Bad Advertisement?
Are you a Christian?
Online Store:Visit Our Store
| Marcus' System Explained by Irenæus; Marcus' Vision; The Vision of Valentinus Revealing to Him His System.
PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP 
Chapter
XXXVII.—Marcus’ System Explained by Irenæus;
Marcus’ Vision; The Vision of Valentinus Revealing to Him His
System.
For also the blessed presbyter Irenæus,
having approached the subject of a refutation in a more unconstrained
spirit, has explained such washings and redemptions, stating more in
the way of a rough digest735
| 735
Hippolytus has already employed this word, ἁδρομέστερον, in the Proœmium. It literally means, of strong or
compact parts. Hippolytus, however, uses it in contrast to the
expression λεπτομέρης, in reference to his Summary of Heresies. Bunsen thinks
that Hippolytus means to say that Irenæus expressed himself rather
too strongly, and that the Marcosians, on meeting with
Irenæus’ assertions, indignantly repudiated them. Dr.
Wordsworth translates ἁδρομερῶς
(in the Proœmium), “with rude
generality,”—a rendering scarcely in keeping with the
passage above. |
what are their practices. (And it appears that some of the
Marcosians,) on meeting with (Irenæus’ work), deny that they
have so received (the secret word just alluded to), but they have
learned that always they should deny. Wherefore our anxiety has
been more accurately to investigate, and to discover minutely what are
the (instructions) which they deliver in the case of the first bath,
styling it by some such name; and in the case of the second, which they
denominate Redemption. But not even has this secret of theirs
escaped (our scrutiny). For these opinions, however, we consent
to pardon Valentinus and his school.
But Marcus, imitating his teacher, himself also
feigns a vision, imagining that in this way he would be
magnified. For Valentinus likewise alleges that he had seen an
infant child lately born; and questioning (this child), he proceeded to
inquire who it might be. And (the child) replied, saying that he
himself is the Logos, and then subjoined a sort of tragic legend; and
out of this (Valentinus) wishes the heresy attempted by him to
consist. Marcus, making a similar attempt736
| 736 The
largest extract from Irenæus is that which follows—the
explanation of the heresy of Marcus. From this to the end of book
vi. occurs in Irenæus likewise. Hippolytus’ text does
not always accurately correspond with that of his master. The
divergence, however, is inconsiderable, and may sometimes be traceable
to the error of the transcriber. | with this (heretic), asserts that the
Tetrad came to him in the form of a woman,—since the world could
not bear, he says, the male (form) of this Tetrad, and that she
revealed herself who she was, and explained to this (Marcus) alone the
generation of the universe, which she never had revealed to any, either
of gods or of men, expressing herself after this mode: When first
the self-existent Father, He who is inconceivable and without
substance, He who is neither male nor female, willed that His own
ineffability should become realized in something spoken, and that His
invisibility should become realized in form, He opened His mouth, and
sent forth similar to Himself a Logos. And this (Logos) stood by
Him, and showed unto Him who he was, viz., that he himself had been
manifested as a (realization in) form of the Invisible One. And
the pronunciation of the name was of the following description.
He was accustomed to utter the first word of the name itself, which was
Arche, and the syllable of this was (composed) of four737
| 737
Hippolytus uses two words to signify letters, στοιχεῖον
and γράμμα. The former
strictly means an articulate sound as the basis of language or of
written words, and the latter the sound itself when represented by a
particular symbol or sign. | letters. Then he subjoined the
second (syllable), and this was also (composed) of four letters.
Next he uttered the third (syllable), which was (composed) of ten
letters; and he uttered the fourth (syllable), and this was (composed)
of twelve letters. Then ensued the pronunciation of the entire
name, (composed) of thirty letters, but of four syllables. And
each of the elements had its own peculiar letters, and its own peculiar
form, and its own peculiar pronunciation, as well as figures and
images. And not one of these was there that beholds the form of
that (letter) of which this was an element. And of course none of
them could know the pronunciation of the (letter) next to this, but
(only) as he himself pronounces it, (and that in such a way) as that,
in pronouncing the
whole (word), he supposed that he was uttering the entire (name).
For each of these (elements), being part of the entire (name), he
denominates (according to) its own peculiar sound, as if the whole (of
the word). And he does not intermit sounding until he arrived at
the last letter of the last element, and uttered it in a single
articulation. Then he said, that the restoration of the entire
ensued when all the (elements), coming down into the one letter,
sounded one and the same pronunciation, and an image of the
pronunciation he supposed to exist when we simultaneously utter the
word Amen.738
| 738
[Rev. iii. 14. A name of Christ.
This word is travestied as the name Logos also, most
profanely.] | And
that these sounds are those which gave form to the insubstantial and
unbegotten Æon, and that those forms are what the Lord declared to
be angels—the (forms) that uninterruptedly behold the face of the
Father.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
|
