Hippolytus of Rome, The Refutation of All Heresies

Others, however, styling themselves Encratites, acknowledge some things concerning God and Christ in like manner with the Church. In respect, however, of their mode of life, they pass their days inflated with pride. They suppose, that by meats they magnify themselves, while abstaining from animal food, (and) being water-drinkers, and forbidding to marry, and devoting themselves during the remainder of life to habits of asceticism. But persons of this description are estimated Cynics rather than Christians, inasmuch as they do not attend unto the words spoken against them through the Apostle Paul. Now he, predicting the novelties that were to be hereafter introduced ineffectually by certain (heretics), made a statement thus: “The Spirit speaketh expressly, In the latter times certain will depart from sound doctrine, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, uttering falsehoods in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, to abstain from meats, which God has created to be partaken of with thanksgiving by the faithful, and those who know the truth; because every creature of God is good, and nothing to be rejected which is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.”932 1 Tim. iv. 1–5. This voice, then, of the blessed Paul, is sufficient for the refutation of those who live in this manner, and plume themselves on being just;933 [This, Tertullian should have learned. How happily Keble, in his Christian Year, gives it in sacred verse:— “We need not bid, for cloister’d cell, Our neighbour and our work farewell, Nor strive to wind ourselves too high For sinful man beneath the sky: “The trivial round, the common task, Would furnish all we ought to ask; Room to deny ourselves; a road To bring us daily nearer God.”] (and) for the purpose of proving that also, this (tenet of the Encratites) constitutes a heresy. But even though there have been denominated certain other heresies—I mean those of the Cainites,934 Those did homage to Cain. Ophites,935 The Ophites are not considered, as Hippolytus has already devoted so much of his work to the Naasseni. The former denomination is derived from the Greek, and the latter from the Hebrew, and both signify worshippers of the serpent. or Noachites,936 Hippolytus seemingly makes this a synonyme with Ophites. Perhaps it is connected with the Hebrew word נָחָשׁ and of others of this description—I have not deemed it requisite to explain the things said or done by these, lest on this account they may consider themselves somebody, or deserving of consideration. Since, however, the statements concerning these appear to be sufficient, let us pass on to the cause of evils to all, (viz.,) the heresy of the Noetians. Now, after we have laid bare the root of this (heresy), and stigmatized openly the venom, as it were, lurking within it, let us seek to deter from an error of this description those who have been impelled into it by a violent spirit, as it were by a swollen torrent.

[20] Ἕτεροι δέ, ἑαυτοὺς ἀποκαλοῦντες Ἐγκρατίτας, τὰ μὲν περὶ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὁμοίως [καὶ] τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ ὁμολογοῦσι, περὶ δὲ [τὴν] πολιτείαν πεφυσιωμένως ἀναστρέφονται, ἑαυτοὺς διὰ βρωμάτων [ἀποχῆς] δοξάζειν νομίζοντες, ἀπεχόμενοι ἐμψύχων, ὑδροποτοῦντες καὶ γαμεῖν κωλύοντες, καὶ τῷ λοιπῷ βίῳ καταξήρως προσέχοντες, μᾶλλον [ἂν] Κυνικοὶ ἢ Χριστιανοὶ οἱ τοιοῦτοι κρινόμενοι. οὐ προσέχουσι δὲ τοῖς διὰ τοῦ ἀποστόλου Παύλου εἰς αὐτοὺς προειρημένοις: ὃς προφητεύων τὰ μέλλοντα ὑπό τινων μάτην καινίζεσθαι, οὕτως ἔφη: «Τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα ῥητῶς λέγει: ἐν ὑστέροις καιροῖς ἀποστήσονταί τινες τῆς ὑγιαινούσης διδασκαλίας, προσέχοντες πνεύμασι πλάνοις καὶ διδασκαλίαις δαιμονίων, ἐν ὑποκρίσει ψευδολόγων, κεκαυστηριασμένων τὴν ἰδίαν συνείδησιν, κωλυόντων γαμεῖν, ἀπέχεσθαι βρωμάτων, ἃ ὁ θεὸς ἔκτισεν εἰς μετάληψιν μετὰ εὐχαριστίας τοῖς πιστοῖς καὶ ἐπεγνωκόσι τὴν ἀλήθειαν. ὅτι πᾶν κτίσμα θεοῦ καλόν, καὶ οὐδὲν ἀπόβλητον μετὰ εὐχαριστίας λαμβανόμενον: ἁγιάζεται γὰρ διὰ λόγου θεοῦ καὶ ἐντεύξεως». ἱκανὴ μὲν οὖν αὕτη ἡ φωνὴ τοῦ μακαρίου Παύλου πρὸς ἔλεγχον τῶν οὕτως βιούντων καὶ σεμνυνομένων [ὡς] δικαίων, [καὶ] εἰς τὸ δεῖξαι ὅτι καὶ τοῦτο αἵρεσις. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἕτεραί τινες αἱρέσεις ὠνομάζοντο, [οἷον] Καϊνῶν, Ὀφιτῶν ἢ Νοαχιτῶν καὶ ἑτέρων τοιούτων, οὐκ (ἀν)αγκαῖον ἥγημαι [καὶ] τὰ ὑπ' αὐτῶν λεγόμενα [ἢ γινόμενα] ἐκθέσθαι, ἵ(ν)α μὴ κἂν [ἐν] [διὰ] τοῦτό τινος αὑτοὺς [ἢ] λόγου ἀξίους ἡγῶνται. ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ καὶ τὰ περὶ τούτων αὐτάρκη δοκεῖ [ἡμῖν] εἶναι, παρέλθωμεν ἐπὶ τὴν πᾶσι τῶν κακῶν αἰτίαν [γενομένην] αἵρεσι[ν] Νοητιανῶν, [ὅπως] τήν τε ῥίζαν αὐτῆς ἀναπτύξαντες καὶ τὸν ἐνδ[ομ]υχοῦντα ἰὸν εἰ[ς] φανερὸν [ἀγαγόντες καὶ δι]ελέγξαντες, παύσωμεν τῆς τοιαύτης πλάνης τοὺς ἀπαγομένους ὑπὸ πνεύματος βιαίου δίκην χειμ(άρ)ρ(ου).