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Anti-Marcion
Where was Marcion then, that shipmaster of Pontus, the zealous student of Stoicism? Where was Valentinus then, the disciple of Platonism? For it is evident that those men lived not so long ago,—in the reign of Antoninus for the most part,[2156]—and that they at first were believers in the doctrine of the Catholic Church, in the church of Rome under the episcopate of the blessed Eleutherus,[2157] until on account of their ever restless curiosity, with which they even infected the brethren, they were more than once expelled. Marcion, indeed, [went] with the two hundred sesterces which he had brought into the church, and,[2158] when banished at last to a permanent excommunication, they scattered abroad the poisons of their doctrines. Afterwards, it is true, Marcion professed repentance, and agreed to the conditions granted to him—that he should receive reconciliation if he restored to the church all the others whom he had been training for perdition: he was prevented, however, by death. It was indeed[2159] necessary that there should be heresies;[2160] and yet it does not follow from that necessity, that heresies are a good thing. As if it has not been necessary also that there should be evil! It was even necessary that the Lord should be betrayed; but woe to the traitor![2161] So that no man may from this defend heresies. If we must likewise touch the descent[2162] of Apelles, he is far from being “one of the old school,”[2163] like his instructor and moulder, Marcion; he rather forsook the continence of Marcion, by resorting to the company of a woman, and withdrew to Alexandria, out of sight of his most abstemious[2164] master. Returning therefrom, after some years, unimproved, except that he was no longer a Marcionite, he clave[2165] to another woman, the maiden Philumene (whom we have already[2166] mentioned), who herself afterwards became an enormous prostitute. Having been imposed on by her vigorous spirit,[2167] he committed to writing the revelations which he had learned of her. Persons are still living who remember them,—their own actual disciples and successors,—who cannot therefore deny the lateness of their date. But, in fact, by their own works they are convicted, even as the Lord said.[2168] For since Marcion separated the New Testament from the Old, he is (necessarily) subsequent to that which he separated, inasmuch as it was only in his power to separate what was (previously) united. Having then been united previous to its separation, the fact of its subsequent separation proves the subsequence also of the man who effected the separation. In like manner Valentinus, by his different expositions and acknowledged[2169] emendations, makes these changes on the express ground of previous faultiness, and therefore demonstrates the difference[2170] of the documents. These corrupters of the truth we mention as being more notorious and more public[2171] than others. There is, however, a certain man[2172] named Nigidius, and Hermogenes, and several others, who still pursue the course[2173] of perverting the ways of the Lord. Let them show me by what authority they come! If it be some other God they preach, how comes it that they employ the things and the writings and the names of that God against whom they preach? If it be the same God, why treat Him in some other way? Let them prove themselves to be new apostles![2174] Let them maintain that Christ has come down a second time, taught in person a second time, has been twice crucified, twice dead, twice raised! For thus has the apostle described (the order of events in the life of Christ); for thus, too, is He[2175] accustomed to make His apostles—to give them, (that is), power besides of working the same miracles which He worked Himself.[2176] I would therefore have their mighty deeds also brought forward; except that I allow their <page 258>mightiest deed to be that by which they perversely vie with the apostles. For whilst they used to raise men to life from the dead, these consign men to death from their living state.
Let me return, however, from this digression[2177] to discuss[2178] the priority of truth, and the comparative lateness[2179] of falsehood, deriving support for my argument even from that parable which puts in the first place the sowing by the Lord of the good seed of the wheat, but introduces at a later stage the adulteration of the crop by its enemy the devil with the useless weed of the wild oats. For herein is figuratively described the difference of doctrines, since in other passages also the word of God is likened unto seed. From the actual order, therefore, it becomes clear, that that which was first delivered is of the Lord and is true, whilst that is strange and false which was afterwards introduced. This sentence will keep its ground in opposition to all later heresies, which have no consistent quality of kindred knowledge[2180] inherent in them—to claim the truth as on their side.
But if there be any (heresies) which are bold enough to plant themselves in the midst of the apostolic age, that they may thereby seem to have been handed down by the apostles, because they existed in the time of the apostles, we can say: Let them produce the original records[2181] of their churches; let them unfold the roll of their bishops, running down in due succession from the beginning in such a manner that [that first bishop of theirs[2182]] bishop shall be able to show for his ordainer and predecessor some one of the apostles or of apostolic men,—a man, moreover, who continued stedfast with the apostles. For this is the manner in which the apostolic churches transmit[2183] their registers:[2184] as the church of Smyrna, which records that Polycarp was placed therein by John; as also the church of Rome, which makes Clement to have been ordained in like manner by Peter.[2185] In exactly the same way the other churches likewise exhibit (their several worthies), whom, as having been appointed to their episcopal places by apostles, they regard as transmitters of the apostolic seed. Let the heretics contrive[2186] something of the same kind. For after their blasphemy, what is there that is unlawful for them (to attempt)? But should they even effect the contrivance, they will not advance a step. For their very doctrine, after comparison with that of the apostles, will declare, by its own diversity and contrariety, that it had for its author neither an apostle nor an apostolic man; because, as the apostles would never have taught things which were self-contradictory, so the apostolic men would not have inculcated teaching different from the apostles, unless they who received their instruction from the apostles went and preached in a contrary manner. To this test, therefore will they be submitted for proof[2187] by those churches, who, although they derive not their founder from apostles or apostolic men (as being of much later date, for they are in fact being founded daily), yet, since they agree in the same faith, they are accounted as not less apostolic because they are akin in doctrine.[2188] Then let all the heresies, when challenged to these two[2189] tests by our apostolic church, offer their proof of how they deem themselves to be apostolic. But in truth they neither are so, nor are they able to prove themselves to be what they are not. Nor are they admitted to peaceful relations and communion by such churches as are in any way connected with apostles, inasmuch as they are in no sense themselves apostolic because of their diversity as to the mysteries of the faith.[2190]
Besides all this, I add a review of the doctrines themselves, which, existing as they did <page 259>in the days of the apostles, were both exposed and denounced by the said apostles. For by this method they will be more easily reprobated,[2191] when they are detected to have been even then in existence, or at any rate to have been seedlings[2192] of the (tares) which then were. Paul, in his first epistle to the Corinthians, sets his mark on certain who denied and doubted the resurrection.[2193] This opinion was the especial property of the Sadducees.[2194] A part of it, however, is maintained by Marcion and Apelles and Valentinus, and all other impugners of the resurrection. Writing also to the Galatians, he inveighs against such men as observed and defend circumcision and the (Mosaic) law.[2195] Thus runs Hebion’s heresy. Such also as “forbid to marry” he reproaches in his instructions to Timothy.[2196] Now, this is the teaching of Marcion and his follower Apelles. (The apostle) directs a similar blow[2197] against those who said that “the resurrection was past already.”[2198] Such an opinion did the Valentinians assert of themselves. When again he mentions “endless genealogies,”[2199] one also recognises Valentinus, in whose system a certain Æon, whosoever he be,[2200] of a new name, and that not one only, generates of his own grace[2201] Sense and Truth; and these in like manner produce of themselves Word[2202] and Life, while these again afterwards beget Man and the Church. From these primary eight[2203] ten other Æons after them spring, and then the twelve others arise with their wonderful names, to complete the mere story of the thirty Æons. The same apostle, when disapproving of those who are “in bondage to elements,”[2204] points us to some dogma of Hermogenes, who introduces matter as having no beginning,[2205] and then compares it with God, who has no beginning.[2206] By thus making the mother of the elements a goddess, he has it in his power “to be in bondage” to a being which he puts on a par with[2207] God. John, however, in the Apocalypse is charged to chastise those “who eat things sacrificed to idols,” and “who commit fornication.”[2208] There are even now another sort of Nicolaitans. Theirs is called the Gaian[2209] heresy. But in his epistle he especially designates those as “Antichrists” who “denied that Christ was come in the flesh,”[2210] and who refused to think that Jesus was the Son of God. The one dogma Marcion maintained; the other, Hebion.[2211] The doctrine, however, of Simon’s sorcery, which inculcated the worship of angels,[2212] was itself actually reckoned amongst idolatries and condemned by the Apostle Peter in Simon’s own person.
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