The following
excerpts are taken from:
The
Panarion of Epiphanius of Salamis: Book 1 (Sects 1-46) (2d ed.; trans. Frank Williams; Nag Hammadi and
Manichaean Studies 63; Leiden: Brill, 2009) for sects 1-46
and
The
Panarion of Epiphanius of Salamis, Books II and III. De Fide (2d ed.;
trans. Frank Williams; Nag Hammadi and Manichaean
Studies 79; Leiden: Brill, 2013) for sects 47-80 and De Fide
Note that
the enumeration of sects/heresies listed in the Panarion follows the
enumeration of the Brill edition (e.g., “Against Apostolics” is no 41, but 61 of
the series)
Sects 1-46:
6, 7 The
Law provides for physical circumcision. This serves for a time until the great
circumcision, baptism, which cuts us off from our sins and has sealed us in
God's name. (Panarion 8, p. 29)
4, 7 And
if the law were saying, "If ye touch a corpse," the sentence
would be pronounced against everyone, and the word in question would simply
apply <to> every dead body. But since it says, "If one touch the
corpse," it is referring to one particular corpse—I mean to the Lord, as I
have already explained. (8) The Law was saying this symbolically, of those who
would lay hands on Christ and consign him to a cross, since they had need or
purification till their sun should set, and another light dawn on them through
the baptism of water, "the laver of regeneration." (9) Peter bears me
out here in speaking to the Israelites at Jerusalem who asked him, "Men
and brethren, what shall we do?" because he had said "this Jesus whom
ye crucified," to them. And when they were pricked to the heart he said,
"Repent, men and brethren, and let every one of you be baptized in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and your sins will be forgiven, and ye shall
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Panarion 9, pp. 35-36)
4, 1 But
these doings took place then at the instigation of that false apostle
Cerinthus. Another time too, he and his friends caused a discord at Jerusalem
itself, when Paul arrived with Titus, and Cerinthus said, "He hath brought
in men uncircumcised with him"—speaking now of Titus—"and polluted
the holy place." (2) And so Paul says, "But neither Titus, who was
with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. But because of the
false brethren, unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty
which we have in Christ, to whom we have place by subjection not even
temporarily." And he used to command the uncircumcised, "Be not
circumcised. For if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing."
(3) Circumcision was a temporary expedient until the greater circumcision
arrived, that is the laver of regeneration—as is plain to everyone and is shown
more clearly by the things the apostles said, especially the holy apostle Paul.
For he insists, "To them we gave place by subjection, not even
temporarily." (Panarion 28. 119)
4,5 When
Ellel was dying he asked for the bishop who then lived near Tiberias, and
received holy baptism from him in extremis for a pretendedly medical
reason. (6) For he had sent for him by Josephus, as though he were a doctor,
and he had the room cleared and begged the bishop, "Give me the seal in
Christ!" (7) The bishop summoned the servants and ordered water prepared,
as though intending to give the patriarch, who was very wick, some treatment
for his illness with water. They did what they were told, for they did not
know. And sending everyone from pretended modesty the patriarch was vouchsafed
the laver and the holy mysteries. (Panarion 30, p. 134)
29, (11)
So one who holds upright within him the rule of the truth which he has received
through baptism will recognize the names, expressions, and parables from the
scriptures, but not recognize this blasphemous subject. (Panarion 31, p. 202)
19, 1
Their conferral of "redemption" is characteristically invisible and
impossible to grasp, stemming as it does from the untouchable, invisible Mother
and therefore, because of its instability, cannot be simply summarized—since
they each hand it down as they choose. For there are as many
"redemptions" as there are mystagogues of this persuasion. (2) When I
refute them I shall declare at the proper place that this type of thing has
been fobbed off by Satan, as a denial of the baptism of regeneration to God,
and for the abolition of all the faith. (Panarion 34, p. 249)
2, 9 I
have already said that they execrate baptism as "deadly flies causing the
preparation of the oil of sweetness to stink"—as the parable is given by
the Preacher, which reference to them and people of their kind. For they are
truly flies which are deadly and death-dealing, and which spoil the aromatic
oil of sweetness—God's holy mysteries which are granted us in baptism for the
remission of sins. (Panarion 40, p. 285)
Sects 47-80 and De Fide:
1, (5) Thus
the circumcised, who boast of priesthood, could not dispute the priesthood of
God's holy church, which observes neither bodily circumcision nor the absence
of it, but possesses the greater and more perfect circumcision, the laver of
regeneration. (Panarion 55, p. 80)
1, 3 We
ourselves say that there is one repentance, and that this salvation comes
through the laver of regeneration. But we do not ignore God’s lovingkindness,
(4) since we know the message of the truth, the Lord's mercy, nature's
pardonability, the soul's fickleness, the weakness of the flesh, and the way
everyone's senses teem with sins. "No man is sinless and pure of spot, not
if he liveth even a single day upon the earth." 5 Perfect penitence comes
with baptism but if someone falls [afterwards] God's holy church does not lose
him. She gives him a way back, and after repentance, reform. (Panarion 59, 104)
2, (3) And
it is in fact impossible to renew those who have been renewed once and have
fallen away. Christ cannot be born any more to be crucified for us, nor can
anyone crucify again the not yet crucified Son of God. Nor can anyone receive a
second baptism: there is one baptism and one renewal. (4) But in order to heal
the church and care for its members, the holy apostle at once prescribes their
cure and says, "But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and
things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak, For God is not
unrighteous to forget your good work." (Panarion 59, p. 105)
5, 3 And
anyone can see that the rule of the truth is of this nature. After the first
repentance through the laver of regeneration, by which repentance everyone is
renewed, there is no second repentance of this sort. (4) For there are not two
baptisms but one, Christ was not crucified twice but once, nor did he die for
us and rise twice. And this is why we need to take care, or we may lose the
crown of our renewal by transgression. (Panarion 59, p. 108)
4, 10 But
"sinneth not" cannot apply to him without baptism. For if "All
have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his
grace," this is plainly through the laver of regeneration. For baptism has
adorned the soul and the body, washing every sin away through repentance. (11)
Thus the gift of baptism both enfolds the virgin and, because of her
sinfulness, hastens to seal the non-virgin. (Panarion 61, p. 119)
1, 4 I
often have discussed this extensively, and have given an authentic proof, at
considerable length, in every Sect, that he is to be called "Lord,"
with the Father and the Son. For the "Spirit of the Lord filleth the whole
world"—the "Spirit of truth," the Spirit of God. He is called
the Spirit of the Lord, who "proceeds from the Father and receives of the
Son," "giveth gifts severally as he will," "searcheth the
deep things of God," and is with the Father and the Son, baptizing,
sealing, and perfecting him whom he has sealed. (Panarion 74, p. 484)
11, 7 (And the Spirit is a holy spirit, but the Son is a God The Spirit proceeds from
the Father and receives of the Son, "searcheth the deep things of
God," "sheweth" the things of the Son to the world, and hallows
the saints through the Trinity. He is third in the enumeration [of the
Trinity]—the Trinity is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, for scripture
says, "Go baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit." He is the confirmation of the grace (i.e., of baptism), the
seal of the Trinity, not apart from the numeration, not different from its
naming, and not other than its gift—but there is one God, one faith, one Lord,
one gift, one church, one baptism. (Panarion 74, p. 500)
4, 1 Thus
he shows the world his intent, unbelief, and his mad teachings, again
mischievously brought to the world by him. (2) But I shall go on to the
arguments against him, make a few points, and then pass him by. <From>
his saying that a bishop and a presbyter are the same, it is plain to people
with sense that he is simply foolish. How can this be? The one is an order that
generates fathers. For the episcopate produces fathers for the church. But the
presbyterate, which cannot produce fathers, produces children through the laver
of regeneration, but surely not fathers or teachers. (Panarion 75, pp. 506-7)
7, 5 For
Abraham gave Hagar, a bondmaid and cast out by Abraham—([she was] like the
Jerusalem below who was in bondage with her children, of them it is said,
"I have cast out thy mother," and again, "I gave the bill of
divorcement into her hands.") Abraham gave this bondmaid, I mean Hagar, a
skill full of water, the more of a type because of the hope of her conversion.
This was to show the power of the "laver of regeneration," which has
been given to unbelievers for a gift of life, and for the conversion of all the
heathen to the knowledge of the truth. (De Fide, pp. 661-62)
18, 3 For
whatever the apostle and all the scriptures say is true, even though it is
taken in a different sense by unbelievers and those who misunderstand it. (4)
But this is our faith, this is our honor, this is our mother the church who
saves through faith, who is strengthened through hope, and who by Christ's love
is made perfect in the confession of faith, the mysteries, and the cleansing
power of baptism (De Fide, p. 676)
