Letter 371: If the advocate of Marcion's blasphemy puts forward their so-called Gospel, take it up and read it — you will find...

You must, admirable one, remain steadfast always, neither betraying heavenly things through fear, nor appearing to contradict yourself. For if you were to compare what you have now written with your former statements, you would be found guilty either of flattery or of fickleness -- conquered by vainglory, and failing to imitate the contests of the great holy athletes who endured being afflicted their whole lives in a foreign land, rather than admit even into their ears a single heretical notion. To Hierax the Presbyter, on why the Pharisee was condemned for boasting while Job was praised for proclaiming even greater things: You say you are amazed and astonished at how the Pharisee gave offense by his boasting, while Job, who declared even greater and loftier things, won approval.

, to Pansophius, which turned out to be about the Marcionites! Here’s the text and a quick translation: (371) ΤΟΑʹ. ΠΑΝΣΟΦΙῼ. Εἰ προΐσχεται ὁ τῆς Μαρκίωνος συνήγορος βλασφημίας, τὸ παρ’ ἐκείνοις ὀνομαζόμενον Εὐαγγέλιον, λαβὼν ἀνάγνωθι, καὶ εὑρήσεις εὐθὺς ἐν προοιμίοις τὴν ἀτοπίαν. Αὐτὴν γὰρ τὴν κατάγουσαν ἐπὶ Χριστὸν ἁπὸ Δαβὶδ καὶ Ἀβραὰμ γενεαλογίαν ἀπέτεμον• καὶ μικρὸν ὕστερον προϊὼν ἄλλην ὄψει κακόνοιαν. Ἀμείψαντες γὰρ τὴν τοῦ Κυρίου φωνήν, «Οὐκ ἦλθον, λέγοντος, καταλῦσαι τὸν νόμον ἢ τοὺς προφήτας,» ἐποίησαν• Δοκεῖτε, ὅτι ἦλθον πληρῶσαι τὸν νόμον ἢ τοὺς προφήτας; Ἦλθον καταλῦσαι, ἀλλ’ οὐ πληρῶσαι. Ἐκ τούτων δὲ εἴσῃ, ὅπως ἔχθραν ταῖς δυσὶ Διαθήκαις κατασκευάζουσι, ξένον εἶναι τοῦ νόμου τὸν Χριστὸν σχεδιάσαντες. If the advocate of Marcion promotes blasphemy, take up and read their so-called Gospel, and you will immediately find its absurdity in the opening passages. For they have cut out the actual genealogy that leads down to Christ from David and Abraham. And proceeding a little

ΤΚΔ΄. – ΤΟ ΑΥΤΟ. Χρή σε, θαυμάσιε, ἄτρεπτον μένειν ἀεὶ, οὔτε φόβῳ προδιδόντα τὰ οὐράνια, οὔτε σαυτῷ ἐναντίον φαινόμενον. Εἰ γὰρ τὰ νῦν γεγραμμένασοι τοῖς προτέροις ἀντεξετάσειας, ἢ κολακείας φανήσῃ ὑπεύθυνος, ἢ εὐχερείας διάκονος, κενῆς μὲν δόξης ἡττώμενος, τῶν μεγάλων [δὲ] ἁγίων ἀθλητῶν τοὺς ἀγῶνας οὐ μιμησάμενος, οἱ τὸν ἅπαντα βίον ἐπ᾿ ἀλλοτρίας κακουχεῖσθαι ὑπέμειναν, ἢ κακόδοξον φρόνημα κἂν μέχρις ώτων εἰσδέξασθαι. ---CONTINUES--- ``` ΣΟΗ. – ΙΕΡΑΚΙ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΩ. Διὰ τὶ, ὁ μὲν Φαρισαῖος μεγαληγορήσας κατε- κρίθη, ὁ δὲ Ἰὼβ πλείονα καὶ μείζονα μεγαφω- νήσας ἐπῃνέθη. Θαυμάζειν ἔφης καὶ ἐκπλήττεσθαι, πῶς ὁ μὲν Φαρισαῖος μεγαληγορήσας (79) προσέκρουσεν, ὁ δὲ Ἰὼβ πλείονα καὶ μείζονα εἰρηκὼς ηὐδοκίμησεν.