ts. His refutation of the last conception is specially remarkable
(II. 7). On the idea that God did not create the world from eternal
matter see Tertull., adv. Hermog.]

[Footnote 505: But this very method of argument was without doubt
specially impressive in the case of the educated, and it is these alone
of whom we are here speaking. On the decay of Gnosticism after the end
of the 2nd century, see Renan, Origines, Vol. VII., p. 113 ff.]

[Footnote 506: See his arguments that the Gnostics merely _assert_ that
they have only one Christ, whereas they actually possess several, III.
16. 1, 8 and elsewhere.]

[Footnote 507: See Iren., I. 9 and elsewhere; Tertull., de praescr. 39,
adv. Valent. passim.]

[Footnote 508: See Tertull., adv. Marc. II. 19, 21, 22: III. 5, 6, 14,
19: V. 1.; Orig. Comm. in Matth., T. XV. 3, Opp. III., p. 655: Comm. in
ep. ad Rom., T. II. 12. Opp. IV., p. 494 sq.; Pseudo-Orig. Adamantius,
De recta in deum fide; Orig. I. pp. 808, 817.]

[Footnote 509: For this reason Tertullian altogether forbade exegetic
disputes with the Gnostics, see de praescr. 16-19: "Ego non ad scripturas
provocandum est nec in his constituendum certamen, in quibus aut milla
aut incerta victoria est aut parum certa."]

[Footnote 510: See Iren., III. 5. 1: III. 12. 6.]

[Footnote 511: See Iren., III. 14. 2: III. 15. 1; Tertull., de praescr.
25: "Scripturae quidem perfectae sunt, quippe a verbo dei et spiritu eius
dictae, nos autem secundum quod minores sumus et novissimi a verbo dei et
spiritu eius, secundum hoc et scientia niysteriorum eius indigenus."]

[Footnote 512: See Iren. II. 35. 2: IV. 34, 35 and elsewhere. Irenaeus
also asserted that the translation of the Septuagint (III. 21. 4) was
inspired. The repudiation of different kinds of inspiration in the
Scriptures likewise involved the rejection of all the critical views of
the Gnostics that were concealed behind that assumption. The
Alexandrians were the first who again to some extent adopted these
critical principles.]

[Footnote 513: See Iren. II. 10. 1: II. 27. 1, 2.]

[Footnote 514: See Iren. II. 25. I.]

[Footnote 515: Irenaeus appropriates the words of an Asia Minor presbyter
when he says (IV. 31. 1): "De his quidem delictis, de quibus ipsae
scripturae increpant patriarchas et prophetas, nos non oportere exprobare
eis ... de quibus autem scripturae non inciepant (scil. delictis), sed
simpliciter sunt positae, nos non debere fieri accusatores, sed typum
q