IRENAEUS- THE RULE OF FAITH

 

 

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Adversus Haereses, 1. 2 - 3

Greek and Latin text from Harvey,  Sancti Irenaei, Libros Quinque Adversus Haereses, Tom. 1, pp. 90-94

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The text of Adversus Haereses survives mainly in a Latin Translation. In this instance it is possible to give the original Greek text also.

 

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μὲν γὰρ Ἐκκλησία, καίπερ καθ' ὅλης τῆς οἰκουμένης ἕως περάτων τῆς γῆς διεσπαρμένη, παρὰ δὲ τῶν Ἀποστόλων, καὶ τῶν ἐκείνων μαθητῶν παραλαβοῦσα τὴν εἰςἕνα Θεὸν Πατέρα παντοκράτορα, τὸν πεποιηκότα τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ τὰς θαλάσσας, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς, πίστιν· καὶ εἰς ἕνα Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν, τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, τὸν σαρκωθέντα ὑπὲρ τῆς ἡμετέρας σωτηρίας· καὶ εἰς Πνεῦμα ἅγιον, τὸ διὰ τῶν προφητῶν κεκηρυχὸςτὰς οἰκονομίας, καὶτὰς ἐλεύσεις, καὶ τὴν ἐκ Παρθένου γέννησιν, καὶ τὸ πάθος, καὶ τὴν ἔγερσιν ἐκ νεκρῶν, καὶ τὴν ἔνσαρκον εἰς τοὺς οὐρανοὺς ἀνάληψιν τοῦ ἠγαπημένου Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν, καὶ τὴν ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐν τῇ δόξῃ τοῦ Πατρὸς παρουσίαν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι τὰ πάντα, καὶ ἀναστῆσαι πᾶσαν σάρκα πάσης ἀνθρωπότητος, ἵνα Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, καὶ Θεῷ, καὶ Σωτῆρι, καὶ Βασιλεῖ, κατὰ τὴν εὐδοκίαν τοῦ Πατρὸς τοῦ ἀοράτου, πᾶν γόνυ κάμψῃ ἐπουρανίων καὶ ἐπιγείων καὶ καταχθονίων, καὶ πᾶσα γλῶσσα ἐξομολογήσηται αὐτῷ, καὶ κρίσιν δικαίαν ἐν τοῖς πᾶσι ποιήσηται· τὰ μὲν πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας, καὶ ἀγγέλους [τοὺς] παραβεβηκότας, καὶ ἐν ἀποστασίᾳ γεγονότας, καὶ τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς, καὶ ἀδίκους, καὶ ἀνόμους, καὶ βλασφήμους τῶν ἀνθρώπων εἰς τὸ αἰώνιον πῦρ πέμψῃ· τοῖς δὲ δικαίοις, καὶ ὁσίοις, καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τετηρηκόσι, καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ αὐτοῦ διαμεμενηκόσι τοῖς [μὲν] ἀπ' ἀρχῆς, τοῖς δὲ ἐκ μετανοίας, ζωὴνχαρισάμενος ἀφθαρσίαν δωρήσηται, καὶ δόξαν αἰωνίαν περιποιήσῃ.

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Ecclesia enim [et quidem] per universum orbem usque ad fines terrae [dis]seminata, et ab Apostolis, et discipulis eorum accepit eam fidem, quae est in unum Deum, Patrem omnipotentem, qui fecit coelum et terram, et mare, et omnia quae in eis sunt: et in unum Christum Jesum filium Dei, incarnatum pro nostra salute: et in Spiritum Sanctum, qui per Prophetas praedicavit dispositiones Dei, et adventum, et eam, quae est ex Virgine generationem, et passionem, et resurrectionem a mortuis, et in carne in coelos ascensionem dilecti Jesu Christi Domini nostri, et de coelis in gloria Patris adventum ejus, ad recapitulanda universa, et resuscitandam omnem carnem humani generis, ut Christo Jesu Domino nostro, et Deo, et Salvatori, et Regi, secundum placitum Patris invisibilis omne genu curvet coelestium, et terrestrium, et infernorum, et omnis lingua confiteatur ei, et judicium justum in omnibus faciat: spiritalia quidem nequitiae, et angelos transgressos, atque apostatas factos, et impios, et injustos, et iniquos, et blasphemos homines in aeternum ignem mittat: justis autem et aequis, et praecepta ejus servantibus, et in dilectione ejus perseverantibus, quibusdam quidem ab initio, quibusdam autem ex poenitentia, vitam donans incorruptelam loco muneris conferat, et claritatem aeternam circumdet.

Τοῦτο τὸ κήρυγμα παρειληφυῖα, καὶ ταύτην τὴν πίστιν, ὡς προέφαμεν, Ἐκκλησία, καίπερ ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ κόσμῳ διεσπαρμένη, ἐπιμελῶς φυλάσσει, ὡςἕνα οἶκον οἰκοῦσα· καὶ ὁμοίως πιστεύει τούτοις, ὡς μίαν ψυχὴν καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχουσα καρδίαν, καὶ συμφώνως ταῦτα κηρύσσει, καὶ διδάσκει, καὶ παραδίδωσιν, ὡς ἓν στόμα κεκτημένη. Καὶ γὰραἱ κατὰ τὸν κόσμον διάλεκτοι ἀνόμοιαι, ἀλλ' δύναμις τῆς παραδόσεως μία καὶ αὐτή. Καὶ οὔτε αἱἐν Γερμανίαις ἱδρυμέναι ἐκκλησίαι ἄλλως πεπιστεύκασιν, ἄλλως παραδιδόασιν, οὔτε ἐν ταῖςἸβηρίαις, οὔτε ἐνΚελτοῖς, οὔτε κατὰ τὰς ἀνατολὰς, οὔτε ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ, οὔτε ἐν Λιβύῃ, οὔτε αἱκατὰ μέσα τοῦ κόσμου ἱδρυμέναι· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἥλιος, τὸ κτίσμα τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ κόσμῳ εἷς καὶ αὐτὸς, οὕτω καὶ τὸ κήρυγμα τῆς ἀληθείας πανταχῇ φαίνει, καὶ φωτίζειπάντας ἀνθρώπους τοὺς βουλομένους εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας ἐλθεῖν. Καὶ οὔτε πάνυδυνατὸς ἐν λόγῳ τῶν ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις προεστώτων, ἕτερα τούτων ἐρεῖ· οὐδεὶς γὰρ ὑπὲρ τὸν διδάσκαλον· οὔτε ἀσθενὴς ἐν τῷ λόγῳ ἐλαττώσει τὴν παράδοσιν. Μιᾶς γὰρ καὶ τῆς αὐτῆς πίστεως οὔσης, οὔτε πολὺ περὶ αὐτῆς δυνάμενος εἰπεῖν ἐπλεόνασεν, οὔτε τὸ ὀλίγον, ἠλαττόνησε.

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Hanc praedicationem cum acceperit, et hanc fidem, quemadmodum praediximus, Ecclesia, et quidem in universum mundum disseminata, diligenter custodit, quasi unam domum inhabitans: et similiter credit iis, videlicet quasi unam animam habens et unum cor, et consonanter haec praedicat, et docet, et tradit, quasi unum possidens os. Nam etsi in mundo loquelae dissimiles sunt, sed tamen virtus traditionis una et eadem est. Et neque hae quae in Germania sunt fundatae ecclesiae, aliter credunt, aut aliter tradunt: neque hae quae in Hiberis sunt, neque hae quae in Celtis, neque hae quae in Oriente, neque hae quae in Aegypto, neque hae quae in Libya, neque hae quae in medio mundi sunt constitutae; sed sicut sol creatura Dei in universo mundo unus et idem est; sic et (lumen,) praedicatio veritatis, ubique lucet, et illuminat omnes homines, qui volunt ad cognitionem veritatis venire. Et neque is qui valde praevalet in sermone, ex iis qui praesunt ecclesiis, alia quam haec sunt dicet: nemo enim super magistrum est: neque infirmus in dicendo deminorabit traditionem. Cum enim una et eadem fides sit, neque is qui multum de ea potest dicere ampliat, neque is qui minus deminorat.