Irenaeus of Lyons · a new plain-English translation from the original language
He will judge also the Ebionites: for how could they possibly be saved, were it not God himself who brought about their salvation here on earth? And how will man pass over into God, if God has not first come into man? And how will he escape the birth of death, unless by a new birth, given wondrously and unexpectedly by God as a sign of salvation — the birth that comes through faith, from a Virgin? [Yet they say he had no more than Solomon, nor more than Jonah.] But the Lord came from David, sharing the very same nature as they did. And how could he who was strong against men — who not only conquered man but also held him under his own power — be conquered, unless he who conquered him was himself conquered by one stronger; and he indeed who had conquered was conquered, but the man who had been conquered was set free — unless he had been superior to that man who had been conquered? And how is he better than that man who was made after the likeness of God, unless he who was made in the likeness became man? And for this reason, at the end, he himself showed the likeness: the Son of God became man, taking into himself the ancient formation, as we have shown in the book that precedes this one.
He will judge also those who introduce a Christ who appeared only in seeming. For how can they truly think themselves to be arguing, when their teacher was only a seeming teacher? Or how can they hold anything firm from him, if he was only appearance and not truth? And how can they themselves truly share in salvation, if he in whom they say they believe showed himself to be only an appearance? Everything among them, then, is appearance, and not truth; and now the question must even be asked whether they themselves are not men at all, but dumb animals, presenting to the many mere shadows of men.
He will judge also the false prophets, who never obtained the prophetic gift from God at all and hold no fear of God, but instead, whether chasing hollow renown, or after some profit, or else moved by an evil spirit's influence, pretend to speak prophecy, lying in God's name. How those who work schisms, and all who separate themselves from the Church, will be judged; and how all things hold together for the one who belongs to the Church.