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Against Heresies
Irenaeus of Lyons
Book 4 · Chapter 11 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 The old prophets and righteous men knew beforehand of the advent of Christ, and earnestly desired to see and hear Him, He revealing himself in the Scriptures by the Holy Ghost, and without any change in Himself, enriching men day by day with benefits, but conferring them in greater abundance on later than on former generations. Section 1 1 . But that it was not only
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the
prophets
and
many
righteous
men
,
who
,
foreseeing
through
the
Holy
Spirit
His
advent
,
prayed
that
they
might
attain
to
that
period
in
which
they
should
see
their
Lord
face
to
face
,
and
hear
His
words
,
the
Lord
has
made
manifest
,
when
He
says
to
His
disciples
,
“
Many
prophets
and
righteous
men
have
desired
to
see
those
things
which
ye
see
,
and
have
not
seen
them
;
and
to
hear
those
things
which
ye
hear
,
and
have
not
heard
them
.
”
In
what
way
,
then
,
did
they
desire
both
to
hear
and
to
see
,
unless
they
had
foreknowledge
of
His
future
advent
?
But
how
could
they
have
foreknown
it
,
unless
they
had
previously
received
foreknowledge
from
Himself
?
And
how
do
the
Scriptures
testify
of
Him
,
unless
all
things
had
ever
been
revealed
and
shown
to
believers
by
one
and
the
same
God
through
the
Word
;
He
at
one
time
conferring
with
His
creature
,
and
at
another
propounding
His
law
;
at
one
time
,
again
,
reproving
,
at
another
exhorting
,
and
then
setting
free
His
servant
,
and
adopting
him
as
a
son
(
in
filium
)
;
and
,
at
the
proper
time
,
bestowing
an
incorruptible
inheritance
,
for
the
purpose
of
bringing
man
to
perfection
?
For
He
formed
him
for
growth
and
increase
,
as
the
Scripture
says
:
“
Increase
and
multiply
.
”
Section 2 2 . And in this respect God differs from man , that God indeed makes , but man is made ; and truly , He who makes is always the same ; but that which is made must receive both beginning , and middle , and addition , and increase . And God does indeed create after a skilful manner , while , [ as regards ] man , he is created skilfully . God also is truly perfect in all things , Himself equal and similar to Himself , as He is all light , and all mind , and all substance , and the fount of all good ; but man receives advancement and increase towards God . For as God is always the same , so also man , when found in God , shall always go on towards God . For neither does God at any time cease to confer benefits upon , or to enrich man ; nor does man ever cease from receiving the benefits , and being enriched by God . For the receptacle of His goodness , and the instrument of His glorification , is the man who is grateful to Him that made him ; and again , the receptacle of His just judgment is the ungrateful man , who both despises his Maker and is not subject to His Word ; who has promised that He will give very much to those always bringing forth fruit , and more [ and more ] to those who have the Lord’s money . “ Well done , ” He says , “ good and faithful servant : because thou hast been faithful in little , I will appoint thee over many things ; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord . ” The Lord Himself thus promises very much .
Section 3 3 . As , therefore , He has promised to give very much to those who do now bring forth fruit , according to the gift of His grace , but not according to the changeableness of “ knowledge ; ” for the Lord remains the same , and the same Father is revealed ; thus , therefore , has the one and the same Lord granted , by means of His advent , a greater gift of grace to those of a later period , than what He had granted to those under the Old Testament dispensation . For they indeed used to hear , by means of [ His ] servants , that the King would come , and they rejoiced to a certain extent , inasmuch as they hoped for His coming ; but those who have beheld Him actually present , and have obtained liberty , and been made partakers of His gifts , do possess a greater amount of grace , and a higher degree of exultation , rejoicing because of the King’s arrival : as also David says , “ My soul shall rejoice in the Lord ; it shall be glad in His salvation . ” And for this cause , upon His entrance into Jerusalem , all those who were in the way recognised David their king in His sorrow of soul , and spread their garments for Him , and ornamented the way with green boughs , crying out with great joy and gladness , “ Hosanna to the Son of David ; blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord : hosanna in the highest . ” But to the envious wicked stewards , who circumvented those under them , and ruled over those that had no great intelligence , and for this reason were unwilling that the king should come , and who said to Him , “ Hearest thou what these say ? ” did the Lord reply , “ Have ye never read , Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast Thou perfected praise ? ” — thus pointing out that what had been declared by David concerning the Son of God , was accomplished in His own person ; and indicating that they were indeed ignorant of the meaning of the Scripture and the dispensation of God ; but declaring that it was Himself who was announced by the prophets as Christ , whose name is praised in all the earth , and who perfects praise to His Father from the mouth of babes and sucklings ; wherefore also His glory has been raised above the heavens .
Section 4 4 . If , therefore , the self - same person is present who was announced by the prophets , our Lord Jesus Christ , and if His advent has brought in a fuller [ measure of ] grace and greater gifts to those who have received Him , it is plain that the Father also is Himself the same who was proclaimed by the prophets , and that the Son , on His coming , did not spread the knowledge of another Father , but of the same who was preached from the beginning ; from whom also He has brought down liberty to those who , in a lawful manner , and with a willing mind , and with all the heart , do Him service ; whereas to scoffers , and to those not subject to God , but who follow outward purifications for the praise of men ( which observances had been given as a type of future things , — the law typifying , as it were , certain things in a shadow , and delineating eternal things by temporal , celestial by terrestrial ) , and to those who pretend that they do themselves observe more than what has been prescribed , as if preferring their own zeal to God Himself , while within they are full of hypocrisy , and covetousness , and all wickedness , — [ to such ] has He assigned everlasting perdition by cutting them off from life .
