰν βαδίζων, παρατυχὼν καταλύματι ἀναπαύεσθαι δοκεῖ_, καὶ οὕτως πάλιν ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν ἀναγνωσμάτων [ὁδὸν] τραπέντες πολυμάθειαν μὴ μισήσωσιν, ἕως ἐπὶ τὸ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ τεχναζόμενον ἀνόμημα [καὶ] διὰ πλειόνων ἐξηχηθὲν ὁρμήσωσι τετυφωμένοι. οὓς φρικτοῖς καταδήσας πρότερον ὅρκοις μήτε ἐξειπεῖν μήτε ἀποστῆναι [καὶ] ὁμολογεῖν ἀναγκάσας, οὕτω παραδίδωσι τὰ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἐφευρημένα μετὰ ἀσεβείας μυστήρια, πῇ μέν, καθὰ προείπομεν, μύθοις Ἑλληνικοῖς χρησάμενος, πῇ δὲ παραπεποιημένοις βιβλίοις, κατά τι παρεμφαίνουσι [τὰ δόξαντα] ταῖς προειρημέναις αἱρέσεσιν. οἱ πάντες γὰρ [γνωστικοὶ] ἑνὶ πνεύματι συνωθούμενοι εἰς ἕνα βυθὸν ἀμάρας συνάγονται, ἄλλοι ἄλλως τὰ αὐτὰ διηγούμενοι καὶ μυθεύοντες: οὗτοι δὲ ἰδίως [οἳ πάντες] γνωστικοὺς ἑαυτοὺς ἀποκαλοῦσιν, [ὡσὰν] τὴν θαυμασίαν γνῶσιν τοῦ τελείου καὶ ἀγαθοῦ μόνοι καταπεπωκότες.