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 XII.—The Docetæ.
Now the Docetæ advance assertions of this description: that the primal Deity is as a seed of the fig-tree; and that from this proceeded three Æons as the stem, and the leaves and the fruit; and that these projected thirty Æons, each (of them) ten; and that they were all united in decades, but differed only in positions, as some were before others. And (the Docetæ assert) that infinite Æons were indefinitely projected, and that all these were hermaphrodites. And (they say) that these Æons formed a design of simultaneously going together into one Æon, and that from this the intermediate Æon and from the Virgin Mary they begot a Saviour of all. And this Redeemer was like in every respect to the first seed of the fig-tree, but inferior in this respect, from the fact of His having been begotten; for the seed whence the fig-tree springs is unbegotten. This, then, was the great light of the Æons—it was entirely radiance—which receives no adornment, and comprises in itself the forms of all animals. And the Docetæ maintain that this light, on proceeding into the underlying chaos, afforded a cause (of existence) to the things that were produced, and those actually existing, and that on coming down from above it impressed on chaos beneath the forms of everlasting species. For the third Æon, which had tripled itself, when he perceives that all his characteristic attributes were forcibly drawn off into the nether darkness, and not being ignorant both of the terror of darkness and the simplicity of light, proceeded to create heaven; and after having rendered firm what intervened, He separated the darkness from the light. As all the species of the third Æon were, he says, overcome by the darkness, the figure even of this Æon became a living fire, having been generated by light. And from this (source), they allege, was generated the Great Archon, regarding whom Moses converses, saying that He is a fiery Deity and Demiurge, who also continually alters the forms of all (Æons) into bodies. And the (Docetæ) allege that these are the souls for whose sake the Saviour was begotten, and that He points out the way through which the souls will escape that are (now) overpowered (by darkness). And (the Docetæ maintain) that Jesus arrayed Himself in that only-begotten power, and that for this reason He could not be seen by any, on account of the excessive magnitude of His glory. And they say that all the occurrences took place with Him as it has been written in the Gospels.
[16] Οἱ δὲ Δοκηταὶ τοιαῦτα λέγουσιν: εἶναι τὸν πρῶτον θεὸν ὡς σπέρμα συκῆς, ἐκ δὲ τούτου ἐληλυθέναι τρεῖς αἰῶνας, ὡς τὸ πρέμνον καὶ τὰ φύλλα καὶ τὸν καρπόν. τούτους δὲ προβεβληκέναι τριάκοντα αἰῶνας, ἕκαστον [δέκα]: ἡνῶσθαι δὲ αὐτοὺς κατὰ δέκα πάντας, μόνον δὲ θέσει διαφέρειν τινὰς τινῶν [ὡς] πρώτους, [δευτέρους καὶ τρίτους]. προβεβλῆσθαι δὲ [αὐτοὺς] ἀπειράκις ἀπείρους αἰῶνας, καὶ εἶναι τοὺς πάντας ἀρρενοθήλεας. τούτους δὲ βουλευσαμένους, [πάντας] ὁμοῦ συνελθόντας εἰς τὸν μέσον αἰῶνα γεννῆσαι ἐκ παρθένου Μαρίας σωτῆρα τῶν πάντων, κατὰ πάντα ὅμοιον τῷ πρώτῳ [σώματι ἐν] σπέρματι [τῷ] συκίνῳ, ἑν[ὶ] δὲ τούτῳ ἥττονα, τῷ γεννητὸν εἶναι: τὸ γὰρ [πρῶτον] σπέρμα, ὅθεν ἡ συκῆ, ἀγέννητον. Ἦν οὖν τὸ μέγα τῶν αἰώνων [πλήρωμα] φῶς ὅλον, οὐδεμίαν ἐπιδεχόμενον κόσμησιν, ἔχον ἐν ἑαυτῷ πάντων τῶν ζῴων ἰδέας: τοῦτο [δὲ] ἐπιφοιτῆσαν εἰς τὸ ὑποκείμενον χάος παρεσχηκέναι αἰτίαν [πᾶσι] τοῖς γεγονόσι καὶ οὖσι: καταβα[σῶ]ν γὰρ ἄνωθεν [ἁπασῶν τῶν] ἰδεῶν αἰωνίων ἀπεμάξατο τὸ κάτω χάος τὰς μορφάς. ὁ δὲ τρίτος αἰών, ὁ ἑαυτὸν τριπλασιάσας, ὁρῶν τοὺς χαρακτῆρας αὑτοῦ πάντας κατασπωμένους εἰς τὸ κάτω σ(κ)ότος, οὐκ ἀγνοῶν τήν τε τοῦ σκότους δεινότητα καὶ τὴν τ(ο)ῦ φωτὸς ἀφειλότητα, ἐποίησεν οὐρανόν, καὶ μέσον πήξας «διεχώρισεν ἀ(νὰ) μέσον τοῦ σκότους καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ φωτός». πασῶν οὖν τῶν ἰδεῶν τοῦ τρίτου αἰῶνος καὶ αὐτοῦ τὸ ἐκτύπωμα κρατεῖσθαί φασιν ὑπὸ τοῦ σκότους, [ὃ] πῦρ [ὢν αὖθις] ζῶν ἀπὸ [τοῦ] φωτὸς γενόμενον ὑπῆρξεν. ἐξ οὗ φάσκουσι τὸν μέγαν ἄρχοντα γεγονέναι, περὶ οὗ Μωϋσῆς ὁμιλεῖ, λέγων εἶναι τοῦτον θεὸν πύρινον καὶ δημιουργόν. ὃς καὶ τὰς ἰδέας πάντων [τῶν ζῴων] μεταβάλλει ἀεὶ εἰς σώμα[τα], ταύτας τὰς [ἰδέας] ψυχὰς [καλοῦντες]. Οὗ χάριν [φ]άσκουσι τὸν σωτῆρα παραγενηθῆναι, ἐπιδεικνύντα τὴν ὁδὸν δι' ἧς φεύξονται αἱ κρατούμεναι ψυχαί. ἐνδεδύσθαι δέ [φασι] τὸν Ἰησοῦν τὴν δύναμιν ἐκείνην τὴν μονογενῆ: διὸ μὴ δύνασθαι θεαθῆναι ὑπό τινος [τῶν αἰώνων], μεταλλ[αξ]ομένων διὰ τὸ μέγεθος τῆς δόξης [αὐτοῦ]. πάντα δὲ συμβεβηκέναι αὐτῷ φασι καθὰ ἐν τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις γέγραπται.