8. Невозможно, чтобы Евангелий было числом больше или меньше, чем их есть. Ибо, так как четыре страны света, в котором мы живем, и четыре главных ветра, и так как Церковь рассеяна по всей земле, а столп и утверждение Церкви есть Евангелие и Дух жизни, то надлежит ей иметь четыре столпа, отовсюду веющих нетлением и оживляющих людей. Из этого ясно, что устрояющее все Слово, восседающее на Херувимах и все содержащее, открывшись человекам, дало нам Евангелие в четырех видах, но проникнутое одним Духом. Как и Давид моля об Его явлении говорит: Ты, сидящий на Херувимах, явися (Пс. 79:1). Ибо Херувимы имеют четыре лица и их лики суть образы деятельности Сына Божия. Первое животное – говорится – подобно льву (Апок. 4:7) и характеризует Его действенность, господство и царскую власть; второе же подобно волу, и означает Его священнодейственное и священническое достоинство; третье имело лице человека, и ясно изображает Его явление, как человека; четвертое же подобно летящему орлу; и указывает на дар Духа, носящегося над Церковью. Посему, Евангелия согласны с тем, на чем восседает Христос Иисус. Ибо одно из них излагает Его первоначальное, действенное и славное рождение от Отца, говоря так: в начале было Слово, и Слово было у Бога, и Бог было Слово. И все произошло чрез Него и без Него ничто не произошло (Ин. 1:1). Поэтому, Евангелие cиe полно всякой достоверности, ибо таков его характер. Евангелие Луки, нося на себе священнический характер, начинается с священника Захарии, приносящего жертву Богу. Ибо уже готов был телец упитанный, которому предстояло быть закланным ради обретения младшего сына. Матфей же возвещает Его человеческое рождение, говоря: Родословие Иисуса Христа, Сына Давидова, сына Авраамова. И еще: Рождество Иисуса Христа было так (Мф. 1:1:18). Это Евангелие изображает Его человечество; поэтому, по всему Евангелию Он представляется смиренно чувствующим и кротким человеком. А Марк начинает с пророческого Духа, свыше приходящего к людям, говоря: Начало Евангелия, как написано у пророка Исаии (Мк. 1:1), и указывает на крылатый образ Евангелия; поэтому, он сделал сжатый и беглый рассказ, ибо таков пророческий Дух. И Само Слово Божие с бывшими до Моисея патриархами беседовало сообразно с Своим Божеством и славою, а для подзаконных Оно представляло священнический и богослужебный чин, после же сего, сделавшись человеком, ниспослало на всю землю дар Святого Духа, покрывая нас Своими крылами. Каков образ действия Сына Божия, таков и вид животных, и каков вид животных, таков и характер Евангелий. Четверовидны животные, четверовидно и Евангелие и деятельность Господа. И, поэтому, даны были человечеству четыре главных завета: один при Адаме до потопа, другой после потопа при Ное22; третий – законодательство при Моисее, четвертый же, обновляющий человека и сокращающий в себе все, – чрез Евангелие, вознося и как бы на крыльях поднимая людей в Царство Небесное.

9. При таком положении вещей, суетны и невежественны и кроме того дерзки все те, которые искажают идею Евангелия и привносят видов Евангелия больше или меньше сказанных, – одни для того, чтобы казаться, будто они нашли больше, чем истина, другие же, чтобы укорить распоряжения Божие23. Ибо Маркион, отвергая целое Евангелие, и даже сам, отсекаясь от Евангелия, хвалится, что он имеет часть (в благословении) Евангелия. Другие24, отметая дар Духа, в последние времена по воле Отца излитый на род человеческий, не принимают того вида, какой представляет Евангелие Иоанна, в котором Господь обещал послать Утешителя; но они вместе с сим отвергают и Евангелие и пророческий Дух. Истинно несчастные, которые желают быть лжепророками, конечно. но отвергают у Церкви дар пророчества: они поступают подобно тем, которые 130:из–за лицемерно приходящих удаляются даже от общения с братиями. Понятно, что такие люди (монтанисты) не принимают и апостола Павла. Ибо в послании к Коринфянам он нарочито говорил о пророческих дарованиях и знает мужчин и женщин, пророчествующих Церкви 131. По всему этому они, согрешая против Духа Божия, впадают в непростительный грех. Последователи же Валентина без всякого страха предлагают свои сочинения и хвалятся, что имеют больше Евангелий, чем сколько их есть. Они дошли до такой дерзости, что свое недавнее сочинение озаглавливают «Евангелием истины», хотя оно ни в чем несогласно с Евангелиями Апостолов, так что у них и Евангелия нет без богохульства. Ибо, если выставляемое имя Евангелие истинно, а между тем вовсе не сходно с теми, которые нам преданы Апостолами, то желающие могут узнать, – как самые писания показывают, – что оно не есть преданное Апостолами Евангелие Истины. А что те Евангелия одни суть истинные и достоверные и не может быть их ни больше, ни меньше тех, которые упомянуты выше, это я уже доказал многими доводами. Ибо, когда Бог сотворил все стройно и согласно, то надлежало и Евангелию иметь вид благоустроенный и складный. Исследовав мнение предавших нам Евангелие, на основании их собственных начал, перейдем теперь к прочим Апостолам и исследуем их учение о Боге, а потом послушаем слов Самого Господа.

ПРОТИВ ЕРЕСЕЙ. Книга третья

Гл XII. Учение прочих Апостолов

1. The Apostle Peter, after the Lord's resurrection and ascension to heaven, desiring to complete the number of the twelve apostles and to take the place of Judas another who would be chosen by God, thus said to those present: Men brethren! it was necessary to fulfill (the word of) the Scripture, which the Holy Spirit had foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became the leader of those who took Jesus, for he was numbered among us: ... let his court be desolate, and let there be no one who dwells in it; and let another take on his dignity (Acts 1:16, 17, 20; Ps. 68:26; 108:8), and arranges the fulfillment of the Apostles in accordance with the words of David. And when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples, so that they all prophesied and spoke with tongues, and some laughed at them as if they were drunk with wine, Peter said that they were not drunk, because it was the third hour of the day, but this is what the prophet said, It shall come to pass in the last days, saith the Lord, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and they shall prophesy" (Joel 2:28). Therefore God, having promised through the prophet to send His Spirit upon the human race, He sent it to him, and Peter declares that God Himself has fulfilled His promise.

2. For Peter said, "Men of Israel! Listen to my words:25 Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was testified among you from God by powers, wonders, and signs, which God wrought through him among you, as you yourselves know, who was delivered up according to the definite counsel and foreknowledge of God,26 having nailed him to death by the hands of the wicked; but God raised Him up, ending the diseases of hell,27 because it was impossible for Him to restrain Him. For David says of Him, I have always seen the Lord before me, for He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken: therefore my heart rejoices, and my tongue rejoices, even my flesh shall rest in hope. For Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither will Thou suffer Thy holy one to see corruption (Acts 2:22-27; Ps. 15:8). Then he boldly tells them about the Patriarch David, that he died and was buried, and his tomb is with them to this day. "And being a prophet," he said, "and knowing that God had promised him with an oath from the fruit of his womb28 to sit on His throne, he foretold of the resurrection of Christ, that He was not left in hell, and His flesh had not seen corruption. This Jesus God raised up, of which we are all witnesses. It was he, having been lifted up by the right hand of God and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, who poured out this gift,30 which you now see and hear. For David did not ascend into heaven; but he himself says, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I make thy enemies thy footstool. Know therefore with certainty, all the house of Israel, that God has made this Jesus, whom you have crucified, Lord and Christ (Acts 2:30-37). When the multitudes said, "What shall we do?" Peter says to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38). Thus it was not another God or another Fullness (Plyroma) that the Apostles proclaimed, and (they did not say) that one Christ suffered and rose again, and the other who soared on high and remained untouched by suffering, but that one and the same God the Father and Christ Jesus, risen from the dead, and preached faith in Him to those who did not believe in the Son of God, and from prophecies convinced them, that Christ, whom God promised to send, He sent in Jesus, Whom they crucified, and God raised up.

3. Again, when Peter, together with John, saw at the door of the temple, which is called beautiful, a man lame from birth, who was sitting and begging alms, he said to him, "I have no silver and no gold; but what I have, I give you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth: arise and walk. And immediately his feet and knees were strengthened, and he began to walk, and went into the temple with them, walking, jumping, and glorifying God (Acts 3:6-8). When the crowd gathered to them on account of the unexpected event, Peter said to them: "Men of Israel! Why are you amazed at this, and why do you look at us, as if by our own power we made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his Son, whom you delivered up to judgment,31 and whom you denied before Pilate when he wanted to let him go. But you became hardened32 against the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you; and the Author of life was killed. This God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. And according to faith in His name, His name strengthened this one whom you see and know, and the faith that is from Him granted him healing in the sight of you all. And now, brethren, I know that you have done evil through ignorance.33 And God, as He foretold through the mouth of all the prophets that His Christ would suffer, so He fulfilled it. Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of comfort may come unto you from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send Jesus Christ, whom heaven was to preserve until the time of the fulfillment of all that God had spoken through his holy prophets.34 Moses said to our fathers, "The Lord your God will raise up for you from among your brethren a prophet like me; obey him in all that he says to you. And it shall come to pass that every soul that does not listen to that prophet shall be cut off from the people. And all (the prophets) from Samuel and after him, however much they spoke, also foretold these days. Ye are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God hath made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. To you first, God raised up His Son,35 and sent Him to bless you, that each one might also turn from his evil works" (Acts 3:12-26). Peter preached a clear sermon to them, together with John, preaching that the promise which God had given to the fathers had been fulfilled through Jesus, and not of any other God, he proclaimed, but brought to the knowledge of Israel about the Son of God, who had become man and suffered, and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead, and pointed out that whatever the prophets had proclaimed of Christ's suffering, God had fulfilled.

4. Therefore, again, when the leaders of the priests were assembled, he boldly said, "Leaders of the people and elders of Israel! If today you demand of us an account of the good deed done to a weak man, through which he became well, then let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Whom you crucified, Whom God raised from the dead, by Him he stands before you well. He is a rock, despised by you who build it, but has become the head of the corner.36 And there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:8-12). Thus, the Apostles did not change God, but proclaimed to the people that Christ was Jesus crucified, Who was resurrected by the same God Who sent prophets and granted salvation to people in Him.

5. And when the chief priests, troubled by the example of healing, for the Scriptures had been more than forty years old, and by the teaching of the Apostles and the exposition of the prophecies, Peter and John had been dismissed, they returned to the rest of the Lord's co-apostles and disciples, i.e., to the church, and told what had happened and how boldly they had acted in the name of Jesus. And when they heard, the whole church, with one accord lifted up their voices to God, and said, "Lord, thou art God, having made the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and all that is in them, who through the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David thy servant, said, Why have the Gentiles been troubled, and the nations have devised vain things? The kings of the earth and the princes stood together, and gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ. For verily Herod and Pontius Pilate are gathered together in this city against Thy holy Son Jesus, whom Thou hast anointed, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel. to do that which Thy hand and Thy will have ordained to be (Acts 4:24-28). Such are the voices of the Church, from which every church received its origin; such are the voices of the metropolis of the citizens of the New Testament; such are the voices of the Apostles; such are the voices of the disciples of the Lord, made perfect by the Holy Spirit after the Lord's ascension; they called upon God, who made the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, who was proclaimed by the prophets, and his Son Jesus, whom God hath shewed, but they know no other. For there was neither Valentine, nor Marcion, nor the rest of those who corrupt themselves and those who follow them. For it is said, "The place where they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and spoke the Word of God with boldness (Acts 4:31) to everyone who would believe. With great power the Apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus (Acts 4:33), saying to them: "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you took and put to death, hanging on a tree. God exalted him to be Author and Saviour with His right hand,37 that he might give Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins; and in this we are witnesses of these words, and also the Holy Spirit, Whom God has given to them that believe in Him (Acts 5:30). And every day, it is said, in the temple and in their homes, they did not cease to teach and preach the gospel about Jesus Christ (Acts 5:42), the Son of God. For such was the knowledge of salvation; which makes perfect in the sight of God those who acknowledge the coming of His Son.

6. But since some of them (the heretics) shamelessly say that the Apostles, preaching among the Jews, could not proclaim to them any other God than Him in whom they (the Jews) believed, I will tell them that if the Apostles spoke according to the opinion that had previously taken root in the people, then no one knew the truth from them, and still before from the Lord Himself, for he, according to them, spoke in the same way. This means that they themselves do not know the truth, but having such an opinion about God, they accepted the teaching as they could hear it. According to this reasoning, no one will have a rule of truth, but all the disciples will impute to everyone (teachers), so that as each of them thinks and is able to understand, so it will be spoken to him. But the coming of the Lord will be superfluous and useless if He came to admit and preserve everyone's former opinion about God. Moreover, it was much more difficult to proclaim that the one whom the Jews saw as a man and nailed to the cross was Christ the Son of God, their eternal King. And if it was so, then (the Apostles) spoke to them not according to their former opinion. Those who told them to their face that they were murderers of the Lord would themselves have been much more bold in proclaiming the Father who is higher than the Demiurge, and would not have conformed to the way they thought (of God); and it would have been even less sinful if they had not nailed to the cross the heavenly Saviour, to Whom they must ascend, since He had no part in suffering. For just as they did not speak to the Gentiles according to their former notions, but boldly said that their gods were not gods, but idols of demons, so they would have proclaimed to the Jews, if they had known another greater and more perfect Father, without nourishing or strengthening their false opinion of God. And by destroying the error of the Gentiles and turning them away from their gods, they did not introduce another error into them, but by removing those who were not gods, they revealed only the One God and the True Father.