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Against Heresies
Irenaeus of Lyons
Book 3 · Chapter 3 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 A refutation of the heretics, from the fact that, in the various Churches, a perpetual succession of bishops was kept up. Section 1 1 . It is within the power of all
‹ Book 3 · Chapter 2 Book 3 · Chapter 4 ›,
therefore
,
in
every
Church
,
who
may
wish
to
see
the
truth
,
to
contemplate
clearly
the
tradition
of
the
apostles
manifested
throughout
the
whole
world
;
and
we
are
in
a
position
to
reckon
up
those
who
were
by
the
apostles
instituted
bishops
in
the
Churches
,
and
[
to
demonstrate
]
the
succession
of
these
men
to
our
own
times
;
those
who
neither
taught
nor
knew
of
anything
like
what
these
[
heretics
]
rave
about
.
For
if
the
apostles
had
known
hidden
mysteries
,
which
they
were
in
the
habit
of
imparting
to
“
the
perfect
”
apart
and
privily
from
the
rest
,
they
would
have
delivered
them
especially
to
those
to
whom
they
were
also
committing
the
Churches
themselves
.
For
they
were
desirous
that
these
men
should
be
very
perfect
and
blameless
in
all
things
,
whom
also
they
were
leaving
behind
as
their
successors
,
delivering
up
their
own
place
of
government
to
these
men
;
which
men
,
if
they
discharged
their
functions
honestly
,
would
be
a
great
boon
[
to
the
Church
]
,
but
if
they
should
fall
away
,
the
direst
calamity
.
Section 2 2 . Since , however , it would be very tedious , in such a volume as this , to reckon up the successions of all the Churches , we do put to confusion all those who , in whatever manner , whether by an evil self - pleasing , by vainglory , or by blindness and perverse opinion , assemble in unauthorized meetings ; [ we do this , I say , ] by indicating that tradition derived from the apostles , of the very great , the very ancient , and universally known Church founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious apostles , Peter and Paul ; as also [ by pointing out ] the faith preached to men , which comes down to our time by means of the successions of the bishops . For it is a matter of necessity that every Church should agree with this Church , on account of its pre - eminent authority , that is , the faithful everywhere , inasmuch as the apostolical tradition has been preserved continuously by those [ faithful men ] who exist everywhere .
Section 3 3 . The blessed apostles , then , having founded and built up the Church , committed into the hands of Linus the office of the episcopate . Of this Linus , Paul makes mention in the Epistles to Timothy . To him succeeded Anacletus ; and after him , in the third place from the apostles , Clement was allotted the bishopric . This man , as he had seen the blessed apostles , and had been conversant with them , might be said to have the preaching of the apostles still echoing [ in his ears ] , and their traditions before his eyes . Nor was he alone [ in this ] , for there were many still remaining who had received instructions from the apostles . In the time of this Clement , no small dissension having occurred among the brethren at Corinth , the Church in Rome despatched a most powerful letter to the Corinthians , exhorting them to peace , renewing their faith , and declaring the tradition which it had lately received from the apostles , proclaiming the one God , omnipotent , the Maker of heaven and earth , the Creator of man , who brought on the deluge , and called Abraham , who led the people from the land of Egypt , spake with Moses , set forth the law , sent the prophets , and who has prepared fire for the devil and his angels . From this document , whosoever chooses to do so , may learn that He , the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ , was preached by the Churches , and may also understand the apostolical tradition of the Church , since this Epistle is of older date than these men who are now propagating falsehood , and who conjure into existence another god beyond the Creator and the Maker of all existing things . To this Clement there succeeded Evaristus . Alexander followed Evaristus ; then , sixth from the apostles , Sixtus was appointed ; after him , Telephorus , who was gloriously martyred ; then Hyginus ; after him , Pius ; then after him , Anicetus . Sorer having succeeded Anicetus , Eleutherius does now , in the twelfth place from the apostles , hold the inheritance of the episcopate . In this order , and by this succession , the ecclesiastical tradition from the apostles , and the preaching of the truth , have come down to us . And this is most abundant proof that there is one and the same vivifying faith , which has been preserved in the Church from the apostles until now , and handed down in truth .
Section 4 4 . But Polycarp also was not only instructed by apostles , and conversed with many who had seen Christ , but was also , by apostles in Asia , appointed bishop of the Church in Smyrna , whom I also saw in my early youth , for he tarried [ on earth ] a very long time , and , when a very old man , gloriously and most nobly suffering martyrdom , departed this life , having always taught the things which he had learned from the apostles , and which the Church has handed down , and which alone are true . To these things all the Asiatic Churches testify , as do also those men who have succeeded Polycarp down to the present time , — a man who was of much greater weight , and a more stedfast witness of truth , than Valentinus , and Marcion , and the rest of the heretics . He it was who , coming to Rome in the time of Anicetus caused many to turn away from the aforesaid heretics to the Church of God , proclaiming that he had received this one and sole truth from the apostles , — that , namely , which is handed down by the Church . There are also those who heard from him that John , the disciple of the Lord , going to bathe at Ephesus , and perceiving Cerinthus within , rushed out of the bath - house without bathing , exclaiming , “ Let us fly , lest even the bath - house fall down , because Cerinthus , the enemy of the truth , is within . ” And Polycarp himself replied to Marcion , who met him on one occasion , and said , “ Dost thou know me ? ” “ I do know thee , the first - born of Satan . ” Such was the horror which the apostles and their disciples had against holding even verbal communication with any corrupters of the truth ; as Paul also says , “ A man that is an heretic , after the first and second admonition , reject ; knowing that he that is such is subverted , and sinneth , being condemned of himself . ” There is also a very powerful Epistle of Polycarp written to the Philippians , from which those who choose to do so , and are anxious about their salvation , can learn the character of his faith , and the preaching of the truth . Then , again , the Church in Ephesus , founded by Paul , and having John remaining among them permanently until the times of Trajan , is a true witness of the tradition of the apostles .
Notes 6 The Latin text of this difficult but important clause is, “Ad hanc enim ecclesiam propter potiorem principalitatem necesse est omnem convenire ecclesiam.” Both the text and meaning have here given rise to much discussion. It is impossible to say with certainty of what words in the Greek original “potiorem principalitatem” may be the translation. We are far from sure that the rendering given above is correct, but we have been unable to think of anything better. [A most extraordinary confession. It would be hard to find a worse; but take the following from a candid Roman Catholic, which is better and more literal: “For to this Church, on account of more potent principality, it is necessary that every Church (that is, those who are on every side faithful) resort; in which Church ever, by those who are on every side, has been preserved that tradition which is from the apostles.” (Berington and Kirk, vol. i. p. 252.) Here it is obvious that the faith was kept at Rome, by those who resort there from all quarters. She was a mirror of the Catholic World, owing here orthodoxy to them; not the Sun, dispensing her own light to others, but the glass bringing their rays into a focus. See note at end of book iii.] A discussion of the subject may be seen in chap. xii. of Dr. Wordsworth’s St. Hippolytus and the Church of Rome.
7 Polycarp suffered about the year 167, in the reign of Marcus Aurelius. His great age of eighty-six years implies that he was contemporary with St. John for nearly twenty years.
8 So the Greek. The Latin reads: “which he also handed down to the Church.”
9 Tit. iii. 10.
10 ἰκανωτάτη. Harvey translates this all-sufficient, and thus paraphrases: But his Epistle is all-sufficient, to teach those that are desirous to learn.
