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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 XXVI.—Valentinus’ Explanation of the Existence of Christ and the Spirit.
Ignorance, therefore, having arisen within the Pleroma in consequence of Sophia, and shapelessness in consequence of the offspring of Sophia, confusion arose in the Pleroma. (For all) the Æons that were begotten (became overwhelmed with apprehension, imagining) that in like manner formless and incomplete progenies of the Æons should be generated; and that some destruction, at no distant period, should at length seize upon the Æons. All the Æons, then, betook themselves to supplication of the Father, that he would tranquillize the sorrowing Sophia; for she continued weeping and bewailing on account of the abortion produced by her,—for so they term it. The Father, then, compassionating the tears of Sophia, and accepting the supplication of the Æons, orders a further projection. For he did not, (Valentinus) says, himself project, but Nous and Aletheia (projected) Christ and the Holy Spirit for the restoration of Form, and the destruction of the abortion, and (for) the consolation and cessation of the groans of Sophia. And thirty Æons came into existence along with Christ and the Holy Spirit. Some of these (Valentinians) wish that this should be a triacontad of Æons, whereas others desire that Sige should exist along with the Father, and that the Æons should be reckoned along with them.
Christ, therefore, being additionally projected, and the Holy Spirit, by Nous and Aletheia, immediately this abortion of Sophia, (which was) shapeless, (and) born of herself only, and generated without conjugal intercourse, separates from the entire of the Æons, lest the perfect Æons, beholding this (abortion), should be disturbed by reason of its shapelessness. In order, then, that the shapelessness of the abortion might not at all manifest itself to the perfect Æons, the Father also again projects additionally one Æon, viz., Staurus. And he being begotten great, as from a mighty and perfect father, and being projected for the guardianship and defence of the Æons, becomes a limit of the Pleroma, having within itself all the thirty Æons together, for these are they that had been projected. Now this (Æon) is styled Horos, because he separates from the Pleroma the Hysterema that is outside. And (he is called) Metocheus, because he shares also in the Hysterema. And (he is denominated) Staurus, because he is fixed inflexibly and inexorably, so that nothing of the Hysterema can come near the Æons who are within the Pleroma. Outside, then, Horos, (or) Metocheus,665 Or, “Metagogeus”(see Irenæus, i. 1, 2, iii. 1). (or) Staurus, is the Ogdoad, as it is called, according to them, and is that Sophia which is outside the Pleroma, which (Sophia) Christ, who was additionally projected by Nous and Aletheia, formed and made a perfect Æon so that in no respect she should be inferior in power to any of the Æons within the Pleroma.666 Bunsen corrects the passage, “So that she should not be inferior to any of the Æons, or unequal (in power) to any (of them).” Since, however, Sophia was formed outside, and it was not possible and equitable that Christ and the Holy Spirit, who were projected from Nous and Aletheia, should remain outside the Pleroma, Christ hurried away, and the Holy Spirit, from her who had had shape imparted to her, unto Nous and Aletheia within the Limit, in order that with the rest of the Æons they might glorify the Father.
[31] Γενομένης οὖν ἐντὸς πληρώματος ἀγνοίας κατὰ τὴν Σοφίαν καὶ ἀμορφίας κατὰ τὸ γέν[ν]ημα τῆς Σοφίας, θόρυβος [καὶ φόβος] ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ πληρώματι [οἱ αἰῶνες οἱ γενόμενοι], ὅτι παραπλησίως ἄμορφα καὶ ἀτελῆ γενήσεται τῶν αἰώνων τὰ γεννήματα, καὶ φθορά τις καταλήψεται οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν πάντας τοὺς αἰῶνας. κατέφυγον οὖν πάντες οἱ αἰῶνες ἐπὶ δέησιν τοῦ Πατρός, ἵνα λυπουμένην τὴν Σοφίαν ἀναπαύσῃ: ἔκλαιε γὰρ καὶ κατωδύρετο ἐπὶ τῷ γεγεν[ν]ημένῳ ὑπ' αὐτῆς ἐκτρώματι_οὕτω γὰρ [αὐτὸ] καλοῦσιν: _ἐλεήσας οὖν ὁ Πατὴρ τὰ δάκρυα τῆς Σοφίας καὶ προσδεξάμενος τῶν αἰών(ων) τὴν δέησιν, ἐπιπροβαλεῖν κελεύ(ει)_ οὐ γὰρ αὐτός, φησί, προέβαλεν, ἀλλὰ ὁ Νοῦς (κ)αὶ ἡ Ἀλήθεια_Χριστὸν καὶ Πνεῦμα ἅγιον εἰς μόρφωσιν καὶ διόρθωσιν τοῦ ἐκτρώματος, καὶ παραμυθίαν καὶ διαν(ά)παυσιν τῶν τῆς Σοφίας στεναγμῶν. καὶ γίνονται τριάκοντα [οἱ] αἰῶνες μετὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος: τινὲς μὲν οὖν αὐτῶν ταύτῃ εἶναι θέλουσι τὴν τριακοντάδα τῶν αἰώνων, τινὲς δὲ συνυπάρχειν τῷ Πατρὶ Σιγὴν καὶ σὺν αὐτοῖς καταριθμεῖσθαι τοὺς αἰῶνας θέ(λο)υσι(ν). ἐπιπροβληθεὶς οὖν ὁ Χριστὸς καὶ τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα ὑπὸ τοῦ Νοῦ καὶ τῆς (Ἀ)ληθείας, εὐθέως τὸ ἔκτρωμα τὸ ἄμορφον τοῦτο τῆς Σοφίας μονογενὲς καὶ δίχα συζύγου γεγεν[ν]ημένον ἀποχωρίζει τῶν ἄλλων αἰώνων, ἵνα μὴ βλέποντες αὐτὸ ταράσσωνται διὰ τὴν ἀμορφίαν οἱ τέλειοι αἰῶνες. Ἵν' οὖν μηδ' ὅλως τοῖς αἰῶσι τοῖς τελείοις καταφανῇ τοῦ ἐκτρώματος ἡ ἀμορφία, πάλιν καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἐπιπροβάλλει αἰῶνα ἕνα, τὸν Σταυρόν: ὃς γεγεννημένος μέγας_ὡς [ἐκ] μεγάλου καὶ τελείου πατρός_, εἰς φρουρὰν καὶ χαράκωμα τῶν αἰώνων προβεβλημένος, Ὅρος γίνεται τοῦ πληρώματος, ἔχων ἐντὸς ἑαυτοῦ πάντας ὁμοῦ τοὺς τριάκοντα αἰῶνας: [τοσ]οῦτοι γάρ εἰσιν οἱ προβεβλημένοι. καλεῖται δὲ Ὅρος μὲν οὗτος, ὅτι ἀφορίζει ἀπὸ τοῦ πληρώ(μ)ατος ἔξω τὸ ὑστέρημα, Μετοχεὺς δέ, ὅτι μετέχει καὶ τοῦ ὑστερήματος, Σταυρὸς δέ, ὅτι πέπηγεν ἀκλινῶς καὶ ἀμετανοήτως, ὡς μὴ δύνασθαι μηδὲν τοῦ ὑστερήματος καταγενέσθαι ἐγγὺς τῶν ἐντὸς πληρώματος αἰώνων. Ἔξω οὖν τοῦ Ὅρου, τοῦ Σταυροῦ, τοῦ Μετοχέως ἐστὶν ἡ καλουμένη κατ' αὐτοὺς Ὀγδοάς, ἥτις ἐστὶν ἡ ἐκτὸς πληρώματος Σοφία: ἣν ὁ Χριστὸς [ὁ] ἐπιπροβληθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ Νοῦ καὶ τῆς Ἀληθείας ἐμόρφωσε καὶ ἀπειργάσατο τέλειον αἰῶνα, οὐδέν [τ]ι τῶν ἐντὸς πληρώματος χείρον(α) δυν(άμ)ε(νο)ν γενέσθαι. ἐπειδὴ δὲ μεμόρφωτο ἡ Σοφία [ἡ] ἔξω, καὶ οὐχ οἷόν τε ἦν [κατ'] ἴσον τὸν Χριστὸν καὶ τὸ ἅγιον [Πνεῦμα, τὸ] ἐκ τοῦ Νοὸς προβεβλημένον καὶ τῆς Ἀληθείας, ἔξω τοῦ πληρώματος μένειν, ἀνέδραμεν ἀπὸ τῆς μεμορφωμένης ὁ Χριστὸς καὶ τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα πρὸς τὸν Νοῦν καὶ τὴν Ἀλήθειαν, [ἵν'] ἐντὸς τοῦ Ὅρου ᾖ, μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων αἰώνων δοξάζων τὸν Πατέρα.