Philosophumena; or, The refutation of all heresies, Volume II
David Hume · en
But none the less do these men in some such way receive the whole Law.
Following, perhaps, as it seems to me, the Greeks who say that there
are Substance and Quality and Quantity and Relation and Position and
Action and Possession and Passion.[64]
15. So for example Monoimus himself says distinctly in his letter to
Theophrastus:[65] “Leave aside enquiry concerning God and Creation
and the like, and enquire about Him from thyself, and learn who it is
who simply makes His own all that is within thee, saying ‘My God, my
mind, my understanding, my soul, my body.’ Learn also what are grief
and rejoicing, and love and hate, and undesired watching and sleep,
and undesired anger and love. And if,” says he, “thou dost carefully
seek out this, thou wilt find Him in thyself [as both] one and many
things after the likeness of that one tittle, he finding the outlet for
Himself.”[66] This then is what these [men] say, which we are under
no necessity to compare with what has been before excogitated by the
Greeks. Since it is plain from [Sidenote: p. 416.] their statements
that they have their origin from the geometrical and arithmetical art,
which the disciples of Pythagoras set forth more excellently. As the
reader may learn in the passages where we have before explained all the
wisdom of the Greeks.
But since we have sufficiently refuted Monoimus,[67] let us see what
others have elaborated who wish thereby to raise for themselves an idle
name.
3. _Tatian._
16. But Tatian, although himself a disciple of Justin Martyr, was not
of like mind with his master, but attempted something new. He says that
there were certain Aeons [about whom] he fables in the like way with
the Valentinians. But in the same way as Marcion he says that marriage
is destruction. And he asserts that Adam will not be saved, through his
becoming a leader of rebellion. And thus Tatian.[68]
4. _Hermogenes._