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Irenaeus: Against Heresies, Books I–V
ANF historical edition · Edition commentary
Against Heresies: Book IV — Translator and historical edition notes (part 2)
Matt. v. 27, 28 .
Matt. v. 21, 22 .
Matt. v. 33 , etc.
Matt. v. 20 .
Matt. xix. 21 .
Luke vi. 29–31 .
Matt. v. 41 .
Matt. v. 45 .
John xv. 15 .
Jas. ii. 23 .
John viii. 58 .
John xvii. 5 .
John xv. 16 .
John xvii. 24 .
Isa. xliii. 5 .
Matt. xxiv. 28 .
Luke xv. 22, 23 .
Rev. i. 15 .
Ex. xxv. 40 .
1 Cor. x. 11 .
Deut. v. 22 .
Ezek. xx. 24 .
[ Acts vi. 3–7 . It is evident that the laity elected , and the apostles ordained.]
Amos v. 25, 26 .
In accordance with the Codex Bezæ.
Acts vii. 38 , etc.
Ex. xxxiii. 2, 3 .
Matt. xix. 7, 8 .
1 Cor. vii. 12 .
1 Cor. vii. 6 .
1 Cor. vii. 25 .
1 Cor. vii. 5 .
Matt. xx. 16 .
[Note this stout assertion of the freedom of human actions.]
Gen. xvii. 9–11 .
Ezek. xx. 12 .
Ex. xxi. 13 .
Col. ii. 11 .
Deut. x. 16 , LXX. version.
The Latin text here is: “Sabbata autem perseverantiam totius diei erga Deum deservitionis edocebant;” which might be rendered, “The Sabbaths taught that we should continue the whole day in the service of God;” but Harvey conceives the original Greek to have been, τὴν καθημερινὴν διαμονὴν τῆς περὶ τὸν Θεὸν λατρείας .
Rom. viii. 36 .
Matt. vi. 19 .
Jas. ii. 23 .
Massuet remarks here that Irenæus makes a reference to the apocryphal book of Enoch, in which this history is contained. It was the belief of the later Jews, followed by the Christian fathers, that “the sons of God” ( Gen. vi. 2 ) who took wives of the daughters of men, were the apostate angels. The LXX. translation of that passage accords with this view. See the articles “Enoch,” “Enoch, Book of,” in Smith’s Dictionary of the Bible . [See Paradise Lost, b. i. 323–431.]
Deut. v. 2 .
1 Tim. i. 9 .
[Hearts and souls; i.e., moral and mental natures. For a correct view of the patristic conceptions of the Gentiles before the law, this is valuable.]
i.e., the letters of the Decalogue on the two tables of stone.
Deut. viii. 3 .
Deut. v. 22 .
Deut. x. 12 .
Deut. xxx. 19, 20 .
[Most noteworthy among primitive testimonies to the catholic reception of the Decalogue.]
Deut. iv. 14 .
Matt. xii. 36 .
Matt. v. 28 .
Matt. v. 22 .
1 Pet. ii. 16 .
1 Sam. xv. 22 .
Latin, “aures autem perfecisti mihi;” a reading agreeable to neither the Hebrew nor Septuagint version, as quoted by St. Paul in Heb. x. 9 . Harvey, however, is of opinion that the text of the old Latin translation was originally “perforasti;” indicating thus an entire concurrence with the Hebrew, as now read in this passage. [Both readings illustrated by their apparent reference to Ex. xxi. 6 , compared with Heb. v. 7–9 .]
Ps. xl. 6 .
Ps. li. 17 .
Or, “the beauty,” species .
Ps. l. 9 .
Ps. l. 14, 15 .
Isa. i. 11 .
This passage is not now found in holy Scripture. Harvey conjectures that it may have been taken from the apocryphal Gospel according to the Egyptians. It is remarkable that we find the same words quoted also by Clement of Alexandria. [But he (possibly with this place in view) merely quotes it as a saying , in close connection with Ps. li. 19 , which is here partially cited. See Clement, Pædagogue , b. iii. cap. xii.]
Jer. vi. 20 .
Jer. vii. 2, 3 .
Jer. vii. 21 .
Jer. ix. 24 .
Isa. xliii. 23, 24 .
Isa. xlvi. 2 .
Jer. xi. 15 .
Isa. lviii. 6 , etc.
Zech. vii. 9, 10 .
Zech. viii. 16, 17 .
Ps. xxxiv. 13, 14 .
Hos. vi. 6 .
Matt. xii. 7 .
Grabe has a long and important note on this passage and what follows, which may be seen in Harvey, in loc . See, on the other side, and in connection with the whole of the following chapter, Massuet’s third dissertation on the doctrine of Irenæus, art. vii., reprinted in Migne’s edition.
Matt. xxvi. 26 , etc.
Mal. i. 10, 11 .
[One marvels that there should be any critical difficulty here as to our author’s teaching. Creatures of bread and wine are the body and the blood; materially one thing, mystically another. See cap. xviii. 5 below.]
Rev. v. 8 . [Material incense seems to be always disclaimed by the primitive writers.]
Matt. v. 23, 24 .
Deut. xvi. 16 .
The text of this passage is doubtful in some words.
Luke xxi. 4 . [The law of tithes abrogated; the law of Acts ii. 44, 45 , morally binding. This seems to be our author’s view.]
Gen. iv. 7 , LXX.
The Latin text is: “ne per assimulatam operationem, magis autem peccatum, ipsum sibi homicidam faciat hominem.”
Matt. xxiii. 27, 28 .
Matt. xxiii. 26 .
Jer. xxii. 17 .
Isa. xxx. 1 .
Gen. iv. 7 .
John xix. 11 .
Isa. lxvi. 3 .
Phil. iv. 18 .
The text here fluctuates between quod offertur Deo , and per quod offertur Deo . Massuet adopts the former, and Harvey the latter. If the first reading be chosen, the translation will be, “the Word who is offered to God,” implying, according to Massuet, that the body of Christ is really offered as a sacrifice in the Eucharist; if the second reading be followed, the translation will be as above. [Massuet’s idea is no more to be found, even in his text, than Luther’s or Calvin’s. The crucial point is, how offered? One may answer “figuratively,” “corporally,” “mystically,” or otherwise. Irenæus gives no answer in this place. But see below.]
Comp. Massuet and Harvey respectively for the meaning to be attached to these words.
Mark iv. 28 .
“Either let them acknowledge that the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof , or let them cease to offer to God those elements that they deny to be vouchsafed by Him.” — Harvey .
That is, according to Harvey, “while we offer to Him His own creatures of bread and wine, we tell forth the fellowship of flesh with spirit; i.e., that the flesh of every child of man is receptive of the Spirit.” The words καὶ ὁμολογοῦντες … ἔγερσιν , which here occur in the Greek text, are rejected as an interpolation by Grabe and Harvey, but defended as genuine by Massuet.
See Harvey’s long note on this passage, and what immediately follows. [But, note, we are only asking what Irenæus teaches. Could words be plainer,—“ two realities,”—(i.) bread, (ii.) spiritual food? Bread— but not “common bread;” matter and grace, flesh and Spirit. In the Eucharist, an earthly and a heavenly part.]
The text fluctuates between dominationi and donationi .
Prov. xix. 17 .
Matt. xxv. 34 , etc.
[The Sursum Corda seems here in mind. The object of Eucharistic adoration is the Creator, our “great High Priest, passed into the heavens,” and in bodily substance there enthroned, according to our author.]
Rev. xi. 19 .
Isa. xl. 12 .
Eph. i. 21 .
Jer. xxiii. 23 .
The Latin is, “et universum eum decurrerint.” Harvey imagines that this last word corresponds to κατατρέχωσι but it is difficult to fit such a meaning into the context.
Gen. ii. 7 .
Gen. i. 26 .
This quotation is taken from the Shepherd of Hermas , book ii. sim. 1.
Mal. ii. 10 .
Eph. iv. 6 .
Matt. xi. 27 .
Rev. iii. 7 .
1 Pet. ii. 23 .
Col. i. 18 .
Prov. iii. 19, 20 .
Prov. viii. 22–25 . [This is one of the favourite Messianic quotations of the Fathers, and is considered as the base of the first chapter of St. John’s Gospel.]
Prov. viii. 27–31 .
Luke i. 71, 75 .
Matt. v. 8 .
Ex. xxxiii. 20 .
Luke xviii. 27 .
Some read “in filium” instead of “in filio,” as above.
A part of the original Greek text is preserved here, and has been followed, as it makes the better sense.
Deut. v. 24 .
Hos. xii. 10 .
1 Cor. xii. 4–7 .
John i. 18 .
Isa. vi. 5 .
Ps. xxii. 15 .
Deut. iv. 24 .
Ex. xxxiv. 6, 7 .
Num. xii. 8 .
Ex. xxxiii. 20–22 .
Matt. xvii. 3 , etc.
1 Kings xix. 11, 12 .
Isa. xlii. 3 .
Ezek. i. 1 .
Ezek. ii. 1 .
John i. 18 .
“This text, as quoted a short time ago, indicated ‘the only-begotten Son;’ but the agreement of the Syriac version induces the belief that the present reading was that expressed by Irenæus, and that the previous quotation has been corrected to suit the Vulgate. The former reading, however, occurs in book iii. c. xi. 5.”— Harvey .
Dan. iii. 26 .
Dan. vii. 13, 14 .
Dan. vii. 4 .
Rev. i. 12 .
Rev. i. 17 .
Ex. xxxiii. 20 .