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for the moment to do no harm to the one bitten, but in time to destroy the body and to bring the one attacked to the mutilation of a corpse, even of all the limbs. So also this heresy * in thought appears as nothing * to those who hear of these things immediately, but when the prolixity of the arguments is rubbed in, it creates problems and like a destruction for those who do not happen to have the help of this antidote, the refutation and contradiction made by us against it. But the creature does not appear quickly. For it moves at night and thus works its harm, especially in the land of the Egyptians, as it must be known by those who understand the knowledge of the creature, that we have made mention of the creature's nature not carelessly nor slanderously, having compared it to the harm from the heresy; for such is its transgression. And next I shall proceed to the others, so that having been deemed worthy to fulfill the promise in God, we may give thanks to God. 2.338 Against the Bardesianists, 30, but of the sequence, 50. 1. Next after these follows a certain Bardesanes so-called. This Bardesanes, from whom the heresy of the Bardesianists has arisen, was by birth from Mesopotamia, of those living in the city of the Edessenes. Who at first was a most excellent man, and wrote not a few discourses, when he had a sound mind. For he came from the holy church of God, being eloquent in two languages, both the Greek dialect and the Syriac tongue. And at first being intimate with and collaborating with Abgar, the ruler of the Edessenes, a most holy and most learned man, and at the same time having partaken of his education, he continued 2.339 after his death until the times of Antoninus Caesar, not the one called Pius, but Verus. Who reasoned many things against fate in discourse with Abeidas the astronomer, and other treatises of his in accordance with the pious faith are extant. And he stood against Apollonius, the companion of Antoninus, refusing 2.340 to deny that he called himself a Christian. and he stood almost in the rank of confession and he gave wise speeches, bravely defending piety, saying that he did not fear death, which he said would of necessity come, even if he did not speak against the emperor. And so the man was greatly adorned in all things, until he fell into the error of his own heresy, becoming like a most beautiful ship laden with an incomparable cargo and being shattered against the banks of the harbor, and having lost its entire merchandise and having brought death to the other passengers. 2. For he was corrupted by the Valentinians and from their wickedness he draws up this poison, full of tares, and having himself introduced many principles and projections and having denied the resurrection of the dead, he taught this heresy. And he uses the law and the prophets, both the old and new testament, and certain 2.341 apocrypha likewise. And he too shall be overthrown with all those before him and after him, having alienated himself from the truth and having been changed as from a bright torch of fire into soot. For concerning the resurrection of the dead, it has already been said by us in many heresies; but it will not be grievous to use a few words again in the refutation against this man. For if you accept the old testament, O you, and the new likewise, from where will you not be refuted, corrupting the way of truth and alienating yourself from the life of the Lord in truth? For that the Lord himself first, so that he might become for us a pledge of the resurrection and firstborn from the dead, both died for us and rose, is clear. And he did not suffer simply in appearance; for he was buried and they carried his body. And Joseph of Arimathea testifies, and the women bringing myrrh to the tomb testify, and the hundred pounds of aloe

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πρὸς μὲν τὴν ὥραν μηδὲν ἀδικεῖν τὸν δακνόμενον, χρόνῳ δέ τινι τὸ σῶμα ἀφανίζειν καὶ εἰς λώβησιν κελεφίας ἕως ὅλων τῶν μελῶν ἄγειν τὸν ἐπιβουλευθέντα. οὕτω καὶ αὕτη ἡ αἵρεσις * τῇ διανοίᾳ τοῖς εὐθὺς περὶ τούτων ἀκούσασι φαίνεται ὡς οὐδὲν *, προσεντριβομένη δὲ ἡ τῶν λόγων παρολκὴ ζητήματα ἐμποιεῖ καὶ ὥσπερ ἀφανισμὸν τοῖς μὴ τυχοῦσι τοῦ βοηθήματος τῆς ἀντιδότου ταύτης, τῆς παρ' ἡμῶν γενομένης κατ' αὐτῆς ἀνατροπῆς τε καὶ ἀντιλογίας. οὐ τάχιον δὲ φαίνεται τὸ ζῷον. ἐν νυκτὶ γάρ ἐστι πορευόμενον καὶ οὕτω τὴν βλάβην ἐργάζεται, μάλιστα δὲ ἐν τῇ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων χώρᾳ, ὡς ἰστέον ἐστὶ τοῖς τὴν γνῶσιν τοῦ ζῴου ἐπισταμένοις, ὅτι οὐ παρέργως οὔτε σεσυκοφαντημένως τῆς τοῦ ζῴου ὑποθέσεως πεποιήμεθα τὴν μνήμην, ἀπεικάσαντες αὐτὸ τῇ παρὰ τῆς αἱρέσεως βλάβῃ· τοιοῦτο γὰρ αὐτῆς τὸ ἀδίκημα ὑπάρχει. ἐφεξῆς δὲ βαδιοῦμαι ἐπὶ τὰς ἄλλας, ὅπως τὸ ἐπάγγελμα ἐν θεῷ πληρῶσαι καταξιωθέντες τῷ θεῷ εὐχαριστήσωμεν. 2.338 Κατὰ Βαρδησιανιστῶν ˉλˉ, τῆς δὲ ἀκολουθίας ˉνˉ. 1. Τούτοις καθεξῆς συνέπεται Βαρδησιάνης τις οὕτω καλούμενος. ὁ δὲ Βαρδησιάνης οὗτος, ἐξ οὗπερ ἡ αἵρεσις τῶν Βαρδησιανιστῶν γεγένηται, ἐκ Μεσοποταμίας μὲν τὸ γένος ἦν, τῶν κατὰ τὴν Ἐδεσσηνῶν πόλιν κατοικούντων. ὃς τὰ μὲν πρῶτα ἄριστός τις ἀνὴρ ἐτύγχανε, λόγους δὲ οὐκ ὀλίγους συνεγράψατο, ὁπηνίκα ἐρρωμένην εἶχε τὴν διάνοιαν. ἐκ γὰρ τῆς ἁγίας τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκκλησίας ὡρμᾶτο, λόγιός τις ὢν ἐν ταῖς δυσὶ γλώσσαις, Ἑλληνικῇ τε διαλέκτῳ καὶ τῇ τῶν Σύρων φωνῇ. Αὐγάρῳ δὲ τῷ τῶν Ἐδεσσηνῶν δυνάστῃ, ἀνδρὶ ὁσιωτάτῳ καὶ λογιωτάτῳ, ἐξοικειούμενος τὰ πρῶτα καὶ συμπράττων, ἅμα τε καὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ μετασχὼν παιδείας, διήρκεσε μὲν 2.339 μετὰ τὴν ἐκείνου τελευτὴν ἄχρι τῶν χρόνων Ἀντωνίνου Καίσαρος, οὐ τοῦ Εὐσεβοῦς καλουμένου, ἀλλὰ τοῦ Οὐήρου. ὃς πολλὰ πρὸς Ἀβειδὰν τὸν ἀστρονόμον κατὰ εἱμαρμένης λέγων συνελογίσατο, καὶ ἄλλα δὲ κατὰ τὴν εὐσεβῆ πίστιν ἐμφέρεται αὐτοῦ συντάγματα. Ἀπολλωνίῳ δὲ τῷ τοῦ Ἀντωνίνου ἑταίρῳ ἀντῆρε, παραιτούμενος 2.340 ἀρνήσασθαι τὸ Χριστιανὸν ἑαυτὸν λέγειν. ὁ δὲ σχεδὸν ἐν τάξει ὁμολογίας κατέστη λόγους τε συνετοὺς ἀπεκρίνατο ὑπὲρ εὐσεβείας ἀνδρείως ἀπολογούμενος, θάνατον μὴ δεδιέναι φήσας, ὃν ἀνάγκῃ ἔφη ἔσεσθαι, κἄν τε τῷ βασιλεῖ μὴ ἀντείποι. καὶ οὕτως ὁ ἀνὴρ τὰ πάντα μεγάλως ἦν κεκοσμημένος, ἕως ὅτε τῷ ἀστοχήματι τῆς ἑαυτοῦ αἱρέσεως περιέπεσε, δίκην νηὸς γεγονὼς καλλίστης φόρτον τε ἀσυνείκαστον ἐμβαλλομένης καὶ παρὰ τὰς ὄχθας τοῦ λιμένος λακισθείσης ἀπολεσάσης τε τὴν ἅπασαν πραγματείαν καὶ ἑτέροις τοῖς ἐπιβάταις θάνατον ἐμποιησάσης. 2. Προσφθείρεται γὰρ οὗτος Οὐαλεντίνοις καὶ ἐκ τῆς αὐτῶν μοχθηρίας ἀνιμᾶται τὸ δηλητήριον τοῦτο καὶ ζιζανιῶδες, πολλάς τε καὶ αὐτὸς ἀρχὰς καὶ προβολὰς εἰσηγησάμενος καὶ τὴν τῶν νεκρῶν ἀνάστασιν ἀρνησάμενος ἐδογμάτισε ταύτην τὴν αἵρεσιν. χρῆται δὲ νόμῳ καὶ προφήταις, παλαιᾷ τε καὶ νέᾳ διαθήκῃ, καὶ ἀπο2.341 κρύφοις τισὶν ὡσαύτως. ἀνατραπήσεται δὲ καὶ οὗτος μετὰ πάντων τῶν πρὸ αὐτοῦ τε καὶ τῶν μετ' αὐτὸν ἀπαλλοτριώσας ἑαυτὸν τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ ὡς ἀπὸ λαμπάδος πυρὸς φωτεινῆς εἰς ἀσβόλην μεταβεβλημένος. Περὶ μὲν γὰρ νεκρῶν ἀναστάσεως ἤδη ἡμῖν ἐν πολλαῖς αἱρέσεσιν εἴρηται· οὐ λυπήσει δὲ καὶ αὖθις ἐν τῇ πρὸς τοῦτον ἀνατροπῇ χρήσασθαι ὀλίγοις λόγοις. εἰ μὲν γὰρ τὴν παλαιὰν διαθήκην δέχῃ, ὦ οὗτος, καὶ τὴν καινὴν ὡσαύτως, πόθεν οὐκ ἐλεγχθήσῃ παραφθείρων τὴν τῆς ἀληθείας ὁδὸν καὶ ἑαυτὸν ἀποξενῶν τῆς τοῦ κυρίου ἐν ἀληθείᾳ ζωῆς; ὅτι μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸς ὁ κύριος πρῶτος, ἵνα γένηται ἡμῖν ἀρραβὼν τῆς ἀναστάσεως καὶ πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, καὶ ἀπέθανεν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν καὶ ἀνέστη, δῆλον. καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἐν δοκήσει πέπονθεν· ἐτάφη γὰρ καὶ τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ ἐβάστασαν. καὶ μαρτυρεῖ μὲν Ἰωσὴφ ὁ ἀπὸ Ἀριμαθαίας, μαρτυροῦσι καὶ αἱ φέρουσαι μύρα εἰς τὸ μνῆμα καὶ ἡ τῶν ἑκατὸν λιτρῶν τῆς ἀλόης