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| 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. PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP
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.
There has appeared one, Noetus960
960 See
Fragments of Hippolytus’ Works (p. 235 et seq.), edited by
Fabricius; Theodoret, Hær. Fab., iii. 3; Epiphanius,
Hær., lvii.; and Philastrius, Hæret.,
liv. Theodoret mentions Epigonus and Cleomenes, and his account
is obviously adopted by Hippolytus. | by name, and by birth a native of
Smyrna. This person introduced a heresy from the tenets of
Heraclitus.961
961 [See
Tatian, vol. ii. p. 66, this series.] | Now a certain
man called Epigonus becomes his minister and pupil, and this person
during his sojourn at Rome disseminated his godless opinion. But
Cleomenes, who had become his disciple, an alien both in way of life
and habits from the Church, was wont to corroborate the (Noetian)
doctrine. At that time, Zephyrinus imagines that he administers
the affairs of the Church962
962
[See note 2, cap. iii. infra., and Elucidation
V.] | —an uninformed and shamefully corrupt
man. And he, being persuaded by proffered gain, was accustomed to
connive at those who were present for the purpose of becoming disciples
of Cleomenes. But (Zephyrinus) himself, being in process of time
enticed away, hurried headlong963
963 [See
Elucidation VI.] |
into the same opinions; and he had Callistus as his adviser, and a
fellow-champion of these wicked tenets.964
964 [See
Elucidation VI.] | But the life of this (Callistus),
and the heresy invented by him, I shall after a little explain.
The school of these heretics during the succession of such
bishops, continued to acquire strength and augmentation, from the
fact that Zephyrinus and Callistus helped them to prevail.965
965 [Note the
emphasis and repeated statement with which our author dwells on this
painful charge.] | Never at any time, however, have we
been guilty of collusion with them; but we have frequently offered them
opposition,966 and have refuted
them, and have forced them reluctantly to acknowledge the truth.
And they, abashed and constrained by the truth, have confessed their
errors for a short period, but after a little, wallow once again in
the same mire.967
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