CAP. XII.
Of Rhodon, and the repugnancy which he founde in the heresie of Marcion.
ABout the same time florished one Rhodon, an Asian, sometime at Rome, by his owne report the disciple of Tatianus, who wrote many bookes, and together with others impugned the heresie of Marcion. he paynteth this heresie in his time to haue bene seuered, into sundry sectes. the Authors of which schisme, and their false positions, seuerally inuented, he hath sharply and in fewe wordes reprehended. heare him if you please, writing thus: VVherefore they varied* 1.1 among themselues, coursing an vnconstant sentence. of that crue vvas Apelles, pretending a po∣liticall kinde of conuersation, and sadde grauitie: confessing one beginning, and saying, that prophecyes are of a contrary spirite: fully crediting the sentences and deuelishe doctrine of a mayde called Philumaena. others some (as the rouer Marcion) haue layde dovvne tvvo begin∣ninges, of vvhich opinion are Pontinus, and Basilicus. these follovving Lycus of Pontus, not per∣ceauing the right distinction of thinges, (no more did he) runne headelong out of the vvay, and published barely, and nakedly vvithout shevv, or proofe of reason, tvvo principall beginnings▪ againe others some, falling farre vvorse, haue dreamed, not onely of tvvo, but of three natures, vvhose author and ringeleader is Synerus, by the report of them vvhich fauour his doctrine. The* 1.2 same Rhodon writeth, that he had conference with Apelles, saying: by reasoninge vvith this olde Apelles, I tooke him vvith many falsehoodes, vvhereupon he sayd: that no man vvas to be exa∣mined of his doctrine, but euery man to continevve quietly, as he beleued. he pronounced sal∣uation for such as beleued in Christ crucified, so that they vvere founde exercised in good vvor∣kes. his doctrine of the God of all thinges, vvas maruelous darke, and obscure. he confessed on beginning agreeable vvith our doctrine. after he had layde downe his whole opinion, he sayth: VVhen I demaunded of him hovv prouest thou this? hovve canst thou affirme that there is one beginning? tell vs. he made ansvvere that he misliked vvith the prophecies them selues, for that they vttered no trueth, but varied among them selues that they vvere false, and contrary to them selues. hovv that there vvas one beginning, he sayd: He knevve not, but yet he vvas so persvva∣ded. aftervvards I charged him to tell me the trueth. he svvare he sayd the trueth, neither knevve he hovv there vvas one God vnbegotten, yet beleued he the same. I truly condemned him vvith laughter, for that he called him self a doctor, and coulde not confirme his doctrine. In the same booke Rhodon speaking to Calliston, confesseth him self at Rome to haue bene the disciple of Tati∣anus. he reporteth that Tatianus wrote a booke of Problemes. Wherefore when as Tatianus pro∣mised to sifte out, the darke speaches and hidd mysteries of holy Scripture: Rhodon promised al∣so* 1.3 in a peculiar volume, to publish the resolutions of his Problemes. his commentaries vpon the six dayes vvorkes, are at this day extant. but Apelles wrote infinite tractes, impiously agaynst the lawe of Moses, reus••ing in most of them, the holy Scriptures, very paynfull and earnest in the re∣prehension, and (as he thought) in the ouerthrowe of them. of these thinges thus farre.