AGAINST THE VALENTINIANS
- CHAP. I.—INTRODUCTORY. TERTULLIAN COMPARES THE
HERESY TO THE OLD ELEUSINIAN MYSTERIES. BOTH SYSTEMS ALIKE IN
PREFERRING CONCEALMENT OF ERROR AND SIN TO PROCLAMATION OF TRUTH AND
VIRTUE.
- CHAP. II.—THESE HERETICS BRAND THE CHRISTIANS AS
SIMPLE PERSONS. THE CHARGE ACCEPTED, AND SIMPLICITY EULOGIZED OUT OF
THE SCRIPTURES.
- CHAP. III.—THE FOLLY OF THIS HERESY. IT DISSECTS
AND MUTILATES THE DEITY. CONTRASTED WITH THE SIMPLE WISDOM OF TRUE
RELIGION. TO EXPOSE THE ABSURDITIES OF THE VALENTINIAN SYSTEM IS TO
DESTROY IT.
- CHAP. IV.—THE HERESY TRACEABLE TO VALENTINUS, AN
ABLE BUT RESTLESS MAN. MANY SCHISMATICAL LEADERS OF THE SCHOOL
MENTIONED. ONLY ONE OF THEM SHOWS RESPECT TO THE MAN WHOSE NAME
DESIGNATES THE ENTIRE SCHOOL.
- CHAP. V.—MANY EMINENT CHRISTIAN WRITERS HAVE
CAREFULLY AND FULLY REFUTED THE HERESY.THESE THE AUTHOR MAKES HIS OWN
GUIDES.
- CHAP. VI.—ALTHOUGH WRITING IN LATIN HE PROPOSES
TO RETAIN THE GREEK NAMES OF THE VALENTINIAN EMANATIONS OF DEITY. NOT
TO DISCUSS THE HERESY BUT ONLY TO EXPOSE IT. THIS WITH THE RAILLERY
WHICH ITS ABSURDITY MERITS.
- CHAP. VII.—THE FIRST EIGHT EMANATIONS, OR AEONS,
CALLED THE OGDOAD, ARE THE FOUNTAIN OF ALL THE OTHERS. THEIR NAMES AND
DESCENT RECORDED.
- CHAP. VIII.—THE NAMES AND DESCENT OF OTHER
AEONS; FIRST HALF A SCORE, THEN TWO MORE, AND ULTIMATELY A DOZEN
BESIDES. THESE THIRTY CONSTITUTE THE PLEROMA. BUT WHY BE SO CAPRICIOUS
AS TO STOP AT THIRTY ?
- CHAP. IX.—OTHER CAPRICIOUS FEATURES IN ThE
SYSTEM. THE AEONS UNEQUAL IN ATTRIBUTES. THE SUPERIORITY OF NUS; THE
VAGARIES OF SOPHIA RESTRAINED BY HOROS. GRAND TITLES BORNE BY THIS LAST
POWER.
- CHAP. X.—ANOTHER ACCOUNT OF THE STRANGE
ABERRATIONS OF SOPHIA, AND THE RESTRAINING SERVICES OF HORUS. SOPHIA
WAS NOT HERSELF, AFTER ALL, EJECTED FROM THE PLEROMA, BUT ONLY HER
ENTHYMESIS.
- CHAP. XI.—THE PROFANE ACCOUNT GIVEN OF THE
ORIGIN OF CHRIST AND THE HOLY GHOST STERNLY REBUKED. AN ABSURDITY
RESPECTING THE ATTAINMENT OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD ABLY EXPOSED.
- CHAP. XII.—THE STRANGE JUMBLE OF THE PLEROMA.
THE FRANTIC DELIGHT OF THE MEMBERS THEREOF. THEIR JOINT CONTRIBUTION OF
PARTS SET FORTH WITH HUMOROUS IRONY.
- CHAP. XIII.—FIRST PART OF THE SUBJECT, TOUCHING
THE CONSTITUTION OF THE PLEROMA, BRIEFLY RECAPITULATED. TRANSITION' TO
THE OTHER PART, WHICH IS LIKE A PLAY OUTSIDE THE CURTAIN.
- CHAP. XIV.—THE ADVENTURES OF ACHAMOTH OUTSIDE
THE PLEROMA. THE MISSION OF CHRIST IN PURSUIT OF HER. HER LONGING FOR
CHRIST. HOROS' HOSTILITY TO HER. HER CONTINUED SUFFERING.
- CHAP. XV.—STRANGE ACCOUNT OF THE ORIGIN OF
MATTER, FROM THE VARIOUS AFFECTIONS OF ACHAMOTH. THE WATERS FROM HER
TEARS; LIGHT FROM HER SMILE.
- CHAP. XVI.—ACHAMOTH PURIFIED FROM ALL
IMPURITIES OF HER PASSION BY THE PARACLETE, ACTING THROUGH SOTER, WHO
OUT OF THE ABOVE-MENTIONED IMPURITIES ARRANGES MATTER, SEPARATING ITS
EVIL FROM THE BETTER QUALITIES.
- CHAP. XVII.—ACHAMOTH IN LOVE WITH THE ANGELS. A
PROTEST AGAINST THE LASCIVIOUS FEATURES OF VALENTINIANISM. ACHAMOTH
BECOMES THE MOTHER OF THREE NATURES.
- CHAP. XVIII.—BLASPHEMOUS OPINION CONCERNING THE
ORIGIN OF THE DEMIURGE, SUPPOSED TO BE THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE.
- CHAP. XIX.—PALPABLE ABSURDITIES AND
CONTRADICTIONS IN THE SYSTEM RESPECTING ACHAMOTH AND THE DEMIURGE.
- CHAP. XX—THE DEMIURGE WORKS AWAY AT CREATION,
AS THE DRUDGE OF HIS MOTHER ACHAMOTH, IN IGNORANCE ALL THE WHILE OF THE
NATURE OF HIS OCCUPATION.
- CHAP. XXI.—THE VANITY AS WELL AS IGNORANCE OF
THE DEMIURGE. ABSURD RESULTS FROM SO IMPERFECT A CONDITION.
- CHAP. XXII.—ORIGIN OF THE DEVIL, IN THE
CRIMINAL EXCESS OF THE SORROW OF ACHAMOTH. THE DEVIL, CALLED ALSO
MUNDITENENS, ACTUALLY WISER THAN THE DEMIURGE, ALTHOUGH HIS WORK.
- CHAP. XXIII.—THE RELATIVE POSITIONS OF THE
PLEROMA. THE REGION OF ACHAMOTH, AND THE CREATION OF THE DEMIURGE. THE
ADDITION OF FIRE TO THE VARIOUS ELEMENTS AND BODIES OF NATURE.
- CHAP. XXIV.—THE FORMATION OF MAN BY THE
DEMIURGE. HUMAN FLESH NOT MADE OF THE GROUND, BUT OF A NONDESCRIPT
PHILOSOPHIC SUBSTANCE.
- CHAP. XXV.—AN EXTRAVAGANT WAY OF ACCOUNTING FOR
THE COMMUNICATION OF THE SPIRITUAL NATURE TO MAN. IT WAS FURTIVELY
MANAGED BY ACHAMOTH, THROUGH THE UNCONSCIOUS AGENCY OF HER SON.
- CHAP.XXVI.—THE THREE SEVERAL NATURES—THE
MATERIAL, THE ANIMAL, AND THE SPIRITUAL, AND THEIR SEVERAL
DESTINATIONS. THE STRANGE VALENTINIAN OPINION ABOUT THE STRUCTURE OF
SOTER'S NATURE.
- CHAP. XXVII.—THE CHRIST OF THE DEMIURGE, SENT
INTO THE WORLD BY THE VIRGIN. NOT OF HER. HE FOUND IN HER, NOT A
MOTHER, BUT ONLY A PASSAGE OR CHANNEL. JESUS DESCENDED UPON CHRIST, AT
HIS BAPTISM, LIKE A DOVE; BUT, BEING INCAPABLE OF SUFFERING, HE LEFT
CHRIST TO DIE ON THE CROSS ALONE.
- CHAP. XXVIII.—THE DEMIURGE CURED OF HIS
IGNORANCE BY THE SAVIOUR'S ADVENT, FROM WHOM HE HEARS OF THE GREAT
FUTURE IN STORE FOR HIMSELF.
- CHAP. XXIX.—THE THREE NATURES AGAIN ADVERTED
TO. THEY ARE ALL EXEMPLIFIED AMONGST MEN. FOR INSTANCE, BY CAIN, AND
ABEL, AND SETH.
- CHAP. XXX,—THE LAX AND DANGEROUS VIEWS OF THIS
SECT RESPECTING GOOD WORKS, THAT THESE ARE UNNECESSARY TO THE
SPIRITUAL MAN.
- CHAP. XXXI.—AT THE LAST DAY GREAT CHANGES TAKE
PLACE AMONGST THE AEONS AS WELL AS AMONG MEN. HOW ACHAMOTH AND THE
DEMIURGE ARE AFFECTED THEN. IRONY ON THE SUBJECT.
- CHAP. XXXII.—INDIGNANT IRONY EXPOSING THE
VALENTINIAN FABLE ABOUT THE JUDICIAL TREATMENT OF MANKIND AT THE LAST
JUDGMENT. THE IMMORALITY OF THE DOCTRINE.
- CHAP. XXXIII.—THESE REMAINING CHAPTERS AN
APPENDIX TO THE MAIN WORK. IN THIS CHAPTER TERTULLIAN NOTICES A
DIFFERENCE AMONG SUNDRY FOLLOWERS OF PTOLEMY, A DISCIPLE OF VALENTINUS.
- CHAP. XXXIV.—OTHER VARYING OPINIONS AMONG THE
VALENTINIANS RESPECTING THE DEITY, CHARACTERISTIC RAILLERY.
- CHAP. XXXV.—YET MORE DISCREPANCIES. JUST NOW
THE SEX OF BYTHUS WAS AN OBJECT OF DISPUTE; NOW HIS RANK COMES IN
QUESTION. ABSURD SUBSTITUTES FOR BYTHUS CRITICISED BY TERTULLIAN.
- CHAP. XXXVI.—LESS REPREHENSIBLE THEORIES IN THE
HERESY. BAD IS THE BEST OF VALENTINIANISM.
- CHAP. XXXVII.—OTHER TURGID AND RIDICULOUS
THEORIES ABOUT THE ORIGIN OF THE AEONS AND CREATION, STATED AND
CONDEMNED.
- CHAP. XXXVIII.—DIVERSITY IN THE OPINIONS OF
SECUNDUS, AS COMPARED WITH THE GENERAL DOCTRINE OF VALENTINUS.
- CHAP. XXXIX.—THEIR DIVERSITY OF SENTIMENT
AFFECTS THE VERY CENTRAL DOCTRINE OF CHRISTIANITY, EVEN THE PERSON AND
CHARACTER OF THE LORD JESUS. THIS DIVERSITY VITIATES EVERY GNOSTIC
SCHOOL.
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