before him there was as
yet no such compilation. (3) The presbyter from whom Irenaeus adopted
important lines of thought in the 4th book did not write till after the
middle of the second century. (4) Tertullian owes his Christocentric
theology, so far as he has such a thing, to Irenaeus (and Melito?).]

[Footnote 483: Marcion, as is well known, went still further in his
depreciatory judgment of the world, and therefore recognised in the
redemption through Christ a pure act of grace.]

[Footnote 484: See Molwitz, De [Greek: Anakephalaioseos] in Irenaei
theologia potestate, Dresden, 1874.]

[Footnote 485: See, e.g., the Epistle to the Ephesians and also the
Epistles to the Romans and Galatians.]

[Footnote 486: But see the remark made above, p. 220, note 1. We might
without loss give up the half of the Apologies in return for the
preservation of Justin's chief Antignostic work.]

[Footnote 487: According to the Gnostic Christology Christ merely
restores the _status quo ante_, according to that of Irenaeus he first
and alone realises the hitherto unaccomplished destination of humanity.]

[Footnote 488: According to the Gnostic conception the incarnation of
the divine, i.e., the fall of _Sophia_, contains, paradoxically
expressed, the element of sin; according to Irenaeus' idea the element of
redemption. Hence we must compare not only the Gnostic Christ, but the
Gnostic Sophia, with the Christ of the Church. Irenaeus himself did so in
II. 20. 3.]

[Footnote 489: After tracing in II. 14 the origin of the Gnostic
theologoumena to the Greek philosophers Irenaeus continues Sec. 7: "Dicemus
autem adversus eos: utramne hi omnes qui praedicti sunt, cum quibus eadem
dicentes arguimini (Scil. "ye Gnostics with the philosophers"),
cognoverunt veritatem aut non cognoverunt? Et si quidem cognoverunt,
superflua est salvatoris in hunc mundum descensio. Ut (lege "ad") quid
enim descendebat?" It is characteristic of Irenaeus not to ask what is
new in the revelations of God (through the prophets and the Logos), but
quite definitely: "Cur descendit salvator in hunc mundum?" See also lib.
III. praef.: "veritas, hoc est dei filii doctrina", III. 10. 3: "Haec est
salutis agnitio quae deerat eis, quae est filii del agnitio ... agnitio
salutis erat agnitio filii dei, qui et salus et salvator et salutare
vere et dicitur et est." III. 11. 3: III. 12. 7: IV. 24.]

[Footnote 490: See II. 24. 3, 4: "Non enim ex nobis neque ex nostra
natura vi