Preface

§ 1.

Forasmuch as there are some, who, putting the truth away from them¹, introduce in its stead² false tales and vain genealogies, which minister questions, according to the saying of the Apostle,³ rather than godly edifying which is of faith, and by a cunning assemblage of plausible topics pervert the mind of the simpler sort, and lead them away captive, adulterating⁴ the oracles of the Lord; so becoming evil expounders of good words, and subvert many, withdrawing them, under pretence of knowledge, from Him by Whom this universe was framed and adorned, as though they had something higher and greater to show them than God Who made Heaven and Earth and all things that are therein:⁵ alluring persuasively enough, in the first instance, by dexterity of words, such as are unsuspecting into this mode of enquiry, but in the most revolting way bringing them to ruin at last, by framing their minds to all blasphemy and impiety against the Creator; they having no power, even on this point⁶ to distinguish falsehood from truth:

In order therefore that it may not be our fault, if any be snatched away as sheep by wolves, not knowing them on account of the sheepskin which they outwardly wear;⁷ which sort the Lord commanded us to beware of, speaking as we do, but meaning all the contrary:⁸ I have judged it needful, on meeting with the writings of those who call themselves disciples of Valentinus; and also after conversation had with some of them, and understanding their drift; to declare unto thee, well-beloved, their portentous and deep mysteries, “⁹which all men receive not,” because all have not yet spit out their brains: that thou also, having learned them, mayest disclose them to all who are with thee, and exhort them to avoid the depth of these men’s folly, and blasphemy against Christ.

And to the best of our power, we will shortly and clearly set forth the meaning of those who are now teaching amiss, I mean of Ptolemy and his partizans, which school is a kind of efflorescence¹⁰ from that of Valentinus: and then we will suggest topics according to our moderate ability, for the refutation of the same; shewing how monstrous their assertions are, and how inconsistent with the Truth. And this, although we have neither been accustomed to composition, nor trained to any arts of discourse; charity only urging us to make known to thee, and all who are with thee, what things they teach:—things hitherto concealed, but which now at length by the grace of God have found their way into the light. For there is nothing covered which shall not be revealed, nor hid, which shall not be made known.¹¹

§ 2.

(For no false teaching is wont to offer itself to our view singly and apart, lest such exposure should lead to conviction; but craftily putting on a plausible dress, makes itself by its outward habiliments appear to the simpler sort truer than Truth itself, according to what was said of such cases by one superior to us: “¹²The precious stone, the real emerald, accounted by some of great value, is dishonoured by the artful imitation of itself in glass, whenever he is not by, who hath power to prove it, and detect the craft so cunningly put in practice. Again, when there is an alloy of brass with our silver, what simple person shall be lightly able to assay it?”)

§ 3.

But thou wilt not require of us, who dwell among Celts, and converse for the most part in a foreign language, skill in discourse which we have not learned, nor power of composition, which we have not practised, nor eloquence of phrase, nor persuasiveness, of which we know nothing. Rather in simplicity, and truth, and plainness, the things which are written to thee lovingly, thou wilt lovingly accept, and what is more, wilt cherish them within thyself, as being more competent than we are, receiving them from us as a kind of seeds and principles. That which we have briefly expressed, thou wilt cause to bear much fruit in the wide field of thine understanding; and wilt forcibly represent to them that are with thee what we have but faintly detailed. And as we have sought, according to thy request made long ago for information about their meaning, not only to make it known to thee, but also to provide thee with resources for demonstrating its falsehoods: so wilt thou too seek honestly to minister unto others, according to the grace given thee by the Lord: to the end that our people may be no longer perverted by their show of reasoning: whereof the account is as follows;—