Philip Schaff · 12 of 60

Irenæus. A.D. 180.

Irenæus was a native of Asia Minor, a pupil of Polycarp of Smyrna (Adv. Hær. Lib. III. cap. 3, § 4; Euseb. H. E. v. 20), and through him a grand-pupil of St. John the Apostle. He was bishop of the church at Lyons (Lugdunum), in the South of France, in 177, wrote his great work against the Gnostic heresies about 180, while Eleutherus (d. 185) was bishop of Rome (Adv. Hær. Lib. III. cap. 3, § 3), and died about 202.

He was therefore a connecting link between the East and the West, as well as between post-apostolic and ante-Nicene Christianity, and altogether the most important witness of the doctrinal status of the Catholic Church at the close of the second century. The ancient Massilia (Marseilles) was a Greek colony, and the churches of Lyons and Vienne in Gaul were probably planted by Eastern missionaries, and retained a close connection with the Eastern churches, as appears from the letter of those churches to their brethren in Asia Minor after the fierce persecution under Marcus Aurelius, A.D. 177 (see Euseb. H. E. v. 1).

Irenaeus refutes the heretics of his age by the Scriptures and the apostolic tradition. This tradition, though different in form from the New Testament, and perhaps older than the writings of the Apostles, agrees with them, being a summary of their teaching, and is handed down in all the churches through the hands of the presbyters. The sum and substance of this tradition is the baptismal creed, called by him the κανὼν τῆς ἀληθείας, ἀποστόλων διδαχή, τὸ ἀρχαῖον τῆς ἐκκλησίας σύστημα, γνῶσις ἀληθή, traditio veritatis, vera fides, prædicatio ecclesiæ. He does not give the creed in full, but incorporates passages of it in several parts of his work. He gives most of the articles of the Apostles' Creed as it prevailed in the West, but has also several characteristic passages in common with the Nicene Creed ( ἕνα … σαρκωθέντα ὑπὲρ τῆς ημετέρας σωτηρίας … τὸ διὰ προφητῶν κεκηρυχός ). The ancient liturgies of Gaul likewise have a semi-Oriental character.

First Form

Contra Hæreses, Lib. I. cap. 10, § 1 (Opera, ed. Stieren, Tom. I. p. 119).

Note.—Irenæus adds to this Creed: 'The Church, having received this preaching and this faith, as before said, though scattered throughout the whole world, zealously preserves it ( ἐπιμελῶς φυλάσσει ) as one household, … and unanimously preaches and teaches the same, and hands it down as by one mouth ( συμφόνως ταῦτα κηρύσσει καὶ διδάσκει καί παραδίδωσιν, ὡς ἓν στόμα κικτημένη ); for although there are different dialects in the world, the power of the tradition is one and the same ( ἡ δύναμις τῆς παραδόσεως μία καὶ ἡ αὐτή ). And in no other manner have either the churches established in Germany believed and handed down, nor those in Spain, nor among the Celts, nor in the East, nor in Egypt, nor in Libya, nor those established in the middle of the world. But as the sun, God's creature, is one and the same in all the world, so, too, the preaching of the truth shines every where and enlightens all men who wish to come to the knowledge of the truth. And neither will he who is very mighty in language among those who preside over the churches say other than this (for the disciple is not above his Master), nor will he who is weak in the word impair the tradition. For as the faith is one and the same, neither he who is very able to speak on it adds thereto, nor does he who is less mighty diminish therefrom.'

Second Form

Adv. Hær., Lib. III. cap. 4, § 1, 2 (Opera, Tom. I. p. 437).

Third Form

Adv. Hær., Lib. IV. cap. 33, § 7 (Opera, Tom. I. p. 670).

After remarking that the spiritual man shall judge all those who are beyond the pale of the truth—that is, outside of the Church—and shall be judged by no one, Irenæus goes on to say: 'For to him all things are consistent; he has a full faith ( πίστις ὁλόκηρος )—'