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| The Doctrines of Apelles; Philumene, His Prophetess.
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Chapter XXVI.—The
Doctrines of Apelles; Philumene, His Prophetess.
But Apelles,901
| 901 See
[vol. iii. p. 257] Tertullian, Præscript., c. xxx.;
Eusebius, Hist. Ecclesiast., v. 13; Epiphanius,
Hær., c. xliv.; Theodoret, Hær. Fab., i. 25;
and St. Augustine, Hær., c. xxiv. |
sprung from these, thus expresses himself, (saying) that there is a
certain good Deity, as also Marcion supposed, and that he who created
all things is just. Now he, (according to Apelles,) was the
Demiurge of generated entities. And (this heretic also maintains)
that there is a third (Deity), the one who was in the habit of speaking
to Moses, and that this (god) was of a fiery nature, and that there was
another fourth god, a cause of evils. But these he denominates
angels. He utters, however, slanders against law and prophets, by
alleging that the things that have been written are (of) human
(origin), and are false. And (Apelles) selects from the Gospels
or (from the writings of) the Apostle (Paul) whatever pleases
himself. But he devotes himself to the discourses of a certain
Philumene as to the revelations902
| 902
φανερώσεσι.
Miller’s text reads φανερῶς, the
error of which is obvious from Tertullian’s
Præscript., c. xxx. Cruice considers the word to
signify the title of a work written by Apelles. | of a
prophetess. He affirms, however, that Christ descended from the
power above; that is, from the good (Deity), and that he is the son of
that good (Deity). And (he asserts that Jesus) was not born of a
virgin, and that when he did appear he was not devoid of flesh.
(He maintains,) however, that (Christ) formed his body by taking
portions of it from the substance of the universe: that is, hot
and cold, and moist and dry. And (he says that Christ), on
receiving in this body cosmical powers, lived for the time he did in
(this) world. But (he held that Jesus) was subsequently crucified by
the Jews, and expired, and that, being raised up after three days, he
appeared to his disciples. And (the Saviour) showed them, (so
Apelles taught,) the prints of the nails and (the wound) in his side,
desirous of persuading them that he was in truth no phantom, but was
present in the flesh. After, says (Apelles), he had shown them
his flesh, (the Saviour) restored it to earth, from which substance it
was (derived. And this he did because) he coveted nothing that
belonged to another. (Though indeed Jesus) might use for the time
being (what belonged to another), he yet in due course rendered to each
(of the elements) what peculiarly belonged to them. And so it
was, that after he had once more loosed the chains of his body, he gave
back heat to what is hot, cold to what is cold, moisture to what is
moist, (and) dryness to what is dry. And in this condition (our
Lord) departed to the good Father, leaving the seed of life in the
world for those who through his disciples should believe in him.
It appears to us that these (tenets) have been
sufficiently explained. Since, however, we have determined to
leave unrefuted not one of those opinions that have been advanced by
any (of the heretics), let us see what (system) also has been invented
by the Docetæ. E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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