Section 224
The text on this page is estimated to be only 28.33% accurate
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 193 spirit. He was deluded, however, by the responsive oracular an swers of a certain virgin under demoniacal influence, and whose name was Philumena. But others, as the Mariner Marcion him self, introduced two principles, to which sect belong Potitus and Basilicus. These following that wolf of Pontus (Marcion), and, like the former, unable to find the division of things, sunk into licentiousness, and roundly asserted, without any proof, that there were two principles. Others, again, declining from them to a still greater error, established not only two but three natures." Of these, the chief and leader was Syneros, as those that esta blished his school say. But the same author writes, that he also had some conference with Apelles. " For," says he, " the old man Apelles, when he came into conversation with us, was re futed in many of his false assertions. Hence, he also said, that one ought not to examine doctrine, but that each one should con tinue as he believed. For he asserted, that those who trusted in him that was crucified would be saved, if they were only found engaged in good works. But he asserted, that the most obscured of all things was, as we before said, the question respecting the Deity." For he said there was one principle, as our doctrine asserts : then, after advancing the whole of his opinion, he sub joins the following : " When I said to him, ' how do you prove this ? or, how can you say there is one principle ? I wish you to explain/ he said, ' that the prophecies refuted themselves, because they uttered nothing that was true. For they are inconsistent and false, and contradict themselves. But said, that he did not, however, know there was only one principle, he was only moved to adopt this opinion.' Then conjuring him to speak the truth, he swore that he did speak the truth, and said he did not under stand how there could be a God without being produced, but that he believed it. On learning this, I laughed, and reproved him ; because whilst he asserted that he was a teacher, he knew not how to establish that which he taught." In the same work which he addressed to Callistion, he confesses that he himself was taught by Tatian at Rome, and says, also, that a book of questions had been written by Tatian, in which Tatian, having promised that he would explain what was hidden 2B