Forerunners and rivals of Christianity : $b being studies in religious history from 330 B.C. to 330 A.D., Vol. 2 (of 2)Legge, Francis
Religion
Forerunners and rivals of Christianity : $b being studies in religious history from 330 B.C. to 330 A.D., Vol. 2 (of 2)
Legge, Francis
Christianity and other religions; Religions
Eznig of Goghp, from whose History of the Armenian Church quotation
has been made above. He says that Marcion taught that there were three
heavens, in the highest of which dwelt the Good God, in the next the
God of the (Jewish) Law, and in the third his angels. Below this lay
Hyle or Matter who existed independently and was female. From the
union of the God of the Law and Hyle, this earth was produced, after
which its Father retired to his own heaven, leaving the earth to the
rule of Hyle. When he desired to make man, Hyle supplied the dust of
which he was formed, into which the God of the Law breathed his own
spirit. Adam became the adorer of Hyle, upon which the God of the Law
informed him that, if he worshipped any other God but him, he should
die. On this Adam withdrew from Hyle, and this last, becoming jealous,
made a number of gods and filled the world with them. Hence all men
were cast into hell at death, until the Good God looked down from the
highest heaven, had pity on them, and sent his Son to deliver the
“spirits in prison,” which He did directly He went down into hell
after His own death. After Jesus had revealed Himself to the Creator
and received his confession of ignorance, Jesus illuminated Paul and
made him His apostle. It is extremely unlikely that this story should
have formed part of Marcion’s own teaching, although it may possibly
have been told by some follower of his of Semitic blood, or, as Salmon
suggests, by Cerdo. It is to be found in Neumann’s translation of
Eznig in the _Zeitschr. für hist. Theol._ vol. IV. and in the _Dict.
Christian Biog._ _s.v._ Marcion.
Footnote 752:
Tertullian, _adv. Marc._ Bk I. c. 16.
Footnote 753:
Epiphanius, _Haer._ XLII. p. 688, Oehler, says Marcion was succeeded
by Lucian, whom Apelles followed. Hippolytus, _op. cit._ Bk VII. cc.
37, 38, p. 393, Cruice, is probably the source of Epiphanius’
statement; but he does not seem to have had any first-hand knowledge
of the Marcionite heresy or its chiefs, and is not here so good a
witness as Tertullian, or Irenaeus, who mentions neither Lucian nor
Apelles.
Footnote 754:
Tertullian, _de Praescript._ c. XXX.
Footnote 755:
Eusebius, _Hist. Eccl._ Bk IV. c. 13.
Footnote 756:
ἐδημιούργησε τὰ γενόμενα. Hippolytus, _op. cit._ Bk VII. c. 37, p.
393, Cruice.
Footnote 757:
Epiphanius, _Haer._ XLII. p. 694, Oehler. The same Logion or saying is
also found in Clem. Alex. _Strom._ Bk I. c. 28, in the _Apostolical
Constitutions_, Bk II. c. 37, and in Clem. _Hom._ XVIII. c. 20.
Footnote 758:
Eusebius, _Hist. Eccl._ Bk V. c. 13.
Footnote 759:
Irenaeus, Bk I. c. 26, § 1, p. 220, Harvey. According to Hippolytus,
_op. cit._ Bk VIII. c. 16, p. 416, Cruice, he had been a disciple of
Justin Martyr.
Footnote 760:
Hippolytus, _op. cit._ Bk VII. c. 31, p. 382, Cruice.
Footnote 761:
Eusebius, _op. et loc. cit._ _supra_.
Footnote 762:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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