Chapter XIX.—The Justinian Heresy Unfolded in the “Book of Baruch.”

But swear, says Justinus, if you wish to know “what eye hath not seen, and ear hath not heard, and the things which have not entered into the heart;”541    Isa. lxiv. 4; 1 Cor. ii. 9. that is, if you wish to know Him who is good above all, Him who is more exalted, (swear) that you will preserve the secrets (of the Justinian) discipline, as intended to be kept silent. For also our Father, on beholding the Good One, and on being initiated with Him, preserved the mysteries respecting which silence is enjoined, and sware, as it has been written, “The Lord sware, and will not repent.”542    Ps. cx. 4; Heb. vii. 21. Having, then, in this way set the seal to these tenets, he seeks to inveigle (his followers) with more legends, (which are detailed) through a greater number of books; and so he conducts (his readers) to the Good One, consummating the initiated (by admitting them into) the unspeakable Mysteries.543    Or, “the rest of the Mysteries.” In order, however, that we may not wade through more of their volumes, we shall illustrate the ineffable Mysteries (of Justinus) from one book of his, inasmuch as, according to his supposition, it is (a work) of high repute. Now this volume is inscribed Baruch; and one fabulous account out of many which is explained by (Justinus) in this (volume), we shall point out, inasmuch as it is to be found in Herodotus. But after imparting a different shape to this (account), he explains it to his pupils as if it were something novel, being under the impression that the entire arrangement of his doctrine (springs) out of it.

[24] Ὄμνυε δέ, φησὶν Ἰουστῖνος, εἰ γνῶναι θέλεις «ἃ ὀφθαλμὸς οὐκ εἶδε καὶ οὖς οὐκ ἤκουσεν οὐδ' ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου ἀνέβη», τὸν ἐπάνω πάντων, [τὸν] ἀγαθόν, [τὸν ἀνώτερον] ἄρρητα φυλάξαι τὰ τῆς διδασκαλίας σιγώμενα. καὶ γὰρ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν, ἰδὼν τὸν ἀγαθὸν καὶ τελεσθεὶς παρ' αὐτῷ, τὰ τῆς σιγῆς ἄρρητα ἐφύλαξε καὶ ὤμοσε, καθὼς γέγραπται: «ὤμοσε κύριος καὶ οὐ μεταμεληθήσεται». ταῦτα τοίνυν οὕτω κατασφραγισάμενος πλείοσι μύθοις ψυχαγωγεῖ διὰ πλειόνων βιβλίων καὶ οὕτως ἐπὶ τὸν ἀγαθὸν ἄγει, τελειῶν τοὺς μύστας τὰ ἄλ[α]λα μυστήρια. ἵνα [δ' εὐθὺ] καὶ μὴ διὰ πλειόνων ὁδεύσωμεν, ἐκ μιᾶς αὐτοῦ βίβλου τὰ ἄρρητα ἐπιδείξομεν, οὔσης, καθὼς [αὐτὸς] νομίζει, ἐνδόξου. αὕτη δὲ ἐπιγράφεται Βαρούχ: ἐν ᾗ μίαν τῶν πολλῶν μυθολογίαν ἐκτιθεμένην ὑπ' αὐτοῦ δηλώσομεν [προ]οῦσαν παρὰ Ἡροδότῳ: ἣν ὡς ξένην τοῖς ἀκροαταῖς παραπλάσας διηγεῖται, ἐξ αὐτῆς πᾶσαν σύστασιν τοῦ κατ' αὐτὸν διδασκαλ[ε]ίου ποιούμενος.