And knows not how to win through it,
For this cause send me, O Father,
p. 184.Holding seals I will go down,
Through entire æons I will pass,
All mysteries I will disclose;
The forms of the gods I will display;
The secrets of the holy way
Called Gnosis, I will hand down.
These things the Naassenes attempt, calling themselves Gnostics.[181] But since the error is many-headed and truly of diverse shape like the fabled Hydra, we, having struck off its heads at one blow by refutation, (and) using the rod of Truth, will utterly destroy the beast. For the remaining heresies differ little from this, they all being linked together by one spirit of error. But since they by changing the words and the names wish the heads of the serpent to be many, we shall not thus fail to refute them thoroughly as they will.
p. 185.