Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume III/Anti-Marcion/Appendix: Against All Heresies/V

Chapter V.&#8212;Marcus and Colarbasus.

After these there were not wanting a Marcus and a Colarbasus, composing a novel heresy out of the Greek alphabet. For they affirm that without those letters truth cannot be found; nay more, that in those letters the whole plenitude and perfection of truth is comprised; for this was why Christ said, &#8220;I am the Alpha and the Omega.&#8221; In fact, they say that Jesus Christ descended, that is, that the dove came down on Jesus; and, since the dove is styled by the Greek name &#960;&#949;&#961;&#953;&#963;&#964;&#949;&#961;&#8049; &#8212;(peristera), it has in itself this number DCCCI. These men run through their &#937;, &#936;, &#935;, &#934;, &#933;, &#932; &#8212;through the whole alphabet, indeed, up to &#913; and &#914; &#8212;and compute ogdoads and decads.&#160; So we may grant it useless and idle to recount all their trifles. What, however, must be allowed not merely vain, but likewise dangerous, is this:&#160; they feign a second God, beside the Creator; they affirm that Christ was not in the substance of flesh; they say there is to be no resurrection of the flesh.