Collection

Against Heresies: Book I

Saint Irenaeus of Lyons

32 reading units in this historical edition. Units are chapters, letters or homilies, not separate complete books.

1. Preface.
2. Chapter I.—Absurd ideas of the...: Chapter I.—Absurd ideas of the disciples of Valentinus as to the origin, name, order, and conjugal productions of their fancied Æons, with the passages of Scripture which they adapt to their opinions.
3. Chapter II.—The Propator was known...: Chapter II.—The Propator was known to Monogenes alone. Ambition, disturbance, and danger into which Sophia fell; her shapeless offspring: she is restored by Horos. The production of Christ and of the Holy Spirit, in order to the completion of the Æons. Manner of the production of Jesus.
4. Chapter III.—Texts of Holy Scripture...: Chapter III.—Texts of Holy Scripture used by these heretics to support their opinions.
5. Chapter IV.—Account given by the...: Chapter IV.—Account given by the heretics of the formation of Achamoth; origin of the visible world from her disturbances.
6. Chapter V.—Formation of the...: Chapter V.—Formation of the Demiurge; description of him. He is the creator of everything outside of the Pleroma.
7. Chapter VI.—The threefold kind of...: Chapter VI.—The threefold kind of man feigned by these heretics: good works needless for them, though necessary to others: their abandoned morals.
8. Chapter VII.—The mother Achamoth,...: Chapter VII.—The mother Achamoth, when all her seed are perfected, shall pass into the Pleroma, accompanied by those men who are spiritual; the Demiurge, with animal men, shall pass into the intermediate habitation; but all material men shall go into corruption. Their blasphemous opinions against the true incarnation of Christ by the Virgin Mary. Their views as to the prophecies. Stupid ignorance of the Demiurge.
9. Chapter VIII.—How the Valentinians...: Chapter VIII.—How the Valentinians pervert the Scriptures to support their own pious opinions.
10. Chapter IX.—Refutation of the...: Chapter IX.—Refutation of the impious interpretations of these heretics.
11. Chapter X.—Unity of the faith of the...: Chapter X.—Unity of the faith of the Church throughout the whole world.
12. Chapter XI.—The opinions of...: Chapter XI.—The opinions of Valentinus, with those of his disciples and others.
13. Chapter XII.—The doctrines of the...: Chapter XII.—The doctrines of the followers of Ptolemy and Colorbasus.
14. Chapter XIII.—The deceitful arts and...: Chapter XIII.—The deceitful arts and nefarious practices of Marcus.
15. Chapter XIV.—The various hypotheses...: Chapter XIV.—The various hypotheses of Marcus and others. Theories respecting letters and syllables.
16. Chapter XV.—Sige relates to Marcus...: Chapter XV.—Sige relates to Marcus the generation of the twenty-four elements and of Jesus. Exposure of these absurdities.
17. Chapter XVI.—Absurd interpretations...: Chapter XVI.—Absurd interpretations of the Marcosians.
18. Chapter XVII.—The theory of the...: Chapter XVII.—The theory of the Marcosians, that created things were made after the image of things invisible.
19. Chapter XVIII.—Passages from Moses,...: Chapter XVIII.—Passages from Moses, which the heretics pervert to the support of their hypothesis.
20. Chapter XIX.—Passages of Scripture...: Chapter XIX.—Passages of Scripture by which they attempt to prove that the Supreme Father was unknown before the coming of Christ.
21. Chapter XX.—The apocryphal and...: Chapter XX.—The apocryphal and spurious Scriptures of the Marcosians, with passages of the Gospels which they pervert.
22. Chapter XXI.—The views of redemption...: Chapter XXI.—The views of redemption entertained by these heretics.
23. Chapter XXII.—Deviations of heretics...: Chapter XXII.—Deviations of heretics from the truth.
24. Chapter XXIII.—Doctrines and...: Chapter XXIII.—Doctrines and practices of Simon Magus and Menander.
25. Chapter XXIV.—Doctrines of...: Chapter XXIV.—Doctrines of Saturninus and Basilides.
26. Chapter XXV.—Doctrines of...: Chapter XXV.—Doctrines of Carpocrates.
27. Chapter XXVI.—Doctrines of...: Chapter XXVI.—Doctrines of Cerinthus, the Ebionites, and Nicolaitanes.
28. Chapter XXVII.—Doctrines of Cerdo...: Chapter XXVII.—Doctrines of Cerdo and Marcion.
29. Chapter XXVIII.—Doctrines of Tatian,...: Chapter XXVIII.—Doctrines of Tatian, the Encratites, and others.
30. Chapter XXIX.—Doctrines of various...: Chapter XXIX.—Doctrines of various other Gnostic sects, and especially of the Barbeliotes or Borborians.
31. Chapter XXX.—Doctrines of the...: Chapter XXX.—Doctrines of the Ophites and Sethians.
32. Chapter XXXI.—Doctrines of the...: Chapter XXXI.—Doctrines of the Cainites.