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Hippolytus
The Refutation Of All Heresies

The Refutation Of All Heresies

By Hippolytus

Title Page
Preface.
Introductory Notice to Hippolytus.
Translated by the Rev. J. H. MacMahon, M.A.]
Contents.
The Prooemium.--Motives for Undertaking the Refutation; Exposure of the Ancient Mysteries; Plan of the Work; Completeness of the Refutation; Value of the Treatise to Future Ages.
Chapter I.--Thales; His Physics and Theology; Founder of Greek Astronomy.
Chapter II.--Pythagoras; His Cosmogony; Rules of His Sect; Discoverer of Physiognomy; His Philosophy of Numbers; His System of the Transmigration of Souls; Zaratas on Demons; Why Pythagoras Forbade the Eating of Beans; The Mode of Living Adopted by His Di
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 VI.--Anaximenes; His System of |An Infinite Air;| His Views of Astronomy and Natural Phenomena.
Chapter VII.--Anaxagoras; His Theory of Mind; Recognises an Efficient Cause; His Cosmogony and Astronomy.
Chapter VIII.--Archelaus; System Akin to that of Anaxagoras; His Origin of the Earth and of Animals; Other Systems.
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 XVI.--Plato; Threefold Classification of Principles; His Idea of God; Different Opinions Regarding His Theology and Psychology; His Eschatology and System of Metempsychosis; His Ethical Doctrines; Notions on the Free-Will Question.
Chapter XVII.--Aristotle; Duality of Principles; His Categories; His Psychology; His Ethical Doctrines; Origin of the Epithet |Peripatetic.|
Chapter XVIII.--The Stoics; Their Superiority in Logic; Fatalists; Their Doctrine of Conflagrations.
Chapter XIX.--Epicurus; Adopts the Democritic Atomism; Denial of Divine Providence; The Principle of His Ethical System.
Chapter XX.--The Academics; Difference of Opinion Among Them.
Chapter XXI.--The Brachmans; Their Mode of Life; Ideas of Deity; Different Sorts Of; Their Ethical Notions.
Chapter XXII.--The Druids; Progenitors of Their System.
Chapter XXIII.--Hesiod; The Nine Muses; The Hesiodic Cosmogony; The Ancient Speculators, Materialists; Derivative Character of the Heresies from Heathen Philosophy.
Books II. And III. Are Awanting.
Chapter I.--System of the Astrologers; Sidereal Influence;
Chapter II.--Doctrines Concerning Æons; The Chaldean Astrology; Heresy Derivable from It.
Chapter III.--The Horoscope the Foundation of Astrology; Indiscoverability of the Horoscope; Therefore the Futility of the Chaldean Art.
Chapter IV.--Impossibility of Fixing the Horoscope; Failure of an Attempt to Do This at the Period of Birth.
Chapter V.--Another Method of Fixing the Horoscope at Birth; Equally Futile; Use of the Clepsydra in Astrology; The Predictions of the Chaldeans Not Verified.
Chapter VI.--Zodiacal Influence; Origin of Sidereal Names.
Chapter VII.--Practical Absurdity of the Chaldaic Art; Development of the Art.
Chapter VIII.--Prodigies of the Astrologers; System of the Astronomers; Chaldean Doctrine of Circles; Distances of the Heavenly Bodies.
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 XIII.--Mention of the Heretic Colarbasus; Alliance Between Heresy and the Pythagorean Philosophy.
Chapter XIV.--System of the Arithmeticians; Predictions Through Calculations; Numerical Roots; Transference of These Doctrines to Letters; Examples in Particular Names; Different Methods of Calculation; Prescience Possible by These.
Chapter XV.--Quibbles of the Numerical Theorists; The Art of the Frontispicists (Physiognomy); Connection of This Art with Astrology; Type of Those Born Under Aries.
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 XXVIII. --System of the Magicians; Incantations of Demons; Secret Magical Rites.
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 XXXV.--The Divination by a Cauldron; Illusion of Fiery Demons; Specimen of a Magical Invocation.
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 XLIII.--Recapitulation of Theologies and Cosmogonies; System of the Persians; Of the Babylonians; The Egyptian Notion of Deity; Their Theology Based on a Theory of Numbers; Their System of Cosmogony.
Chapter XLIV.--Egyptian Theory of Nature; Their Amulets.
Chapter XLV.--Use of the Foregoing Discussions.
Chapter XLVI.--The Astrotheosophists; Aratus Imitated by the Heresiarchs; His System of the Disposition of the Stars.
Chapter XLVII.--Opinions of the Heretics Borrowed from Aratus.
Chapter XLVIII.--Invention of the Lyre; Allegorizing the Appearance and Position of the Stars; Origin of the Phoenicians; The Logos Identified by Aratus with the Constellation Canis; Influence of Canis on Fertility and Life Generally.
Chapter XLIX.--Symbol of the Creature; And of Spirit; And of the Different Orders of Animals.
Chapter L.--Folly of Astrology.
Chapter LI.--The Hebdomadarii; System of the Arithmeticians; Pressed into the Service of Heresy; Instances Of, in Simon and Valentinus; The Nature of the Universe Deducible from the Physiology of the Brain.
Note.
Contents.
Chapter I.--Recapitulation; Characteristics of Heresy; Origin of the Name Naasseni; The System of the Naasseni.
Chapter II.--Naasseni Ascribe Their System, Through Mariamne, to James the Lord's Brother; Really Traceable to the Ancient Mysteries; Their Psychology as Given in the |Gospel According to Thomas;| Assyrian Theory of the Soul; The Systems of the Naasseni a
Chapter III.--Further Exposition of the Heresy of the Naasseni; Profess to Follow Homer; Acknowledge a Triad of Principles; Their Technical Names of the Triad; Support These on the Authority of Greek Poets; Allegorize Our Saviour's Miracles; The Mystery o
Chapter IV.--Further Use Made of the System of the Phrygians; Mode of Celebrating the Mysteries; The Mystery of the |Great Mother;| These Mysteries Have a Joint Object of Worship with the Naasseni; The Naasseni Allegorize the Scriptural Account of the Gar
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 VIII.--The Peratæ Derive Their System from the Astrologers; This Proved by a Statement of the Astrological Theories of the Zodiac; Hence the Terminology of the Peratic Heretics.
Chapter IX.--System of the Peratæ Explained Out of One of Their Own Books.
Chapter X.--The Peratic Heresy Nominally Different from Astrology, But Really the Same System Allegorized.
Chapter XI.--Why They Call Themselves Peratæ; Their Theory of Generation Supported by an Appeal to Antiquity; Their Interpretation of the Exodus of Israel; Their System of |The Serpent;| Deduced by Them from Scripture; This the Real Import of the Do
Chapter XII.--Compendious Statement of the Doctrines of the Peratæ.
Chapter XIII.--The Peratic Heresy Not Generally Known.
Chapter XIV.--The System of the Sethians; Their Triad of Infinite Principles; Their Heresy Explained; Their Interpretation of the Incarnation.
Chapter XV.--The Sethians Support Their Doctrines by an Allegorical Interpretation of Scripture; Their System Really Derived from Natural Philosophers and from the Orphic Rites; Adopt the Homeric Cosmogony.
Chapter XVI.--The Sethian Theory Concerning |Mixture| And |Composition;| Application of It to Christ; Illustration from the Well of Ampa.
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 XXI.--Justinus' Triad of Principles; His Angelography Founded on This Triad; His Explanation of the Birth, Life, and Death of Our Lord.
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.
Contents.
Chapter I. --The Ophites the Progenitors of Subsequent Heresies.
Chapter II.--Simon Magus.
Chapter III.--Story of Apsethus the Libyan.
Chapter IV.--Simon's Forced Interpretation of Scripture; Plagiarizes from Heraclitus and Aristotle; Simon's System of Sensible and Intelligible Existences.
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 VIII.--Further Progression of This Threefold Emanation; Co-Existence with the Double Triad of a Seventh Existence.
Chapter IX.--Simon's Interpretation of the Mosaic Hexaëmeron; His Allegorical Representation of Paradise.
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 XIV.--Simon Interprets His System by the Mythological Representation of Helen of Troy; Gives an Account of Himself in Connection with the Trojan Heroine; Immorality of His Followers; Simon's View of Christ; The Simonists' Apology for Their Vice.
Chapter XV.--Simon's Disciples Adopt the Mysteries; Simon Meets St. Peter at Rome; Account of Simon's Closing Years.
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 XXIV.--Valentinus Convicted of Plagiarisms from the Platonic and Pythagoric Philosophy; The Valentinian Theory of Emanation by Duads.
Chapter XXV.--The Tenet of the Duad Made the Foundation of Valentinus' System of the Emanation of Æons.
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 XXX.--Valentinus' Explanation of the Birth of Jesus; Twofold Doctrine on the Nature of Jesus' Body; Opinion of the Italians, that Is, Heracleon and Ptolemæus; Opinion of the Orientals, that Is, Axionicus and Bardesanes.
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 XXXVII.--Marcus' System Explained by Irenæus; Marcus' Vision; The Vision of Valentinus Revealing to Him His System.
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 XLVII.--The System of Marcus Shown to Be that of Pythagoras, by Quotations from the Writings of Marcus' Followers.
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.
Contents.
Chapter I.--Heresy Compared to (1) the Stormy Ocean, (2) the Rocks of the Sirens; Moral from Ulysses and the Sirens.
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 VII.--Aristotle's Cosmogony; His |Psychology;| His |Entelecheia;| His Theology; His Ethics; Basilides Follows Aristotle.
Chapter VIII.--Basilides and Isidorus Allege Apostolic Sanction for Their Systems; They Really Follow Aristotle.
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 XIV.--Whence Came the Gospel; The Number of Heavens According to Basilides; Explanation of Christ's Miraculous Conception.
Chapter XV.--God's Dealings with the Creature; Basilides' Notion of (1) the Inner Man, (2) the Gospel; His Interpretation of the Life and Sufferings of Our Lord.
Chapter XVI.--The System of Saturnilus.
Chapter XVII.--Marcion; His Dualism; Derives His System from Empedocles; Sketch of the Doctrine of Empedocles.
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 XX.--The Heresy of Carpocrates; Wicked Doctrines Concerning Jesus Christ; Practise Magical Arts; Adopt a Metempsychosis.
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.
Contents.
Chapter I.--Heresies Hitherto Refuted; Opinions of the Docetæ.
Chapter II.--Docetic Notion of the Incarnation; Their Doctrines of Æons; Their Account of Creation; Their Notion of a Fiery God.
Chapter III.--Christ Undoes the Work of the Demiurge; Docetic Account of the Baptism and Death of Jesus; Why He Lived for Thirty Years on Earth.
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 VIII.--Monoïmus Explains His Opinions in a Letter to Theophrastus; Where to Find God; His System Derived from Pythagoras.
Chapter IX.--Tatian.
Chapter X.--Hermogenes; Adopts the Socratic Philosophy; His Notion Concerning the Birth and Body of Our Lord.
Chapter XI.--The Quartodecimans.
Chapter XII.--The Montanists; Priscilla and Maximilla Their Prophetesses; Some of Them Noetians.
Chapter XIII.--The Doctrines of the Encratites.
Contents.
Chapter I.--An Account of Contemporaneous Heresy.
Chapter II.--Source of the Heresy of Noetus; Cleomenes His Disciple; Its Appearance at Rome During the Episcopates of Zephyrinus and Callistus; Noetianism Opposed at Rome by Hippolytus.
Chapter III.--Noetianism an Offshoot from the Heraclitic Philosophy.
Chapter IV.--An Account of the System of Heraclitus.
Chapter V.--Heraclitus' Estimate of Hesiod; Paradoxes of Heraclitus; His Eschatology; The Heresy of Noetus of Heraclitean Origin; Noetus' View of the Birth and Passion of Our Lord.
Chapter VI.--Conduct of Callistus and Zephyrinus in the Matter of Noetianism; Avowed Opinion of Zephyrinus Concerning Jesus Christ; Disapproval of Hippolytus; As a Contemporaneous Event, Hippolytus Competent to Explain It.
Chapter VII.--The Personal History of Callistus; His Occupation as a Banker; Fraud on Carpophorus; Callistus Absconds; Attempted Suicide; Condemned to the Treadmill; Re-Condemnation by Order of the Prefect Fuscianus; Banished to Sardinia; Release of Calli
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 XXIV.--The Sadducees.
Chapter XXV.--The Jewish Religion.
Chapter XXVI.--Conclusion to the Work Explained.
Contents.
Chapter I.--Recapitulation.
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 V.--The Naasseni.
Chapter VI.--The Peratæ.
Chapter VII.--The Sethians.
Chapter VIII.--Simon Magus.
Chapter IX.--Valentinus.
Chapter X.--Basilides.
Chapter XI.--Justinus.
Chapter XII.--The Docetæ.
Chapter XIII.--Monoïmus.
Chapter XIV.--Tatian.
Chapter XV.--Marcion and Cerdo.
Chapter XVI.--Apelles.
Chapter XVII.--Cerinthus.
Chapter XVIII.--The Ebionæans.
Chapter XIX.--Theodotus.
Chapter XX.--Melchisedecians.
Chapter XXI.--The Phrygians or Montanists.
Chapter XXII.--The Phrygians or Montanists Continued.
Chapter XXIII.--Noetus and Callistus.
Chapter XXIV.--Hermogenes.
Chapter XXV.--The Elchasaites.
Chapter XXVI.--Jewish Chronology.
Chapter XXVII.--Jewish Chronology Continued.
Chapter XXVIII.--The Doctrine of the Truth.
Chapter XXIX.--The Doctrine of the Truth Continued.
Chapter XXX.--The Author's Concluding Address.
Elucidations.
General Note.

The Refutation Of All Heresies

By Hippolytus

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