PG 7 · cols. 1117–1120

Analysis libri quinti

Editors' preface

4. Quoniam autem multi quidem Domini sermones, unum autem et eumdem omnes annuntiant Patrem factorem mundi hujus, oportebat et nos propter eos, qui in multis erroribus continentur, per multa confutare; si quomodo possent per multa confutati et ad veritatem converti, et salvari. Necessarium est autem conscriptioni huic, in sequenti post Domini sermones subjungere Pauli quoque doctrinam, et examinare sententiam ejus, et Apostolum exponere, et quaecunque ab haereticis, in totum non intelligentibus quae a Paulo dicta sunt, alias acceperunt interpretationes, explanare et dementiam insensationis eorum ostendere: et ab eodem Paulo, ex quo nobis quaestiones inferunt, manifestare, illos quidem mendaces, Apostolum vero praedicatorem esse veritatis, et omnia consonantia veritatis praeconio docuisse, unum Deum Patrem eum, qui locutus sit ad Abraham, qui legisdationem fecerit, qui prophetas praemiserit, qui novissimis temporibus Filium suum misit, et salutem suo plasmati donat, quod est carnis substantia. Reliquos igitur sermones Domini, quos quidem non per parabolas, sed simpliciter ipsis dictionibus docuit de Patre, et expositionem Epistolarum beati Apostoli in altero libro disponentes, integrum tibi opus exprobrationis et eversionis falso cognominatae agnitionis, praestante Deo, praebebimus; et nos ipsos, et te ad contradictionem omnium haereticorum in quinque exercentes libris.

4. Now since the words of the Lord are many, yet all proclaim one and the same Father, the Maker of this world, it behoved us also, on account of those who are held fast in many errors, to refute them through many arguments, if by any means, being refuted through many arguments, they might both be converted to the truth and be saved. Moreover, it is necessary for this treatise in the following book to subjoin after the words of the Lord the doctrine of Paul also, and to examine his meaning, and to expound the Apostle, and to explain whatever passages have received other interpretations from the heretics, who wholly fail to understand what was spoken by Paul, and to show the madness of their senselessness; and from the same Paul, from whom they bring questions against us, to make manifest that they indeed are liars, whereas the Apostle is a preacher of the truth, and taught all things in harmony with the preaching of the truth: that there is one God the Father, He Who spoke to Abraham, Who gave the law, Who sent the prophets beforehand, Who in the last times sent His Son, and bestows salvation upon His own handiwork, which is the substance of the flesh. Arranging therefore in another book the remaining words of the Lord, which He taught concerning the Father not through parables, but simply in the very expressions, and the exposition of the Epistles of the blessed Apostle, we shall, God granting it, furnish you with the entire work of the detection and overthrow of falsely so-called knowledge, exercising both ourselves and you in five books for the refutation of all the heretics.

ANALYSIS LIBRI QUINTI.

Analysis of the Fifth Book.

Ab hujus libri exordio Irenaeus se haereses omnes, praecipue tamen Valentinianam, ipsis Christi verbis, atque epistolis apostolorum deinceps impugnaturum declarat; redditque rationem cur huic posteriori libro manum censuerit admovendam. Principio itaque pro certo ponit Christum, qui solus sanguine suo nos redemit, eumdem solum ea docere nos potuisse, quae sui sunt Patris. Quapropter erroris reos agit Valentinianos, qui Christum simulatum; et Ebionaeos, qui eum purum hominem esse nugabantur. Priores autem non minoris in eo arguit temeritatis, quod et mundum non a Deo, sed a Demiurgo creatum dicerent, futuramque negarent humani corporis resurrectionem. Eam vero validissimis deinde probat rationibus, petitis ex vera ac reali Christi corporis ac sanguinis in eucharistiae sacramento praesentia, potentia Dei, et Scripturae sacrae auctoritate. Nec levioris sane ponderis sunt ea, quae ex Apostolo depromit argumenta. Primum siquidem homo, juxta illius sententiam, eo quo creatus est modo, integer debet spiritu, anima, et corpore sine querela in adventum Domini servari. Praeterea sicut Christus a mortuis resurrexit, ita mortua suscitabit corpora hominum. Denique sacra Spiritus sancti, quae in hoc mundo accipimus, dona certum sunt futurae haereditatis, resurrectionis et immortalitatis nostrae pignus.

At the beginning of this book Irenaeus declares that he will henceforth impugn all the heresies, yet chiefly the Valentinian, by the very words of Christ and by the epistles of the apostles, and gives the reason why he judged that he ought to set his hand to this latter book. First, therefore, he lays it down as certain that Christ, Who alone redeemed us by His blood, alone could teach us the things that belong to His Father. Wherefore he convicts of error the Valentinians, who trifled that Christ was simulated, and the Ebionites, who trifled that He was a mere man. And he convicts the former of no less rashness in this, that they both said the world was created not by God, but by the Demiurge, and denied the future resurrection of the human body. This, however, he next proves by the strongest reasons, drawn from the true and real presence of the body and blood of Christ in the sacrament of the Eucharist, the power of God, and the authority of Sacred Scripture. Nor assuredly of lighter weight are those arguments which he draws forth from the Apostle. First, indeed, man, according to his judgement, in the manner in which he was created, ought to be preserved whole in spirit, soul, and body without blame unto the coming of the Lord. Moreover, just as Christ rose from the dead, so He will raise up the dead bodies of men. Finally, the sacred gifts of the Holy Spirit which we receive in this world are a sure pledge of our future inheritance, resurrection, and immortality.

Quia vero praecipua erroris fundamenta in his posita erant Apostoli verbis: Caro et sanguis regnum Dei haereditare non possunt; nihil iis nisi prava carnis opera ab Apostolo describi clarissime demonstrat. Qua quidem soluta difficultate, aliis resurrectionem asserit rationum momentis, ac praecipue mortuorum a Christo suscitatorum exemplo, et Isaiae, atque Apostoli auctoritate, et testimoniis.

And because the chief foundations of their error were laid in these words of the Apostle: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, he most clearly demonstrates that nothing is described in them by the Apostle save the depraved works of the flesh. Having solved this difficulty, he asserts the resurrection by other weights of reasons, and chiefly by the example of the dead raised by Christ, and by the authority and testimonies of Isaiah and the Apostle.

Ad refellenda alia Valentinianae haereseos capita inde transit; ac probat mundum ab aeterno creatum Patre, a quo et ipse homo, non ex aliena quadam, secundum Valentini ineptias, et fluida substantia, sed ex eadem nostra conditus est terra, qua Christus litos sanavit caeci nati oculos. Exinde vero ad praecipuum erroris caput reversus, non alium quam Christi Patrem, Deum creatorem esse ex ipsiusmet Christi passione, miraculis, et condonandorum peccatorum potestate liquido conficit. Idem insuper ex primis evincit Joannis in suo Evangelio verbis. Ex iis autem scite colligit, a divino Verbo, quando ex Virgine caro factum est, damna omnia, quae Eva hominibus intulerat, fuisse plane resarcita.

Thence he passes on to refuting other heads of the Valentinian heresy, and proves that the world was created by the eternal Father, by Whom man himself also was formed, not out of some foreign and fluid substance according to the follies of Valentinus, but out of the same earth of ours wherewith Christ anointed and healed the eyes of the man born blind. Returning thence to the chief head of the error, he clearly establishes from Christ's own passion, miracles, and power of forgiving sins that God the Creator is no other than the Father of Christ. The same he moreover proves from the first words of John in his Gospel. And from these he skilfully gathers that when the divine Word became flesh of the Virgin, all the losses which Eve had brought upon men were wholly repaired.

Omnes postmodum, quos confutaverat errores, summatim recenset, eosque episcopis, apostolorum successoribus, demonstrat esse posteriores. Caeterum cum perpetuae sint haereticorum inter se et secum pugnantium dissensiones, atque una semper sit, ac fuerit Ecclesiae catholicae, per mundum universum dispersae, fides et doctrina; ad eam, iis relictis, confugiendum, et Christo obediendum esse concludit.

Afterwards he summarily recounts all the errors which he had refuted, and demonstrates that they are later than the bishops, the successors of the apostles. For the rest, since the dissensions of the heretics fighting with one another and with themselves are perpetual, and the faith and doctrine of the Catholic Church dispersed throughout the whole world is and always has been one, he concludes that forsaking them we must flee to her and obey Christ.

Christus vero, subdit auctor noster, triplici in diabolum, qui ipsum ausus fuerat tripliciter tentare, et

Moreover Christ, subjoins our author, by a threefold [victory] over the devil, who had dared to tempt Him threefold, and

Editors' notes and page, col. 1117

Footnotes

44 ‹anchor: esse nugabantur› · call in col 1117 Cap. 1.

Chapter 1.

45 ‹anchor: Scripturae sacrae auctoritate› · call in col 1117 Cap. 2 et seqq.

Chapter 2 and following.

46 ‹anchor: Domini servari› · call in col 1118 Cap. 6.

Chapter 6.

47 ‹anchor: corpora hominum› · call in col 1118 Cap. 7.

Chapter 7.

48 ‹anchor: nostrae pignus› · call in col 1117 Cap. 8.

Chapter 8.

49 ‹anchor: haereditare non possunt› · call in col 1117 Cap. 9 et seqq.

Chapter 9 and following.

50 ‹anchor: et testimoniis› · call in col 1118 Cap. 12 et seqq.

Chapter 12 and following.

51 ‹anchor: caeci nati oculos› · call in col 1118 Cap. 15 et seqq.

Chapter 15 and following.

52 ‹anchor: liquido conficit› · call in col 1118 Cap. 17.

Chapter 17.

53 ‹anchor: plane resarcita› · call in col 1118 Cap. 18.

Chapter 18.

54 ‹anchor: esse posteriores› · call in col 1117 Cap. 19.

Chapter 19.

55 ‹anchor: esse concludit› · call in col 1118 Cap. 20.

Chapter 20.

(printed under page 567)

(93) ‹anchor: eodem Deo› · call in col 1117 (printed in col 1117)

Et eodem Deo. Et eodem deest in Eras., Gall., Merc. 1. Sed Deo desideratur in Arund.

"And by the same God." The words "and by the same" are missing in Erasmus, Gallasius and Mercerus's first manuscript. But "God" is missing in the Arundel manuscript.

(printed under page 567)

(94) ‹anchor: confutati› · call in col 1117 (printed in col 1117)

Confutati. Feuard., confutari.

"Refuted" (confutati). Feuardent reads "to be refuted" (confutari).

(printed under page 567)

(95) ‹anchor: in sequenti› · call in col 1117 (printed in col 1117)

In sequenti. Eras., Gall. et Feuard., consequenti. Sed Clarom., Voss., Arund. et Feuardent. in marg. melius, in sequenti; quae divisim lego.

"In the following." Erasmus, Gallasius and Feuardent read "in the consequent" (consequenti). But the Clermont, Voss and Arundel manuscripts, and Feuardent in his margin, read better "in the following" (in sequenti), which I read as two words.

(printed under page 567)

(96) ‹anchor: salutem suo plasmati donat› · call in col 1118 (printed in cols 1117–1118)

Misit, et salutem .... donat. Ita quoad primam vocem Claromont., Voss. et Merc. 1, quoad caeteras, Feuard. in marg., Clarom. et Voss. In editt., miserit, et salutem ... donans; nisi quod Grab., Eras. et Gall. omittunt et ante salutem.

"He sent, and gives salvation ...." So the Clermont and Voss manuscripts and Mercerus's first read for the first word, and for the rest Feuardent in his margin and the Clermont and Voss manuscripts. The editions read "he would have sent, and giving salvation ..."; except that Grabe, Erasmus and Gallasius omit "and" before "salvation".

(printed under page 567)

(97) ‹anchor: beati Apostoli› · call in col 1118 (printed in col 1118)

Beati apostoli. Editt., beati Pauli apostoli.

"Of the blessed apostle." The editions read "of the blessed apostle Paul".

(printed under page 567)

(98) ‹anchor: falso cognominatae agnitionis› · call in col 1118 (printed in col 1118)

Et eversionis .... agnitionis. Haec non agnoscit cod. Clarom.

"And overthrow .... knowledge." The Clermont manuscript does not acknowledge these words.

(printed under page 567)

Footnotes

(97) ‹anchor: not on this page› · call in col 1118 (printed in col 1118; call on an earlier page)

Beati apostoli. Editt., beati Pauli apostoli.

"Of the blessed apostle." The editions read "of the blessed apostle Paul".

(printed under page 567)

(98) ‹anchor: not on this page› · call in col 1118 (printed in col 1118; call on an earlier page)

Et eversionis .... agnitionis. Haec non agnoscit cod. Clarom.

"And of the overthrow .... of the knowledge." The Clermont manuscript does not have these words.

(printed under page 567)

Page

other: col 1118 is the right-hand number of a full-width page, set whole under col 1117 (corpus full_width rule); nothing of its own: pointer only

PG 7:1119

reipsa Adamum vicerat, reportata victoria, patefecit a Patre rerum omnium creatore se vere fuisse missum. Diabolus econtrario se non solum ab initio, et in tribus his tentationibus mendacem probavit: sed in fine etiam mundi rursus tunc probaturus est, cum sub Antichristo homines in sui pertrahet adorationem.

had in very deed overcome Adam, by the victory He won He made plain that He had truly been sent from the Father, the Creator of all things. The devil, on the contrary, proved himself a liar not only from the beginning and in these three temptations, but at the end of the world too he is then to prove himself so again, when under Antichrist he will draw men into the worship of himself.

Ibi autem de Antichristi nomine, origine, regno, diuturnitate fuse disserit. Nonnulla quoque ibidem miscet adversus Marcionem, Valentinianos, aliosque, qui et mundi creatorem non agnoscebant, et prophetas a vero Deo missos esse inficiabantur. Hos porro organa vocat Satanae, qui Deo male precari nunquam ausus fuit, nisi post Christi adventum, cum de aeterna damnatione sua certior factus est. Posthaec de his quae, Antichristo exstincto, eventura sunt, et de millenario Christi post mundi consummationem in terra regnantis imperio plura disputat. Inde tandem Valentinianorum errorem, quo sectatores suos, statim atque mortui fuerint, supra coelos ad Patrem, vel Matrem ascendere somniabant, funditus evertit.

There, moreover, he discourses at length on the name, origin, reign and duration of Antichrist. In the same place he also mingles in some things against Marcion, the Valentinians and others, who both did not acknowledge the Creator of the world and denied that the prophets had been sent by the true God. These he further calls the instruments of Satan, who never dared to curse God until after the coming of Christ, when he had been made certain of his own eternal damnation. After this he argues at length about the things that are to come to pass once Antichrist has been destroyed, and about the thousand-year reign of Christ ruling on earth after the consummation of the world. Then, finally, he utterly overthrows the error of the Valentinians, by which they dreamed that their followers, as soon as they had died, ascend above the heavens to the Father, or to the Mother.

Editors' notes and page, col. 1119

Footnotes

(36) ‹anchor: rationem› · call in col 1119

Cap. 21 et seqq.

Chapter 21 and following.

(printed under page 568)

(37) ‹anchor: evertit› · call in col 1119

Cap. 25 et seqq.

Chapter 25 and following.

(printed under page 568)

(99) ‹anchor: dilectissime› · call in col 1119

Dilectissime. Ita Clarom. et Voss.; caeteri, diligentissime.

"Dilectissime" (most beloved): so the Clermont and Vossius manuscripts; the others have "diligentissime" (most diligent).

(printed under page 568)

(1) ‹anchor: qui sunt tibi› · call in col 1119

Tibi. Deest in Arund.

"Tibi" (to you): missing in the Arundel manuscript.

(printed under page 568)

(2) ‹anchor: aliquid autem› · call in col 1119

Aliquid quidem... aliquid autem. Graeco more pro partim quidem... partim autem.

"Aliquid quidem... aliquid autem" (something on the one hand... something on the other): in the Greek manner, for "partim quidem... partim autem" (partly... partly).

(printed under page 568)

(3) ‹anchor: ex ratione› · call in col 1119

Ex ratione. Sic vetus Feuard. cod., et Clarom. Alii vel pro ex habent et, vol utrumque jungunt.

"Ex ratione" (from reason): so Feuardent's old codex, and the Clermont manuscript. Others either have "et" (and) for "ex", or join both.

(printed under page 568; misprint as printed: "vol" for "vel")

(4) ‹anchor: quidem praeconaverunt› · call in col 1119

Praeconaverunt. Eras., Gall. et Feuard., praeconizaverunt.

"Praeconaverunt" (proclaimed): Erasmus, Gallasius and Feuardent have "praeconizaverunt".

(printed under page 568)

(5) ‹anchor: nobis proponuntur› · call in col 1119

Proponuntur. Alias, proponebantur.

"Proponuntur" (are put forward): elsewhere, "proponebantur" (were put forward).

(printed under page 568)

(6) ‹anchor: pluribus, quae› · call in col 1119

Quae. In Feuard. marg. et Voss., quemadmodum.

"Quae" (which): in Feuardent's margin and in the Vossius manuscript, "quemadmodum" (as).

(printed under page 568)

(7) ‹anchor: quod est de traductione› · call in col 1119

Libro quinto operis universi, quod est de traductione. Haec in omnibus exemplaribus manifesta scribarum incuria sic male translocata: libro quinto, qui est de traductione operis universi, et eversione: emendo ex loco omnino parallelo, initio praefationis libri quarti, ubi similia haec leguntur: Hunc quartum librum transmittens tibi, operis, quod est de detectione et eversione, etc. Cum igitur eadem prorsus in utroque loco verba legantur, perperam inversum posteriorum ordinem, ex prioribus restituendum mihi putavi.

"In the fifth book of the whole work, which is on the exposure": in all the copies, through the plain carelessness of the scribes, these words are wrongly transposed thus: "in the fifth book, which is on the exposure of the whole work, and the overthrow". I emend from an entirely parallel place, at the beginning of the preface to the fourth book, where these similar words are read: "Sending you this fourth book of the work, which is on the detection and overthrow", etc. Since, then, exactly the same words are read in both places, I thought the wrongly inverted order of the later passage should be restored from the earlier.

(printed under page 568)

(8) ‹anchor: ex reliquis doctrinae› · call in col 1119

Et reliquis doctrinae. Ita Clarom. et Arund., quibus quoad vocem doctrinae (in genitivo) consentiunt Voss. et Merc. 1. In editt., et (Grab. ex) reliquis doctrinis.

"Et reliquis doctrinae" (and from the remaining [words] of the teaching): so the Clermont and Arundel manuscripts, with which, as to the word "doctrinae" (in the genitive), the Vossius manuscript and Mercier 1 agree. In the editions, "et (Grabe: ex) reliquis doctrinis" (and/from the remaining teachings).

(printed under page 568)

(9) ‹anchor: omnimodo elaborantibus› · call in col 1119

Elaborantibus. Sic omnes mss. At editt., elaboramus.

"Elaborantibus" (labouring): so all the manuscripts. But the editions have "elaboramus" (we labour).

(printed under page 568)

Footnotes

(10) ‹anchor: Oportebit› · call in col 1120

Oportebit. Clarom., oportebat.

"Oportebit" (it will be needful): the Clermont manuscript has "oportebat" (it was needful).

(printed under page 568)

(11) ‹anchor: omnes lecturos› · call in col 1120

Et te et omnes lecturos. Ita Clarom. At vetus Feuard. cod. cum om. Anglic., et te et omnes lectores. Editt. vero, autem te, omnesque lecturos.

"Et te et omnes lecturos" (both you and all who will read): so the Clermont manuscript. But Feuardent's old codex, with all the English manuscripts, has "et te et omnes lectores" (both you and all readers). The editions, however, have "autem te, omnesque lecturos" (but you, and all who will read).

(printed under page 568)