Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Another Argument that Cyril's Reference to Irenaeus's Prescriptions Against Heresies is to the Greek Text Behind Tertullian's Prescription Against Heresies

When citing from Irenaeus's Prescriptions Against Heresies he specifically references 'the Cataphrygians.' As Ferguson notes:
The name Cataphrygians for the Montanists is first attested in Pseudo-Tertullian, Haereses. Its introduction here may be due to the Latin translator. The earliest Greek sources employ 'Phrygians.' “Kataphrygians” appears first in surviving Greek sources in Cyril of Jerusalem (Catecheses XVI.8)
It is impossible to argue that Cyril's source only identified Simon as guilty of claiming he was the Holy Spirit.  The source also listed the Cataphrygians (= Montanists) as sharing this guilt (which was likely why it may have been removed as an appendix to the surviving Latin text of the Prescription.  


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