Prescrição contra os Hereges 33

1Essas são, suponho, as diferentes espécies de doutrinas falsas que, segundo os próprios apóstolos nos informam, existiam em seus dias. Contudo, entre tantas perversões da verdade, não encontramos uma escola que suscitasse controvérsia acerca de Deus como Criador de todas as coisas. Ninguém ousou supor um segundo deus. Duvidou-se mais facilmente do Filho do que do Pai, até que Marcião introduziu, além do Criador, outro deus, apenas de bondade. Apeles fez do Criador um anjo glorioso indefinido, pertencente ao Deus superior, e afirmou que ele, deus da Lei e de Israel, era fogo. Valentino difundiu seus Éons e fez remontar ao pecado de um deles a produção de Deus, o Criador.

1These are, as I suppose, the different kinds of spurious doctrines, which (as we are informed by the apostles themselves) existed in their own day. And yet we find amongst so many various perversions of truth, not one school which raised any controversy concerning God as the Creator of all things. No man was bold enough to surmise a second god. More readily was doubt felt about the Son than about the Father, until Marcion introduced, in addition to the Creator, another god of goodness only. Apelles made the Creator of some nondescript glorious angel, who belonged to the superior God, the god (according to him,) of the law and of Israel, affirming that he was fire. Valentinus disseminated his AEons, and traced the sin of one AEon to the production of God the Creator.

2A ninguém, evidentemente, além desses e antes deles, foi revelada a verdade sobre a natureza divina; e obtiveram essa honra especial e esse favor maior do diabo, sem dúvida, porque este queria rivalizar com Deus também nisso, conseguindo, pelo veneno de suas doutrinas, fazer o que o Senhor disse ser impossível: tornar ‘os discípulos superiores ao Mestre’. Que a massa inteira

2To none, forsooth, except these, nor prior to these, was revealed the truth of the Divine Nature; and they obtained this especial honour and fuller favour from the devil, we cannot doubt, because he wished even in this respect to rival God, that he might succeed, by the poison of his doctrines, in doing himself what the Lord said could not be done--making "the disciples above their Master." Let the entire mass

3das heresias escolha, portanto, a época em que deveria aparecer, desde que o momento seja tido por irrelevante; reconheça também que não pertence à verdade e que aquelas que não existiam

3of heresies choose, therefore, for themselves the times when they should appear, provided that the when be an unimportant point; allowing, too, that they be not of the truth, and (as a matter of course) that such as had no exist 260

4no tempo dos apóstolos não poderiam ter relação alguma com eles. Se tivessem existido então, seus nomes seriam conhecidos para que fossem igualmente reprimidas. As heresias que de fato existiam nos dias dos apóstolos são condenadas até na própria menção. Se as que então existiam em forma rudimentar são hoje as mesmas, apenas mais elaboradas, essa circunstância já as condena. Se, porém, surgiram depois sob forma diferente e apenas adotaram alguns daqueles princípios, compartilham a condenação das antigas por concordarem com seus ensinamentos, além de lhes aplicar-se a definição já mencionada da data tardia, que encontramos logo à entrada.

4ence in the time of the apostles could not possibly have had any connection with the apostles. If indeed they had then existed, their names would be extant, with a view to their own repression likewise. Those (heresies) indeed which did exist in the days of the apostles, are condemned in their very mention. If it be true, then, that those heresies, which in the apostolic times were in a rude form, are now found to be the same, only in a much more polished shape, they derive their condemnation from this very circumstance Or if they were not the same, but arose afterwards in a different form, and merely assumed from them certain tenets, then, by sharing with them an agreement in their teaching, they must needs partake in their condemnation, by reason of the above-mentioned definition, of lateness of date, which meets us on the very threshold.

5Mesmo livres de toda participação em doutrina condenada, já estariam julgadas pela simples questão do tempo e seriam tanto mais espúrias por nem sequer terem sido mencionadas pelos apóstolos. Daí nossa certeza ainda maior de que eram essas as heresias anunciadas então como futuras.

5Even if they were free from any participation in condemned doctrine, they would stand already judged on the mere ground of time, being all the more spurious because they were not even named by the apostles. Whence we have the firmer assurance, that these were (the heresies) which even then, were announced as about to arise.