Eusebius: Ecclesiastical History, Books I–X

Chapter XXII.—Hegesippus and the Events which he mentions.

1. Hegesippus in the five books of Memoirs ^{Edition note 1} which have come down to us has left a most complete record of his own views. In them he states that on a journey to Rome he met a great many bishops, and that he received the same doctrine from all. It is fitting to hear what he says after making some remarks about the epistle of Clement to the Corinthians.

2. His words are as follows: “And the church of Corinth continued in the true faith until Primus ^{Edition note 2} was bishop in Corinth. I conversed with them on my way to Rome, and abode with the Corinthians many days, during which we were mutually refreshed in the true doctrine.

3. And when I had come to Rome I remained there until Anicetus, ^{Edition note 3} whose deacon was Eleutherus. And Anicetus was succeeded by Soter, and he by Eleutherus. In every succession, and in every city that is held which is preached by the law and the prophets and the Lord.”

4. The same author also describes the beginnings of the heresies which arose in his time, in the following words: “And after James the Just had suffered martyrdom, as the Lord had also on the same account, Symeon, the son of the Lord’s uncle, Clopas, ^{Edition note 4} was appointed the next bishop. All proposed him as second bishop because he was a cousin of the Lord.

“Therefore, ^{Edition note 5} they called the Church a virgin, for it was not yet corrupted by vain discourses.

5. But Thebuthis, ^{Edition note 6} because he was not made bishop, began to corrupt it. He also was sprung from the seven sects ^{Edition note 7} among the people, like Simon, ^{Edition note 8} from whom came the Simonians, and Cleobius, ^{Edition note 9} from whom came the Cleobians, and Dositheus, ^{Edition note 10} from whom came the Dositheans, and Gorthæus, ^{Edition note 11} from whom came the Goratheni, and Masbotheus, ^{Edition note 12} from whom came the Masbothæans.

From them sprang the Menandrianists, ^{Edition note 13} and Marcionists, ^{Edition note 14} and Carpocratians, and Valentinians, and Basilidians, and Saturnilians. Each introduced privately and separately his own peculiar opinion. From them came false Christs, false prophets, false apostles, who divided the unity of the Church by corrupt doctrines uttered against God and against his Christ.”

6. The same writer also records the ancient heresies which arose among the Jews, in the following words:

7. And he wrote of many other matters, which we have in part already mentioned, introducing the accounts in their appropriate places. And from the Syriac Gospel according to the Hebrews he quotes some passages in the Hebrew tongue, ^{Edition note 16} showing that he was a convert from the Hebrews, ^{Edition note 17} and he mentions other matters as taken from the unwritten tradition of the Jews.

8. And not only he, but also Irenæus and the whole company of the ancients, called the Proverbs of Solomon All-virtuous Wisdom. ^{Edition note 18} And when speaking of the books called Apocrypha, he records that some of them were composed in his day by certain heretics. But let us now pass on to another.