Hippolytus

“ Characteristics of Heresy; Origin of the Name Naasseni; The System of the Naasseni.
I think that in the four preceding books I have very elaborately explained the opinions propounded by all the speculators among both Greeks and Barbarians, respecting the Divine Nature and the creation of the world; and not even have I omitted [1] the consideration of their systems of magic. So that I have for my readers undergone no ordinary amount of toil, in my anxiety to urge many forward into a desire of learning, and into stedfastness of knowledge in regard of the truth. ”

“ And they suppose that the knowledge of him is the originating principle of the capacity for a knowledge of God, expressing themselves thus: “The originating principle of perfection is the knowledge [9] of man, while the knowledge of God is absolute perfection.” ”

“ The priests, then, and champions of the system, have been first those who have been called Naasseni, [4] being so denominated from the Hebrew language, for the serpent is called naas [5] (in Hebrew) . Subsequently, however, they have styled themselves Gnostics, alleging that they alone have sounded the depths of knowledge. Now, from the system of these (speculators) , many, detaching parts, have constructed a heresy which, though with several subdivisions, is essentially one, and they explain precisely the same (tenets) ”