Chapter II.—Source of the Heresy of Noetus; Cleomenes His Disciple; Its Appearance at Rome During the Episcopates of Zephyrinus and Callistus; Noetianism Opposed at Rome by Hippolytus.

There has appeared one, Noetus941    See Fragments of Hippolytus’ Works (p. 235 et seq.), edited by Fabricius; Theodoret, Hær. Fab., iii. 3; Epiphanius, Hær., lvii.; and Philastrius, Hæret., liv. Theodoret mentions Epigonus and Cleomenes, and his account is obviously adopted by Hippolytus.    [This word is an index of authenticity. See on the “Little Labyrinth,” Bunsen, i. p. 243, and Wordsworth, pp. 100, 161, and his references to Routh, Lardner, etc.] by name, and by birth a native of Smyrna. This person introduced a heresy from the tenets of Heraclitus.942    [See Tatian, vol. ii. p. 66, this series.] Now a certain man called Epigonus becomes his minister and pupil, and this person during his sojourn at Rome disseminated his godless opinion. But Cleomenes, who had become his disciple, an alien both in way of life and habits from the Church, was wont to corroborate the (Noetian) doctrine. At that time, Zephyrinus imagines that he administers the affairs of the Church943    [See note 2, cap. iii. infra., and Elucidation V.]—an uninformed and shamefully corrupt man. And he, being persuaded by proffered gain, was accustomed to connive at those who were present for the purpose of becoming disciples of Cleomenes. But (Zephyrinus) himself, being in process of time enticed away, hurried headlong944    [See Elucidation VI.] into the same opinions; and he had Callistus as his adviser, and a fellow-champion of these wicked tenets.945    [See Elucidation VI.] But the life of this (Callistus), and the heresy invented by him, I shall after a little explain.  The school of these heretics during the succession of such bishops, continued to acquire strength and augmentation, from the fact that Zephyrinus and Callistus helped them to prevail.946    [Note the emphasis and repeated statement with which our author dwells on this painful charge.] Never at any time, however, have we been guilty of collusion with them; but we have frequently offered them opposition,947    [Elucidation VI.] and have refuted them, and have forced them reluctantly to acknowledge the truth.  And they, abashed and constrained by the truth, have confessed their errors for a short period, but after a little, wallow once again in the same mire.948    2 Pet. ii. 22. [See book x. cap xxiii., p. 148, infra.]

[7] Γεγένηταί τις ὀνόματι Νοητός, τῷ γένει [ὢν] (Σ)μυρναῖος: οὗτος εἰσηγήσατο αἵρεσιν ἐκ τῶν Ἡρακλείτου δογμ(ά)των. οὗ διάκονος καὶ μαθητὴς γίνεται Ἐπίγονός τις τοὔνομα, ὃς τῇ Ῥώμῃ ἐπιδημήσας ἐπέσπειρε τὴν ἄθεον γνώμην. ᾧ μαθητεύσας Κλεομένης, καὶ βίῳ καὶ τρόπῳ [ὢν] ἀλλότριος τῆς ἐκκλησίας, ἐκράτυνε τὸ δόγμα, κατ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ Ζεφυρίνου διέπειν νομίζοντος τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, ἀνδρὸς ἰδιώτου καὶ αἰσχροκερδοῦς. [ὃς] τῷ κέρδει προσφερομένῳ πειθόμενος συνεχώρει τοῖς προσιοῦσι τῷ Κλεομένει μαθητεύεσθαι, καὶ αὐτὸς ὑποσυρόμενος τῷ χρόνῳ ἐπὶ ταῦτα ὡρμή[σα]το, συμβούλου καὶ συναγωνιστοῦ τῶν κακῶν ὄντος αὐτῷ Καλλίστου_οὗ τὸν βίον καὶ τὴν ἐφευρεθεῖσαν αἵρεσιν μετ' οὐ πολὺ ἐκθήσομαι. _τούτων [οὖν] κατὰ διαδοχὴν διέμεινε τὸ διδασκαλεῖον κρατυνόμενον καὶ ἐπαῦξον διὰ τὸ συναίρεσθαι αὐτοῖς τὸν Ζεφυρῖνον καὶ τὸν Κάλλιστον, καίτοι ἡμῶν μηδέποτε [αὐτοῖς] συγχωρησάντων, ἀλλὰ πλειστάκις ἀντικαθεστώτων πρὸς αὐτοὺς καὶ διελεγξάντων καὶ ἄκοντας βιασαμένων τὴν ἀλήθειαν ὁμολογεῖν: οἳ πρὸς μὲν ὥραν αἰδούμενοι καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς ἀληθείας συναγόμενοι ὡμολόγουν [αὐτήν], μετ' οὐ πολὺ δὲ ἐπὶ τὸν αὐτὸν βόρβορον ἀνεκυλίοντο.