Irenæus

Footnotes

Introductory Note to Irenæus Against Heresies

^[3018] The Saviour is here referred to, as having formed all things through means of Achamoth and the Demiurge.

^[3019] Massuet deletes quem, and reads nūn as a genitive.

^[3021] Dan. vii. 10, agreeing neither with the Greek nor Hebrew text.

^[3022] This clause is exceedingly obscure. Harvey remarks upon it as follows: “The reasoning of Irenæus seems to be this: According to the Gnostic theory, the Æons and angels of the Pleroma were homogeneous. They were also the archetypes of things created. But things created are heterogeneous: therefore either these Æons are heterogeneous, which is contrary to theory; or things created are homogeneous, which is contrary to fact.”

^[3023] Literally, “from Himself.”

Chapter VIII.—Created things are not a shadow of the Pleroma.

^[3024] See above, chap. ii. and v.

^[3025] The text has fabricâsse, for which, says Massuet, should be read fabricatam esse; or fabricâsse itself must be taken in a passive signification. It is possible, however, to translate, as Harvey indicates, “that He (Bythus) formed so great a creation by angels,” etc., though this seems harsh and unsuitable.

^[3026] Literally, empty: there is a play on the words vacuum and vacui (which immediately follows), as there had been in the original Greek.

Chapter IX.—There is but one Creator of the world, God the Father: this the constant belief of the Church.

^[3027] Comp. e.g., Matt. v. 16,Matt. v. 45, Matt. vi. 9, etc.

^[3028] See chap xxiii. etc.

^[3029] Viz., the Valentinians.

^[3030] Rom. i. 25.

^[3031] Gal. iv. 8.

^[3032] Isa. xlvi. 9.

Chapter X.—Perverse interpretations of Scripture by the heretics: God created all things out of nothing, and not from pre-existent matter.

^[3033] This clause is unintelligible in the Latin text: by a conjectural restoration of the Greek we have given the above translation.

^[3034] Luke xviii. 27.

Chapter XI.—The heretics, from their disbelief of the truth, have fallen into an abyss of error: reasons for investigating their systems.

^[3035] Playing upon the doctrines of the heretics with respect to vacuity and shade.

Chapter XII.—The Triacontad of the heretics errs both by defect and excess: Sophia could never have produced anything apart from her consort; Logos and Sige could not have been contemporaries.

^[3036] The text vacillates between “dicemus” and “dicamus.”

^[3037] This sentence is confused in the Latin text, but the meaning is evidently that given above.

^[3038] It is difficult to see the meaning of “iterum” here. Harvey begins a new paragraph with this sentence.

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