[746]. He always couples Valentinus and Marcion together. Cf. de Praescpt. cc. XXIX., XXX. Justin Martyr, Marcion’s contemporary, says (First Apolog. c. XXVI.) that “he is even now teaching men of every nation to speak blasphemies.” Renan, L’Égl. Chrétienne, p. 363, thinks that the Marcionites were “much the most numerous sect before Arius.”
[747]. Foakes-Jackson, Hulsean Lectures, p. 108. Cf. Sanday, The Gospels in the 2nd Cent., Oxford, 1876, p. 236.
[748]. Theodoret, Epp. 113 and 145.
[749]. συμμισούμενοι καὶ συνταλαίπωροι: Tertullian, adv. Marc. Bk IV. cc. 9, 30.
[750]. See Neander, Ch. Hist. vol. II. pp. 151 sqq. and Matter, Hist. du Gnost. t. II. pp. 298, 304.
[751]. Eznig of Goghp, from whose History of the Armenian Church quotation has been made above. He says that Marcion taught that there were three heavens, in the highest of which dwelt the Good God, in the next the God of the (Jewish) Law, and in the third his angels. Below this lay Hyle or Matter who existed independently and was female. From the union of the God of the Law and Hyle, this earth was produced, after which its Father retired to his own heaven, leaving the earth to the rule of Hyle. When he desired to make man, Hyle supplied the dust of which he was formed, into which the God of the Law breathed his own spirit. Adam became the adorer of Hyle, upon which the God of the Law informed him that, if he worshipped any other God but him, he should die. On this Adam withdrew from Hyle, and this last, becoming jealous, made a number of gods and filled the world with them. Hence all men were cast into hell at death, until the Good God looked down from the highest heaven, had pity on them, and sent his Son to deliver the “spirits in prison,” which He did directly He went down into hell after His own death. After Jesus had revealed Himself to the Creator and received his confession of ignorance, Jesus illuminated Paul and made him His apostle. It is extremely unlikely that this story should have formed part of Marcion’s own teaching, although it may possibly have been told by some follower of his of Semitic blood, or, as Salmon suggests, by Cerdo. It is to be found in Neumann’s translation of Eznig in the Zeitschr. für hist. Theol. vol. IV. and in the Dict. Christian Biog. s.v. Marcion.
[752]. Tertullian, adv. Marc. Bk I. c. 16.
[753]. Epiphanius, Haer. XLII. p. 688, Oehler, says Marcion was succeeded by Lucian, whom Apelles followed. Hippolytus, op. cit. Bk VII. cc. 37, 38, p. 393, Cruice, is probably the source of Epiphanius’ statement; but he does not seem to have had any first-hand knowledge of the Marcionite heresy or its chiefs, and is not here so good a witness as Tertullian, or Irenaeus, who mentions neither Lucian nor Apelles.
[754]. Tertullian, de Praescript. c. XXX.
[755]. Eusebius, Hist. Eccl. Bk IV. c. 13.