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The Refutation of All Heresies

St. Hippolytus of Rome · c. 230 AD

14h 8m read
Ante-Nicene

Hippolytus's major anti-heretical work, tracing philosophical errors and exposing the theological systems of early heresies.

Table of Contents

1Book I1The Proœmium.--Motives for Undertaking the Refutation; Exposure of the Ancient Mysteries; Plan of the Work; Completeness of the Refutation; Value of the Treatise to Future Ages2Thales; His Physics and Theology; Founder of Greek Astronomy3Pythagoras; 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 Disciples4Empedocles; His Twofold Cause; Tenet of Transmigration5Heraclitus; His Universal Dogmatism; His Theory of Flux; Other Systems6Anaximander; His Theory of the Infinite; His Astronomic Opinions; His Physics7Anaximenes; His System of “An Infinite Air;” His Views of Astronomy and Natural Phenomena8Anaxagoras; His Theory of Mind; Recognises an Efficient Cause; His Cosmogony and Astronomy9Archelaus; System Akin to that of Anaxagoras; His Origin of the Earth and of Animals; Other Systems10Parmenides; His Theory of “Unity;” His Eschatology11Leucippus; His Atomic Theory12Democritus; His Duality of Principles; His Cosmogony13Xenophanes; His Scepticism; His Notions of God and Nature; Believes in a Flood14Ecphantus; His Scepticism; Tenet of Infinity15Hippo; His Duality of Principles; His Psychology16Socrates; His Philosophy Reproduced by Plato17Plato; 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 Question18Aristotle; Duality of Principles; His Categories; His Psychology; His Ethical Doctrines; Origin of the Epithet “Peripatetic.”19The Stoics; Their Superiority in Logic; Fatalists; Their Doctrine of Conflagrations20Epicurus; Adopts the Democritic Atomism; Denial of Divine Providence; The Principle of His Ethical System21The Academics; Difference of Opinion Among Them22The Brachmans; Their Mode of Life; Ideas of Deity; Different Sorts Of; Their Ethical Notions23The Druids; Progenitors of Their System24Hesiod; The Nine Muses; The Hesiodic Cosmogony; The Ancient Speculators, Materialists; Derivative Character of the Heresies from Heathen Philosophy2Book IV1System of the Astrologers; Sidereal Influence; Configuration of the Stars2Doctrines Concerning Æons; The Chaldean Astrology; Heresy Derivable from It3The Horoscope the Foundation of Astrology; Indiscoverability of the Horoscope; Therefore the Futility of the Chaldean Art4Impossibility of Fixing the Horoscope; Failure of an Attempt to Do This at the Period of Birth5Another Method of Fixing the Horoscope at Birth; Equally Futile; Use of the Clepsydra in Astrology; The Predictions of the Chaldeans Not Verified6Zodiacal Influence; Origin of Sidereal Names7Practical Absurdity of the Chaldaic Art; Development of the Art8Prodigies of the Astrologers; System of the Astronomers; Chaldean Doctrine of Circles; Distances of the Heavenly Bodies9Further Astronomic Calculations10Theory of Stellar Motion and Distance in Accordance with Harmony11Theory of the Size of the Heavenly Bodies in Accordance with Numerical Harmonies12Waste of Mental Energy in the Systems of the Astrologers13Mention of the Heretic Colarbasus; Alliance Between Heresy and the Pythagorean Philosophy14System 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 These15Quibbles of the Numerical Theorists; The Art of the Frontispicists (Physiognomy); Connection of This Art with Astrology; Type of Those Born Under Aries16Type of Those Born Under Taurus17Type of Those Born Under Gemini18Type of Those Born Under Cancer19Type of Those Born Under Leo20Type of Those Born Under Virgo21Type of Those Born Under Libra22Type of Those Born Under Scorpio23Type of Those Born Under Sagittarius24Type of Those Born Under Capricorn25Type of Those Born Under Aquarius26Type of Those Born Under Pisces27Futility of This Theory of Stellar Influence28System of the Magicians; Incantations of Demons; Secret Magical Rites29Display of Different Eggs30Self-Slaughter of Sheep31Method of Poisoning Goats32Imitations of Thunder, and Other Illusions33The Burning Æsculapius; Tricks with Fire34The Illusion of the Sealed Letters; Object in Detailing These Juggleries35The Divination by a Cauldron; Illusion of Fiery Demons; Specimen of a Magical Invocation36Mode of Managing an Apparition37Illusive Appearance of the Moon38Illusive Appearance of the Stars39Imitation of an Earthquake40Trick with the Liver41Making a Skull Speak42The Fraud of the Foregoing Practices; Their Connection with Heresy43Recapitulation 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 Cosmogony44Egyptian Theory of Nature; Their Amulets45Use of the Foregoing Discussions46The Astrotheosophists; Aratus Imitated by the Heresiarchs; His System of the Disposition of the Stars47Opinions of the Heretics Borrowed from Aratus48Invention of the Lyre; Allegorizing the Appearance and Position of the Stars; Origin of the Phœnicians; The Logos Identified by Aratus with the Constellation Canis; Influence of Canis on Fertility and Life Generally49Symbol of the Creature; And of Spirit; And of the Different Orders of Animals50Folly of Astrology51The 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 Brain3Book V1Recapitulation; Characteristics of Heresy; Origin of the Name Naasseni; The System of the Naasseni2Naasseni 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 and the Assyrians Compared; Support Drawn by the Naasseni from the Phrygian and Egyptian Mysteries; The Mysteries of Isis; These Mysteries Allegorized by the Naasseni3Further 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 of the Samothracians; Why the Lord Chose Twelve Disciples; The Name Corybas, Used by Thracians and Phrygians, Explained; Naasseni Profess to Find Their System in Scripture; Their Interpretation of Jacob's Vision; Their Idea of the “Perfect Man;” The “Perfect Man” Called “Papa” By the Phrygians; The Naasseni and Phrygians on the Resurrection; The Ecstasis of St. Paul; The Mysteries of Religion as Alluded to by Christ; Interpretation of the Parable of the Sower; Allegory of the Promised Land; Comparison of the System of the Phrygians with the Statements of Scripture; Exposition of the Meaning of the Higher and Lower Eleusinian Mysteries; The Incarnation Discoverable Here According to the Naasseni4Further 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 Garden of Eden; The Allegory Applied to the Life of Jesus5Explanation of the System of the Naasseni Taken from One of Their Hymns6The Ophites the Grand Source of Heresy7The System of the Peratæ; Their Tritheism; Explanation of the Incarnation8The 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 Heretics9System of the Peratæ Explained Out of One of Their Own Books10The Peratic Heresy Nominally Different from Astrology, But Really the Same System Allegorized11Why 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 Doctrines of the Astrologers12Compendious Statement of the Doctrines of the Peratæ13The Peratic Heresy Not Generally Known14The System of the Sethians; Their Triad of Infinite Principles; Their Heresy Explained; Their Interpretation of the Incarnation15The 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 Cosmogony16The Sethian Theory Concerning “Mixture” And “Composition;” Application of It to Christ; Illustration from the Well of Ampa17The Sethian Doctrines to Be Learned from the “Paraphrase of Seth.”18The System of Justinus Antiscriptural and Essentially Pagan19The Justinian Heresy Unfolded in the “Book of Baruch.”20The Cosmogony of Justinus an Allegorical Explanation of Herodotus' Legend of Hercules21Justinus' Triad of Principles; His Angelography Founded on This Triad; His Explanation of the Birth, Life, and Death of Our Lord22Oath Used by the Justinian Heretics; The Book of Baruch; The Repertory of Their System23Subsequent Heresies Deducible from the System of Justinus4Book VI1The Ophites the Progenitors of Subsequent Heresies2Simon Magus3Story of Apsethus the Libyan4Simon's Forced Interpretation of Scripture; Plagiarizes from Heraclitus and Aristotle; Simon's System of Sensible and Intelligible Existences5Simon Appeals to Scripture in Support of His System6Simon's System Expounded in the Work, Great Announcement; Follows Empedocles7Simon's System of a Threefold Emanation by Pairs8Further Progression of This Threefold Emanation; Co-Existence with the Double Triad of a Seventh Existence9Simon's Interpretation of the Mosaic Hexaëmeron; His Allegorical Representation of Paradise10Simon's Explanation of the First Two Books of Moses11Simon's Explanation of the Three Last Books of the Pentateuch12Fire a Primal Principle, According to Simon13His Doctrine of Emanation Further Expanded14Simon 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 Vice15Simon's Disciples Adopt the Mysteries; Simon Meets St. Peter at Rome; Account of Simon's Closing Years16Heresy of Valentinus; Derived from Plato and Pythagoras17Origin of the Greek Philosophy18Pythagoras' System of Numbers19Pythagoras' Duality of Substances; His “Categories.”20Pythagoras' Cosmogony; Similar to that of Empedocles21Other Opinions of Pythagoras22The “Sayings” Of Pythagoras23Pythagoras' Astronomic System24Valentinus Convicted of Plagiarisms from the Platonic and Pythagoric Philosophy; The Valentinian Theory of Emanation by Duads25The Tenet of the Duad Made the Foundation of Valentinus' System of the Emanation of Æons26Valentinus' Explanation of the Existence of Christ and the Spirit27Valentinus' Explanation of the Existence of Jesus; Power of Jesus Over Humanity28The Valentinian Origin of the Creation29The Other Valentinian Emanations in Conformity with the Pythagorean System of Numbers30Valentinus' 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 Bardesanes31Further Doctrines of Valentinus Respecting the Æons; Reasons for the Incarnation32Valentinus Convicted of Plagiarisms from Plato33Secundus' System of Æons; Epiphanes; Ptolemæus34System of Marcus; A Mere Impostor; His Wicked Devices Upon the Eucharistic Cup35Further Acts of Jugglery on the Part of Marcus36The Heretical Practices of the Marcites in Regard of Baptism37Marcus' System Explained by Irenæus; Marcus' Vision; The Vision of Valentinus Revealing to Him His System38Marcus' System of Letters39The Quaternion Exhibits “Truth.”40The Name of Christ Jesus41Marcus' Mystic Interpretation of the Alphabet42His System Applied to Explain Our Lord's Life and Death43Letters, Symbols of the Heavens44Respecting the Generation of the Twenty-Four Letters45Why Jesus is Called Alpha46Marcus' Account of the Birth and Life of Our Lord47The System of Marcus Shown to Be that of Pythagoras, by Quotations from the Writings of Marcus' Followers48Their Cosmogony Framed According to These Mystic Doctrines of Letters49The Work of the Demiurge Perishable50Marcus and Colarbasus Refuted by Irenæus5Book VII1Heresy Compared to (1) the Stormy Ocean, (2) the Rocks of the Sirens; Moral from Ulysses and the Sirens2The System of Basilides Derived from Aristotle3Sketch of Aristotle's Philosophy4Aristotle's General Idea5Nonentity as a Cause6Substance, According to Aristotle; The Predicates7Aristotle's Cosmogony; His “Psychology;” His “Entelecheia;” His Theology; His Ethics; Basilides Follows Aristotle8Basilides and Isidorus Allege Apostolic Sanction for Their Systems; They Really Follow Aristotle9Basilides Adopts the Aristotelian Doctrine of “Nonentity.”10Origin of the World; Basilides' Account of the “Sonship.”11The “Great Archon” Of Basilides12Basilides Adopts the “Entelecheia” Of Aristotle13Further Explanation of the “Sonship.”14Whence Came the Gospel; The Number of Heavens According to Basilides; Explanation of Christ's Miraculous Conception15God's Dealings with the Creature; Basilides' Notion of (1) the Inner Man, (2) the Gospel; His Interpretation of the Life and Sufferings of Our Lord16The System of Saturnilus17Marcion; His Dualism; Derives His System from Empedocles; Sketch of the Doctrine of Empedocles18Source of Marcionism; Empedocles Reasserted as the Suggester of the Heresy19The Heresy of Prepon; Follows Empedocles; Marcion Rejects the Generation of the Saviour20The Heresy of Carpocrates; Wicked Doctrines Concerning Jesus Christ; Practise Magical Arts; Adopt a Metempsychosis21The System of Cerinthus Concerning Christ22Doctrine of the Ebionæans23The Heresy of Theodotus24The Melchisedecians; The Nicolaitans25The Heresy of Cerdon26The Doctrines of Apelles; Philumene, His Prophetess6Book VIII1Heresies Hitherto Refuted; Opinions of the Docetæ2Docetic Notion of the Incarnation; Their Doctrines of Æons; Their Account of Creation; Their Notion of a Fiery God3Christ Undoes the Work of the Demiurge; Docetic Account of the Baptism and Death of Jesus; Why He Lived for Thirty Years on Earth4Docetic Doctrine Derived from the Greek Sophists5Monoïmus; Man the Universe, According to Monoïmus; His System of the Monad6Monoïmus' “Iota;” His Notion of the “Son of Man.”7Monoïmus on the Sabbath; Allegorizes the Rod of Moses; Notion Concerning the Decalogue8Monoïmus Explains His Opinions in a Letter to Theophrastus; Where to Find God; His System Derived from Pythagoras9Tatian10Hermogenes; Adopts the Socratic Philosophy; His Notion Concerning the Birth and Body of Our Lord11The Quartodecimans12The Montanists; Priscilla and Maximilla Their Prophetesses; Some of Them Noetians13The Doctrines of the Encratites7Book IX1An Account of Contemporaneous Heresy2Source of the Heresy of Noetus; Cleomenes His Disciple; Its Appearance at Rome During the Episcopates of Zephyrinus and Callistus; Noetianism Opposed at Rome by Hippolytus3Noetianism an Offshoot from the Heraclitic Philosophy4An Account of the System of Heraclitus5Heraclitus' Estimate of Hesiod; Paradoxes of Heraclitus; His Eschatology; The Heresy of Noetus of Heraclitean Origin; Noetus' View of the Birth and Passion of Our Lord6Conduct 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 It7The 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 Callistus by the Interference Of Marcion; Callistus Arrives at Rome; Pope Victor Removes Callistus to Antium; Return of Callistus on Victor's Death; Zephyrinus Friendly to Him; Callistus Accused by Sabellius; Hippolytus' Account of the Opinions of Callistus; The Callistian School at Rome, and Its Practices; This Sect in Existence in Hippolytus' Time8Sect of the Elchasaites; Hippolytus' Opposition to It9Elchasai Derived His System from Pythagoras; Practised Incantations10Elchasai's Mode of Administering Baptism; Formularies11Precepts of Elchasai12The Heresy of the Elchasaites a Derivative One13The Jewish Sects14The Tenets of the Esseni15The Tenets of the Esseni Continued16The Tenets of the Esseni Continued17The Tenets of the Esseni Continued18The Tenets of the Esseni Continued19The Tenets of the Esseni Continued20The Tenets of the Esseni Concluded21Different Sects of the Esseni22Belief of the Esseni in the Resurrection; Their System a Suggestive One23Another Sect of the Esseni: the Pharisees24The Sadducees25The Jewish Religion26Conclusion to the Work Explained8Book X1Recapitulation2Summary of the Opinions of Philosophers3Summary of the Opinions of Philosophers Continued4Summary of the Opinions of Philosophers Continued5The Naasseni6The Peratæ7The Sethians8Simon Magus9Valentinus10Basilides11Justinus12The Docetæ13Monoïmus14Tatian15Marcion and Cerdo16Apelles17Cerinthus18The Ebionæans19Theodotus20Melchisedecians21The Phrygians or Montanists22The Phrygians or Montanists Continued23Noetus and Callistus24Hermogenes25The Elchasaites26Jewish Chronology27Jewish Chronology Continued28The Doctrine of the Truth29The Doctrine of the Truth Continued30The Author's Concluding Address31General Note