The Deception of False Separation

In order that we may more effectively shame them, we will convince them that they hold the teaching of that man even until today; and having taken this from them, we will refute them by their own proofs. Just as the catholic and apostolic church preserves the genealogy of Christ, so also the heresies preserve the succession of Simon.

It is written in a book kept by them, which they call the Acts of Peter, that a certain Gemellus became a genuine disciple of Simon; he himself remained with him even until the last hour and death. And the name of this man still clings to the heresy of the false apostates, for they are called Gemellians.

This Gemellus, after the fall of Simon and his bitter death—for the death of sinners is evil, not finding a place to overthrow anyone or to deceive in Rome, as the letter testifies, for there is no such heresy in it—seizes these parts and, finding the people simple, easy, and infinite for error, begins to teach and to ordain and to do all evil with the mysteries of Christians, and calls himself an apostate. And he himself was a leader of the sect, having inherited the heresy from Simon, having neither received baptism from anyone nor being called a Christian at all, but having only been a disciple to Simon and having benefited from him. This is how the sect had its beginning.

And as time passed and some were deceived because the leaders of the churches of Christ were being driven away by those then persecuting the church, and being a single sect, they seemed to act in secret, the devil, their teacher, once held them in his grasp and made them subjects to all things, divides them into two thus: having found some among them carrying baskets, he separated them from those carrying linen garments, as if from the impious. But even until this, he was not filled with the pertaining to...

The devil deceives by means of a false separation; for he again divides those who have embraced a false separation. Until now, there was a pretext for the devil, through which he was making a division among them; for the division among them occurred by means of tetrapods or sacks. But now there is no pretext for division, for all are equal; for all bear not the name of Christ, but of Simon and Gemellus, and those are Apostates, and all are successors of Simon and Gemellus.

And what is the division? And what is the cause? Say it, so that we may know; you have separated yourselves from Christ and from all His mystery, and subsequently you no longer find anyone from whom you might separate yourselves. Once having been deprived of all good things by one another, they separate; for loathing one another and separating from one another as if they were separating from enemies, which they also call 'separation'.

Let us also see the other form which these have cast aside as useless. What kind of name will they innovate for themselves, having been cast out by such a separation? Yet nevertheless, they find a good name for themselves; for they call themselves 'Temperate' because they align themselves with those. For having been separated from one another, they possess unceasing war against them, so that we may see their self-control and from whom they exercise self-control.

To promise self-control or separation by word is nothing wonderful and no great labor; but not only word is sought, but also the deed. For the Lord says in the Gospels: 'Why do you call me, Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?' (Luke 6:46), and the prophet Isaiah: 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me' (Isaiah 29:13); so they honor me in vain, and the following. For the Lord, having enclosed all the power of the Scripture of the Old and New Covenants into two commandments, says: 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself' (Matthew 22:37-39).

Do these people keep these commandments? But certainly no sensible person will believe the promises, unless he learns from you the fruits of the earth. For you are ready to promise great things and through these to deceive the unprincipled. And above this, we have shown that Simon himself, having apostatized from the apostles, was saying...