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Against Heresies
Irenaeus of Lyons
Book 1 · Chapter 18 About this work A five-book account and refutation of competing Christian movements that also develops Irenaeus’s positive theology of creation, Scripture, apostolic tradition, incarnation, salvation, and recapitulation in Christ.
Author Irenaeus of Lyons
Date c. AD 175–185
Origin Lyons, Gaul
Genre Heresiology Passages from Moses, which the heretics pervert to the support of their hypothesis. Section 1 1 . And while they affirm such things as
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these
concerning
the
creation
,
every
one
of
them
generates
something
new
,
day
by
day
,
according
to
his
ability
;
for
no
one
is
deemed
“
perfect
,
”
who
does
not
develop
among
them
some
mighty
fictions
.
It
is
thus
necessary
,
first
,
to
indicate
what
things
they
metamorphose
[
to
their
own
use
]
out
of
the
prophetical
writings
,
and
next
,
to
refute
them
.
Moses
,
then
,
they
declare
,
by
his
mode
of
beginning
the
account
of
the
creation
,
has
at
the
commencement
pointed
out
the
mother
of
all
things
when
he
says
,
“
In
the
beginning
God
created
the
heaven
and
the
earth
;
”
for
,
as
they
maintain
,
by
naming
these
four
,
—
God
,
beginning
,
heaven
,
and
earth
,
—
he
set
forth
their
Tetrad
.
Indicating
also
its
invisible
and
hidden
nature
,
he
said
,
“
Now
the
earth
was
invisible
and
unformed
.
”
They
will
have
it
,
moreover
,
that
he
spoke
of
the
second
Tetrad
,
the
offspring
of
the
first
,
in
this
way
—
by
naming
an
abyss
and
darkness
,
in
which
were
also
water
,
and
the
Spirit
moving
upon
the
water
.
Then
,
proceeding
to
mention
the
Decad
,
he
names
light
,
day
,
night
,
the
firmament
,
the
evening
,
the
morning
,
dry
land
,
sea
,
plants
,
and
,
in
the
tenth
place
,
trees
.
Thus
,
by
means
of
these
ten
names
,
he
indicated
the
ten
Æons
.
The
power
of
the
Duodecad
,
again
,
was
shadowed
forth
by
him
thus
:
—
He
names
the
sun
,
moon
,
stars
,
seasons
,
years
,
whales
,
fishes
,
reptiles
,
birds
,
quadrupeds
,
wild
beasts
,
and
after
all
these
,
in
the
twelfth
place
,
man
.
Thus
they
teach
that
the
Triacontad
was
spoken
of
through
Moses
by
the
Spirit
.
Moreover
,
man
also
,
being
formed
after
the
image
of
the
power
above
,
had
in
himself
that
ability
which
flows
from
the
one
source
.
This
ability
was
seated
in
the
region
of
the
brain
,
from
which
four
faculties
proceed
,
after
the
image
of
the
Tetrad
above
,
and
these
are
called
:
the
first
,
sight
,
the
second
,
hearing
,
the
third
,
smell
,
and
the
fourth
,
taste
.
And
they
say
that
the
Ogdoad
is
indicated
by
man
in
this
way
:
that
he
possesses
two
ears
,
the
like
number
of
eyes
,
also
two
nostrils
,
and
a
twofold
taste
,
namely
,
of
bitter
and
sweet
.
Moreover
,
they
teach
that
the
whole
man
contains
the
entire
image
of
the
Triacontad
as
follows
:
In
his
hands
,
by
means
of
his
fingers
,
he
bears
the
Decad
;
and
in
his
whole
body
the
Duodecad
,
inasmuch
as
his
body
is
divided
into
twelve
members
;
for
they
portion
that
out
,
as
the
body
of
Truth
is
divided
by
them
—
a
point
of
which
we
have
already
spoken
.
But
the
Ogdoad
,
as
being
unspeakable
and
invisible
,
is
understood
as
hidden
in
the
viscera
.
Section 2 2 . Again , they assert that the sun , the great light - giver , was formed on the fourth day , with a reference to the number of the Tetrad . So also , according to them , the courts of the tabernacle constructed by Moses , being composed of fine linen , and blue , and purple , and scarlet , pointed to the same image . Moreover , they maintain that the long robe of the priest falling over his feet , as being adorned with four rows of precious stones , indicates the Tetrad ; and if there are any other things in the Scriptures which can possibly be dragged into the number four , they declare that these had their being with a view to the Tetrad . The Ogdoad , again , was shown as follows : — They affirm that man was formed on the eighth day , for sometimes they will have him to have been made on the sixth day , and sometimes on the eighth , unless , perchance , they mean that his earthly part was formed on the sixth day , but his fleshly part on the eighth , for these two things are distinguished by them . Some of them also hold that one man was formed after the image and likeness of God , masculo - feminine , and that this was the spiritual man ; and that another man was formed out of the earth .
Section 3 3 . Further , they declare that the arrangement made with respect to the ark in the Deluge , by means of which eight persons were saved , most clearly indicates the Ogdoad which brings salvation . David also shows forth the same , as holding the eighth place in point of age among his brethren . Moreover , that circumcision which took place on the eighth day , represented the circumcision of the Ogdoad above . In a word , whatever they find in the Scriptures capable of being referred to the number eight , they declare to fulfil the mystery of the Ogdoad . With respect , again , to the Decad , they maintain that it is indicated by those ten nations which God promised to Abraham for a possession . The arrangement also made by Sarah when , after ten years , she gave her handmaid Hagar to him , that by her he might have a son , showed the same thing . Moreover , the servant of Abraham who was sent to Rebekah , and presented her at the well with ten bracelets of gold , and her brethren who detained her for ten days ; Jeroboam also , who received the ten sceptres ( tribes ) , and the ten courts of the tabernacle , and the columns of ten cubits [ high ] , and the ten sons of Jacob who were at first sent into Egypt to buy corn , and the ten apostles to whom the Lord appeared after His resurrection , — Thomas being absent , — represented , according to them , the invisible Decad .
Section 4 4 . As to the Duodecad , in connection with which the mystery of the passion of the defect occurred , from which passion they maintain that all things visible were framed , they assert that is to be found strikingly and manifestly everywhere [ in Scripture ] . For they declare that the twelve sons of Jacob , from whom also sprung twelve tribes , — the breastplate of the high priest , which bore twelve precious stones and twelve little bells , — the twelve stones which were placed by Moses at the foot of the mountain , — the same number which was placed by Joshua in the river , and again , on the other side , the bearers of the ark of the covenant , — those stones which were set up by Elijah when the heifer was offered as a burnt - offering ; the number , too , of the apostles ; and , in fine , every event which embraces in it the number twelve , — set forth their Duodecad . And then the union of all these , which is called the Triacontad , they strenuously endeavour to demonstrate by the ark of Noah , the height of which was thirty cubits ; by the case of Samuel , who assigned Saul the chief place among thirty guests ; by David , when for thirty days he concealed himself in the field ; by those who entered along with him into the cave ; also by the fact that the length ( height ) of the holy tabernacle was thirty cubits ; and if they meet with any other like numbers , they still apply these to their Triacontad .
