By Water & Blood

Prologue

Third Discourse.

On the Nicolaitans. On the Montanists. On Noetus of Smyrna. On the Quartodecimans. On Novatus. On Nepos.

That the Master Christ also foretold the heresies that would come.

Since in the former books we have made clear the heresies that are contrary to one another, come now, let us also teach the ignorant the others that sprang up between these and those. For just as field mice, from a certain bad mixture of air and a foul quality of rot, rise up from the earth and damage seeds and damage plants, while the farmers hunt them down and destroy them—so from the devil’s craft heresies appeared, which harmed the lighter among human beings; but the best farmers of piety drove these from the divine fields and made them vanish.

Their plots the Master also foretold through the parable of the weeds, and expressly taught the apostles, sometimes saying that many false christs and false prophets and false apostles would appear; sometimes charging them to be on guard against these, and adding, “Many will come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” Then he teaches how one ought to discern the difference between the sheep and the wolf that has put on the fleece. “For from their fruits,” he says, “you will know them.” Next, through a certain image, he makes the word still clearer. “Do they gather grapes from thorns,” he says, “or figs from thistles? So every good tree makes good fruits, but the bad tree makes bad fruits.” And expanding the word he added: “Therefore from their fruits you will know them.”

Sufficient in themselves, then, are the unholy and utterly foul doctrines to show their own father. “For from the fruit,” he says, “the tree is known.” And their end also is enough to refute the falsehood. For falsehood is easily dissolved, but the power of truth is lasting. Therefore the myths of the devil’s working have vanished; but the doctrines of the Gospels bloom and flourish. And though many have warred—peoples and demagogues and generals and kings—the foundations of the Church, fixed upon the rock, have remained; but the heralds of the ill-named heresies fled, according to the Wise One who said, with no one pursuing. For it is his voice: “I stretched out my hands, and they were dried up, and they became as dry grass upon housetops; but my salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will not fail.” But let us pass on to the narration of the remaining doctrines.