Section 197
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166 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. turriinus and Marcion, called the Encratites, proclaimed absti nence from marriage, setting aside the original design of God, and tacitly censuring him that made male and female for the propagation of the human race. They also introduced the ab stinence from things called animate with them, displaying in gratitude to God who made all things. They also deny the sal vation of our first parents. And this has been but lately discovered by them, a certain Tatian being the first that taught the horrible doctrine. This man, who had been a hearer of Justin, as long as he was in company with him, exhibited nothing like this, but after his martyrdom, having apostatized from the church, and elated with the conceit of a teacher, and vainly puffed up as if he surpassed all others, he established a peculiar characteristic of his own doctrine, by inventing certain invisible ^Eons, similar to those of Valentinus. Marriage, also, he asserted, with Marcion and Saturninus, was only corruption and fornication. And he also devised arguments of his own against the salvation of Adam." Thus far Irenseus then. A little after, however, a certain manby the name of Severus, having strengthened the abovementioned heresy, became the cause of another sect, called after himself, the Severians. These indeed, make use of the law and prophets and gospels, giving a peculiar interpretation to the passages of the sacred writings, but abuse Paul the apostle, and set aside his epistles ; neither do they receive the Acts of the Apostles. But their chief and founder Tatianus, having formed a certain body and collection of gospels, I know not how, has given this the title, Diatessaron, that is the gospel by the four, or the gospel formed of the four ; which is in the possession of some even now. It is also said that he dared to alter certain expressions of the apos tles, in order to correct the composition of the phrase. He has also left a great multitude of writings, of which the most noted among all, is that work against the Greeks, in which, as he re cords ancient times, he proves Moses and the prophets are more ancient than all the celebrated writers among the Greeks. This book, indeed, appears to be the most elegant and profitable of all his works. And so much for these.