A. The Kollyridians according to Epiphanius

Against the Kollyridians

who offer sacrifice to Mary, Heresy LIX of LXXIX in the sequence

LI After this, famous heresy has appeared, concern­ing which we already made brief mention in the previous chap­ter concerning the letter written to/in Arabia about the Virgin Mary.

1.2 And this heresy in turn appeared in Arabia from Thrace and the upper regions of Scythia, and came unto our ears; it appears to be both quite ridiculous and deserving of mockery in the eyes of the prudent man.

1.3 Nevertheless let us begin to expose it, and try to explain what this heresy professes. I have no doubt that it will be found to contain more foolishness than any wisdom at all, just as do other heresies which were similar to it.

1.4 Indeed, just as the above mentioned people, who adopted that sect, sow from human inventions slanderous opinions con­cerning the Blessed Virgin, so also these, leaning to the opposite side, fall also in extreme harm and danger, in such a manner that the famous saying of pagan philosophers may be confirmed: “The extremes are equals.’*

1.5 For equal is the mischief inherent in both these heresies: The one disparaging the Holy Virgin, but the other praising her more than they ought.

1.6 For who are those who teach this other than women? For women are by nature unstable, both faltering and low in intelli­gence.

1.7 Therefore, the devil apparently vomited out that error through them, just as he did in the chapter above in the very ridiculous teaching from Quintilla, Maximilia, and Priscilla, he also did in this heresy. For some women decorate a carriage or a square chair by covering it with fine linen, and on a certain definite day of the year [on certain days] they set forth bread and offer it as sacrifice in the name of Mary. Then all partake from that bread. Certain details of this thing we discussed in the same letter written in Arabia.

The madness of these women shows once more the disease of the deceived Eve (II.1). This doctrine is an undertaking of demons (II.- 6) since women never acted as priests, not even Eve herself. Both old and New Testaments show that only men offered sacrifices and no matter how greatly honored Mary was, she was not given the power of the priesthood (III.l). Women were prophets (II.5) and deaconesses (III.6) but not priests. What the Kollyridian women do is foolish, crazy, idolatry and a work of the devil. (IV.2,3,4) Mary’s body was holy (IV.6) but she was not a goddess, and she always remained of the same nature as other women. (V.2) The Old Testament prophets foretold the birth of Jesus from a Virgin (VI. 1- 6) and “God recreated himself out of the Virgin” and still she was not worshipped, “neither so that she be made into a god, so that we offer sacrifices in her name, nor so that women be instituted as priests after so many generations”. (VII.2) Neither Salome, nor Mary nor any of the holy women named in the New Testament were given such honors. (VII.3-4)

VII. 5 Then from whence did this coiled serpent turn up? From where are renewed his crooked plans? Yes, let Mary be honored, but let the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit be worshipped; let no one worship Mary! Because that mystery and cult of adoration is not due to women, nor even for man either, but to the one God: nor do the angels seem worthy enough for such an honor.

VII. 6 Let what is written perversely in the hearts of those who are deceived be blotted out; let the lust of the tree be dimmed from the eyes [allusion to Gen. 3]. Let the work itself, the creature, return to God the creator. Let Eve along with Adam be shamed into honoring only God; neither let her be deceived by the voice of the serpent, but persist in God’s command: “Do not eat of that tree” [Gen.

VIII. 1 Furthermore, these women of this sect “renew the drink offering to Fortune and set the table for a demon” [Isa. 65.11], not to God, as it is written, and they feast on the food of impiety, as the divine word testifies: “Women knead dough and their sons col­lect wood to make cakes for the army of heaven” [Jer. 7.18].

VIII. 2 Let such women be muzzled by Jeremias, and let them not disturb the world any longer. Let them not say, “We honor the queen of heaven” [Jer. 44.25 (LXX 51.17)]. Taphnes knows well how much they are to be punished. The region of Magdala knows well how to receive their corpses thrown to rotting. Do not, Oh Israel, be persuaded by women! Turn away from the council of wicked women! “For the woman snares the precious souls of men” [Prov. 6.26]! “Her feet guide those who deal with death into Hades” [Prov. 5.5].

Evil women should be resisted (VIII.3; reference to Prov. 5.3-4) just as the chaste Joseph did not let himself be tricked by the Egyptian seductress (IX.2).

IX. 3 How much more can be argued against this heresy? In fact, either these idle women adore Mary and offer her a “colly- ris” (a small cake), or they offer this ridiculous and absurd obla­tion in her behalf. The entire matter is folly, and alien, and is in­stigated by demons; it contains nothing but insolence and fraud.

IX. 4 But lest we prolong the discussion, what has been said until now should be enough. Mary is held in honor, but let the Lord be worshipped. Just men practice error for no one, for “God can not be tempted by evil and he tempts no one” [Jas. 1.13], not even are his servants disposed toward evil. “Each one is tempted, enticed, and allured by his own desire. Then desire begets sin and sin, when completed, generates death” [Jas. 1.14f].

IX.5 Therefore, since we believe that we have discussed all these matters sufficiently, beloved, since we crushed with the word of truth this beetle, so to speak, golden colored, winged, and buzzing about, at the same time very venomous and full of poison, let us go to another heresy, the only one that remains, asking God once more that He may give us His help to follow the paths of truth, and to engineer a final overthrow of the opposition.