Chapter IV.—The Heresy Traceable to Valentinus, an Able But Restless Man. Many Schismatical Leaders of the School Mentioned. Only One of Them Shows Respect to the Man Whose Name Designates the Entire School.

We know, I say, most fully their actual origin, and we are quite aware why we call them Valentinians, although they affect to disavow their name.  They have departed, it is true,47    Enim. from their founder, yet is their origin by no means destroyed; and even if it chance to be changed, the very change bears testimony to the fact. Valentinus had expected to become a bishop, because he was an able man both in genius and eloquence. Being indignant, however, that another obtained the dignity by reason of a claim which confessorship48    Martyrii. had given him, he broke with the church of the true faith. Just like those (restless) spirits which, when roused by ambition, are usually inflamed with the desire of revenge, he applied himself with all his might49    Conversus. to exterminate the truth; and finding the clue50    Semitam. of a certain old opinion, he marked out a path for himself with the subtlety of a serpent. Ptolemæus afterwards entered on the same path, by distinguishing the names and the numbers of the Ænons into personal substances, which, however, he kept apart from God. Valentinus had included these in the very essence of the Deity, as senses and affections of motion. Sundry bypaths were then struck off therefrom, by Heraclean and Secundus and the magician Marcus. Theotimus worked hard about “the images of the law.” Valentinus, however, was as yet nowhere, and still the Valentinians derive their name from Valentinus. Axionicus at Antioch is the only man who at the present time does honour51    Consolatur. to the memory of Valentinus, by keeping his rules52    Regularum: the particulars of his system. [Here comes in the word, borrowed from heresy, which shaped Monasticism in after times and created the regular orders.] to the full. But this heresy is permitted to fashion itself into as many various shapes as a courtezan, who usually changes and adjusts her dress every day. And why not?  When they review that spiritual seed of theirs in every man after this fashion, whenever they have hit upon any novelty, they forthwith call their presumption a revelation, their own perverse ingenuity a spiritual gift; but (they deny all) unity, admitting only diversity.53    Nec unitatem, sed diversitatem: scil. appellant. And thus we clearly see that, setting aside their customary dissimulation, most of them are in a divided state, being ready to say (and that sincerely) of certain points of their belief, “This is not so;” and, “I take this in a different sense;” and, “I do not admit that.” By this variety, indeed, innovation is stamped on the very face of their rules; besides which, it wears all the colourable features of ignorant conceits.54    Colores ignorantiarum.

CAPUT IV.

Novimus, inquam, optime originem quoque ipsorum, et scimus , cur Valentinianos appellemus, licet non esse videantur. Abscesserunt enim a conditore, sed minime origo deletur; et si forte mutantur, 0546B testatio est ipsa mutatio. Speraverat episcopatum Valentinus, quia et ingenio poterat et eloquio. Sed alium ex martyrii praerogativa loci potitum indignatus, de Ecclesia authenticae regulae abrupit , ut solent animi pro prioratu exciti praesumptione ultionis accendi, ad expugnandam conversus veritatem: et cujusdam veteris opinionis semen nactus , Colarbaso viam deliniavit. Eam postmodum Ptolomaeus instravit, nominibus et numeris Aeonum distinctis in personales substantias, sed extra Deum determinatas, quas Valentinus in ipsa summa divinitatis, ut sensus, et adfectus et motus incluserat. Deduxit et Heracleon inde tramites quosdam, et Secundus, et magus Marcus . Multum circa imagines Legis Theotimus operatus est. Ita nusquam jam Valentinus; 0547A et tamen Valentiniani, qui per Valentinum. Solus ad hodiernum Antiochiae Axionicus memoriam Valentini integra custodia regularum ejus consolatur: Alioquin tantum se huic haeresi suadere permissum est, quantum lupae foeminae formam quotidie supparare solemne est. Quidni? cum spiritale illud semen suum sic in unoquoque recenseant. Si aliquid novi adstruxerint, revelationem statim appellant praesumptionem, et charisma ingenium; nec unitatem, sed diversitatem. Ideoque prospicimus, seposita illa solemni dissimulatione sua, plerosque dividi quibusdam articulis, etiam bona fide dicturos ; Hoc ita non est; et, Hoc aliter accipio; et, Hoc non 0548A agnosco. Varietate enim innovatur regularum facies; habet etiam colores ignorantiarum.