to whom the Lord appeared after His resurrection,—Thomas247 being absent,—represented, according to them, the invisible Decad. 4. As to the Duodecad, in connection with which the mystery of the passion of the defect occurred, from which passion they maintain that all things visible were framed, they assert that is to be found strikingly and manifestly everywhere [in Scripture]. For they declare that the twelve sons of Jacob,248 from whom also sprung twelve tribes,— the breastplate of the high priest, which bore twelve precious stones and twelve little bells,249—the twelve stones which were placed by Moses at the foot of the mountain,250—the same number which was placed by Joshua in the river,251 and again, on the other side, the bearers of the ark of the covenant,252—those stones which were set up by Elijah when the heifer was offered as a burnt-offering;253 the number, too, of the apostles; and, in fine, every event which embraces in it the number twelve,—set forth their Duodecad. And then the union of all these, which is called the Triacontad, they strenuously endeavour to demonstrate by the ark of Noah, the height of which was thirty cubits;254 by the case of Samuel, who assigned Saul the chief place among thirty guests;255 by David, when for thirty days he concealed himself in the field;256 by those who entered along with him into the cave; also by the fact that the length (height) of the holy tabernacle was thirty cubits;257 and if they meet with any other like numbers, they still apply these to their Triacontad. 247 John xx. 24. 248 Gen. xxxv. 22, Gen. xlix. 28. 249 Ex. xxviii. 2.—There is no mention of the number of the bells in Scripture. 250 Ex. xxiv. 4. 251 Josh. iv. 3. 252 Josh. iii. 12. 253 1 Kings xviii. 31. 254 Gen. vi. 15. 255 1 Sam. ix. 22. 256 1 Sam. xx. 5. 257 Ex. xxvi. 8. Numbers appear to have been often capriciously introduced by these heretics to give a colour of support to their own theories. 905 Chapter XVIII.—Passages from Moses, which the heretics pervert to the support…