CHAPTER XII

SERAPION, AND THE WRITINGS ASCRIBED TO HIM

SERAPION, however, it is probable, has left many monuments of his application to learning, which are preserved by others; but only those have come down to us, which were written to Domninus, one of those that had fallen away from the faith, at the time of the persecution, and relapsed into Jewish superstition; the epistles, also, that he addressed to Pontus and Caricus, ecclesiastical writers, and many others to others. There is also another work composed by him on the gospel of Peter, as it is called; which, indeed, he wrote to refute the false assertions which it contains, on account of some in the church of Rhosse, who by this work were led astray to perverted doctrines. From which it may be well to add some brief extracts, by which it may be seen what he thought of the book:

“We, brethren,” says he, “receive Peter and the other apostles as Christ himself. But those writings which falsely go under their name, as we are well acquainted with them, we reject, and know also, that we have not received such handed down to us. But when I came to you, I had supposed that all held to the true faith; and as I had not perused the gospel presented by them under the name of Peter, I said, ‘If this be the only thing that creates difference among you, let it be read;’ but now having understood, from what was said to me, that their minds were enveloped in some heresy, I will make haste to come to you again; therefore, brethren, expect me soon. But as we perceived what was the heresy of Marcianus, we plainly saw that he ignorantly contradicted himself, which things you may learn from what has been written to you. For we have borrowed this gospel from others, who have studied it, that is, from the successors of those who led the way before him, whom we call Docetæ (for most opinions have sprung from this sect). And in this we have discovered many thing’s, superadded to the sound faith of our Saviour; some also attached that are foreign to it, and which we have also subjoined for your sake.” Thus far of the works of Serapion.