A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

95The successor of Simon Magus was Menander, a Samaritan bybirth, who also became a perfect adept in magic. He affirms thatthe first power is unknown to all, but that he himself is the personwho has been sent forth by the invisible beings as a saviour forthe salvation of men. The world was made by angels, who, as healso, like Simon, says, were produced by the Ennœa, He givesalso, as he affirms, by means of the magic which he teachesknowledge, so that one may overcome those angels that madethe world. For his disciples obtain the resurrection by the factthat they are baptized into him, and they can die no more, butremain immortal without ever growing old.(d) Irenæus, Adv. Hær., I, 26. (MSG, 7:686.)The system of Cerinthus. For additional source material, seeIrenæus, III, 3, 4; Hippolytus, Ref. VII, 33; X, 21; Eusebius,Hist. Ec., III, 28.Cerinthus, again, taught in Asia that the world was not made bythe supreme God, but by a power separated and distant from thatRuler [principalitate] who is over the universe, and ignorant ofthe God who is above all. He represented Jesus as not havingbeen born of a virgin, for this seemed impossible to him, but ashaving been the son of Joseph and Mary in the same way thatall other men are sons, only he was more righteous, prudent, andwise than other men. After his baptism Christ descended uponhim in the form of a dove from the Supreme Ruler; and thatthen he proclaimed the unknown Father and performed miracles.But at last Christ departed from Jesus, and then Jesus suffered [082]and rose again, but Christ remained impassable, since He was aspiritual being.§ 22. The Greater Gnostic Systems: Basilides and Valentinus