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Against Heresies

Irenaeus of Lyons

Preface

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

Preface

In the four preceding books, my very dear friend,

‹ Book 4 · Chapter 41 Book 5 · Chapter 1 ›

which

I

put

forth

to

thee

,

all

the

heretics

have

been

exposed

,

and

their

doctrines

brought

to

light

,

and

these

men

refuted

who

have

devised

irreligious

opinions

.

[

I

have

accomplished

this

by

adducing

]

something

from

the

doctrine

peculiar

to

each

of

these

men

,

which

they

have

left

in

their

writings

,

as

well

as

by

using

arguments

of

a

more

general

nature

,

and

applicable

to

them

all

.

Then

I

have

pointed

out

the

truth

,

and

shown

the

preaching

of

the

Church

,

which

the

prophets

proclaimed

(

as

I

have

already

demonstrated

)

,

but

which

Christ

brought

to

perfection

,

and

the

apostles

have

handed

down

,

from

whom

the

Church

,

receiving

[

these

truths

]

,

and

throughout

all

the

world

alone

preserving

them

in

their

integrity

(

bene

)

,

has

transmitted

them

to

her

sons

.

Then

also

—

having

disposed

of

all

questions

which

the

heretics

propose

to

us

,

and

having

explained

the

doctrine

of

the

apostles

,

and

clearly

set

forth

many

of

those

things

which

were

said

and

done

by

the

Lord

in

parables

—

I

shall

endeavour

,

in

this

the

fifth

book

of

the

entire

work

which

treats

of

the

exposure

and

refutation

of

knowledge

falsely

so

called

,

to

exhibit

proofs

from

the

rest

of

the

Lord’s

doctrine

and

the

apostolical

epistles

:

[

thus

]

complying

with

thy

demand

,

as

thou

didst

request

of

me

(

since

indeed

I

have

been

assigned

a

place

in

the

ministry

of

the

word

)

;

and

,

labouring

by

every

means

in

my

power

to

furnish

thee

with

large

assistance

against

the

contradictions

of

the

heretics

,

as

also

to

reclaim

the

wanderers

and

convert

them

to

the

Church

of

God

,

to

confirm

at

the

same

time

the

minds

of

the

neophytes

,

that

they

may

preserve

stedfast

the

faith

which

they

have

received

,

guarded

by

the

Church

in

its

integrity

,

in

order

that

they

be

in

no

way

perverted

by

those

who

endeavour

to

teach

them

false

doctrines

,

and

lead

them

away

from

the

truth

.

It

will

be

incumbent

upon

thee

,

however

,

and

all

who

may

happen

to

read

this

writing

,

to

peruse

with

great

attention

what

I

have

already

said

,

that

thou

mayest

obtain

a

knowledge

of

the

subjects

against

which

I

am

contending

.

For

it

is

thus

that

thou

wilt

both

controvert

them

in

a

legitimate

manner

,

and

wilt

be

prepared

to

receive

the

proofs

brought

forward

against

them

,

casting

away

their

doctrines

as

filth

by

means

of

the

celestial

faith

;

but

following

the

only

true

and

stedfast

Teacher

,

the

Word

of

God

,

our

Lord

Jesus

Christ

,

who

did

,

through

His

transcendent

love

,

become

what

we

are

,

that

He

might

bring

us

to

be

even

what

He

is

Himself

.

Notes

1
Ex ratione universis ostensionibus procedente. The words are very obscure.