A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

94 A Source Book for Ancient Church History[081]written those verses which are called palinodes, in which he sungher praises, he saw once more. Thus passing from body to bodyand suffering insults in every one of them, she at last became acommon prostitute; and she it is who was the lost sheep.For this purpose he himself had come, that he might win herfirst and free her from chains, and confer salvation upon men bymaking himself known to them. For since the angels ruled theworld poorly, because each one of them coveted the principalpower, he had come to mend matters and had descended, beentransfigured and assimilated to powers and angels, so that hemight appear among men as man, although he was not a man;and that he was supposed to have suffered in Judea, although hehad not suffered. Moreover, the prophets inspired by the angels,who were the makers of the world, pronounced their prophecies;for which reason those who place their trust in him and Helena nolonger regard them, but are free to do what they will; for men aresaved according to his grace, and not according to their righteousworks. For deeds are not righteous in the nature of things, but bymere accident and just as those angels who made the world havedetermined, seeking by such precepts to bring men into bondage.On this account he promised that the world should be dissolvedand that those who are his should be freed from the rule of themwho made the world.Thus, then, the mystic priests belonging to this sect both liveprofligately and practise magical arts, each one to the extent of hisability. They use exorcisms and incantations, love-potions, also,and charms, as well as those beings who are called “familiars”[paredri] and "dream senders" [oniropompi], and whatever othercurious arts can be had are eagerly pressed into their service.(c) Irenæus, Adv. Hær., I, 23. (MSG, 7:673.)The system of Menander. Cf. also Eusebius. Hist. Ec., III, 26.