II. Könyv
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Előszó.
1. Az első könyvemben, amely ezt közvetlenül megelőzi, feltártuk a “tudásnak – hamisan így nevezettet,” megmutattam neked, nagyon kedves barátom, hogy az egész rendszert sokféleképpen és ellentétesen alakították ki azok, akik a Valentinus iskolájából származnak, hogy mindez hamis és alaptalan volt. Elődeik tételeit is bemutattam, bizonyítva, hogy nemcsak különböznek egymástól, hanem már régen eltértek magától az Igazságtól. Teljes szorgalommal elmagyaráztam Marcus, a mágus tanát és gyakorlatát, mivel ő is ezekhez a személyekhez tartozik; és gondosan észrevételeztem azokat a részeket, amelyeket kiválogatnak az Írásból, azzal a céllal, hogy saját elképzeléseikhez igazítsam őket.
Megemlítettem a gnosztikusok azon sokaságát, akik tőle fakadtak, és megjegyeztem a köztük levő különbségek pontjait, számos tanításukat, és az egymás utáni sorrendet, miközben bemutatom mindazokat az eretnekségeket, amelyeket általuk nyerték eredetüket. Megmutattam továbbá, hogy mindezek az eretnekek, miután Simontól származnak, hamis és istentelen tanokat vezettek be ebbe az életbe; és elmagyaráztam “megváltásuk” természetét és módszerüket arra, hogy avatják be azokat, akiket “tökéletesekké” tesznek, meghívásaikkal és misztériumaikkal együtt. Azt is bebizonyítottam, hogy egy Isten van, a Teremtő, és hogy Ő nem valami hiba gyümölcse, és nincs sem felette, sem utána semmi.
2. Ebben a könyvben meghatározom azokat a pontokat, melyek illeszkednek tervemhez, amennyiben az idő megengedi, és hosszabb kezelés által külön fejezetek alatt, megdönthetem az egész rendszerüket; ezért, mivel ez leleplezése és felforgatása véleményeiknek, így jogomban áll e munka megfogalmazása. Mert illik, egyszerű feltárásával és kapcsolataik megdöntésével véget vetni ezeknek a rejtett szövetségeknek, és magának Büthosznak (mélység), és így bebizonyítani, hogy soha nem létezett semmilyen korábbi időpontban, és most sem létezik.
I. Fejezet – Csak egy Isten létezik: másképp lehetetlen.
1. Helyes tehát, hogy az első és legfontosabb fejezettel kezdjem, vagyis a Teremtő Istennel, aki megalkotta az eget és a földet, és minden benne rejlő dolgot (akit ezek az emberek istenkáromló módon hiba gyümölcsének tartanak) és annak bemutatásával, hogy semmi nincsen sem fölötte vagy utána; sem azt, hogy bárki befolyásolja, hanem saját szabad akaratából teremtett mindent, mivel Ő az egyetlen Isten, az egyetlen Úr, az egyetlen Teremtő, az egyetlen Atya, aki mindent tartalmaz, és maga parancsolja be a dolgokat a létezésbe.
2. Mert hogyan lehet bármilyen más Teljesség, Alapelv, Hatalom, vagy Isten fölötte, mivel szükségszerű, hogy Isten, mindezek Plerómájának (Teljesség) tartalmaznia kell minden dolgot az Ő végtelenségében, és semmi másnak nem szabad magába foglalnia? De ha van valami rajta kívül, akkor Ő nem mindenek Pleromája, és nem is tartalmaz mindent. Mert, amiről azt mondják, hogy túl van rajta, hiányozni fog a Plerómából, vagy [más szavakkal], abból az Istenből, aki mindenek felett áll. De ami hiányos, és bármilyen módon összeesik, az nem minden dolog Plerómája. És ha Neki van vége, azoknak a dolgoknak a vonatkozásában, amelyek lentebb vannak, akkor kezdete is van azon dolgok vonatkozásában, amelyek fent vannak. Hasonló módon teljességgel szükségszerű, hogy meg kell tapasztalnia minden más ponton teljesen ugyanazt, és a létezésben kell tartania, korlátozni és bezárni, amelyek rajta kívül vannak. Mert ez a lény, akinek lefelé van vége, szükségszerűen körülhatárolja és körülveszi őt, aki végét megtalálja benne. És így, szerintük mindenek Atyja (vagyis akit Proönnek és Proarchének hívnak) Plerómájukkal, és Markion jó Istene, be van építve és be van zárva valamilyen másikba, és kívülről veszi körül egy másik hatalmas Lény, akinek szükségszerűen nagyobbnak kell lennie, amennyiben a tartalma nagyobb, mint ami benne van. De akkor az, amelyik nagyobb erősebb is, és nagyobb mértékben Úr; és ami nagyobb, és erősebb, és nagyobb mértékben Úr – ennek kell Istennek lennie.
3. Mivel tehát szerintük létezik még valami más is, amelyet Plerómán kívülinek nyilvánítanak, amelybe távolabb tartanak, oda szállt az a magasabb hatalom, amely tévútra ment, minden szempontból szükséges, hogy a Pleroma egyrészt tartalmazza azt, amely rajta túl van, és még azt, ami a tartalma. (mert különben nem lesz túl a Plerómán; mert ha van valami a Plerómán túl, az lesz a Pleróma, amelyen belül ez az igazi Pleróma, amelyről megállapítják, hogy kívül áll a Plerómán, és a Pleromát pedig az fogja tartalmazni, ami túl van azon: és a Plerómával együtt megértik az első Istent is); vagy ismét, végtelen távolságnak kell lenniük egymástól elválasztva – [mármint] a Pleróma, és attól, ami túl van rajta. De ha ezt fenntartják, akkor létezik egy harmadik fajta létezés, amely mérhetetlenül elválasztja a Pleromát és azt, ami azon túl van. Ez a harmadik fajta lét tehát megköti és magában foglalja a többit, és nagyobb lesz, mint a Pleroma, és annál, ami túl van rajta, amennyiben mindkettő benne van. Ily módon örökké folytatódhat a beszélgetés azokról a dolgokról, amelyek tartalmazzák, és azokról, amiket tartalmaznak. Mert ha ennek a harmadik létnek a kezdete fent van, és a vége alul van, akkor feltétlenül szükséges, hogy az oldalakon is legyen korlátozva, akár kezdődik, akár megszűnik bizonyos más pontokon, [ahol új létezések kezdődnek]. Ezeknek, ismét, és másoknak, amelyek fent és lent vannak, kezdetük bizonyos más pontokon lesz és így tovább végtelenül; így gondolataik soha nem fognak megnyugodni egy Istenben, hanem, a létezőn túl való keresés következtében arra vándorol, aminek nincs létezése, és eltávozik a valódi Istentől.
4. Ezek az észrevételek hasonló módon alkalmazhatók Markion híveivel szemben. Mert az ő két istenüket is hatalmas térköz foglalja magába és határolja körül, amely elválasztja őket egymástól. De akkor szükségszerű az istenek sokaságának feltételezése, amelyeket minden oldalon hatalmas távolság választ el egymástól, kezdve az egyiktől a másikig, és egyik a másikba végződik. Ez a helyzet azzal az érvelési folyamattal, amelyről azt állítják, hogy van egy bizonyos Pleróma vagy Isten az ég és a föld Teremtője felett, bárki, aki úgy dönt, hogy alkalmazza, fenntarthatja, hogy van egy másik Pleroma a Pleroma felett, amely felett megint egy másik, és Büthosz felett egy Istenség másik óceánja, míg ugyanígy ugyanazok az utódlások vonatkoznak az oldalakra is; és így tanításuk a végtelenbe ömlik, mindig szükség lesz más Pleromára, és másik Büthoszra, hogy így soha ne álljon le bármely időben, hanem mindig folytassa a másik keresését a már említetteken kívül. Ráadásul bizonytalan lesz, hogy ezek, amelyeket elképzelünk, alatta vannak-e, vagy tulajdonképpen maguk is azok, amelyek fent vannak; [és hasonló módon kétséges lesz] azoknak a dolgoknak a tiszteletben tartása, amelyekről azt mondják, hogy fent vannak, függetlenül attól, hogy valóban fent vagy alul vannak; és így véleményünknek nincs rögzített következtetése vagy bizonyossága, de szükségszerűen vándorolnak a korlátok nélküli világok és nem számolható istenek után.
5. Ezek a dolgok tehát, ha így vannak, minden istenség megelégszik a saját javaival, és nem mozgatja meg semmiféle kíváncsiság mások dolgai iránt; különben igazságtalan és kapzsi lenne, és megszűnne az lenni, ami Isten. Minden teremtmény is a saját alkotóját fogja dicsőíteni, és elégedett lesz vele, nem ismer mást; különben a legigazságosabban ítéltetne lázadónak az összes többi által, és bőségesen megérdemelt büntetést kapna. Mert vagy annak kell lennie, hogy van egy Lény, aki mindent magába foglal, és a saját területén alkotta meg mindazt, ami az Ő akarata szerint létrejött; vagy ismét, hogy számos korlátlan számú alkotó és isten létezik, akik egymástól kezdődnek, és minden oldalon egymásban végződnek; és akkor szükséges megengedni, hogy az összes többit kívülről zárja be valaki, aki nagyobb, és hogy mindegyikük be van zárva a saját területére, és ott is marad. Ezért egyikük sem Isten. Mert mindegyiküknek [sok] lesz a hiánya, és csak egy nagyon kis részt birtokol az összes többihez képest. A Mindenható neve így megszűnik, és az ilyen vélemény szükségképpen istentelenségre vezet.
II. Fejezet – A világot nem angyalok vagy más lények alkották, ellentétben a Magasságos Isten akaratával, hanem az Atya a Beszéd által alkotta.
1. Azok pedig, akik azt mondják, hogy a világot angyalok, vagy annak bármely más alkotója teremtette, ellentétben Ővele, aki a Legfelsőbb Atya, mindenekelőtt ebben a pontban tévednek, hogy azt állítják, hogy az angyalok a Magasságos Isten akaratával ellentétben ilyen és oly hatalmas teremtést alkottak. Ez azt jelentené, hogy az angyalok hatalmasabbak voltak Istennél; vagy ha nem, akkor gondatlan volt, vagy gyenge, vagy nem törődött azzal, ami a tulajdonában történt, akár rosszul, akár jól, hogy elűzze és megakadályozza az egyiket, míg a másikat dicséri örvendezett neki. De ha valaki még egy bármilyen képességű embernek sem tulajdonít ilyen magatartást, mennyivel kevésbé Istennek.
2. Ezután mondják meg nekünk, vajon ezek a dolgok az Ő által meghatározott korlátokon belül és az Ő megfelelő területén alakultak-e ki, vagy másokhoz tartozó és Őt meghaladó régiókban? De ha azt mondják [hogy ezek a dolgok Őt meghaladóan történtek], akkor minden már említett képtelenségekkel kell szembenézniük, és a Legfelsőbb Istent be fogja zárni az, ami rajta kívül van, és ebben is szükség lesz arra, hogy megtalálja a maga végét. Ha viszont [ezek a dolgok] az Ő saját területén történtek, akkor nagyon haszontalan lenne azt állítani, hogy a világot így az Ő saját területén az Ő akarata ellenére alakították ki angyalok, akik maguk is az Ő hatalma alatt állnak, vagy bármely más lény, mintha ő maga nem látna mindent, ami a saját tulajdonában történik, vagy nem lenne tudatában az angyalok tennivalóinak.
3. Ha azonban [az említett dolgok] nem az Ő akarata ellenére történtek, hanem az Ő egyetértésével és tudásával, amint egyesek [ezek közül] gondolják, az angyalok, vagy a világ Alkotója [bárki is volt az], többé már nem lesznek okai ennek a kialakításnak, hanem Isten akarata. Mert ha Ő a világ Alkotója, Ő alkotta az angyalokat is, vagy legalábbis ő volt teremtésük oka; és Ő alkotta a világot, aki előkészítette kialakulásának okait. Bár azt állítják, hogy az angyalok hosszú egymásutánban jöttek létre lefelé, vagy hogy a világ Alkotója a Legfelsőbb Atyától származott, ahogy Basilides állítja; mindazonáltal az, ami a létrejött dolgoknak az oka, még mindig Őhozzá fog vezetni, aki egy ilyen sorozatnak a Szerzője volt. [Az ügy éppen úgy áll], ami a háborús sikert illeti, amelyet annak a királynak tulajdonítanak, aki előkészítette azokat a dolgokat, amelyek a győzelem okai; és hasonló módon bármely állapot vagy bármilyen munka létrehozása ahhoz tartozik, aki az utólag meghozott eredmények megvalósításához anyagokat készített. Ezért nem mondjuk, hogy a fejsze vágta a fát, vagy a fűrész osztotta szét; de nagyon helyesen azt mondanánk, hogy az az ember vágta és osztotta, aki erre a célra a fejszét és a fűrészt formálta, és [aki szintén megalkotta] sokkal korábban minden szerszámot, amellyel magát a fejszét és a fűrészt formálta. Az igazságosság mellett tehát, egy analóg érvelési folyamat szerint, mindenek Atyját nyilvánítják e világ Alkotójának, és nem az angyalokat, sem pedig a világ más [úgynevezett] alkotóját, kivéve Őt, aki a világ Szerzője volt, és korábban egy ilyen jellegű alkotás előkészítésének volt az oka.
4. Ez a beszédmód hihető vagy meggyőző lehet azok számára, akik nem ismerik Istent, és akik egy szűkölködő emberi lényhez hasonlítják Őt, és azokhoz, akik nem tudnak közvetlenül és segítség nélkül semmit sem alkotni, hanem sok eszközre van szükségük ahhoz, hogy megvalósítsák, amit szándékoznak. De egyáltalán nem tartják valószínűnek azok, akik tudják, hogy Istennek nincs szüksége semmire, és mindent az Ő Beszéde által teremtett és alkotott, miközben nem volt szüksége angyalokra, hogy segítsenek neki a dolgok létrehozásában, amelyek elkészültek, sem bármely erőre, amely nagymértékben alacsonyrendű Őhozzá képest, és az Atyát illetően tudatlan, sem bármely hiányosságból vagy tudatlanságból, azért, hogy akinek ismernie kell Őt, emberré válhasson. De Ő maga önmagában, olyan módon, amelyet sem leírni, sem elképzelni nem tudunk, eleve elrendelt mindent, tetszése szerint formálta meg őket, harmóniát adott mindennek, és kijelölte nekik saját helyüket és teremtésük kezdetét. Ily módon a szellemi dolgoknak szellemi és láthatatlan természetet adott, a legfinomabb dolgoknak égi, az angyaloknak angyali, az állatoknak állati, azoknak a lényeknek, amelyek úsznak, a vízhez illő természetet, és azoknak, akik a szárazon élnek, a szárazföldnek megfelelőt – mindnyájuknak, röviden, a rájuk bízott élet jellegéhez illő természet – miközben Ő formált meg mindent, amit Beszéde által alkotott, amely soha nem fárad el.
5. Mert ez Isten felsőbbrendűségének sajátossága, hogy nincs szükség más eszközökre a létezésbe behívott dolgok megteremtéséhez. Saját Beszéde alkalmas és elégséges minden dolgok kialakítására, ahogyan János, az úr tanítványa kijelenti felőle: “Minden általa lett, és nála nélkül semmi sem alkottatott.” Nos, a „minden”-nek a mi világunkat is fel kell ölelnie. Ezért azt is az Ő Beszéde által tette, ahogy az Írás azt mondja nekünk a Teremtés könyvében, hogy Beszéde által mindent összekapcsolt világunkkal. Dávid is ugyanezt az igazságot fejezi ki [amikor azt mondja]: “Mert Ő szólt, és lettek; Ő parancsolt, és megteremtettek.” Kinek higgyünk tehát a világ teremtését illetően: ezeknek az eretnekeknek, akikről már szó volt, és akik oly ostobán és következetlenül beszélnek erről a témáról, vagy az úr tanítványainak és Mózesnek, aki egyszerre volt Isten hűséges szolgája és próféta? A világ formáltatását először ezekkel a szavakkal mesélte el: “Kezdetben teremtette Isten az eget és a földet”, és minden mást egymás után; de sem isteneknek, sem angyaloknak [nem volt részük a munkában].
Nos, hogy ez az Isten a mi urunk, a Felkent Jahósua Atyja, Pál, az apostol is kijelentette [ezt mondva:] “Egy az Isten, az Atya, aki mindenek felett van, aki mindenek által és mindenekben.” Valóban bebizonyítottam már, hogy csak egy Isten van; de ezt tovább fogom bizonyítani maguktól az apostoloktól és az úr beszédeiből. Mert miféle magatartás lenne, ha elhagynánk a próféták, az úr és az apostolok beszédeit, hogy odafigyeljünk ezekre a személyekre, akik egy szót sem beszélnek ebben az értelemben?
III. Fejezet – A valentiánusok Büthosza és Plerómája, valamit Markion istene, akikről bebizonyosodik, hogy képtelenek; A Világot tulajdonképpen ugyanaz a létező teremtette, aki annak gondolatát elgondolta és nem a hiba vagy a tudatlanság gyümölcse volt.
1. A Büthosz tehát, akit az ő Pleromájával együtt képzelnek el, és Markion Istene következetlenek. If indeed, as they affirm, he has something subjacent and beyond himself, which they style vacuity and shadow, this vacuum is then proved to be greater than their Pleroma. But it is inconsistent even to make this statement, that while he contains all things within himself, the creation was formed by some other. For it is absolutely necessary that they acknowledge a certain void and chaotic kind of existence (below the spiritual Pleroma) in which this universe was formed, and that the Propator purposely left this chaos as it was, either knowing beforehand what things were to happen in it, or being ignorant of them. If he was really ignorant, then God will not be prescient of all things. But they will not even [in that case] be able to assign a reason on what account He thus left this place void during so long a period of time. If, again, He is prescient, and contemplated mentally that creation which was about to have a being in that place, then He Himself created it who also formed it beforehand [ideally] in Himself.
2. Let them cease, therefore, to affirm that the world was made by any other; for as soon as God formed a conception in His mind, that was also done which He had thus mentally conceived. For it was not possible that one Being should mentally form the conception, and another actually produce the things which had been conceived by Him in His mind. But God, according to these heretics, mentally conceived either an eternal world or a temporal one, both of which suppositions cannot be true. Yet if He had mentally conceived of it as eternal, spiritual, and visible, it would also have been formed such. But if it was formed such as it really is, then He made it such who had mentally conceived of it as such; or He willed it to exist in the ideality of the Father, according to the conception of His mind, such as it now is, compound, mutable, and transient. Since, then, it is just such as the Father had [ideally] formed in counsel with Himself, it must be worthy of the Father. But to affirm that what was mentally conceived and pre-created by the Father of all, just as it has been actually formed, is the fruit of defect, and the production of ignorance, is to be guilty of great blasphemy. For, according to them, the Father of all will thus be [regarded as] generating in His breast, according to His own mental conception, the emanations of defect and the fruits of ignorance, since the things which He had conceived in His mind have actually been produced.
IV. Fejezet – A feltételezett vákuum (űr) abszurditása és az eretnekek hiánya bizonyított.
1. The cause, then, of such a dispensation on the part of God, is to be inquired after; but the formation of the world is not to be ascribed to any other. And all things are to be spoken of as having been so prepared by God beforehand, that they should be made as they have been made; but shadow and vacuity are not to be conjured into existence. But whence, let me ask, came this vacuity [of which they speak]? If it was indeed produced by Him who, according to them, is the Father and Author of oil things, then it is both equal in honour and related to the rest of the Aeons, perchance even more ancient than they are. Moreover, if it proceeded from the same source [as they did], it must be similar in nature to Him who produced it, as well as to those along with whom it was produced. There will therefore be an absolute necessity, both that the Bythus of whom they speak, along with Sige, be similar in nature to a vacuum, that is, that He really is a vacuum; and that the rest of the Aeons, since they are the brothers of vacuity, should also be devoid of substance. If, on the other hand, it has not been thus produced, it must have sprang from and been generated by itself, and in that case it will be equal in point of age to that Bythus who is, according to them, the Father of oil; and thus vacuity will be of the same nature and of the same honour with Him who is, according to them, the universal Father. For it must of necessity have been either produced by some one, or generated by itself, and sprung from itself. But if, in truth, vacuity was produced, then its producer Valentinus is also a vacuum, as are likewise his followers. If, again, it was not produced, but was generated by itself, then that which is really a vacuum is similar to, and the brother of, and of the same honour with, that Father who has been proclaimed by Valentinus; while it is more ancient, and dating its existence from a period greatly anterior, and more exalted in honour than the remaining Aeons of Ptolemy himself, and Heracleon, and all the rest who hold the same opinions.
2. But if, driven to despair in regard to these points, they confess that the Father of all contains all things, and that there is nothing whatever outside of the Pleroma (for it is an absolute necessity that, [if there be anything outside of it, ] it should be bounded and circumscribed by something greater than itself), and that they speak of what is without and what within in reference to knowledge and ignorance, and not with respect to local distance; but that, in the Pleroma, or in those things which are contained by the Father, the whole creation which we know to have been formed, having been made by the Demiurge, or by the angels, is contained by the unspeakable greatness, as the centre is in a circle, or as a spot is in a garment,-then, in the first place, what sort of a being must that Bythus be, who allows a stain to have place in His own bosom, and permits another one to create or produce within His territory, contrary to His own will? Such a mode of acting would truly entail [the charge of] degeneracy upon the entire Pleroma, since it might from the first have cut off that defect, and those emanations which derived their origin from it, and not have agreed to permit the formation of creation either in ignorance, or passion, or in defect. For he who can afterwards rectify a defect, and does, as it were, wash away a stain, could at a much earlier date have taken care that no such stain should, even at first, be found among his possessions. Or if at the first he allowed that the things which were made [should be as they are], since they could not, in fact, be formed otherwise, then it follows that they must always continue in the same condition. For how is it possible, that those things which cannot at the first obtain rectification, should subsequently receive it? Or how can men say that they are called to perfection, when those very beings who are the causes from which men derive their origin-either the Demiurge himself, or the angels-are declared to exist in defect? And if, as is maintained, [the Supreme Being, ] inasmuch as He is benignant, did at last take pity upon men, and bestow on them perfection, He ought at first to have pitied those who were the creators of man, and to have conferred on them perfection. In this way, men too would verily have shared in His compassion, being formed. perfect by those that were perfect. For if He pitied the work of these beings, He ought long before to have pitied themselves, and not to have allowed them to fall into such awful blindness.
3. Their talk also about shadow and vacuity, in which they maintain that the creation with which we are concerned was formed, will be brought to nothing, if the things referred to were created within the territory which is contained by the Father. For if they hold that the light of their Father is such that it fills all things which are inside of Him, and illuminates them all, how can any vacuum or shadow possibly exist within that territory which is contained by the Pleroma, and by the light of the Father? For, in that case, it behoves them to point out some place within the Propator, or within the Pleroma, which is not illuminated, nor kept possession of by any one, and in which either the angels or the Demiurge formed whatever they pleased. Nor will it be a small amount of space in which such and so great a creation can be conceived of as having been formed. There will therefore be an absolute necessity that, within the Pleroma, or within the Father of whom they speak, they should conceive of some place, void, formless, and full of darkness, in which those things were formed which have been formed. By such a supposition, however, the light of their Father would incur a reproach, as if He could not illuminate and fill those things which are within Himself. Thus, then, when they maintain that these things were the fruit of defect and the work of error, they do moreover introduce defect and error within the Pleroma, and into the bosom of the Father.
V. Fejezet – Ezt a világot nem más Létezők alkották azon a területen belül, amelyet az Atya birtokol.
1. The remarks, therefore, which I made a little while ago are suitable in answer to those who assert that this world was formed outside of the Pleroma, or under a “good God; “and such persons, with the Father they speak of, will be quite cut off from that which is outside the Pleroma, in which, at the same time, it is necessary that they should finally rest. In answer to those, again, who maintain that this world was formed by certain other beings within that territory which is contained by the Father, all those points which have now been noticed will present themselves [as exhibiting their] absurdities and incoherencies; and they will be compelled either to acknowledge all those things which are within the Father, lucid, full, and energetic, or to accuse the light of the Father as if He could not illuminate all things; or, as a portion of their Pleroma [is so described], the whole of it must be confessed to be void, chaotic, and full of darkness. And they accuse all other created things as if these were merely temporal, or [at the best], if eternal, yet material. But these (the Aeons) ought to be regarded as beyond the reach of such accusations, since they are within the Pleroma, or the charges in question will equally fall against the entire Pleroma; and thus the Christ of whom they speak is discovered to be the author of ignorance. For, according to their statements, when He had given a form so far as substance was concerned to the Mother they conceive of, He cast her outside of the Pleroma; that is, He cut her off from knowledge. He, therefore, who separated her from knowledge, did in reality produce ignorance in her. How then could the very same person bestow the gift of knowledge on the rest of the Aeons, those who were anterior to Him [in production], and yet be the author of ignorance to His Mother? For He placed her beyond the pale of knowledge, when He cast her outside of the Pleroma.
2. Moreover, if they explain being within and without the Pleroma as implying knowledge and ignorance respectively, as certain of them do (since he who has knowledge is within that which knows), then they must of necessity grant that the Saviour Himself (whom they designate All Things) was in a state of ignorance. For they maintain that, on His coming forth outside of the Pleroma, He imparted form to their Mother [Achamoth]. If, then, they assert that whatever is outside [the Pleroma] is ignorant of all things, and if the Saviour went forth to impart form to their Mother, then He was situated beyond the pale of the knowledge of all things; that is, He was in ignorance. How then could He communicate knowledge to her, when He Himself was beyond the pale of knowledge? For we, too, they declare to be outside the Pleroma, inasmuch as we are outside of the knowledge which they possess. And once more: If the Saviour really went forth beyond the Pleroma to seek after the sheep which was lost, but the Pleroma is [co-extensive with] knowledge, then He placed Himself beyond the pale of knowledge, that is, in ignorance. For it is necessary either that they grant that what is outside the Pleroma is so in a local sense, in which case all the remarks formerly made will rise up against them; or if they speak of that which is within in regard to knowledge, and of that which is without in respect to ignorance, then their Saviour, and Christ long before Him, must have been formed in ignorance, inasmuch as they went forth beyond the Pleroma, that is, beyond the pale of knowledge, in order to impart form to their Mother.
3. These arguments may, in like manner, be adapted to meet the case of all those who, in any way, maintain that the world was formed either by angels or by any other one than the true God. For the charges which they bring against the Demiurge, and those things which were made material and temporal, will in truth fall back on the Father; if indeed the very things which were formed in the bosom of the Pleroma began by and by in fact to be dissolved, in accordance with the permission and good-will of the Father. The [immediate] Creator, then, is not the [real] Author of this work, thinking, as He did, that He formed it very good, but Hef who allows and approves of the productions of defect, and the works of error having a place among his own possessions, and that temporal things should be mixed up with eternal, corruptible with incorruptible, and those which partake of error with those which belong to truth. If, however, these things were formed without the permission or approbation of the Father of all, then that Being must be more powerful, stronger, and more kingly, who made these things within a territory which properly belongs to Him (the Father), and did so without His permission. If again, as some say, their Father permitted these things without approving of them, then He gave the permission on account of some necessity, being either able to prevent [such procedure], or not able. But if indeed He could not [hinder it], then He is weak and powerless; while, if He could, He is a seducer, a hypocrite, and a slave of necessity, inasmuch as He does not consent [to such a course], and yet allows it as if He did consent. And allowing error to arise at the first, and to go on increasing, He endeavours in later times to destroy it, when already many have miserably perished on account of the [original] defect.
4. It is not seemly, however, to say of Him who is God over all, since He is free and independent, that He was a slave to necessity, or that anything takes place with His permission, yet against His desire; otherwise they will make necessity greater and more kingly than God, since that which has the most power is superior to all [others]. And He ought at the very beginning to have cut off the causes of [the fancied] necessity, and not to have allowed Himself to be shut up to yielding to that necessity, by permitting anything besides that which became Him. For it would have been much better, more consistent, and more God-like, to cut off at the beginning the principle of this kind of necessity, than afterwards, as if moved by repentance, to endeavour to extirpate the results of necessity when they had reached such a development. And if the Father of all be a slave to necessity, and must yield to fate, while He unwillingly tolerates the things which are done, but is at the same time powerless to do anything in opposition to necessity and fate (like the Homeric Jupiter, who says of necessity, “I have willingly given thee, yet with unwilling mind”), then, according to this reasoning, the Bythus of whom they speak will be found to be the slave of necessity and fate.
VI. Fejezet – Az angyalok és a világ Teremtője nem lehettek volna tudtalanok a Legfelsőbb Istent iránt.
1. How, again, could either the angels, or the Creator of the world, have been ignorant of the Supreme God, seeing they were His property, and His creatures, and were contained by Him? He might indeed have been invisible to them on account of His superiority, but He could by no means have been unknown to them on account of His providence. For though it is true, as they declare, that they were very far separated from Him through their inferiority [of nature], yet, as His dominion extended over all of them, it behoved them to know their Ruler, and to be aware of this in particular, that He who created them is Lord of all. For since His invisible essence is mighty, it confers on all a profound mental intuition and perception of His most powerful, yea, omnipotent greatness. Wherefore, although “no one knows the Father, except the Son, nor the Son except the Father, and those to whom the Son will reveal Him,” yet all [beings] do know this one fact at least, because reason, implanted in their minds, moves them, and reveals to them [the truth] that there is one God, the Lord of all.
2. And on this account all things have been [by general consent] placed under the sway of Him who is styled the Most High, and the Almighty. By calling upon Him, even before the coming of our Lord, men were saved both from most wicked spirits, and from all kinds of demons, and from every sort of apostate power. This was the case, not as if earthly spirits or demons had seen Him, but because they knew of the existence of Him who is God over all, at whose invocation they trembled, as there does tremble every creature, and principality, and power, and every being endowed with energy under His government. By way of parallel, shall not those who live under the empire of the Romans, although they have never seen the emperor, but are far separated from him both by land and sea, know very well, as they experience his rule, who it is that possesses the principal power in the state? How then could it be, that those angels who were superior to us [in nature], or even He whom they call the Creator of the world, did not know the Almighty, when even dumb animals tremble and yield at the invocation of His name? And as, although they have not seen Him, yet all things are subject to the name of our Lord, so must they also be to His who made and established all things by His word, since it was no other than He who formed the world. And for this reason do the Jews even now put demons to flight by means of this very adjuration, inasmuch as all beings fear the invocation of Him who created them.
3. Ha azután visszahúzódnak attó, hogy állítsák, hogy az angyalok oktalanabbak, mint a néma állatok, rá fognak jönni, hogy ezekre illik, habár ők nem látták Őt, aki mindenek felett Isten, hogy ismerjék hatalmát és korlátlan uralmát. Mert valóban nevetségesnek fog tűnni, ha azt állítják, hogy ők maguk, akik a földön laknak, ismerik azt, aki Isten mindazok felett, akiket még soha nem láttak, de nem engedik meg annak, aki véleményük szerint alkotta őket és az egész világot, bár a magasban és az egek felett lakik, megismerni azokat a dolgokat, amelyekkel ők maguk, bár lent laknak, ismeretségben állnak. [Ez a helyzet], hacsak nem véletlenül azt nem állítják, hogy Büthosz a föld alatt lévő Tartaroszban él, és hogy ebből a szempontból eljutottak az Ő ismeretére azon angyalok előtt, akik a magasban tartózkodnak. Így rohannak az őrület olyan szakadékába, hogy kijelentik, hogy a világ teremtője a megértés hiánya. Valóban szánalmat érdemelnek, mivel ilyen teljes bolondsággal állítják, hogy Ő (a világ Teremtője) em az Anyját, sem annak magvát, sem az Aeonok Pleromáját, sem a Támogatót (proprator) nem ismerte, sem azokat a dolgokat, amelyeket készített; hanem hogy ezek azon dolgok képmásai, amelyek a Plerómán belül vannak, a Megváltó titokban azon munkálkodott, hogy ezeket [a tudattalan Demiurge által] így kellett megformálni azon dolgok tiszteletére, amelyek fent vannak.
VII. Fejezet – A teremtett dolgok nem azok az eónok képei, akik a Pleroma-n belül vannak.
1. While the Demiurge was thus ignorant of all things, they tell us that the Saviour conferred honour upon the Pleroma by the creation [which he summoned into existence] through means of his Mother, inasmuch as he produced similitudes and images of those things which are above. But I have already shown that it was impossible that anything should exist beyond the Pleroma (in which external region they tell us that images were made of those things which are within the Pleroma), or that this world was formed by any other one than the Supreme God. But if it is a pleasant thing to overthrow them on every side, and to prove them vendors of falsehood; let us say, in opposition to them, that if these things were made by the Saviour to the honour of those which are above, after their likeness, then it behoved them always to endure, that those things which have been honoured should perpetually continue in honour. But if they do in fact pass away, what is the use of this very brief period of honour,-an honour which at one time had no existence, and which shall again come to nothing? In that case I shall prove that the Saviour is rather an aspirant after vainglory, than one who honours those things which are above, For what honour can those things which are temporal confer on such as are eternal and endure for ever? or those which pass away on such as remain? or those which are corruptible on such as are incorruptible?-since, even among men who are themselves mortal, there is no value attached to that honour which speedily passes away, but to that which endures as long as it possibly can. But those things which, as soon as they are made, come to an end, may justly be said rather to have been formed for the contempt of such as are thought to be honoured by them; and that that which is eternal is contumeliously treated when its image is corrupted and dissolved. But what if their Mother had not wept, and laughed, and been involved in despair? The Saviour would not then have possessed any means of honouring the Fulness, inasmuch as her last state of confusion did not have substance of its own by which it might honour the Propator.
2. Alas for the honour of vainglory which at once passes away, and no longer appears! There will be some Aeon, in whose case such honour will not be thought at all to have had an existence, and then the things which are above will be unhonoured; or it will be necessary to produce once more another Mother weeping, and in despair, in order to the honour of the Pleroma. What a dissimilar, and at the same time blasphemous image! Do you tell me that an image of the Only-begotten was produced by the former of the world, whom again ye wish to be considered the Nous (mind) of the Father of all, and [yet maintain] that this image was ignorant of itself, ignorant of creation,-ignorant, too, of the Mother,-ignorant of everything that exists, and of those things which were made by it; and are you not ashamed while, in opposition to yourselves, you ascribe ignorance even to the Only-begotten Himself? For if these things [below] were made by the Saviour after the similitude of those which are above, while He (the Demiurge) who was made after such similitude was in so great ignorance, it necessarily follows that around Him, and in accordance with Him, after whose likeness be that is thus ignorant was formed, ignorance of the kind in question spiritually exists. For it is not possible, since both were produced spiritually, and neither fashioned nor composed, that in some the likeness was preserved, while in others the likeness of the image was spoiled, that image which was here produced that it might be according to the image of that production which is above. But if it is not similar, the charge will then attach to the Saviour, who produced a dissimilar image,-of being, so to speak, an incompetent workman. For it is out of their power to affirm that the Saviour had not the faculty of production, since they style Him All Things. If, then, the image is dissimilar, he is a poor workman, and the blame lies, according to their hypothesis, with the Saviour. If, on the other hand, it is similar, then the same ignorance will be found to exist in the Nous (mind) of their Propator, that is, in the Only-begotten. The Nous of the Father, in that case, was ignorant of Himself; ignorant, too, of the Father; ignorant, moreover, of those very things which were formed by Him. But if He has knowledge, it necessarily follows also that he who was formed after his likeness by the Saviour should know the things which are like; and thus, according to their own principles, their monstrous blasphemy is overthrown.
3. Apart from this, however, how can those things which belong to creation, various, manifold, and innumerable as they are, be the images of those thirty Aeons which are within the Pleroma, whose names, as these men fix them, I have set forth in the book which precedes this? And not only will they be unable to adapt the [vast] variety of creation at large to the [comparative] smallness of their Pleroma, but they cannot do this even with respect to any one part of it, whether [that possessed by] celestial or terrestrial beings, or those that live in the waters. For they themselves testify that their Pleroma consists of thirty Aeons; but any one will undertake to show that, in a single department of those [created beings] which have been mentioned, they reckon that there are not thirty, but many thousands of species. How then can those things, which constitute such a multiform creation, which are opposed in nature to each other, and disagree among themselves, and destroy the one the other, be the images and likenesses of the thirty Aeons of the Pleroma, if indeed, as they declare, these being possessed of one nature, are of equal and similar properties, and exhibit no differences [among themselves]? For it was incumbent, if these things are images of those Aeons,-inasmuch as they declare that some men are wicked by nature, and some, on the other hand, naturally good,-to point out such differences also among their Aeons, and to maintain that some of them were produced naturally good, while some were naturally evil, so that the supposition of the likeness of those things might harmonize with the Aeons. Moreover, since there are in the world some creatures that are gentle, and others that are fierce, some that are innocuous, while others are hurtful and destroy the rest; some have their abode on the earth, others in the water, others in the air, and others in the heaven; in like manner, they are bound to show that the Aeons possess such properties, if indeed the one are the images of the others. And besides; “the eternal fire which the Father has prepared for the devil and his angels,” -they ought to show of which of those Aeons that are above it is the image; for it, too, is reckoned part of the creation.
4. If, however, they say that these things are the images of the Enthymesis of that Aeon who fell into passion, then, first of all, they will act impiously against their Mother, by declaring her to be the first cause of evil and corruptible images. And then, again, how can those things which are manifold, and dissimilar, and contrary in their nature, be the images of one and the same Being? And if they say that the angels of the Pleroma are numerous, and that those things which are many are the images of these-not in this way either will the account they give be satisfactory. For, in the first place, they are then bound to point out differences among the angels of the Pleroma, which are mutually opposed to each other, even as the images existing below are of a contrary nature among themselves. And then, again, since there are many, yea, innumerable angels who surround the Creator, as all the prophets acknowledge,-[saying, for instance, ] “Ten thousand times ten thousand stood beside Him, and many thousands of thousands ministered unto Him,” -then, according to them, the angels of the Pleroma will have as images the angels of the Creator, and the entire creation remains in the image of the Pleroma, but so that the thirty Aeons no longer correspond to the manifold variety of the creation.
5. Still further, if these things [below] were made after the similitude of those [above], after the likeness of which again will those then be made? For if the Creator of the world did not form these things directly from His own conception, but, like an architect of no ability, or a boy receiving his first lesson, copied them from archetypes furnished by others, then whence did their Bythus obtain the forms of that creation which He at first produced? It clearly follows that He must have received the model from some other one who is above Him, and that one, in turn, from another. And none the less [for these suppositions], the talk about images, as about gods, will extend to infinity, if we do not at once fix our mind on one Artificer, and on one God, who of Himself formed those things which have been created. Or is it really the case that, in regard to mere men, one will allow that they have of themselves invented what is useful for the purposes of life, but will not grant to that God who formed the world, that of Himself He created the forms of those things which have been made, and imparted to it its orderly arrangement?
6. But, again, how can these things [below] be images of those [above], since they are really contrary to them, and can in no respect have sympathy with them? For those things which are contrary to each other may indeed be destructive of those to which they are contrary, but can by no means be their images-as, for instance, water and fire; or, again, light and darkness, and other such things, can never be the images of one another. In like manner, neither can those things which are corruptible and earthly, and of a compound nature, and transitory, be the images of those which, according to these men, are spiritual; unless these very things themselves be allowed to be compound, limited in space, and of a definite shape, and thus no longer spiritual, and diffused, and spreading into vast extent, and incomprehensible. For they must of necessity be possessed of a definite figure, and confined within certain limits, that they may be true images; and then it is decided that they are not spiritual. If, however, these men maintain that they are spiritual, and diffused, and incomprehensible, how can those things which are possessed of figure, and confined within certain limits, be the images of such as are destitute of figure and incomprehensible?
7. If, again, they affirm that neither according to configuration nor formation, but according to number and the order of production, those things [above] are the images [of these below], then, in the first place, these things [below] ought not to be spoken of as images and likenesses of those Aeons that are above. For how can the things which have neither the fashion nor shape of those [above] be their images? And, in the next place, they would adapt both the numbers and productions of the Aeons above, so as to render them identical with and similar to thoseth at belong to the creation [below]. But now, since they refer to only thirty Aeons, and declare that the vast multitude of things which are embraced within the creation [below] are images of those that are but thirty, we may justly condemn them as utterly destitute of sense.
VIII. Fejezet – A teremtett dolgok nem a Pleroma árnyéka.
1. If, again, they declare that these things [below] are a shadow of those [above], as some of them are bold enough to maintain, so that in this respect they are images, then it will be necessary for them to allow that those things which are above are possessed of bodies. For those bodies which are above do cast a shadow, but spiritual substances do not, since they can in no degree darken others. If, however, we also grant them this point (though it is, in fact, an impossibility), that there is a shadow belonging to those essences which are spiritual and lucent, into which they declare their Mother descended; yet, since those things [which are above] are eternal, and that shadow which is cast by them endures for ever, [it follows that] these things [below] are also not transitory, but endure along with those which cast their shadow over them. If, on the other hand, these things [below] are transitory, it is a necessary consequence that those [above] also, of which these are the shadow, pass away; while; if they endure, their shadow likewise endures.
2. If, however, they maintain that the shadow spoken of does not exist as being produced by the shade of [those above], but simply in this respect, that [the things below] are far separated from those [above], they will then charge the light of their Father with weakness and insufficiency, as if it cannot extend so far as these things, but fails to fill that which is empty, and to dispel the shadow, and that when no one is offering any hindrance. For, according to them, the light of their Father will be changed into darkness and buried in obscurity, and will come to an end in those places which are characterized by emptiness, since it cannot penetrate and fill all things. Let them then no longer declare that their Bythus is the fulness of all things, if indeed he has neither filled nor illuminated that which is vacuum and shadow; or, on the other hand, let them cease talking of vacuum and shadow, if the light of their Father does in truth fill all things.
3. Beyond the primary Father, then-that is, the God who is over all-there can neither be any Pleroma into which they declare the Enthymesis of that Aeon who suffered passion, descended (so that the Pleroma itself, or the primary God, should not be limited and circumscribed by that which is beyond, and should, in fact, be contained by it); nor can vacuum or shadow have any existence, since the Father exists beforehand, so that His light cannot fail, and find end in a vacuum. It is, moreover, irrational and impious to conceive of a place in which He who is, according to them, Propator, and Proarche, and Father of all, and of this Pleroma, ceases and has an end. Nor, again, is it allowable, for the reasons already stated, to allege that some other being formed so vast a creation in the bosom of the Father, either with or without His consent. For it is equally impious and infatuated to affirm that so great a creation was formed by angels, or by some particular production ignorant of the true God in that territory which is His own. Nor is it possible that those things which are earthly and material could have been formed within their Pleroma, since that is wholly spiritual. And further, it is not even possible that those things which belong to a multiform creation, and have been formed with mutually opposite qualities [could have been created] after the image of the things above, since these (i.e., the Aeons) are said to be few, and of a like formation, and homogeneous. Their talk, too, about the shadow of kenoma-that is, of a vacuum-has in all points turned out false. Their figment, then, [in what way soever viewed, ] has been proved groundless, and their doctrines untenable. Empty, too, are those who listen to them, and are verily descending into the abyss of perdition.
IX. Fejezet.- Csak egy Teremtője van a világnak, az Atya Isten: Ezt az Egyház állandó hite.
1. Hogy Isten a világ teremtője, még azok a személyek is elfogadják, akik sok szempontból ellene szólnak, de mégis elismerik Őt, Teremtőnek nevezve, és egy angyalnak, arról nem is beszélve, hogy az Írás teljessége [ugyanezen értelemben] mutat rá, és az úr erről az Atyáról tanít minket, aki a mennyben van, és senki másról, amint ezt a munka folytatásában megmutatom.
Jelenleg azonban az a bizonyíték, amely azoktól származik, akik a velünk ellentétes tanításokra hivatkoznak, önmagában elegendő, sőt, minden ember egyetért ezzel az igazsággal: a régiek a maguk részéről különös gondossággal őrzik meg az első megformált emberről való hagyományt, ezt a meggyőzést, miközben egy Isten, az ég és föld Teremtőjének dicséretét ünneplik; másokat, megint utánuk, Isten prófétái emlékeztetnek erre a tényre, míg a pogányok magából a teremtésből tanulták meg. Ugyanis a teremtés feltárja Őt, aki alkotta, és maga az elvégzett munka sugallja Őt, aki készítette, és a világ megmutatja Őt, aki elrendezte azt. Az egyetemes Egyház ráadásul az egész világon megkapta ezt a hagyományt az apostoloktól.
2. Ezt a [gnosztikus] Istent tehát elfogadva, mint mondtam, és tanúságot kapva létének ténye felől, hogy egy Atya, akit létükbe varázsolnak, kétségtelenül elfogadhatatlan, és nincs tanúja [létének]. Simon Mágus volt az első, aki azt mondta, hogy ő maga Isten mindenek felett, és hogy a világot az angyalai alkották. Aztán azok, akik utódai voltak, amint azt az első könyvben megmutattam, számos nézetükkel még tovább rontották [tanítását] a Teremtővel szembeni hamis és istentelen tanításaik révén. Ezek a [most hivatkozott eretnekek] az említettek tanítványai lévén, a beleegyezésük rosszabbá teszik őket, mint a pogányok. Hiszen az előbbiek „inkább a teremtést szolgálják, mint a Teremtőt,” (Róm. 1:25) és „azokat, amelyek nem istenek,” (Gal. 4:8) jóllehet, hogy az első helyet annak az Istennek tulajdonítják, aki a világmindenség Alkotója. De utóbbiak azt állítják, hogy Ő [azaz ennek a világnak a Teremtője] egy hiba gyümölcse, és úgy jellemzik, hogy állati természetű, és olyan, aki nem ismeri azt a Hatalmat, amely felette van, miközben így kiált: „Én vagyok az Isten, és rajtam kívül nincs más Isten.” (Ézs. 46:9) Erősítgetve, hogy Ő hazudik, maguk bizonyulnak hazugoknak, mindenféle gonoszságot tulajdonítanak neki; és azt gondolják, hogy az, aki nem e Létező felett van, mint aki valóban létezik, így saját káromló nézeteik miatt ítéletet mondanak a valóban létező Isten ellen, miközben létezés nélkül isteneket varázsolnak a saját kárhoztatásukra. És így azok, akik “tökéletesnek” vallják magukat, és minden tudással rendelkeznek, rosszabbak, mint a pogányok, és még a Teremtőjükkel szemben is istenkáromlóbb véleményeket fogalmaznak meg.
X. Fejezet – A Szentírás ferde értelmezése az eretnekek által: Isten mindent a semmiből teremtett, és nem a már létező anyagból.
1. Ezért a legmagasabb fokon alaptalan, hogy ne vegyük számításba Őt, aki valóban Isten, és aki mindenektől bizonyságot kap, miközben azt tudakozzuk, hogy van-e fölötte az a [másik lény], akinek valóban nincs léte, és soha senki nem hirdette. Mert hogy semmit nem mondtak világosan róla, ők maguk tesznek arról bizonyságot; mivelhogy szánalmas sikerrel viszik át ehhez a Lényhez, akit ők elképzelnek, azokat a [szentírási] példabeszédeket, amelyeket bármi formában is elbeszélik Őt, [e célból] keresik őket, [ezért] nyilvánvaló, hogy most alkotnak egy másik [istent], akit korábban soha nem kerestek. Mert azzal, hogy így igyekeznek megmagyarázni a Szentírás kétértelmű részeit (kétértelműek azonban nem mintha egy másik istenre utalnának, hanem az [igaz] Isten üdvrendjét illetően), egy másik istent építenek, szőnek, mint ahogy korábban mondtam, mint homlokkötőket, egy kevésbé fontos kérdéshez egy fontosabbat igazítanak. Mert egyetlen kérdést sem lehet egy másikkal megoldani, amely maga is várja a megoldást; sem az érzék azon birtoklásának véleményével sem lehet a kétértelműséget megmagyarázni egy másik kétértelműséggel, sem a rejtélyeket egy másik nagyobb rejtély segítségével, hanem az ilyen jellegű dolgok azoktól nyerik megoldásukat, amelyek nyilvánvalóak, következetesek, és világosak.
2. De ezek [eretnekek], miközben a Szentírás idézeteinek és a példabeszédek megmagyarázására törekszenek, felvetnek egy másik fontosabb, és valóban istentelen kérdést, ennek érdekében, “Vajon létezik-e valóban más isten ezen az Istenen felül, aki a világ Teremtője volt?” Nem tudják megoldani a kérdéseket [amelyeket indítványoznak]; mert hogyan találhatnának erre eszközöket? De egy fontos kérdést csatolnak a kisebb következményekkel járó kérdéshez, és így [találgatásaikba] belehelyeznek egy megoldhatatlan akadályt.
For in order that they may know “knowledge” itself (yet not learning this fact, that the Lord, when thirty years old, came to the baptism of truth), they do impiously despise that God who was the Creator, and who sent Him for the salvation of men. And that they may be deemed capable of informing us whence is the substance of matter, while they believe not that God, according to His pleasure, in the exercise of His own will and power, formed all things (so that those things which now are should have an existence) out of what did not previously exist, they have collected [a multitude of] vain discourses. They thus truly reveal their infidelity; they do not believe in that which really exists, and they have fallen away into [the belief of] that which has, in fact, no existence.
3. For, when they tell us that all moist substance proceeded from the tears of Achamoth, all lucid substance from her smile, all solid substance from her sadness, all mobile substance from her terror, and that thus they have sublime knowledge on account of which they are superior to others,-how can these things fail to be regarded as worthy of contempt, and truly ridiculous? They do not believe that God (being powerful, and rich in all resources) created matter itself, inasmuch as they know not how much a spiritual and divine essence can accomplish. But they do believe that their Mother, whom they style a female from a female, produced from her passions aforesaid the so vast material substance of creation. They inquire, too, whence the substance of creation was supplied to the Creator; but they do not inquire whence [were supplied] to their Mother (whom they call the Enthymesis and impulse of the Aeon that went astray) so great an amount of tears, or perspiration, or sadness, or that which produced the remainder of matter.
4. For, to attribute the substance of created things to the power and will of Him who is God of all, is worthy both of credit and acceptance. It is also agreeable [to reason], and there may be well said regarding such a belief, that “the things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” While men, indeed, cannot make anything out of nothing, but only out of matter already existing, yet God is in this point proeminently superior to men, that He Himself called into being the substance of His creation, when previously it had no existence. But the assertion that matter was produced from the Enthymesis of an Aeon going astray, and that the Aeon [referred to] was far separated from her Enthymesis, and that, again, her passion and feeling, apart from herself, became matter-is incredible, infatuated, impossible, and untenable.
XI. Fejezet – Az eretnekek az igazságban való hitetlenségük miatt a tévedés mélységébe estek: Rendszereik vizsgálódásai okai miatt.
1. Nem hiszik azt, hogy Ő, aki mindenek felett Isten, Beszéde által alkotott, saját területén, ahogy Neki Magának tetszett, a különféle és változatos [műveit a teremtésnek, amely létezik], amennyiben Ő mindenek előtti, mint egy bölcs építőmester, és a leghatalmasabb uralkodó. De azt hiszik, hogy az angyalok vagy valamilyen Istentől elkülönülő hatalom, aki nem tudott róla, alkotta ezt az univerzumot. Ezen az úton tehát nem adnak hitelt az igazságnak, hanem a hazugságban fetrengve veszítették el az igazi élet kenyerét, és ürességbe és árnyék szakadékába estek. Olyanok, mint Ezópusz kutyája, aki elejtette a kenyeret, és megpróbálta megragadni Árnyékát, így elveszítette az [igazi] ételt. (lásd Ezópusi Mesék 22. o.) Könnyű bizonyítani az úr szavaiból, hogy elismeri a világ egyetlen Teremtőjét és Atyját, és az ember Alkotóját, akit a törvény és a próféták hirdettek, miközben nem ismert mást, és hogy ez Egy valóban mindenek felett Isten; és hogy azt tanítja, hogy az Atyához tartozó fiak ama örökbefogadása, amely az örök élet, saját maga által történik, adományozva azt [ahogy Ő teszi] az összes igaznak.
2. De mivel ezek az emberek szívesen megtámadnak minket, és az valódi szőrszálhasogató jellemük szerint olyan pontokban támadnak meg minket, amelyek valójában egyáltalán nem mondanak ellenünk, [továbbá] példázatok és [fogatos] kérdések sokaságát hoznak fel velünk szemben, jónak gondoltam, hogy mindenekelőtt a következő kérdéseket intézem hozzájuk saját tanaikra vonatkozóan, hogy kimutassam valószínűtlenségüket, és véget vessek merészségüknek. Miután ez megtörtént, [szándékom] előadni az úr beszédeit, hogy ne csupán támadásunk eszközei nélkül maradjanak, hanem hogy mivel képtelenek ésszerűen válaszolni a feltett kérdésekre, láthassák, hogy érvelési tervük megsemmisült; hogy vagy visszatérve az igazsághoz, megalázva magukat, és felhagyva sokféle képzelgésükkel, engeszteljék Istent az ellene kimondott istenkáromlásért,és elnyerhessék megmentésüket (üdvösség); vagy hogy ha még mindig kitartanak a hiú dicsőségnek abban a rendszerében, amely hatalmukba kerítette elméjüket, akkor legalább szükségesnek találhassák, hogy megváltoztassák az ellenünk való érvelésüket.
XII. Fejezet -Az eretnekek Triacontad-ja (harminc Aeon) tévedésből és túlzásból is hibádzik: Sophia soha semmit nem tudott volna produkálni hitvesén kívül; Logos és Sige nem lehettek kortársak.
1. We may remark, in the first place, regarding their Triacontad, that the whole of it marvellously falls to ruin on both sides, that is, both as respects defect and excess. They say that to indicate it the Lord came to be baptized at the age of thirty years. But this assertion really amounts to a manifest subversion of their entire argument. As to defect, this happens as follows: first of all, because they reckon the Propator among the other Aeons. For the Father of all ought not to be counted with other productions; He who was not produced with that which was produced; He who was unbegotten with that which was born; He whom no one comprehends with that which is comprehended by Him, and who is on this account [Himself] incomprehensible; and He who is without figure with that which has a definite shape. For inasmuch as He is superior to the rest, He ought not to be numbered with them, and that so that He who is impassible and not in error should be reckoned with an Aeon subject to passion, and actually in error. For I have shown in the book which immediately precedes this, that, beginning with Bythus, they reckon up the Tricontad to Sophia, whom they describe as the erring Aeon; and I have also there set forth the names of their [Aeons]; but if He be not reckoned, there are no longer, on their own showing, thirty productions of Aeons, but these then become only twenty-nine.
2. Next, with respect to the first production Ennoea, whom they also term Sige, from whom again they describe Nous and Aletheia as having been sent forth, they err in both particulars. For it is impossible that the thought (Ennoea) of any one, or his silence (Sige), should be understood apart from himself; and that, being sent forth beyond him, it should possess a special figure of its own. But if they assert that the (Ennoea) was not sent forth beyond Him, but continued one with the Propator, why then do they reckon her with the other Aeons-with those who were not one [with the Father], and are on this account ignorant of His greatness? If, however, she was so united (let us take this also into consideration), there is then an absolute necessity, that from this united and inseparable conjunction, which constitutes but one being, there should proceed an unseparated and united production, so that it should not be dissimilar to Him who sent it forth. But if this be so, then just as Bythus and Sige, so also Nous and Aletheia will form one and the same being, ever cleaving mutually together. And inasmuch as the one cannot be conceived of without the other, just as water cannot [be conceived of] without [the thought of] moisture, or fire without [the thought of] heat, or a stone without [the thought] of hardness (for these things are mutually bound together, and the one cannot be separated from the other, but always co-exists with it), so it behoves Bythus to be united in the same way with Ennoea, and Nous with Aletheia. Logos and Zoe again, as being sent forth by those that are thus united, ought themselves to be united, and to constitute only one being. But, according to such a process of reasoning, Homo and Ecclesia too, and indeed all the remaining conjunctions of the Aeons produced, ought to be united, and always to coexist, the one with the other. For there is a necessity in their opinion, that a female Aeon should exist side by side with a male one, inasmuch as she is, so to speak, [the forthputting of] his affection.
3. These things being so, and such opinions being proclaimed by them, they again venture, without a blush, to teach that the younger Aeon of the Duodecad, whom they also style Sophia, did, apart from union with her consort, whom they call Theletus, endure passion, and separately, without any assistance from him, gave birth to a production which they name “a female from a female.” They thus rush into such utter frenzy, as to form two most clearly opposite opinions respecting the same point. For if Bythus is ever one with Sige, Nous with Aletheia, Logos with Zoe, and so on, as respects the rest, how could Sophia, without union with her consort, either suffer or generate anything? And if, again, she did really. suffer passion apart from him, it necessarily follows that the other conjunctions also admit of disjunction and separation among themselves,-a thing which I have already shown to be impossible. It is also impossible, therefore, that Sophia suffered passion apart from Theletus; and thus, again, their whole system of argument is overthrown. For they have yet again derived the whole of remaining [material substance], like the composition of a tragedy, from that passion which they affirm she experienced apart from union with her consort.
4. If, however, they impudently maintain, in order to preserve from ruin their vain imaginations, that the rest of the conjunctions also were disjoined and separated from one another on account of this latest conjunction, then [I reply that], in the first place, they rest upon a thing which is impossible. For how can they separate the Propator from his Ennoea, or Nous from Aletheia, or Logos from Zoe, and so on with the rest? And how can they themselves maintain that they tend again to unity, and are, in fact, all at one, if indeed these very conjunctions, which are within the Pleroma, do not preserve unity, but are separate from one another; and that to such a degree, that they both endure passion and perform the work of generation without union one with another, just as hens do apart from intercourse with cocks.
5. Then, again, their first and first-begotten Ogdoad will be overthrown as follows: They must admit that Bythus and Sige, Nous and Aletheia, Logos and Zoe, Anthropos and Ecclesia, do individually dwell in the same Pleroma. But it is impossible that Sige (silence) can exist in the presence of Logos (speech), or again, that Logos can manifest himself in the presence of Sige. For these are mutually destructive of each other, even as light and darkness can by no possibility exist in the same place: for if light prevails, there cannot be darkness; and if darkness, there cannot be light, since, where light appears, darkness is put to flight. In like manner, where Sige is, there cannot be Logos; and where Logos is, there certainly cannot be Sige. But if they say that Logos simply exists within (unexpressed), Sige also will exist within, and will not the less be destroyed by the Logos within. But that he really is not merely conceived of in the mind, the very order of the production of their (Aeons) shows.
6. Let them not then declare that the first and principal Ogdoad consists of Logos and Sige, but let them [as a matter of necessity] exclude either Sige or Logos; and then their first and principal Ogdoad is at an end. For if they describe the conjunctions [of the Aeons] as united, then their whole argument fails to pieces. Since, if they were united, how could Sophia have generated a defect without union with her consort? If, on the other hand, they maintain that, as in production, each of the Aeons possesses his own peculiar substance, then how can Sige and Logos manifest themselves in the same place? So far, then, with respect to defect.
7. But again, their Triacontad is overthrown as to excess by the following considerations. They represent Horos (whom they call by a variety of names which I have mentioned in the preceding book) as having been produced by Monogenes just like the other Aeons. Some of them maintain that this Horos was produced by Monogenes, while others affirm that he was sent forth by the Propator himself in His own image. They affirm further, that a production was formed by Monogenes-Christ and the Holy Spirit; and they do not reckon these in the number of the Pleroma, nor the Saviour either, whom they also declare to be <i>totum (all things). Now, it is evident even to a blind man, that not merely thirty productions, as they maintain, were sent forth, but four more along with these thirty. For they reckon the Propator himself in the Pleroma, and those too, who in succession were produced by one another. Why is it, then, that those [other beings] are not reckoned as existing with these in the same Pleroma, since they were produced in the same manner? For what just reason can they assign for not reckoning along with the other Aeons, either Christ, whom they describe as having, according to the Father’s will, been produced by Monogenes, or the Holy Spirit, or Horos, whom they also call Soter (Saviour), and not even the Saviour Himself, who came to impart assistance and form to their Mother? Whether is this as if these latter were weaker than the former, and therefore unworthy of the name of Aeons, or of being numbered among them, or as if they were superior and more excellent? But how could they be weaker, since they were produced for the establishment and rectification of the others? And then, again, they cannot possibly be superior to the first and principal Tetrad, by which they were also produced; for it, too, is reckoned in the number above mentioned. These latter beings, then, ought also to have been numbered in the Pleroma of the Aeons, or that should be deprived of the honour of those Aeons which bear this appellation (the Tetrad).
8. Since, therefore, their Triacontad is thus brought to nought, as I have shown, both with respect to defect and excess (for in dealing with such a number, either excess or defect [to any extent] will render the number untenable, and how much more so great variations? ), it follows that what they maintain respecting their Ogdoad and Duodecad is a mere fable which cannot stand. Their whole system, moreover, falls to the ground, when their very foundation is destroyed and dissolved into Bythus, that is, into what has no existence. Let them, then, henceforth seek to set forth some other reasons why the Lord came to be baptized at the age of thirty years, and [explain in some other way] the Duodecad of the apostles; and [the fact stated regarding] her who suffered from an issue of blood; and all the other points respecting which they so madly labour in vain.
XIII. Fejezet – Az eretnekek által fenntartott első termelési sorrend teljesen védhetetlen.
1. I now proceed to show, as follows, that the first order of production, as conceived of by them, must be rejected. For they maintain that Nous and Aletheia were produced from Bythus and his Ennoea, which is proved to be a contradiction. For Nous is that which is itself chief, and highest, and, as it were, the principle and source of all understanding. Ennoea, again, which arises from him, is any sort of emotion concerning any subject. It cannot be, therefore, that Nous was produced by Bythus and Ennoea; it would be more like the truth for them to maintain that Ennoea was produced as the daughter of the Propator and this Nous. For Ennoea not the daughter of Nous, as they assert, but Nous becomes the father of Ennoea. For how can Nous have been produced by the Propator, when he holds the chief and primary place of that hidden and invisible affection which is within Him? By this affection sense is produced, and Ennoea, and Enthymesis, and other things which are simply synonyms for Nous himself. As I have said already, they are merely certain definite exercises in thought of that very power concerning some particular subject. We understand the [several] terms according to their length and breadth of meaning, not according to any [fundamental] change [of signification]; and the [various exercises of thought] are limited by [the same sphere of] knowledge, and are expressed together by [the same] term, the [very same] sense remaining within, and creating, and administering, and freely governing even by its own power, and as it pleases, the things which have been previously mentioned.
2. For the first exercise of that [power] respecting anything, is styled Ennoea; but when it continues, and gathers strength, and takes possession of the whole soul, it is called Enthymesis. This Enthymesis, again, when it exercises itself a long time on the same point, and has, as it were, been proved, is named Sensation. And this Sensation, when it is much developed, becomes Counsel. The increase, again, and greatly developed exercise of this Counsel becomes the Examination of thought (Judgment); and this remaining in the mind is most properly termed Logos (reason), from which the spoken Logos (word) proceeds. But all the [exercises of thought] which have been mentioned are [fundamentally] one and the same, receiving their origin from Nous, and obtaining [different] appellation according to their increase. Just as the human body, which is at one time young, then in the prime of life, and then old, has received [different] appellations according to its increase and continuance, but not according to any change of substance, or on account of any [real] loss of body, so is it with those [mental exercises]. For, when one [mentally] contemplates anything, he also thinks of it; and when he thinks of it, he has also knowledge regarding it; and when he knows it, he also considers it; and when he considers it, he also mentally handles it; and when he mentally handles it, he also speaks of it. But, as I have already said, it is Nous who governs all these [mental processes], while He is himself invisible, and utters speech of himself by means of those processes which have been mentioned, as it were by rays [proceeding from Him], but He himself is not sent forth by any other.
3. These things may properly be said to hold good in men, since they are compound by nature, and consist of a body and a soul. But those who affirm that Ennoea was sent forth from God, and Nous from Ennoea, and then, in succession, Logos from these, are, in the first place, to be blamed as having improperly used these productions; and, in the next place, as describing the affections, and passions, and mental tendencies of men, while they [thus prove themselves] ignorant of God. By their manner of speaking, they ascribe those things which apply to men to the Father of all, whom they also declare to be unknown to all; and they deny that He himself made the world, to guard against attributing want of power to Him; while, at the same time, they endow Him with human affections and passions. But if they had known the Scriptures, and been taught by the truth, they would have known, beyond doubt, that God is not as men are; and that His thoughts are not like the thoughts of men. For the Father of all is at a vast distance from those affections and passions which operate among men. He is a simple, uncompounded Being, without diverse members, and altogether like, and equal to himself, since He is wholly understanding, and wholly spirit, and wholly thought, and wholly intelligence, and wholly reason, and wholly hearing, and wholly seeing, and wholly light, and the whole source of all that is good-even as the religious and pious are wont to speak concerning God.
4. He is, however, above [all] these properties, and therefore indescribable. For He may well and properly be called an Understanding which comprehends all things, but He is not [on that account] like the understanding of men; and He may most properly be termed Light, but He is nothing like that light with which we are acquainted. And so, in all other particulars, the Father of all is in no degree similar to human weakness. He is spoken of in these terms according to the love [we bear Him]; but in point of greatness, our thoughts regarding Him transcend these expressions. If then, even in the case of human beings, understanding itself does not arise from emission, nor is that intelligence which produces other things separated from the living man, while its motions and affections come into manifestation, much more will the mind of God, who is all understanding, never by any means be separated from Himself; nor can anything [in His case] be produced as if by a different Being.
5. For if He produced intelligence, then He who did thus produce intelligence must be understood, in accordance with their views, as a compound and corporeal Being; so that God, who sent forth [the intelligence referred to], is separate from it, and the intelligence which was sent forth separate [from Him]. But if they affirm that intelligence was sent forth from intelligence, they then cut asunder the intelligence of God, and divide it into parts. And whither has it gone? Whence was it sent forth? For whatever is sent forth from any place, passes of necessity into some other. But what existence was there more ancient than the intelligence of God, into which they maintain it was sent forth? And what a vast region that must have been which was capable of receiving and containing the intelligence of God! If, however, they affirm [that this emission took place] just as a ray proceeds from the sun, then, as the subjacent air which receives the ray must have had an existence prior to it, so [by such reasoning] they will indicate that there was something in existence, into which the intelligence of God was sent forth, capable of containing it, and more ancient than itself. Following upon this, we must hold that, as we see the sun, which is less than all things, sending forth rays from himself to a great distance, so likewise we say that the Propator sent forth a ray beyond, and to a great distance from, Himself. But what can be conceived of beyond, or at a distance from, God, into which He sent forth this ray?
6. If, again, they affirm that that [intelligence] was not sent forth beyond the Father, but within the Father Himself, then, in the first place, it becomes superfluous to say that it was sent forth at all. For how could it have been sent forth if it continued within the Father? For an emission is the manifestation of that which is emitted, beyond him who emits it. In the next place, this [intelligence] being sent forth, both that Logos who springs from Him will still be within the Father, as will also be the future emissions proceeding from Logos. These, then, cannot in such a case be ignorant of the Father, since they are within Him; nor, being all equally surrounded by the Father, can any one know Him less [than another] according to the descending order of their emission. And all of them must also in an equal measure continue impassible, since they exist in the bosom of their Father, and none of them can ever sink into a state of degeneracy or degradation. For with the Father there is no degeneracy, unless perchance as in a great circle a smaller is contained, and within this one again a smaller; or unless they affirm of the Father, that, after the manner of a sphere or a square, He contains within Himself on all sides the likeness of a sphere, or the production of the rest of the Aeons in the form of a square, each one of these being surrounded by that one who is above him in greatness, and surrounding in turn that one who is after him in smallness; and that on this account, the smallest and the last of all, having its place in the centre, and thus being far separated from the Father, was really ignorant of the Propator. But if they maintain any such hypothesis, they must shut up their Bythus with. in a definite form and space, while He both surrounds others, and is surrounded by them; for they must of necessity acknowledge that there is something outside of Him which surrounds Him. And none the less will the talk concerning those that contain, and those that are contained, flow on into infinitude; and all [the Aeons] will most clearly appear to be bodies enclosed [by one another].
7. Further, they must also confess either that He is mere vacuity, or that the entire universe is within Him; and in that case all will in like degree partake of the Father. Just as, if one forms circles in water, or round or square figures, all these will equally partake of water; just as those, again, which are framed in the air, must necessarily partake of air, and those which [are formed] in light, of light; so must those also who are within Him all equally partake of the Father, ignorance having no place among them. Where, then, is this partaking of the Father who fills [all things]? If, indeed, He has filled [all things], there will be no ignorance among them. On this ground, then, their work of [supposed] degeneracy is brought to nothing, and the production of matter with the formation of the rest of the world; which things they maintain to have derived their substance from passion and ignorance. If, on the other hand, they acknowledge that He is vacuity, then they fall into the greatest blasphemy; they deny His spiritual nature. For how can He be a spiritual being, who cannot fill even those things which are within Him?
8. Now, these remarks which have been made concerning the emission of intelligence are in like manner applicable in opposition to those who belong to the school of Basilides, as well as in opposition to the rest of the Gnostics, from whom these also (the Valentinians) have adopted the ideas about emissions, and were refuted in the first book. But I have now plainly shown that the first production of Nous, that is, of the intelligence they speak of, is an untenable and impossible opinion. And let us see how the matter stands with respect to the rest [of the Aeons]. For they maintain that Logos and Zoe were sent forth by him (i.e., Nous) as fashioners of this Pleroma; while they conceive of an emission of Logos, that is, the Word after the analogy of human feelings, and rashly form conjectures respecting God, as if they had discovered something wonderful in their assertion that Logos was I produced by Nous. All indeed have a clear perception that this may be logically affirmed with respect to men. But in Him who is God over all, since He is all Nous, and all Logos, as I have said before, and has in Himself nothing more ancient or late than another, and nothing at variance with another, but continues altogether equal, and similar, and homogeneous, there is no longer ground for conceiving of such production in the order which has been mentioned. Just as he does not err who declares that God is all vision, and all hearing (for in what manner He sees, in that also He hears; and in what manner He hears, in that also He sees), so also he who affirms that He is all intelligence, and all word, and that, in whatever respect He is intelligence, in that also He is word, and that this Nous is His Logos, will still indeed have only an inadequate conception of the Father of all, but will entertain far more becoming [thoughts regarding Him] than do those who transfer the generation of the word to which men gave utterance to the eternal Word of God, assigning a beginning and course of production [to Him], even as they do to their own word. And in what respect will the Word of God-yea, rather God Himself, since He is the Word-differ from the word of men, if He follows the same order and process of generation?
9. They have fallen into error, too, respecting Zoe, by maintaining that she was produced in the sixth place, when it behoved her to take precedence of all [the rest], since God is life, and incorruption, and truth. And these and such like attributes have not been produced according to a gradual scale of descent, but they are names of those perfections which always exist in God, so far as it is possible and proper for men to hear and to speak of God. For with the name of God the following words will harmonize: intelligence, word, life, incorruption, truth, wisdom, goodness, and such like. And neither can any one maintain that intelligence is more ancient than life, for intelligence itself is life; nor that life is later than intelligence, so that He who is the intellect of all, that is God, should at one time have been destitute of life. But if they affirm that life was indeed [previously] in the Father, but was produced in the sixth place in order that the Word might live, surely it ought long before, [according to such reasoning, ] to have been sent forth, in the fourth place, that Nous might have life; and still further, even before Him, [it should have been] with Bythus, that their Bythus might live. For to reckon Sige, indeed, along with their Propator, and to assign her to Him as His consort, while they do not join Zoe to the number,-is not this to surpass all other madness?
10. Again, as to the second production which proceeds from these [Aeons who have been mentioned],-that, namely, of Homo and Ecclesia,-their very fathers, falsely styled Gnostics, strive among themselves, each one seeking to make good his own opinions, and thus convicting themselves of being wicked thieves. They maintain that it is more suitable to [the theory of] production-as being, in fact, truth-like-that the Word was produced by man, and not man by the Word; and that man existed prior to the Word, and that this is really He who is God over all. And thus it is, as I have previously remarked, that heaping together with a kind of plausibility all human feelings, and mental exercises, and formation of intentions, and utterances of words, they have lied with no plausibility at all against God. For while they ascribe the things which happen to men, and whatsoever they recognise themselves as experiencing, to the divine reason, they seem to those who are ignorant of God to make statements suitable enough. And by these human passions, drawing away their intelligence, while they describe the origin and production of the Word of God in the fifth place, they assert that thus they teach wonderful mysteries, unspeakable and sublime, known to no one but themselves. It was, [they affirm, ] concerning these that the Lord said, “Seek, and ye shall find,” that is, that they should inquire how Nous and Aletheia proceeded from Bythus and Sage; whether Logos and Zoe again derive their origin from these and then, whether Anthropos and Ecclesia proceed from Logos and Zoe.
XIV. Fejezet – Valentinus és követői a pogányoktól származtatták rendszerük alapelveit; Csak a nevek változnak.
1. Sokkal jobban hasonlít az igazsághoz, és tetszetősebb az a beszámoló, amelyet Antiphanes, az egyik ókori komikus költő ad Teogóniájában minden dolog eredetéről. Mert a Káoszt úgy beszéli el, mint ami az Éjszakából és a Csendből származik; azt meséli, hogy a Szerelem a Káoszból és az Éjszakából fakadt; ebből ismét, a Fény; és hogy ebből, véleménye szerint, származtak az istenek első nemzedékének összes többi tagjai. Ezek után bemutatja az istenek második generációját és a világ teremtését; majd elbeszéli az emberiség kialakulását az istenek második rendje által. Ezek az emberek (az eretnekek), akik magukénak fogadták ezt a mesét, mintegy természetes folyamat folytán szerteágazó véleményt alkottak róla, csak a hivatkozott dolgok nevét változtatták meg, és előadták minden dolgok nemzedékének és létrejöttének valóban ugyanazon kezdetét.Az Éjszaka és a Csend helyére Büthoszt és Sige-t helyettesítik; a Káosz helyére Noust rakták; és a Szerelem helyett (aki által, mondja a komikus költő, minden mást rendbe állítottak) a Beszédet (logosz) hozták; míg az elsődleges és legnagyobb istenek helyett megalkották az Aeonokat; és a másodlagos istenek helyett anyjuk teremtményéről mesélnek, amely a Pleromán kívül található, és a második Ogdoadnak nevezik. Azt hirdetik nekünk, mint az említett író, hogy ebből (Ogdoadból) jött ki a világ teremtése és az ember formáltatása, azt állítva, hogy egyedül ők ismerik ezeket a kimondhatatlan és ismeretlen titkokat. Azokat a dolgokat, amelyeket mindenhol a legtisztább hangú humoristák játszanak a színházakban, átviszik saját rendszerükbe, kétségtelenül ugyanazon érvek segítségével tanítják őket, és csupán a neveket változtatják meg.
2. And not only are they convicted of bringing forward, as if their own [original ideas], those things which are to be found among the comic poets, but they also bring together the things which have been said by all those who were ignorant of God, and who are termed philosophers; and sewing together, as it were, a motley garment out of a heap of miserable rags, they have, by their subtle manner of expression, furnished themselves with a cloak which is really not their own. They do, it is true, introduce a new kind of doctrine, inasmuch as by a new sort of art it has been substituted [for the old]. Yet it is in reality both old and useless, since these very opinions have been sewed together out of ancient dogmas redolent of ignorance and irreligion. For instance, Thales of Miletus affirmed that water was the generative and initial principle of all things. Now it is just the same thing whether we say water or Bythus. The poet Homer, again, held the opinion that Oceanus, along with mother Tethys, was the origin of the gods: this idea these men have transferred to Bythus and Sige. Anaximander laid it down that infinitude is the first principle of all things, having seminally in itself the generation of them all, and from this he declares the immense worlds [which exist] were formed: this, too, they have dressed up anew, and referred to Bythus and their Aeons. Anaxagoras, again, who has also been surnamed “Atheist,” gave it as his opinion that animals were formed from seeds falling down from heaven upon earth. This thought, too, these men have transferred to “the seed” of their Mother, which they maintain to be themselves; thus acknowledging at once, in the judgment of such as are possessed of sense, that they themselves are the offspring of the irreligious Anaxagoras.
3. Again, adopting the [ideas of] shade and vacuity from Democritus and Epicurus, they have fitted these to their own views, following upon those [teachers] who had already talked a great deal about a vacuum and atoms, the one of which they called that which is, and the other that which is not. In like manner, these men call those things which are within the Pleroma real existences, just as those philosophers did the atoms; while they maintain that those which are without the Pleroma have no true existence, even as those did respecting the vacuum. They have thus banished themselves in this world (since they are here outside of the Pleroma) into a place which has no existence. Again, when they maintain that these things [below] are images of those which have a true existence [above], they again most manifestly rehearse the doctrine of Democritus and Plato. For Democritus was the first who maintained that numerous and diverse figures were stamped, as it were, with the forms [of things above], and descended from universal space into this world. But Plato, for his part, speaks of matter, and exemplar, and God. These men, following those distinctions, have styled what he calls ideas, and exemplar, the images of those things which are above; while, through a mere change of name, they boast themselves as being discoverers and contrivers of this kind of imaginary fiction.
4. This opinion, too, that they hold the Creator formed the world out of previously existing matter, both Anaxagoras, Empedocles, and Plato expressed before them; as, forsooth, we learn they also do under the inspiration of their Mother. Then again, as to the opinion that everything of necessity passes away to those things out of which they maintain it was also formed, and that God is the slave of this necessity, so that He cannot impart immortality to what is mortal, or bestow incorruption on what is corruptible, but every one passes into a substance similar in nature to itself, both those who are named Stoics from the portico (stoa\ ), and indeed all that are ignorant of God, poets and historians alike, make the same affirmation. Those [heretics] who hold the same [system of] infidelity have ascribed, no doubt, their own proper region to spiritual beings,-that, namely, which is within the Pleroma, but to animal beings the intermediate space, while to corporeal they assign that which is material. And they assert that God Himself can do no otherwise, but that every one of the [different kinds of substance] mentioned passes away to those things which are of the same nature. [with itself].
5. Moreover, as to their saying that the Saviour was formed out of all the Aeons, by every one of them depositing, so to speak, in Him his own special flower, they bring forward nothing new that may not be found in the Pandora of Hesiod. For what he says respecting her, these men insinuate concerning the Saviour, bringing Him before us as Pandoros (All-gifted), as if each of the Aeons had bestowed on Him what He possessed in the greatest perfection. Again, their opinion as to the indifference of [eating of] meats and other actions, and as to their thinking that, from the nobility of their nature, they can in no degree at all contract pollution, whatever they eat or perform, they have derived it from the Cynics, since they do in fact belong to the same society as do these [philosophers]. They also strive to transfer to [the treatment of matters of] faith that hairsplitting and subtle mode of handling questions which is, in fact, a copying of Aristotle.
6. Again, as to the desire they exhibit to refer this whole universe to numbers, they have learned it from the Pythagoreans. For these were the first who set forth numbers as the initial principle of all things, and [described] that initial principle of theirs as being both equal and unequal, out of which [two properties] they conceived that both things sensible and immaterial derived their origin. And [they held] that one set of first principles gave rise to the matter [of things], and another to their form. They affirm that from these first principles all things have been made, just as a statue is of its metal and its special form. Now, the heretics have adapted this to the things which are outside of the Pleroma. The [Pythagoreans] maintained that the principle of intellect is proportionate to the energy wherewith mind, as a recipient of the comprehensible, pursues its inquiries, until, worn out, it is resolved at length in the Indivisible and One. They further affirm that Hen-that is, One-is the first principle of all things, and the substance of all that has been formed. From this again proceeded the Dyad, the Tetrad, the Pentad, and the manifold generation of the others. These things the heretics repeat, word for word, with a reference to their Pleroma and Bythus. From the same source, too, they strive to bring into vogue those conjunctions which proceed from unity. Marcus boasts of such views as if they were his own, and as if he were seen to have discovered something more novel than others, while he simply sets forth the Tetrad of Pythagoras as the originating principle and mother of all things.
7. But I will merely say, in opposition to these men-Did all those who have been mentioned, with whom you have been proved to coincide in expression, know, or not know, the truth? If they knew it, then the descent of the Saviour into this world was superfluous. For why [in that case] did He descend? Was it that He might bring that truth which was [already] known to the knowledge of those who knew it? If, on the other hand, these men did not know it, then how is it that, while you express yourselves in the same terms as do those who knew not the truth, ye boast that yourselves alone possess that knowledge which is above all things, although they who are ignorant of God [likewise] possess it? Thus, then, by a complete perversion of language, they style ignorance of the truth knowledge: and Paul well says [of them, that [they make use of] “novelties of words of false knowledge.” For that knowledge of theirs is truly found to be false. If, however, taking an impudent course with respect to these points, they declare that men indeed did not know the truth, but that their Mother, the seed of the Father, proclaimed the mysteries of truth through such men, even as also through the prophets, while the Demiurge was ignorant [of the proceeding], then I answer, in the first place, that the things which were predicted were not of such a nature as to be intelligible to no one; for the men themselves knew what they were saying, as did also their disciples, and those again succeeded these. And, in the next place, if either the Mother or her seed knew and proclaimed those things which were of the truth (and the Father is truth), then on their theory the Saviour spoke falsely when He said, “No one knoweth the Father but the Son,” unless indeed they maintain that their seed or Mother is No-one.
8. Thus far, then, by means of [ascribing to their Aeons] human feelings, and by the fact that they largely coincide in their language with many of those who are ignorant of God, they have been seen plausibly drawing a certain number away [from the truth]. They lead them on by the use of those [expressions] with which they have been familiar, to that sort of discourse which treats of all things, setting forth the production of the Word of God, and of Zoe, and of Nous, and bringing into the world, as it were, the [successive] emanations of the Deity. The views, again, which they propound, without either plausibility or parade, are simply lies from beginning to end. Just as those who, in order to lure and capture any kind of animals, place their accustomed food before them, gradually drawing them on by means of the familiar aliment, until at length they seize it, but, when they have taken them captive, they subject them to the bitterest of bendage, and drag them along with violence whithersoever they please; so also do these men gradually and gently persuading [others], by means of their plausible speeches, to accept of the emission which has been mentioned, then bring forward things which are not consistent, and forms of the remaining emissions which are not such as might have been expected. They declare, for instance, that [ten] Aeons were sent forth by Logos and Zoe, while from Anthropos and Ecclesia there proceeded twelve, although they have neither proof, nor testimony, nor probability, nor anything whatever of such a nature [to support these assertions]; and with equal folly and audacity do they wish it to be believed that from Logos and Zoe, being Aeons, were sent forth Bythus and Mixis, Ageratos and Henosis, Autophyes and Hedone, Acinetos and Syncrasis, Monogenes and Macaria. Moreover, [as they affirm, ] there were sent forth, in a similar way, from Anthropos and Ecclesia, being Aeons, Paracletus and Pistis, Patricos and Elpis, Metricos and Agape, Ainos and Synesis, Ecclesiasticus and Macariotes, Theletos and Sophia.
9. The passions and error of this Sophia, and how she ran the risk of perishing through her investigation [of the nature] of the Father, as they relate, and what took place outside of the Pleroma, and from what sort of a defect they teach that the Maker of the world was produced, I have set forth in the preceding book, describing in it, with all diligence, the opinions of these heretics. [I have also detailed their views] respecting Christ, whom they describe as having been produced subsequently to all these, and also regarding Soter, who, [according to them, ] derived his being from those Aeons who were formed within the Pleroma. But I have of necessity mentioned their names at present, that from these the absurdity of their falsehood may be made manifest, and also the confused nature of the nomenclature they have devised. For they themselves detract from [the dignity of] their Aeons by a multitude of names of this sort. They give out names plausible and credible to the heathen, [as being similar] to those who are called their twelve gods, and even these they will have to be images of their twelve Aeons. But the images [so called] can produce names [of their own] much more seemly, and more powerful through their etymology to indicate divinity [than are those of their fancied prototypes].
XV. Fejezet – Semmilyen beszámoló nem adható ezekról a Létrejövőkről.
1. But let us return to the fore-mentioned question as to the production [of the Aeons]. And, in the first place, let them tell us the reason of the production of the Aeons being of such a kind that they do not come in contact with any of those things which belong to creation. For they maintain that those things [above] were not made on account of creation, but creation on account of them; and that the former are not images of the latter, but the latter of the former. As, therefore, they render a reason for the images, by saying that the month has thirty days on account of the thirty Aeons, and the day twelve hours, and the year twelve months, on account of the twelve Aeons which are within the Pleroma, with other such nonsense of the same kind, let them now tell us also the reason for that production of the Aeons, why it was of such a nature, for what reason the first and first-begotten Ogdoad was sent forth, and not a Pentad, or a Triad, or a Septenad, or any one of those which are defined by a different number? Moreover, how did it come to pass, that from Logos and Zoe were sent forth ten Aeons, and neither more nor less; while again from Anthropos and Ecclesia proceeded twelve, although these might have been either more or less numerous?
2. And then, again, with reference to the entire Pleroma, what reason is there that it should be divided into these three-an Ogdoad, a Decad, and a Duodecad-and not into some other number different from these? Moreover, with respect to the division itself, why has it been made into three parts, and not into four, or five, or six, or into some other number among those which have no connection with such numbers as belong to creation? For they describe those [Aeons above] as being more ancient than these [created things below], and it behoves them to possess their principle [of being] in themselves, one which existed before creation, and not after the pattern of creation, all exactly agreeing as to the point.
3. The account which we give of creation is one harmonious with that regular order [of things prevailing in the world], for this scheme of ours is adapted to the things which have [actually] been made; but it is a matter of necessity that they, being unable to assign any reason belonging to the things themselves, with regard to those beings that existed before [creation], and were perfected by themselves, should fall into the greatest perplexity. For, as to the points on which they interrogate us as knowing nothing of creation, they themselves, when questioned in turn respecting the Pleroma, either make mention of mere human feelings, or have recourse to that sort of speech which bears only upon that harmony observable in creation, improperly giving us replies concerning things which are secondary, and not concerning those which, as they maintain, are primary. For we do not question them concerning that harmony which belongs to creation, nor concerning human feelings; but because they must acknowledge, as to their octiform, deciform, and duodeciform Pleroma (the image of which they declare creation to be), that their Father formed it of that figure vainly and thoughtlessly, and must ascribe to Him deformity, if He made anything without a reason. Or, again, if they declare that the Pleroma was so produced in accordance with the foresight of the Father, for the sake of creation, as if He had thus symmetrically arranged its very essence, then it follows that the Pleroma can no longer be regarded as having been formed on its own account, but for the sake of that [creation] which was to be its image as possessing its likeness (just as the clay model is not moulded for its own sake, but for the sake of the statue in brass, or gold, or silver about to be formed), then creation will have greater honour than the Pleroma, if, for its sake, those things [above] were produced.
XVI. Fejezet – A világ Teremtője vagy saját maga alkotta meg az elkészítendő dolgok képeit, vagy a Pleroma valamely korábbi rendszer képmása után alakult ki; És így tovább. a.d. Infinitum.
1. But if they will not yield assent to any one of these conclusions, since in that case they would be proved by us as incapable of rendering any reason for such a production of their Pleroma, they will of necessity be shut up to this-that they confess that, above the Pleroma, there was some other system more spiritual and more powerful, after the image of which their Pleroma was formed. For if the Demiurge did not of himself construct that figure of creation which exists, but made it after the form of those things which are above, then from whom did their Bythus-who, to be sure, brought it about that the Pleroma should be possessed of a configuration of this kind-receive the figure of those things which existed before Himself? For it must needs be, either that the intention [of creating] dwelt in that god who made the world, so that of his own power, and from himself, he obtained the model of its formation; or, if any departure is made from this being, then there will arise a necessity for constantly asking whence there came to that one who is above him the configuration of those things which have been made; what, too, was the number of the productions; and what the substance of the model itself? If, however, it was in the power of Bythus to impart of himself such a configuration to the Pleroma, then why may it not have been in the power of the Demiurge to form of himself such a world as exists? And then, again, if creation be an image of those things [above], why should we not affirm that those are, in turn, images of others above them, and those above these again, of others, and thus go on supposing innumerable images of images?
2. This difficulty presented itself to Basilides after he had utterly missed the truth, and was conceiving that, by an infinite succession of those beings that were formed from one another, he might escape such perplexity. When he had proclaimed that three hundred and sixty-five heavens were formed through succession and similitude by one another, and that a manifest proof [of the existence] of these was found in the number of the days of the year, as I stated before; and that above these there was a power which they also style Unnameable, and its dispensation-he did not even in this way escape such perplexity. For, when asked whence came the image of its configuration to that heaven which is above all, and from which he wishes the rest to be regarded as having been formed by means of succession, he will say, from that dispensation which belongs to the Unnameable. He must then say, either that the Unspeakable formed it of himself, or he will find it necessary to acknowledge that there is some other power above this being, from whom his unnameable One derived such vast numbers of configurations as do, according to him, exist.
3. How much safer and more accurate a course is it, then, to confess at once that which is true: that this God, the Creator, who formed the world, is the only God, and that there is no other God besides Him-He Himself receiving from Himself the model and figure of those things which have been made-than that, after wearying ourselves with such an impious and circuitous description, we should be compelled, at some point or another, to fix the mind on some One, and to confess that from Him proceeded the configuration of things created.
4. As to the accusation brought against us by the followers of Valentinus, when they declare that we continue in that Hebdomad which is below, as if we could not lift our minds on high, nor understand those things which are above, because we do not accept their monstrous assertions: this very charge do the followers of Basilides bring in turn against them, inasmuch as they (the Valentinians) keep circling about those things which are below, [going] as far as the first and second Ogdoad, and because they unskilfully imagine that, immediately after the thirty Aeons, they have discovered Him who is above all things Father, not following out in thought their investigations to that Pleroma which is above the three hundred and sixty-five heavens, which is above forty-five Ogdoads. And any one, again, might bring against them the same charge, by imagining four thousand three hundred and eighty heavens, or Aeons, since the days of the year contain that number of hours. If, again, some one adds also the nights, thus doubling the hours which have been mentioned, imagining that [in this way] he has discovered a great multitude of Ogdoads, and a kind of innumerable company of Aeons, and thus, in opposition to Him who is above all things Father, conceiving himself more perfect than all [others], he will bring the same charge against all, inasmuch as they are not capable of rising to the conception of such a multitude of heavens or Aeons as he has announced, but are either so deficient as to remain among those things which are below, or continue in the intermediate space.
XVII. Fejezet – Vizsgálat az eonok létrejöttével kapcsolatban: Bármi legyen is a feltételezett természete, minden tekintetben ellentmondásos; És az eretnekek hipotézise szerint még Noust és magát az Atyát is tudatlanság szennyezné.
1. That system, then, which has respect to their Pleroma, and especially that part of it which refers to the primary Ogdoad being thus burdened with so great contradictions and perplexities, let me now go on to examine the remainder of their scheme. [In doing so] on account of their madness, I shall be making inquiry respecting things which have no real existence; yet it is necessary to do this, since the treatment of this subject has been entrusted to me, and since I desire all men to come to the knowledge of the truth, as well as because thou thyself hast asked to receive from me full and complete means for overturning [the views of] these men.
2. I ask, then, in what manner were the rest of the Aeons produced? Was it so as to be united with Him who produced them, even as the solar rays are with the sun; or was it actually and separately, so that each of them possessed an independent existence and his own special form, just as has a man from another man, and one herd of cattle from another? Or was it after the manner of germination, as branches from a tree? And were they of the same substance with those who produced them, or did they derive their substance from some other [kind of] substance? Also, were they produced at the same time, so as to be contemporaries; or after a certain order, so that some of them were older, and others younger? And, again, are they uncompounded and uniform, and altogether equal and similar among themselves, as spirit and light are produced; or are they compounded and different, unlike [to each other] in their members?
3. If each of them was produced, after the manner of men, actually and according to its own generation, then either those thus generated by the Father will be of the same substance with Him, and similar to their Author; or if they appear dissimilar, then it must of necessity be acknowledged that they are [formed of some different substance. Now, if the beings generated by the Father be similar to their Author, then those who have been produced must remain for ever impossible, even as is He who produced them; but if, on the other hand, they are of a different substance, which is capable of passion, then whence came this dissimilar substance to find a place within the incorruptible Pleroma? Further, too, according to this principle, each one of them must be understood as being completely separated from every other, even as men are not mixed with nor united the one to the other, but each having a distinct shape of his own, and a definite sphere of action, while each one of them, too, is formed of a particular size,-qualities characteristic of a body, and not of a spirit. Let them therefore no longer speak of the Pleroma as being spiritual, or of themselves as “spiritual,” if indeed their Aeons sit feasting with the Father, just as if they were men, and He Himself is of such a configuration as those reveal Him to be who were produced by Him.
4. Ha, ismét, az Aeonok a Logoszból származnak, a Logosz a Nuszból, és a Nusz a Büthoszból, ahogy a fények (lámpák) meggyulladnak egy fényből – mint például a fáklyák egy fáklyából -, akkor kétségkívül különböznek egymástól nemzésükben (generációjuk) és méretükben; de mivel egy lényegből (szubsztancia) létrejöttük Szerzőjével, vagy mindannyian örökké lehetetlen kell maradniuk, vagy magának Atyjuknak szenvedélyében kell részt venniük. Mert az a fáklya, amelyet később gyújtottak meg nem kaphat másfajta fényt, mint az azt megelőző. Ezért fényeik egybekeverve visszatérnek eredeti azonosságukhoz, mivel ez az egyetlen fény akkor keletkezett, amely még a kezdetektől létezett. De nem beszélhetünk magának a fénynek a vonatkozásában arról, hogy valamely része eredete újabb és egy másik ősibb (mert az egész csak egy fény); nem beszélhetünk még azokról a fáklyákról sem, amelyek megkapták a fényt (mert ezek mind tárgyi anyagukat tekintve kortársak, mert a fáklyák anyaga/lényege egy és ugyanaz), hanem egyszerűen annak meggyújtásának [idejétől lángoltak, mert az egyiket nem sokkal ezelőtt tették világosság, a másikat pedig most gyújtották fel.
(lásd még Tertulliánusz: Valentiánuszok ellen XII. „1. Így alak és tudás tekintetében mindegyikük egyenlő lett, mindegyik olyan, mint bármelyik másik. Senki sem más, mindegyik olyan mint a másik.” *Megjegyzés: Az Aeonok lényegüket és formájukat tekintve egyek, bár nem azonosak. Csak a viszonylatokban és a funkcióikban különböznek egymástól. Kísérteties hasonlóság a szentháromság dogmatikával.)
5. The defect, therefore, of that passion which has regard to ignorance, will either attach alike to their whole Pleroma, since [all its members] are of the same substance; and the Propator will share in this defect of ignorance-that is, will be ignorant of Himself; or, on the other hand, all those lights which are within the Pleroma will alike remain for ever impassible.Whence, then, comes the passion of the youngest Aeon, if the light of the Father is that from which all other lights have been formed, and which is by nature impassible? And how can one Aeon be spoken of as either younger or older among themselves, since there is but one light in the entire Pleroma? And if any one calls them stars, they will all nevertheless appear to participate in the same nature. For if “one star differs from another star in glory,” but not in qualities, nor substance, nor in the fact of being passible or impassible; so all these, since they are alike derived from the light of the Father, must either be naturally impossible and immutable, or they must all, in common with the light of the Father, be passible, and are capable of the varying phases of corruption.
6. The same conclusion will follow, although they affirm that the production of Aeons sprang from Logos, as branches from a tree, since Logos has his generation from their Father. For all [the Aeons] are formed of the same substance with the Father, differing from one another only in size, and not in nature, and filling up the greatness of the Father, even as the fingers complete the hand. If therefore He exists in passion and ignorance, so must also those Aeons who have been generated by Him. But if it is impious to ascribe ignorance and passion to the Father of all, how can they describe an Aeon produced by Him as being passible; and while they ascribe the same impiety to the very wisdom (Sophia) of God, how can they still call themselves religious men?
7. If, again, they declare that their Aeons were sent forth just as rays are from the sun, then, since all are of the same substance and sprung from the same source, all must either be capable of passion along with Him who produced them, or all will remain impassible for ever. For they can no longer maintain that, of beings so produced, some are impassible and others passible. If, then, they declare all impassible, they do themselves destroy their own argument. For how could the youngest Aeon have suffered passion if all were impassible? If, on the other hand, they declare that all partook of this passion, as indeed some of them venture to maintain, then, inasmuch as it originated with Logos, but flowed onwards to Sophia, they will thus be convicted of tracing back the passion to Logos, who is the Nous of this Propator, and so acknowledging the Nous of the Propator and the Father Himself to have experienced passion. For the Father of all is not to be regarded as a kind of compound Being, who can be separated from his Nous (mind), as I have already shown; but Nous is the Father, and the Father Nous. It necessarily follows, therefore, both that he who springs from Him as Logos, or rather that Nous himself, since he is Logos, must be perfect and impassible, and that those productions which proceed from him, seeing that they are of the same substance with himself, should be perfect and impassible, and should ever remain similar to him who produced them.
8. It cannot therefore longer be held, as these men teach, that Logos, as occupying the third place in generation, was ignorant of the Father. Such a thing might indeed perhaps be deemed probable in the case of the generation of human beings, inasmuch as these frequently know nothing of their parents; but it is altogether impossible in the case of the Logos of the Father. For if, existing in the Father, he knows Him in whom he exists-that is, is not ignorant of himself-then those productions which issue from him being his powers (faculties), and always present with him, will not be ignorant of him who emitted them, any more than rays [may be supposed to be] of the sun. It is impossible, therefore, that the Sophia (wisdom) of God, she who is within the Pleroma, inasmuch as she has been produced in such a manner, should have fallen under the influence of passion, and conceived such ignorance. But it is possible that that Sophia (wisdom) who pertains to [the scheme] of Valentinus, inasmuch as she is a production of the devil, should fall into every kind of passion, and exhibit the profoundest ignorance. For when they themselves bear testimony concerning their mother, to the effect that she was the offspring of an erring Aeon, we need no longer search for a reason why the sons of such a mother should be ever swimming in the depths of ignorance.
9. I am not aware that, besides these productions [which have been mentioned], they are able to speak of any other; indeed, they have not been known to me (although I have had very frequent discussions with them concerning forms of this kind) as ever setting forth any other peculiar kind of being as produced [in the manner under consideration]. This only they maintain, that each one of these was so produced as to know merely that one who produced him, while he was ignorant of the one who immediately preceded. But they do not in this matter go forward [in their account] with any kind of demonstration as to the manner in which these were produced, or how such a thing could take place among spiritual beings. For, in whatsoever way they may choose to go forward, they will feel themselves bound (while, as regards the truth, they depart entirely from right reason) to proceed so far as to maintain that their Word, who springs from the Nous of the Propator,-to maintain, I say, that he was produced in a state of degeneracy. For [they hold] that perfect Nous, previously begotten by the perfect Bythus, was not capable of rendering that production which issued from him perfect, but [could only bring it forth] utterly blind to the knowledge and greatness of the Father. They also maintain that the Saviour exhibited an emblem of this mystery in the case of that man who was blind from his birth, since the Aeon was in this manner produced by Monogenes blind, that is, in ignorance, thus falsely ascribing ignorance and blindness to the Word of God, who, according to their own theory, holds the second [place of] production from the Propator. Admirable sophists, and explorers of the sublimities of the unknown Father, and rehearsers of those super-celestial mysteries “which the angels desire to look into!” -that they may learn that from the Nous of that Father who is above all, the Word was produced blind, that is, ignorant of the Father who produced him!
10. But, ye miserable sophists, how could the Nous of the Father, or rather the very Father Himself, since He is Nous and perfect in all things, have produced his own Logos as an imperfect and blind Aeon, when He was able also to produce along with him the knowledge of the Father? As ye affirm that Christ was generated after the rest, and yet declare that he was produced perfect, much more then should Logos, who is anterior to him in age, be produced by the same Nous, unquestionably perfect, and not blind; nor could he, again, have produced Aeons still blinder than himself, until at last your Sophia, always utterly blinded, gave birth to so vast a body of evils. And your Father is the cause of all this mischief; for ye declare the magnitude and power of your Father to be the causes of ignorance, assimilating Him to Bythus, and assigning this as a name to Him who is the unnameable Father. But if ignorance is an evil, and ye declare all evils to have derived their strength from it, while ye maintain that the greatness and power of the Father is the cause of this ignorance, ye do thus set Him forth as the author of [all] evils. For ye state as the cause of evil this fact, that [no one] could contemplate His greatness. But if it was really impossible for the Father to make Himself known from the beginning to those [beings] that were formed by Him, He must in that case be held free from blame, inasmuch as He could not remove the ignorance of those who came after Him. But if, at a subsequent period, when He so willed it, He could take away that ignorance which had increased with the successive productions as they followed each other, and thus become deeply seated in the Aeons, much more, had He so willed it might He formerly have prevented that ignorance, which as yet was not, from coining into existence.
11. Since therefore, as soon as He so pleased, He did become known not only to the Aeons, but also to these men who lived in these latter times; but, as He did not so please to be known from the beginning, He remained unknown-the cause of ignorance is, according to you, the will of the Father. For if He foreknew that these things would in future happen in such a manner, why then did He not guard against the ignorance of these beings before it had obtained a place among them, rather than afterwards, as if under the influence of repentance, deal with it through the production of Christ? For the knowledge which through Christ He conveyed to all, He might long before have imparted through Logos, who was also the first-begotten of Monogenes. Or if, knowing them beforehand, He willed that these things should happen [as they have done], then the works of ignorance must endure for ever, and never pass away. For the things which have been made in accordance with the will of your Propator must continue along with the will of Him who willed them; or if they pass away, the will of Him also who decreed that they should have a being will pass away along with them. And why did the Aeons find rest and attain perfect knowledge through learning [at last] that the Father is altogether incomprehensible? They might surely have possessed this knowledge before they became involved in passion; for the greatness of the Father did not suffer diminution from the beginning, so that these might know that He was altogether incomprehensible. For if, on account of His infinite greatness, He remained unknown, He ought also on account of His infinite love to have preserved those impassible who were produced by Him, since nothing hindered, and expediency rather required, that they should have known from the beginning that the Father was altogether incomprehensible.
Chapter XVIII.- Sophia Was Never Really in Ignorance or Passion; Her Enthymesis Could Not Have Been Separated from Herself, or Exhibited Special Tendencies of Its Own.
1. How can it be regarded as otherwise than absurd, that they also affirm this Sophia (wisdom) to have been involved in ignorance, and degeneracy, and passion? For these things are alien and contrary to wisdom, nor can they ever be qualities belonging to it. For wherever there is a want of foresight, and an ignorance of the course of utility, there wisdom does not exist. Let them therefore no longer call this suffering Aeon, Sophia, but let them give up either her name or her sufferings. And let them, moreover, not call their entire Pleroma spiritual, if this Aeon had a place within it when she was involved in such a tumult of passion. For even a vigorous soul, not to say a spiritual substance, would not pass through any such experience.
2. And, again, how could her Enthymesis, going forth [from her] along with the passion, have become a separate existence? For Enthymesis (thought) is understood in connection with some person, and can never have an isolated existence by itself. For a bad Enthymesis is destroyed and absorbed by a good one, even as a state of disease is by health. What, then, was the sort of Enthymesis which preceded that of passion? [It was this]: to investigate the [nature of] the Father, and to consider His greatness. But what did she afterwards become persuaded of, and so was restored to health? [This, viz.], that the Father is incomprehensible, and that He is past finding out. It was not, then, a proper feeling that she wished to know the Father, and on this account she became passible; but when she became persuaded that He is unsearchable, she was restored to health. And even Nous himself, who was inquiring into the [nature of] the Father, ceased, according to them, to continue his researches, on learning that the Father is incomprehensible.
3. How then could the Enthymesis separately conceive passions, which themselves also were her affections? For affection is necessarily connected with an individual: it cannot come into being or exist apart by itself. This opinion [of theirs], however, is not only untenable, but also opposed to that which was spoken by our Lord: “Seek, and ye shall find.” For the Lord renders His disciples perfect by their seeking after and finding the Father; but that Christ of theirs, who is above, has rendered them perfect, by the fact that He has commanded the Aeons not to seek after the Father, persuading them that, though they should labour hard, they would not find Him. And they declare that they themselves are perfect, by the fact that they maintain they have found their Bythus; while the Aeons [have been made perfect] through means of this, that He is unsearchable who was inquired after by them.
4. Since, therefore, the Enthymesis herself could not exist separately, apart from the Aeon, [it is obvious that] they bring forward still greater falsehood concerning her passion, when they further proceed to divide and separate it from her, while they declare that it was the substance of matter. As if God were not light, and as if no Word existed who could convict them, and overthrow their wickedness. For it is certainly true, that whatsoever the Aeon thought, that she also suffered; and what she suffered, that she also thought. And her Enthymesis was, according to them, nothing else than the passion of one thinking how she might comprehend the incomprehensible. And thus Enthymesis (thought) was the passion; for she was thinking of things impossible. How then could affection and passion be separated and set apart from the Enthymesis, so as to become the substance of so vast a material creation, when Enthymesis herself was the passion, and the passion Enthymesis? Neither, therefore, can Enthymesis apart from the Aeon, nor the affections apart from Enthymesis, separately possess substance; and thus once more their system breaks down and is destroyed.
5. But how did it come to pass that the Aeon was both dissolved [into her component parts], and became subject to passion? She was undoubtedly of the same substance as the Pleroma; but the entire Pleroma was of the Father. Now, any substance, when brought in contact with what is of a similar nature, will not be dissolved into nothing, nor will be in danger of perishing, but will rather continue and increase, such as fire in fire, spirit in spirit, and water in water; but those which are of a contrary nature to each other do, [when they meet, ] suffer and are changed and destroyed. And, in like manner, if there had been a production of light, it would not suffer passion, or recur any danger in light like itself, but would rather glow with the greater brightness, and increase, as the day does from [the increasing brilliance of] the sun; for they maintain that Bythus [himself] was the image of their father (Sophia). Whatever animals are alien [in habits] and strange to each other, or are mutually opposed in nature, fall into danger [on meeting together], and are destroyed; whereas, on the other hand, those who are accustomed to each other, and of a harmonious disposition, suffer no peril from being together in the same place, but rather secure both safety and life by such a fact. If, therefore, this Aeon was produced by the Pleroma of the same substance as the whole of it, she could never have undergone change, since she was consorting with beings similar to and familiar with herself, a spiritual essence among those that were spiritual. For fear, terror, passion, dissolution, and such like, may perhaps occur through the struggle of contraries among such beings as we are, who are possessed of bodies; but among spiritual beings, and those that have the light diffused among them, no such calamities can possibly happen. But these men appear to me to have endowed their Aeon with the [same sort of] passion as belongs to that character in the comic poet Menander, who was himself deeply in love, but an object of hatred [to his beloved]. For those who have invented such opinions have rather had an idea and mental conception of some unhappy lover among men, than of a spiritual and divine substance.
6. Moreover, to meditate how to search into [the nature of] the perfect Father, and to have a desire to exist within Him, and to have a comprehension of His [greatness], could not entail the stain of ignorance or passion, and that upon a spiritual Aeon; but would rather [give rise to] perfection, and impassibility, and truth. For they do not say that even they, though they be but men, by meditating on Him who was before them,-and while now, as it were, comprehending the perfect, and being placed within the knowledge of Him,-are thus involved in a passion of perplexity, but rather attain to the knowledge and apprehension of truth. For they affirm that the Saviour said, “Seek, and ye shall find,” to His disciples with this view, that they should seek after Him who, by means of imagination, has been conceived of by them as being above the Maker of all-the ineffable Bythus; and they desire themselves to be regarded as “the perfect; “because they have sought and found the perfect One, while they are still on earth. Yet they declare that that Aeon who was within the Pleroma, a wholly spiritual being, by seeking after the Propator, and endeavouring to find a place within His greatness, and desiring to have a comprehension of the truth of the Father, fell down into [the endurance of] passion, and such a passion that, unless she had met with that Power who upholds all things, she would have been dissolved into the general substance [of the Aeons], and thus come to an end of her [personal] existence.
7. Absurd is such presumption, and truly an opinion of men totally destitute of the truth. For, that this Aeon is superior to themselves, and of greater antiquity, they themselves acknowledge, according to their own system, when they affirm that they are the fruit of the Enthymesis of that Aeon who suffered passion, so that this Aeon is the father of their mother, that is, their own grandfather. And to them, the later grandchildren, the search after the Father brings, as they maintain, truth, and perfection, and establishment, and deliverance from unstable matter, and reconciliation to the Father; but on their grandfather this same search entailed ignorance, and passion, and terror, and perplexity, from which [disturbances] they also declare that the substance of matter was formed. To say, therefore, that the search after and investigation of the perfect Father, and the desire for communion and union with Him, were things quite beneficial to them, but to an Aeon, from whom also they derive their origin, these things were the cause of dissolution and destruction, how can such assertions be otherwise viewed than as totally inconsistent, foolish, and irrational? Those, too, who listen to these teachers, truly blind themselves, while they possess blind guides, justly [are left to] fall along with them into the gulf of ignorance which lies below them.
XIX. Fejezet – Az eretnekek abszurditásai saját származásukat illetően: véleményük a Demiurgosz tiszteletben tartásáról, amely egyformán tarthatatlannak és nevetségesnek bizonyult.
1. But what sort of talk also is this concerning their seed-that it was conceived by the mother according to the configuration of those angels who wait upon the Saviour,-shapeless, without form, and imperfect; and that it was deposited in the Demiurge without his knowledge, in order that through his instrumentality it might attain to perfection and form in that soul which he had, [so to speak, ] filled with seed? This is to affirm, in the first place, that those angels who wait upon their Saviour are imperfect, and with out figure or form; if indeed that which was conceived according to their appearance was generated any such kind of being [as has been described].
2. Then, in the next place, as to their saying that the Creator was ignorant of that deposit of seed which took place into him, and again, of that impartation of seed which was made by him to man, their words are futile and vain, and are in no way susceptible of proof. For how could he have been ignorant of it, if that seed had possessed any substance and peculiar properties? If, on the other hand, it was without substance and without quality, and so was really nothing, then, as a matter of course, he was ignorant of it. For those things which have a certain motion of their own, and quality, either of heat, or swiftness, or sweetness, or which differ from others in brilliance, do not escape the notice even of men, since they mingle in the sphere of human action: far less can they [be hidden from] God, the Maker of this universe. With reason, however, [is it said, that] their seed was not known to Him, since it is without any quality of general utility, and without the substance requisite for any action, and is, in fact, a pure nonentity. It really seems to me, that, with a view to such opinions, the Lord expressed Himself thus: “For every idle word that men speak, they shall give account on the day of judgment.” For all teachers of a like character to these, who fill men’s ears with idle talk, shall, when they stand at the throne of judgment, render an account for those things which they have vainly imagined and falsely uttered against the Lord, proceeding, as they have done, to such a height of audacity as to declare of themselves that, on account of the substance of their seed, they are acquainted with the spiritual Pleroma, because that man who dwells within reveals to them the true Father; for the animal nature required to be disciplined by means of the senses. But [they hold that] the Demiurge, while receiving into himself the whole of this seed, through its being deposited in him by the Mother, still remained utterly ignorant of all things, and had no understanding of anything connected with the Pleroma.
3. And that they are the truly “spiritual,” inasmuch as a certain particle of the Father of the universe has been deposited in their souls, since, according to their assertions, they have souls formed of the same substance as the Demiurge himself, yet that he, although he received from the Mother, once for all, the whole [of the divine] seed, and possessed it in himself, still remained of an animal nature, and had not the slightest understanding of those things which are above, which things they boast that they themselves understand, while they are still on earth;-does not this crown all possible absurdity? For to imagine that the very same seed conveyed knowledge and perfection to the souls of these men, while it only gave rise to ignorance in the God who made them, is an opinion that can be held only by those utterly frantic, and totally destitute of common sense.
4. Further, it is also a most absurd and groundless thing for them to say that the seed was, by being thus deposited, reduced to form and increased, and so was prepared for all the reception of perfect rationality. For there will be in it an admixture of matter-that substance which they hold to have been derived from ignorance and defect; [and this will prove itself] more apt and useful than was the light of their Father, if indeed, when born, according to the contemplation of that [light], it was without form or figure, but derived from this [matter], form, and appearance, and increase, and perfection. For if that light which proceeds from the Pleroma was the cause to a spiritual being that it possessed neither form, nor appearance, nor its own special magnitude, while its descent to this world added all these things to it, and brought it to perfection, then a sojourn here (which they also term darkness) would seem much more efficacious and useful than was the light of their Father. But how can it be regarded as other than ridiculous, to affirm that their mother ran the risk of being almost extinguished in matter, and was almost on the point of being destroyed by it, had she not then with difficulty stretched herself outwards, and leaped, [as it were, ] out of herself, receiving assistance from the Father; but that her seed increased in this same matter, and received a form, and was made fit for the reception of perfect rationality; and this, too, while “bubbling up” among substances dissimilar and unfamiliar to itself, according to their own declaration that the earthly is opposed to the spiritual, and the spiritual to the earthly? How, then, could “a little particle,” as they say, increase, and receive shape, and reach perfection, in the midst of substances contrary to and unfamiliar to itself?
5. But further, and in addition to what has been said, the question occurs, Did their mother, when she beheld the angels, bring forth the seed all at once, or only one by one [in succession]? If she brought forth the whole simultaneously and at once, that which was thus produced cannot now be of an infantile character: its descent, therefore, into those men who now exist must be superfluous. But if one by one, then she did not form her conception according to the figure of those angels whom she beheld; for, contemplating them all together, and once for all, so as to conceive by them, she ought to have brought forth once for all the offspring of those from whose forms she had once for all conceived.
6. Why was it, too, that, beholding the angels along with the Saviour, she did indeed conceive their images, but not that of the Saviour, who is far more beautiful than they? Did He not please her; and did she not, on that account, conceive after His likeness? How was it, too, that the Demiurge, whom they can call an animal being, having, as they maintain, his own special magnitude and figure, was produced perfect as respects his substance; while that which is spiritual, which also ought to be more effective than that which is animal, was sent forth imperfect, and he required to descend into a soul, that in it he might obtain form, and thus becoming perfect, might be rendered fit for the reception of perfect reason? If, then, he obtains form in mere earthly and animal men, he can no longer be said to be after the likeness of angels whom they call lights, but [after the likeness] of those men who are here below. For he will not possess in that case the likeness and appearance of angels, but of those souls in whom also he receives shape; just as water when poured into a vessel takes the form of that vessel, and if on any occasion it happens to congeal in it, it will acquire the form of the vessel in which it has thus been frozen, since souls themselves possess the figure of the body [in which they dwell]; for they themselves have been adapted to the vessel [in which they exist], as I have said before. If, then, that seed [referred to] is here solidified and formed into a definite shape, it will possess the figure of a man. and not the form of the angels. How is it possible, therefore, that that seed should be after images of the angels, seeing it has obtained a form after the likeness of men? Why, again, since it was of a spiritual nature, had it any need of descending into flesh? For what is carnal stands in need of that which is spiritual, if indeed it is to be saved, that in it it may be sanctified and cleared from all impurity, and that what is mortal may be swallowed up by immortality; but that which is spiritual has no need whatever of those things which are here below. For it is not we who benefit it, but it that improves us.
7. Still more manifestly is that talk of theirs concerning their seed proved to be false, and that in a way which must be evident to every one, by the fact that they declare those souls which have received seed from the Mother to be superior to all others; wherefore also they have been honoured by the Demiurge, and constituted princes, and kings, and priests. For if this were true, the high priest Caiaphas, and Annas, and the rest of the chief priests, arid doctors of the law, and rulers of the people, would have been the first to believe in the Lord, agreeing as they did with respect to that relationship; and even before them should have been Herod the king. But since neither he, nor the chief priests, nor the rulers, nor the eminent of the people, turned to Him [in faith], but, on the contrary, those who sat begging by the highway, the deaf, and the blind, while He was rejected and despised by others, according to what Paul declares, “For ye see your calling, brethren, that there are not many wise men among you, not many noble, not many mighty; but those things of the world which were despised hath God chosen.” Such souls, therefore, were not superior to others on account of the seed deposited in them, nor on this account were they honoured by the Demiurge.
8. As to the point, then, that their system is weak and untenable as well as utterly chimerical, enough has been said. For it is not needful, to use a common proverb, that one should drink up the ocean who wishes to learn that its water is salt. But, just as in the case of a statue which is made of clay, but coloured on the outside that it may be thought to be of gold, while it really is of clay, any one who takes out of it a small particle, and thus laying it open reveals the clay, will set free those who seek the truth from a false opinion; in the same way have I (by exposing not a small part only, but the several heads of their system which are of the greatest importance) shown to as many as do not wish wittingly to be led astray, what is wicked, deceitful, seductive, and pernicious, connected with the school of the Valentinians, and all those other heretics who promulgate wicked opinions respecting the Demiurge, that is, the Fashioner and Former of this universe, and who is in fact the only true God-exhibiting, [as I have done, ] how easily their views are overthrown.
9. For who that has any intelligence, and possesses only a small proportion of truth, can tolerate them, when they affirm that there is another god above the Creator; and that there is another Monogenes as well as another Word of God, whom also they describe as having been produced in [a state of] degeneracy; and another Christ, whom they assert to have been formed, along with the Holy Spirit, later than the rest of the Aeons; and another Saviour, who, they say, did not proceed from the Father of all, but was a kind of joint production of those Aeons who were formed in [a state of] degeneracy, and that He was produced of necessity on account of this very degeneracy? It is thus their opinion that, unless the Aeons had been in a state of ignorance and degeneracy, neither Christ, nor the Holy Spirit, nor Horos, nor the Saviour, nor the angels, nor their Mother, nor her seed, nor the rest of the fabric of the world, would have been produced at all; but the universe would have been a desert, and destitute of the many good things which exist in it. They are therefore not only chargeable with impiety against the Creator, declaring Him the fruit of a defect, but also against Christ and the Holy Spirit, affirming that they were produced on account of that defect; and, in like manner, that the Saviour [was produced] subsequently to [the existence of] that defect. And who will tolerate the remainder of their vain talk, which they cunningly endeavour to accommodate to the parables, and have in this way plunged both themselves, and those who give credit to them, in the profoundest depths of impiety?
XX. Fejezet – A tizenkettedik Aeon szenvedéseinek bemutatására felhozott érvek hiábavalósága a példázatokból, Júdás árulásáról és Megváltónk szenvedéséről.
1. That they improperly and illogically apply both the parables and the actions of the Lord to their falsely-devised system, I prove as follows: They endeavour, for instance, to demonstrate that passion which, they say, happened in the case of the twelfth Aeon, from this fact, that the passion of the Saviour was brought about by the twelfth apostle, and happened in the twelfth month. For they hold that He preached [only] for one year after His baptism. They maintain also that the same thing was clearly set forth in the case of her who suffered from the issue of blood. For the woman suffered during twelve years, and through touching the hem of the Saviour’s garment she was made whole by that power which went forth from the Saviour, and which, they affirm, had a previous existence. For that Power who suffered was stretching herself outwards and flowing into immensity, so that she was in danger of being dissolved into the general substance [of the Aeons]; but then, touching the primary Tetrad, which is typified by the hem of the garment, she was arrested, and ceased from her passion.
2. Then, again, as to their assertion that the passion of the twelfth Aeon was proved through the conduct of Judas, how is it possible that Judas can be compared [with this Aeon] as being an emblem of her-he who was expelled from the number of the twelve, and never restored to his place? For that Aeon, whose type they declare Judas to be, after being separated from her Enthymesis, was restored or recalled [to her former position]; but Judas was deprived [of his office], and cast out, while Matthias was ordained in his place, according to what is written, “And his bishopric let another take.” They ought therefore to maintain that the twelfth Aeon was cast out of the Pleroma, and that another was produced, or sent forth to fill her place; if, that is to say, she is pointed at in Judas. Moreover, they tell us that it was the Aeon herself who suffered, but Judas was the betrayer, [and not the sufferer.] Even they themselves acknowledge that it was the suffering Christ, and not Judas, who came to [the endurance of] passion. How, then, could Judas, the betrayer of Him who had to suffer for our salvation, be the type and image of that Aeon who suffered?
3. De valójában a Felkent szenvedése nem hasonló a Aeon szenvedélyéhez, és nem hasonló körülmények között zajlott. Mert az Aeon a felbomlás és a pusztulás szenvedélyén ment keresztül, így őt (nő) aki szenvedett is az elpusztulás veszélye fenyegette. De az úr, a mi Felkentünk egy érvényes és nem csupán véletlen szenvedésen ment keresztül; nem csupán magát nem fenyegette a pusztulás veszélye, hanem saját erejéből megalapozta a bukott embert, és visszahívta a romlatlanságba. Az Aeon, ismét, egy szenvedélyen ment keresztül, miközben az Atyát kereste, és jelentős volt, hogy megtalálja Őt; de az úr szenvedett, hogy azokat, akik eltévedtek az Atyától, visszahozza tudáshoz és az Ő közösségéhez. Az Atya nagyságának kutatása a pusztulásba vezető szenvedélyévé vált számára (nőnem); de az úr, miután szenvedett, és átadta az Atya ismeretét, megadta a szabadulásunkat. Az ő (nő) szenvedélyéből, amint kijelentik nekünk, női utód született, gyenge, beteg, formálatlan és hatástalan; de az Ő (hímnem) szenvedése az erő és hatalom felemelkedését adta. Mert az Úr a szenvedés útján „felemelkedett a magas helyre, fogságba vitte a fogságot, ajándékokat adott az embereknek,” (Ef. 4:8; Zsolt. 68:9) és a benne hívőknek hatalmat adott „kígyókon és skorpiókon taposni, és az ellenség minden erején” (Luk. 10:19) vagyis az elpártolás vezérén. A mi urunk szenvedése által a halált is elpusztította, és eloszlatta a tévelygést, véget vetett a romlottságnak, és megsemmisítette a tudatlanságot, miközben kinyilatkoztatta az életet és kinyilatkoztatta az igazságot, és a romolhatatlanság ajándékát adta. De az ő Aeonjuk, amikor szenvedett, megalapozta a tudatlanságot, és előhozott egy alak nélküli szubsztanciát, amelyből minden anyagi mű keletkezett – a halál, a romlás, a tévedés és hasonlók.
4. Judas, then, the twelfth in order of the disciples, was not a type of the suffering Aeon, nor, again, was the passion of the Lord; for these two things have been shown to be in every respect mutually dissimilar and inharmonious. This is the case not only as respects the points which I have already mentioned, but with regard to the very number. For that Judas the traitor is the twelfth in order, is agreed upon by all, there being twelve apostles mentioned by name in the Gospel. But this Aeon is not the twelfth, but the thirtieth; for, according to the views under consideration, there were not twelve Aeons only produced by the will of the Father, nor was she sent forth the twelfth in order: they reckon her, [on the contrary, ] as having been produced in the thirtieth place. How, then, can Judas, the twelfth in order, be the type and image of that Aeon who occupies the thirtieth place?
5. But if they say that Judas in perishing was the image of her Enthymesis, neither in this way will the image bear any analogy to that truth which [by hypothesis] corresponds to it. For the Enthymesis having been separated from the Aeon, and itself afterwards receiving a shape from Christ, then being made a partaker of intelligence by the Saviour, and having formed all things which are outside of the Pleroma, after the image of those which are within the Pleroma, is said at last to have been received by them into the Pleroma, and, according to [the principle of] conjunction, to have been united to that Saviour who was formed out of all. But Judas having been once for all cast away, never returns into the number of the disciples; otherwise a different person would not have been chosen to fill his place. Besides, the Lord also declared regarding him, “Woe to the man by whom the Son of man shall be betrayed; ” and, “It were better for him if he had never been born; ” and he was called the “son of perdition” by Him. If, however, they say that Judas was a type of the Enthymesis, not as separated from the Aeon, but of the passion entwined with her, neither in this way can the number twelve be regarded as a [fitting] type of the number three. For in the one case Judas was cast away, and Matthias was ordained instead of him; but in the other case the Aeon is said to have been in danger of dissolution and destruction, and [there are also] her Enthymesis and passion: for they markedly distinguish Enthymesis from the passion; and they represent the Aeon as being restored, and Enthymesis as acquiring form, but the passion, when separated from these, as becoming matter. Since, therefore, there are thus these three, the Aeon, her Enthymesis, and her passion, Judas and Matthias, being only two, cannot be the types of them.
XXI. Fejezet – A tizenkét apostol nem volt az Aeonok típusa.
1. If, again, they maintain that the twelve apostles were a type only of that group of twelve Aeons which Anthropos in conjunction with Ecclesia produced, then let them produce ten other apostles as a type of those ten remaining Aeons, who, as they declare, were produced by Logos and Zoe. For it is unreasonable to suppose that the junior, and for that reason inferior Aeons, were set forth by the Saviour through the election of the apostles, while their seniors, and on this account their superiors, were not thus foreshown; since the Saviour (if, that is to say, He chose the apostles with this view, that by means of them He might show forth the Aeons who are in the Pleroma) might have chosen other ten apostles also, and likewise other eight before these, that thus He might set forth the original and primary Ogdoad. He could not, in regard to the second [Duo] Decad, show forth [any emblem of it] through the number of the apostles being [already] constituted a type. For [He made choice of no such other number of disciples; but] after the twelve apostles, our Lord is found to have sent seventy others before Him. Now seventy cannot possibly be the type either of an Ogdoad, a Decad, or a Triacontad. What is the reason, then, that the inferior Aeons are, as I have said, represented by means of the apostles; but the superior, from whom, too, the former derived their being, are not prefigured at all? But if the twelve apostles were chosen with this object, that the number of the twelve Aeons might be indicated by means of them, then the seventy also ought to have been chosen to be the type of seventy Aeons; and in that case, they must affirm that the Aeons are no longer thirty, but eighty-two in number. For He who made choice of the apostles, that they might be a type of those Aeons existing in the Pleroma, would never have constituted them types of some and not of others; but by means of the apostles He would have tried to preserve an image and to exhibit a type of those Aeons that exist in the Pleroma.
2. Moreover we must not keep silence respecting Paul, but demand from them after the type of what Aeon that apostle has been handed down to us, unless perchance [they affirm that he is a representative] of the Saviour compounded of them [all], who derived his being from the collected gifts of the whole, and whom they term All Things, as having been formed out of them all. Respecting this being the poet Hesiod has strikingly expressed himself, styling him Pandora-that is, “The gift of all”-for this reason, that the best gift in the possession of all was centred in him. In describing these gifts the following account is given: Hermes (so he is called in the Greek language), Ai9muli/ou; te lo/gouj kai\ e0pi/klopon h\qoj au0tou=j Ka/tqeto (or to express this in the English language), “implanted words of fraud and deceit in their minds, and thievish habits,” for the purpose of leading foolish men astray, that such should believe their falsehoods. For their Mother-that is, Leto –secretly stirred them up (whence also she is called Leto, according to the meaning of the Greek word, because she secretly stirred up men), without the knowledge of the Demiurge, to give forth profound and unspeakable mysteries to itching ears. And not only did their Mother bring it about that this mystery should be declared by Hesiod; but very skilfully also by means of the lyric poet Pindar, when he describes to the Demiurge the case of Pelops, whose flesh was cut in pieces by the Father, and then collected and brought together, and compacted anew by all the gods, did she in this way indicate Pandora and these men having their consciences seared by her, declaring, as they maintain, the very same things, are [proved] of the same family and spirit as the others.
XXII. Fejezet – A harminc Aeon nem jellemezhető az által a tény által, hogy a Felkent a harmincadik évében merítették be: Ő nem szenvedett a bemerítkezése utáni tizenkettedik hónapban, de több mint ötven éves volt, amikor meghalt.
1. Megmutattam, hogy a harmincas szám minden tekintetben cserbenhagyja őket; túl kevés Aeon, ahogy ők ábrázolják őket, egy időben a Plerómán belül találhatóak, majd ismét túl sok [hogy megfeleljenek ennek a számnak]. Nincs tehát harminc Aeon, és a Megváltó sem azért jött, hogy bemerítkezzen harminc éves korában, azért hogy megmutathassa rendszerük haminc néma Aeonját, különben mindenekelőtt el kell különíteniük és ki kell vetniük [a Megváltót] magát mindenek Plerómájából. Továbbá, azt erősítgetik, hogy Ő a tizenkettedik hónapban szenvedett, így a bemerítkezés után egy évig hirdetett; és igyekeznek hogy a próféták által alapozzák meg ezt a pontot (mert meg van írva, “hogy hirdesd JHVH kedves esztendejét és a megtorlás napját”), lévén valóban vakok, amennyiben azt állítják, hogy rájöttek a Büthosz titkaira, de mégsem értik azt, amit Ésaiás JHVH kedves évének, sem a megtorlás napjának nevez. Mert a próféta nem beszél egy napról, amely magában foglalja a tizenkét órát, sem egy évről, amelynek hossza tizenkét hónap. Mert még ők maguk is elismerik, hogy a próféták nagyon gyakran hasonlatokban és allegóriákban fejezték ki magukat, és nem a szavak puszta hangja szerint (ti. szószerint) [érthetőek].
2. Azt nevezték tehát a megtorlás napjának, amelyen JHVH megfizet mindenkinek az ő cselekedetei szerint, vagyis az ítéletet. JHVH elfogadható esztendeje, ismét, ez a jelen idő, amikor azokat, akik hisznek benne, Ő hívja el, és Isten számára elfogadhatóvá válik – vagyis a teljes idő az Ő eljövetelétől tovább [minden dolgok] beteljesüléséig, melynek során megszerzi magának [az irgalmasság tervének] gyümölcseiként azokat, akik megmentettek. Ugyanis a próféta kifejezésmódja szerint a megtorlás napja az [elfogadható] évet követi; és a próféta bűnösnek bizonyul hazugságban, ha az úr csak egy évig prédikál, és ha beszél róla. Mert hol van a megtorlás napja? Mert elmúlt az év, és még nem jött el a megtorlás napja; de mégis “felkelteti napját a jókra és a gonoszokra, és esőt ad az igazakra és hamisakra”. Az igazak pedig üldöztetést szenvednek, sanyargatnak és megöletnek, míg a bűnösök bőségben részesülnek, és „hárfa- és muzsikaszóra isznak, de nem figyelnek az JHVH cselekedeteire”. De a [próféta által használt] nyelvezet szerint ezeket egyesíteni kell, és az [elfogadható] évet követnie kell a megtorlás napjának. Mert ezek aztok a szavak: „hirdetni JHVH kedves esztendejét és a megtorlás napját”. Ezért ezt a jelen időt, amelyben az embereket az Úr hívja és megmenti, helyesen úgy kell érteni, hogy “JHVH elfogadható éve” jelöli, és ezután következik a “megtorlás napja”, vagyis az ítélet. És az így említett időt nem csak “évnek”, hanem “napnak” nevezi mind a próféta, mind pedig Pál, amiről az apostol az Írásra emlékeztetve ezt mondja a Rómaiakhoz intézett levélben: “Amint meg van írva, érted ölnek minket egész nap, vágójuhoknak számítanak.” De itt az „egész nap” kifejezést mindarra az időre írjuk, amely alatt üldöztetést szenvedünk, és juhként ölnek meg bennünket. Mivel ez a nap nem tizenkét órából álló napot jelent, hanem azt az egész időt, amely alatt a Krisztusban hívők szenvednek és megölnek érte, úgy az ott említett év sem tizenkét hónapból állót jelöl, hanem a hit teljes ideje, amely alatt az emberek hallják és elhiszik az evangélium hirdetését, és Isten számára elfogadhatóvá válnak azok, akik vele egyesülnek.
3. De nagyon csodálatos, hogy történhet meg az, hogy miközben azt állítják, hogy felfedezték az Isten titkait, nem vizsgálták meg az evangéliumokat, hogy megbizonyosodjanak arról, hogy bemerítkezése után hányszor ment vfel az úr, a páska idején Jeruzsálembe, a zsidók szokása szerint minden helyről, és minden évben, hogy összegyűljenek ebben az időszakban Jeruzsálemben, és ott ünnepeljék a pászka ünnepét. Először is, miután a galileai Kánában borrá tette a vizet, felment a páska ünnepére, amely alkalomból meg van írva: „Mert sokan hittek benne, amikor látták a jeleket, amelyeket tett, ” ahogy János, az Úr tanítványa feljegyzi. Aztán ismét visszavonulva [Júdeából], Szamáriában találják; ez alkalommal is találkozott a szamaritánus asszonnyal, és távollétében egy szóval meggyógyította a százados fiát, mondván: “Menj el, a fiad él.” Utána másodszor is felment, hogy megtartsa a páska ünnepét Jeruzsálemben; mely alkalommal meggyógyította a bénult férfit, aki harmincnyolc éve feküdt a medence mellett, és felszólította, hogy keljen fel, vegye fel az ágyát , és távozzon. Ismét visszavonult onnan a Tibériai-tenger túlsó partjára, és látta, hogy nagy sokaság követte őt, öt vekni kenyérrel etette az egész sokaságot, és tizenkét kosárnyi törmelék maradt utána. Aztán, amikor feltámasztotta Lázárt a halálból, és a farizeusok összeesküvést szőttek ellene, visszavonult egy Efraim nevű városba; és arról a helyről, amint meg van írva: “Hat nappal pészah előtt jött Betániába”, és Betániából Jeruzsálembe ment, ott ette a páskhát, és másnap szenvedett. Nos, hogy a páskának ez a három alkalma nem beszámítható egy évbe, minden embernek el kell ismernie. És hogy az a különleges hónap, amelyben a páskát ünnepelték, és amelyben az úr is szenvedett, nem a tizenkettedik, hanem az első hónap volt, azok az emberek, akik azzal kérkednek, hogy mindent tudnak, ha ezt nem tudják, Mózestől tanulhatják meg. Ezért az évre és a tizenkettedik hónapra vonatkozó magyarázatuk hamisnak bizonyult, és el kell utasítaniuk vagy magyarázatukat, vagy az evangéliumot; különben [ezt a megválaszolhatatlan kérdést erőlteti rájuk], Hogyan lehetséges, hogy az úr csak egy évig hirdetett?
XXIII. Fejezet – A nő, aki vérfolyásban szenvedett, nem volt a szenvedő Aeon típusa.
1. Moreover, their ignorance comes out in a clear light with respect to the case of that woman who, suffering from an issue of blood, touched the hem of the Lord’s garment, and so was made whole; for they maintain that through her was shown forth that twelfth power who suffered passion, and flowed out towards immensity, that is, the twelfth Aeon. [This ignorance of theirs appears] first, because, as I have shown, according to their own system, that was not the twelfth Aeon. But even granting them this point [in the meantime], there being twelve Aeons, eleven of these are said to have continued impassible, while the twelfth suffered passion; but the woman, on the other hand, being healed in the twelfth year, it is manifest that she had continued to suffer during eleven years, and was healed in the twelfth. If indeed they were to say that eleven Aeons were involved in passion, but the twelfth one was healed, it would then be a plausible thing to say that the woman was a type of these. But since she suffered during eleven years, and [all that time] obtained no cure, but was healed in the twelfth year, in what way can she be a type of the twelfth of the Aeons, eleven of whom, [according to hypothesis, ] did not suffer at all, but the twelfth alone participated in suffering? For a type and emblem is, no doubt, sometimes diverse from the truth [signified] as to matter and substance; but it ought, as to the general form and features, to maintain a likeness [to what is typified], and in this way to shadow forth by means of things present those which are yet to come.
2. And not only in the case of this woman have the years of her infirmity (which they affirm to fit in with their figment) been mentioned, but, lo! another woman was also healed, after suffering in like manner for eighteen years; concerning whom the Lord said, “And ought not this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound during eighteen years, to be set free on the Sabbath-day? “If, then, the former was a type of the twelfth Aeon that suffered, the latter should also be a type of the eighteenth Aeon in suffering. But they cannot maintain this; otherwise their primary and original Ogdoad will be included in the number of Aeons who suffered together. Moreover, there was also a certain other person healed by the Lord, after he had suffered for eight-and-thirty years: they ought therefore to affirm that the Aeon who occupies the thirty-eighth place suffered. For if they assert that the things which were done by the Lord were types of what took place in the Pleroma, the type ought to be preserved throughout. But they can neither adapt to their fictitious system the case of her who was cured after eighteen years, nor of him who was cured after thirty-eight years. Now, it is in every way absurd and inconsistent to declare that the Saviour preserved the type in certain cases, while He did not do so in others. The type of the woman, therefore, [with the issue of blood] is shown to have no analogy to their system of Aeons.
XXIV. Fejezet – Az eretnekek számokból, betűkből és szótagokból származó érveinek bolondsága.
1. This very thing, too, still further demonstrates their opinion false, and their fictitious system untenable, that they endeavour to bring forward proofs of it, sometimes through means of numbers and the syllables of names, sometimes also through the letter of syllables, and yet again through those numbers which are, according to the practice followed by the Greeks, contained in [different] letters;-[this, I say, ] demonstrates in the clearest manner their overthrow or confusion, as well as the untenable and perverse character of their [professed] knowledge. For, transferring the name Jesus, which belongs to another language, to the numeration of the Greeks, they sometimes call it “Episemon,” as having six letters, and at other times “the Plenitude of the Ogdoads,” as containing the number eight hundred and eighty-eight. But His [corresponding] Greek name, which is “Soter,” that is, Saviour, because it does not fit in with their system, either with respect to numerical value or as regards its letters, they pass over in silence. Yet surely, if they regard the names of the Lord, as, in accordance with the preconceived purpose of the Father, by means of their numerical value and letters, indicating number in the Pleroma, Soter, as being a Greek name, ought by means of its letters and the numbers [expressed by these], in virtue of its being Greek, to show forth the mystery of the Pleroma. But the case is not so, because it is a word of five letters, and its numerical value is one thousand four hundred and eight. But these things do not in any way correspond with their Pleroma; the account, therefore, which they give of transactions in the Pleroma cannot be true.
2. Moreover, Jesus, which is a word belonging to the proper tongue of the Hebrews, contains, as the learned among them declare, two letters and a half, and signifies that Lord who contains heaven and earth; for Jesus in the ancient Hebrew language means “heaven,” while again “earth” is expressed by the words sura usser. The word, therefore, which contains heaven and earth is just Jesus. Their explanation, then, of the Episemon is false, and their numerical calculation is also manifestly overthrown. For, in their own language, Soter is a Greek word of five letters; but, on the other hand, in the Hebrew tongue, Jesus contains only two letters and a half. The total which they reckon up, viz., eight hundred and eighty-eight, therefore falls to the ground. And throughout, the Hebrew letters do not correspond in number with the Greek, although these especially, as being the more ancient and unchanging, ought to uphold the reckoning connected with the names. For these ancient, original, and generally called sacred letters of the Hebrews are ten in number (but they are written by means of fifteen ), the last letter being joined to the first. And thus they write some of these letters according to their natural sequence, just as we do, but others in a reverse direction, from the right hand towards the left, thus tracing the letters backwards. The name Christ, too, ought to be capable of being reckoned up in harmony with the Aeons of their Pleroma, inasmuch as, according to their statements, He was produced for the establishment and rectification of their Pleroma. The Father, too, in the same way, ought, both by means of letters and numerical value, to contain the number of those Aeons who were produced by Him; Bythus, in like manner, and not less Monogenes; but pre-eminently the name which is above all others, by which God is called, and which in the Hebrew tongue is expressed by Baruch, [a word] which also contains two and a half letters. From this fact, therefore, that the more important names, both in the Hebrew and Greek languages, do not conform to their system, either as respects the number of letters or the reckoning brought out of them, the forced character of their calculations respecting the rest becomes clearly manifest.
3. For, choosing out of the law whatever things agree with the number adopted in their system, they thus violently strive to obtain proofs of its validity. But if it was really the purpose of their Mother, or the Saviour, to set forth, by means of the Demiurge, types of those things which are in the Pleroma, they should have taken care that the types were found in things more exactly correspondent and more holy; and, above all, in the case of the Ark of the Covenant, on account of which the whole tabernacle of witness was formed. Now it was constructed thus: its length was two cubits and a half, its breadth one cubit and a half, its height one cubit and a half; but such a number of cubits in no respect corresponds with their system, yet by it the type ought to have been, beyond everything else, clearly set forth. The mercy-seat also does in like manner not at all harmonize with their expositions. Moreover, the table of shew-bread was two cubits in length, while its height was a cubit and a half. These stood before the holy of holies, and yet in them not a single number is of such an amount as contains an indication of the Tetrad, or the Ogdoad, or of the rest of their Pleroma. What of the candlestick, too, which had seven branches and seven lamps? while, if these had been made according to the type, it ought to have had eight branches and a like number of lamps, after the type of the primary Ogdoad, which shines pre-eminently among the Aeons, and illuminates the whole Pleroma. They have carefully enumerated the curtains as being ten, declaring these a type of the ten Aeons; but they have forgotten to count the coverings of skin, which were eleven in number. Nor, again, have they measured the size of these very curtains, each curtain being eight-and-twenty cubits in length. And they set forth the length of the pillars as being ten cubits, with a reference to the Decad of Aeons. “But the breadth of each pillar was a cubit and a half; ” and this they do not explain, any more than they do the entire number of the pillars or of their bars, because that does not suit the argument. But what of the anointing oil, which sanctified the whole tabernacle? Perhaps it escaped the notice of the Saviour, or, while their Mother was sleeping, the Demiurge of himself gave instructions as to its weight; and on this account it is out of harmony with their Pleroma, consisting, as it did, of five hundred shekels of myrrh, five hundred of cassia, two hundred and fifty of cinnamon, two hundred and fifty of calamus, and oil in addition, so that it was composed of five ingredients. The incense also, in like manner, [was compounded] of stacte, onycha, galbanum, mint, and frankincense, all which do in no respect, either as to their mixture or weight, harmonize with their argument. It is therefore unreasonable and altogether absurd [to maintain] that the types were not preserved in the sublime and more imposing enactments of the law; but in other points, when any number coincides with their assertions, to affirm that it was a type of the things in the Pleroma; while [the truth is, that] every number occurs with the utmost variety in the Scriptures, so that, should any one desire it, he might form not only an Ogdoad, and a Decad, and a Duodecad, but any sort of number from the Scriptures, and then maintain that this was a type of the system of error devised by himself.
4. But that this point is true, that that number which is called five, which agrees in no respect with their argument, and does not harmonize with their system, nor is suitable for a typical manifestation of the things in the Pleroma, [yet has a wide prevalence, ] will be proved as follows from the Scriptures. Soter is a name of five letters; Pater, too, contains five letters; Agape (love), too, consists of five letters; and our Lord, after blessing the five loaves, fed with them five thousand men. Five virgins were called wise by the Lord; and, in like manner, five were styled foolish. Again, five men are said to have been with the Lord when He obtained testimony from the Father,-namely, Peter, and James, and John, and Moses, and Elias. The Lord also, as the fifth person, entered into the apartment of the dead maiden, and raised her up again; for, says [the Scripture], “He suffered no man to go in, save Peter and James, and the father and mother of the maiden.” The rich man in hell declared that he had five brothers, to whom he desired that one rising from the dead should go. The pool from which the Lord commanded the paralytic man to go into his house, had five porches. The very form of the cross, too, has five extremities, two in length, two in breadth, and one in the middle, on which [last] the person rests who is fixed by the nails. Each of our hands has five fingers; we have also five senses; our internal organs may also be reckoned as five, viz., the heart, the liver, the lungs, the spleen, and the kidneys. Moreover, even the whole person may be divided into this number [of parts],-the head, the breast, the belly, the thighs, and the feet. The human race passes through five ages first infancy, then boyhood, then youth, then maturity, and then old age. Moses delivered the law to the people in five books. Each table which he received from God contained five commandments. The veil covering the holy of holies had five pillars. The altar of burnt-offering also was five cubits in breadth. Five priests were chosen in the wilderness,-namely, Aaron, Nadab, Abiud, Eleazar, Ithamar. The ephod and the breastplate, and other sacerdotal vestments, were formed out of five materials; for they combined in themselves gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen. And there were five kings of the Amorites, whom Joshua the son of Nun shut up in a cave, and directed the people to trample upon their heads. Any one, in fact, might collect many thousand other things of the same kind, both with respect to this number and any other he chose to fix upon, either from the Scriptures, or from the works of nature lying under his observation. But although such is the case, we do not therefore affirm that there are five Aeons above the Demiurge; nor do we consecrate the Peptad, as if it were some divine thing; nor do we strive to establish things that are untenable, nor ravings [such as they indulge in], by means of that vain kind of labour; nor do we perversely force a creation well adapted by God [for the ends intended to be served], to change itself into types of things which have no real existence; nor do we seek to bring forward impious and abominable doctrines, the detection and overthrow of which are easy to all possessed of intelligence.
5. For who can concede to them that the year has three hundred and sixty-five days only, in order that there may be twelve months of thirty days each, after the type of the twelve Aeons, when the type is in fact altogether out of harmony [with the antitype]? For, in the one case, each of the Aeons is a thirtieth part of the entire Pleroma, while in the other they declare that a month is the twelfth part of a year. If, indeed, the year were divided into thirty parts, and the month into twelve, then a fitting type might be regarded as having been found for their fictitious system. But, on the contrary, as the case really stands, their Pleroma is divided into thirty parts, and a portion of it into twelve; while again the whole year is divided into twelve parts, and a certain portion of it into thirty. The Saviour therefore acted unwisely in constituting the month a type of the entire Pleroma, but the year a type only of that Duodecad which exists in the Pleroma; for it was more fitting to divide the year into thirty parts, even as the whole Pleroma is divided, but the month into twelve, just as the Aeons are in their Pleroma. Moreover, they divide the entire Pleroma into three portions,-namely, into an Ogdoad, a Decad, and a Duodecad. But our year is divided into four parts,-namely, spring, summer, autumn, and winter. And again, not even do the months, which they maintain to be a type of the Triacontad, consist precisely of thirty days, but some have more and some less, inasmuch as five days remain to them as an overplus. The day, too, does not always consist precisely of twelve hours, but rises from nine to fifteen, and then falls again from fifteen to nine. It cannot therefore be held that months of thirty days each were so formed for the sake of [typifying] the Aeons; for, in that case, they would have consisted precisely of thirty days: nor, again, the days of these months, that by means of twelve hours they might symbolize the twelve Aeons; for, in that case, they would always have consisted precisely of twelve hours.
6. But further, as to their calling material substances “on the left hand,” and maintaining that those things which are thus on the left hand of necessity fall into corruption, while they also affirm that the Saviour came to the lost sheep, in order to transfer it to the right hand, that is, to the ninety and nine sheep which were in safety, and perished not, but continued within the fold, yet were of the left hand, it follows that they must acknowledge that the enjoyment of rest did not imply salvation. And that which has not in like manner the same number, they will be compelled to acknowledge as belonging to the left hand, that is, to corruption. This Greek word Agape (love), then, according to the letters of the Greeks, by means of which reckoning is carried on among them, having a numerical value of ninety-three, is in like manner assigned to the place of rest on the left hand. Aletheia (truth), too, having in like manner, according to the principle indicated above, a numerical value of sixty-four, exists among material substances. And thus, in fine, they will be compelled to acknowledge that all those sacred names which do not reach a numerical value of one hundred, but only contain the numbers summed by the left hand, are corruptible and material.
XXV. Fejezet – Istent nem kell betűk, szótagok és számok segítségével keresni; Az alázatosság szükségessége az ilyen vizsgálatok során.
1. Ha azonban valaki azt mondja ezekre a dolgokra: Mi van akkor? Értelmetlen és véletlen, hogy a nevek helyzetei, és az apostolok megválasztás, és az Úr működése, és a teremtett dolgok elrendezése, mik ezek? – mi azt válaszoljuk nekik: Biztosan nem; hanem nagy bölcsességgel és igyekezettel, mindeneket egyértelműen Isten teremtett, alkalmassá tett és előkészített [azok különleges céljaira] és az Ő szava formálta mind az ősi dolgokat, mind a legújabb időkhöz tartozókat; és az embereknek nem a harmincas számmal kell ezeket a dolgokat összekapcsolniuk, hanem összhangba kell hozniuk őket azzal, ami tulajdonképpen létezik, vagy a vívódo értelemmel. Nem kell arra törekedniük, hogy az Istennel kapcsolatos vizsgálódást a számok, szótagok, és betűk segítségével következtessék ki. Ez ugyanis egy bizonytalan eljárási mód változatosságuk és különböző rendszereik miatt, és mivel manapság mindenféle hipotézist hasonló módon kitalálhat bárki; hogy így az igazság ellenében le tudnak vezetni érveket éppen ezekből az elméletekből, amennyiben azok sokféle irányba fordíthatók. Hanem, ellenkezőlek, magukat a számokat és azokat a dolgokat, amelyek formáltattak hozzá kellene igazítaniuk az igaz elmélethez, amely előttük van. Mert egy rendszer nem a számokból fakad, hanem a számok a rendszerből; Isten sem a teremtett dolgokból származtatja lényét, hanem a dolgok lettek teremtve Istentől. Mert minden egy és ugyanazon Istentől származik.
2. De mivel a teremtett dolgok sokfélék és számosak, azok valóban jól illeszkedtek és alkalmazkodtak az egész teremtéshez; mégis, ha egyenként nézzük, kölcsönösen ellentétesek és diszharmónikusak, épp ahogy a lant hangjai, amelyek számos és ellentétes hangból áll, egy töretlen dallamot hoz létre az egymást a többitől elválasztó hangköz segítségével. Az igazság szeretőjét tehát nem szabad megtévesztenie az egyek hangok közötti (hang)köz, és nem szabad azt képzelnie, hogy az egyik az egyik művésznek és szerzőnek köszönhető, a másik pedig a másiknak, sem azt, hogy az egyik személy a magas hangokat, egy másik a basszust, és egy másik a tenor húrokat illesztette; hanem azt kell tartania, hogy egy és ugyanaz a személy [alkotta az egészet], hogy így bizonyítsa ítéletét, jóságát, és a hozzáértést, amlyet az egész munka és bölcsesség [mintája] mutat. Azoknak is, akik a dallamot hallgatják, dicsérniük és magasztalniuk kell a művészt, gyönyörködniük kell egyes hangok feszültségében, figyelniük kell mások lágyságára, hogy megragadjék mások hangját e két szélsőség között, és hogy figyelembe vegyék mások különleges jellemét, hogy így megvizsgálják, mi a célja mindegyiknek, és mi az oka változatosságuknak, soha nem mulasztván el szabályunkat alkalmazni, sem feladni az [egy] művészt, sem az egyetlen Istenbe vetett hitet, aki mindent alkotott, sem káromolni Teremtőnket.
3. Ha azonban valaki nem fedezi fel mindazok okát, amelyek a vizsgálat tárgyává válnak, gondolja át, hogy az ember végtelenül alacsonyabb rendű Istennél; hogy csak részben kapott kegyelmet, és még nem egyenlő vagy hasonló Teremtőjéhez; és hogy nem rendelkezhet tapasztalattal és nem alkothat olyan elgondolást mindenről, mint Isten; hanem azzal egyenlő arányban, mint aki minap alakult, és teremtésének kezdetét kapta, alacsonyabb rendű annál, aki nem teremtetett, és aki mindig ugyanaz; ebben az arányban van tudása és minden dolgok okának feltárásának képessége tekintetében alacsonyabb rendű annál, aki megalkotta. Mert te, Ó ember, nem vagy teremtetlen lény, és nem is léteztél mindig együtt Istennel, ahogy ahogy saját szava; de most, az Ő kimagasló jósága révén, amikor megkapja teremtésed kezdetét, fokozatosan megtanulod a Beszédből a téged teremtő Isten felosztásait (üdvrendjét).
4. Őrizd meg tehát tudásod megfelelő rendjét, és ne, mint aki nem ismeri az igazán jó dolgokat, ne törekedj Isten fölé emelkedni, mert Őt nem lehet felülmúlni; és ne keress senkit a Teremtő felett, mert ilyet nem fogsz felfedezni, mert Alkotód nem tartható korlátok között; és bár meg kellene mérned ezt az egészet [világegyetemet], és átmenni az egész teremtésén, és figyelembe venni azt teljes mélységében, magasságában és hosszában, vajon képes lenne-e elképzelni bármi mást, amely magasabb az Atya felett. Mert nem vagyunk képesek, hogy teljesen elgondoljuk Őt, de belemerülve a természeteddel ellentétes elmélkedések sorozataiba bolondnak fogod bizonyítani magad; és ha kitartasz ezen az úton, teljes őrületbe esel, miközben magasztosabbnak és nagyobbnak tartod magad Teremtődnél, és azt képzeled, hogy túl tudsz hatolni az Ő uralmain.
XXVI.Fejezet – “A tudás felfuvalkodottá tesz, de a Szeretet Épít.”
1. Ezért jobb és kifizetődőbb az egyszerű és írástudatlan osztályhoz tartozni, és a szeretet segítségével eljutni Isten közelségéhez, mint ha tanultnak és ügyesnek képzeljük magunkat, [azok között, akik] saját Istenük ellen káromlást szólnak, amennyiben egy másik Istent várázsolnak elő, mint Atyjuk. És ezért Pál így kiáltott fel: „A tudás felfuvalkodik, de a szeretet épít:” nem mintha az igaz Istenismeret ellen akart volna gyalázkodni, mert ebben az esetben önmagát vádolta volna; hanem mert tudta, hogy egyesek a tudás színlelésétől felfuvalkodva elszakadnak Isten szeretetétől, és azt képzelik, hogy ők maguk tökéletesek, emiatt egy tökéletlen Teremtőt állítanak elénk; azért, hogy véget vessen a büszkeségnek, amelyet az ilyen tudás miatt éreznek, szól így: “A tudás felfuvalkodik, de a szeretet épít.” Ennél nagyobb beképzeltség már nem is lehet, hogy valaki jobbnak és tökéletesebbnek képzeli magát annál, aki elkészítette és megalkotta őt, és átadta neki az élet leheletét, és ezt a valódi dolgot parancsolta a létezésbe. Ezért jobb, ahogy mondtam, hogy ha az embernek nem kell semmit sem tudnia arról, miért készült egyetlen dolog is a teremtésben, de higgyen Istenben, és maradjon meg az Ő szeretetében, minthogy az effajta tudástól felfuvalkodott, elszakadjon attól a szeretettől, amely az ember élete; és ne keressen más tudást, csak a Felken Jahósuának, az Isten Fiának [ismeretét], akit értünk feszítettek meg, mint azt, hogy apró kérdések és szőrszálhasogató kifejezések által istentelenségbe essen.
2. Mert mi lenne, ha valaki, aki az említett próbálkozásoktól fokozatosan felbuzdulva, mert az úr azt mondta, hogy “még a ti fejetek hajszálai is meg vannak számlálva”, elkezdené kivizsgálni, hány hajszál van minden egyes fejen, és igyekezne felkutatni az okot, ami miatt az egyik embernek ennyi, a másiknak annyi, mivel nem mindenkinek van egyforma száma, hanem sok ezret meg ezret találunk még még mindig változó számmal, ebből kifolyólag egyeseknek nagyobb, másoknak kisebb a fejük, van, akinek bozontos a fejük, másoknak vékony, másoknak pedig alig van hajszála, – és akkor azoknak, akik azt képzelik, hogy felfedezték a hajszálak számát, igyekeznének alkalmazni saját felekezetük dicséretére, amelyet kigondoltak? Vagy ismét, ha valakinek az evangéliumban előforduló kifejezése miatt: “Két verebet nem adnak el egy negyed pénzért? és egyik sem esik le közülük a földre Atyád akarata nélkül”, megragadnák az elkalmat, hogy megszámolják a naponta elfogott verebek számát, akár az egész világon, akár egy bizonyos körzetben, és megvizsgálnák annak okát, hogy mennyit fogtak el tegnap, oly sokat egy nappal előtte, és oly sokat ismét ezen a napon, és azután csatlakozni kellene az ő különös verebeik számának hipotéziséhez, van nem vezeik-e félre magukat ebben az esetben, és nem kergeti-e teljesen őrültségbe azokat, akik egyetértettek vele, mivel az emberek mindig arra vágynak, hogy az ilyen dolgokban úgy gondolják, felfedeztek valami rendkívülibbet, mint mestereik?
3. De ha valaki azt kérdezné tőlünk, vajon minden száma mindazon dolgoknak, amelyek készültek és amelyek készülnek, ismert-e Isten előtt, és hogy ezek közül mindegyik [szám] megkapta-e az Ő gondviselése szerint azt a különleges mennyiséget, amelyekt tartalmaz; és ha egyetértünk abban, hogy ez a helyzet, és elismerjük, hogy ezen dolgok egyike sem kerüli el Isten ismeretét, amelyek megvoltak, vannak vagy készülnek, hanem az Ő gondviselése által mindegyik elnyerte a maga természetét, rangját, számát és különleges mennyiségét, és hogy semmi olyasmi nincs, ami hiába vagy véletlenül keletkezett vagy keletkezik, hanem mérték nélkül alkalmas [a tervezett célra], és a felsöbbrendű tudás gyakorlásában, és hogy ez egy csodálatos és valóban isteni értelem volt, amely meg tudta különböztetni és elő is tudta hozni egy ilyen rendszer megfelelő okait: ha [mondom] valaki, miután megkapta a hozzájárulásunkat és beleegyezésünket, elkezdené számolni a föld homokját és kavicsait, sőt a tenger hullámait és az ég csillagait is, és törekedne arra, hogy kitalálja annak a számnak az okait, amelyet képzel magának, hogy felfedez, nem lenne-e hiábavaló munkája, és nem kellene joggal az ilyen embert őrültnek nyilvánítani és értelmetlennek minden józan ész birtokában? És minnél jobban elfoglalta magát másokon túl az efféle kérdésekben, és minél inkább azt képzeli magában, hogy megtalálja másokon túl, másokat ügyetlennek, tudatlannak, és állati létezőnek nevezve, mert nem mennek bele az ő oly haszontalan munkájába, annál inkább [a valóságban] őrült, bolond, akit villámcsapás sújtott, mivel valóban nem tartja magát semmiben alacsonyabbrendűnek Istennél; hanem azzal a tudással, amelyet felfedezettnek képzel, magát Istent (Istenképet) változtatja meg, és saját véleményét a Teremtő nagysága fölé emeli.
XXVII. Fejezet – A példázatok és az Írás homályos szövegei értelmezésének megfelelő módja.
1. A józan elme, és amelyik nem teszi ki veszélynek tulajdonosát, és a jámborságnak és az igazság szeretetének adja magát, lelkesen fog elmélkedni azokon a dolgokon, amelyeket Isten az emberiség hatalma alá helyezett és alávetette ismereteinknek, és előrelépést fog elérni a velük való [ismeretség révén], egyszerű ismereteket nyújtva neki a napi tanulás által. Ezek a dolgok [nyilvánvalóan] a mi megfigyelésünk alá tartoznak, és világosan és egyértelműen kifejezett kifejezésekkel vannak kijelentve a megszentelt Írásokban. És ezért a példázatokat nem kell kétértelmű kifejezésekhez igazítani. Mert ha ez nem történik meg, mind az, aki magyarázza őket, veszély nélkül teheti, és a példázatok mindenektől hasonló értelmezést kapnak, és az igazság teste teljes marad, tagjainak harmónikus alkalmazásáva (adaptáció), és [különböző tagjainak] bármilyen ütközése nélkül. De a példázatok értelmezéseire olyan kifejezéseket alkalmazni, amelyek nem egyértelműek vagy nyilvánvalóak, amilyeneket mindenki maga fedez fel, ahogy a hajlam vezeti, [abszurd. ] Mert ezen az úton senki sem fogja birtokolni az igazság szabályát (uralmát); hanem a példabeszédeket magyarázók számának megfelelően az igazság különböző rendszerei, egymással kölcsönösen ellentétesek, és egymással szembenálló tanokat állítanak fel, mint a pogány filozófusok körében [levő] aktuális kérdezősködések.
2. Ezen eljárás szerint tehát az ember mindig kérdezősködne, de soha nem találna, mert a valódi felfedezés módját utasította el. És amikor eljön a Vőlegény, akinek lámpája nyersöntvény, és az állandó fény világosságával nem ég [nekik], azok közé sorolják [őket], akik elhomályosítják a példabeszédek értelmezését, elhagyva Őt, aki világos közlései által osztogat ajándékokat mindeneknek, aki hozzá jön, és kizáratik az Ő háló-kamrájából. Mivel tehát az egész Írás, a próféták és az evangéliumok világosan, egyértelműen és harmonikusan érthetők mindenki számára, bár nem mindenki hisz nekik; és mivel azt hirdetik, hogy minden mást kizárva egyetlen Isten alkotott mindent az Ő szavával, legyen az látható vagy láthatatlan, mennyei vagy földi, a vízben vagy a föld alatt, amint azt az Írás igazi szavaiból kimutattam; és mivel maga a teremtés rendszere, amelyhez tartozunk, arról tanúskodik, ami a figyelmünk alá esik, hogy egy Lény alkotta és irányítja azt, – azok a személyek igazán ostobának tűnnek, akik elvakítják a szemüket egy ilyen egyértelmű bemutatás előtt, és nem fogják meglátni a [nekik készült] kijelentés fényét; hanem bilincseket vernek magukra, és mindegyikük azt képzeli, a példázatok homályos értelmezései révén, hogy megtalálta a saját Istenét. Merthogy nincs semmi, amint nyíltan, határozottan és vita nélkül állítanánakaz Atyát illetően az Írás bármely részében, akikről az ellenkező véleményen lévők gondolkodnak, ők maguk tesznek tanúbizonyságot, amikor azt állítják, hogy a Megváltó magánban nem mindenkinek tanította ugyanezt, hanem csak bizonyos tanítványainak, akik fel tudták fogni őket, és megértették, hogy mit akart szándékosan általa érvek, rejtélyek és példázatok segítségével elrejtve. Arra jutnak, hogy azt tartják, hogy van egy lény, akit Istennek hirdetnek, és egy másikat Atyaként, akit példabeszédek és rejtélyek segítségével állítanak elő.
3. De mivel a példázatok sokféle értelmezést engednek meg, aki az igazságot szereti nem fogja elfogadni, hogy ezekből kellene kikutatni Istenre gonatkozó állításokat, miközben elhagyják azt, ami biztos, megkérdőjelezhetetlen és igaz az emberek részére, akik mohón vetik magukat veszélybe, és úgy tesznek, mint akiknek nincs értelme? És [csak] nem ez a magatartási forma, amely nem építi a házat kősziklára, amelyik kemény, erős, és nyitott helyzetbe helyeztek, hanem mozgó homokra? Ezért egy ilyen épület megdöntése egyszerű.
XXVIII. Fejezet – A tökéletes tudás nem érhető el a jelenlegi életben: sok kérdést engedelmesen Isten kezében kell hagyni.
1. Mivel tehát maga az igazság a mi uralmunk és az Istenről szóló bizonyságtétel világosan előttünk áll, nem szabad a kérdezősködésre adott sokféle és különböző válaszok után elvetnünk Isten szilárd és igaz ismeretét. Hanem sokkal inkább megfelelő, hogy mi irányítsuk a mi kutatásainkat, gyakoroljuk magunkat az élő Isten titkának és igazgatásának kutatásában, és fokozzuk annak szeretetét, aki oly nagyot tett és tesz most is értünk; de soha ne essünk el attól a hittől, amely a legvilágosabban hirdeti, hogy ez a Lény egyedül valóban Isten és Atya, aki egyrészt ezt a világot formálta, másrészt embert formált, és a gyarapodás képességével ruházta fel saját teremtményét, és elhívta őt a kisebb dolgoktól a nagyobbak felé, amelyek az Ő jelenlétében vannak, ahogyan az anyaméhben fogant csecsemőt a nap fényére hozza ki, és betakarja a búzát a csűrbe, miután átadta teljes erejét a száron. De ez egy és ugyanaz a Teremtő, aki megalkotta a méhet és megteremtette a napot (égitest); és egy és ugyanaz az Úr, aki felnevelte a gabona szárát, megszaporította és megsokasította a búzát, és előkészítette a csűrt
2. Ha azonban nem találhatunk magyarázatot az Írásban mindazokra a dolgokra, amelyek vizsgálat tárgyát képezik, ennek okán ne keressünk más Istent a valóban létezőn kívül. Mert ez a legnagyobb istentelenség. Az ilyen természetű dolgokat Istenre kell hagynunk, aki teremtett minket, leghelyesebben megbizonyosodva arról, hogy az Írás valóban tökéletes, mivel Isten Beszéde és szelleme által szóltak; mi azonban, mivelhogy alacsonyabbrendűek vagyunk Isten Beszédénél és szelleménél, és később is létezünk, mint az, éppen ezért nélkülözzük titkait. És nincs okunk csodálkozni, ha ez a helyzet velünk, ami a szellemi és mennyei dolgokat illeti, és amiket kinyilatkoztatás útján kell megismertetni velünk, mivel sok még a lábunk előtt heverő dolgok közül is (Olyanokra gondolok, amik ehhez a világhoz tartoznak, amelyet kezelünk, látunk és szoros kapcsolatban vagyunk vele) túlmutatnak a tudáson, így még ezeket is Istenre kell hagynunk. Mert helyénvaló, hogy Ő mindent felülmúljon [tudásban]. Hogyan áll például a helyzet, ha megpróbáljuk megmagyarázni a Nílus áradásának okát? Sokat mondhatunk a témáról, valószínűt vagy mást; de ami ezzel kapcsolatban igaz, biztos és megdönthetetlen, az csakis Istené. Aztán ismét, a madarak lakhelye – mármint azoké, amelyek tavasszal érkeznek hozzánk, de az ősz közeledtével újra elrepülnek –, bár ez e világgal kapcsolatos ügy, elkerüli a tudásunkat. Milyen magyarázatot adhatunk ismét az óceán áramlására és apályára, bár mindenki elismeri, hogy bizonyos okoknak kell lenniük [ezen jelenségeknek mögött]? Vagy mit mondhatunk azoknak a dolgoknak a természetéről, amelyek túl vannak rajta? Ezen túlmenően, mit mondhatunk az eső, villámlás, mennydörgés, felhők, gőzök, szelek feltörésére és hasonló dolgokra vonatkozóan? A hó, jégeső és más hasonló dolgok tárházáról? [Mit tudhatunk] a felhők kialakulásához szükséges feltételekről, vagy mi a párák valódi természete az égen? Mi az oka annak, hogy a hold gyarapodik és hanyatlik, vagy mi az oka annak, hogy a természet különbözik a különféle vizek, fémek, kövek és hasonló dolgok között? Valóban sok mindent elmondhatunk ezekről a kérdésekről, miközben az okaikat kutatjuk, de egyedül Isten, aki létrehozta őket, jelentheti ki az igazságot velük kapcsolatban.
3. Ha tehát még a teremtéssel kapcsolatban is vannak olyan dolgok, amelyek csak Istené, mások pedig a saját tudásunk körébe tartoznak, akkor mi indokolja a panaszt, ha azokban a dolgokban, amelyeket az Írásban vizsgálunk (amelyek mindvégig szellemiek), képesek vagyunk Isten kegyelméből néhányat megmagyarázni, míg másokat Isten kezében kell hagynunk, és hogy nemcsak a jelen világban, hanem az eljövendőben is, hogy Isten örökké tanítson, és az ember mindörökké tanulja azokat, amiket Isten tanított neki? Ahogy az apostol erről a pontról mondta, ha más dolgok megszűnnek, akkor ez a három, a „hit, remény és szeretet megmarad”. Mert a hit(hűség), amely tiszteli Mesterünket, változatlanul megmarad, biztosítva minket arról, hogy csak egy igaz Isten van, és hogy igazán szeretnünk Őt kell mindörökké, hiszen egyedül Ő a mi Atyánk; miközben reméljük, hogy egyre többet és többet kapunk Istentől, és tanulhatunk Tőle, mert Ő jó, és határtalan gazdagsága, vég nélküli a birodalma és soha ki nem fogyható tanítása van. Ha tehát az általam kifejtett szabály szerint néhány kérdést Isten kezében hagyunk, akkor hitünket megőrizzük sértetlenül, és veszély nélkül folytathatjuk; és az egész Írást, amelyet Isten adott nekünk, tökéletesen következetesnek fogjuk találni; és a példázatoknak összhangban kell lenniük azokkal a részekkel, amelyek teljesen világosak; és azok az állítások, amelyek jelentése egyértelmű, a példázatok magyarázatára szolgálnak; és az [az Írás] sokféle kijelentésén keresztül egyetlen harmonikus dallam lesz hallható bennünk, amely himnuszokban dicséri Istent, aki mindent megteremtett. Ha például valaki azt kérdezi: “Mit csinált Isten, mielőtt megteremtette a világot?”, azt válaszoljuk, hogy egy ilyen kérdésre a válasz magánál Istennél van. Mert az Írás azt tanítja, hogy ezt a világot Isten tökéletessé formálta, az időben kapva kezdetét; de egyetlen Írás [levő rész] sem tárja fel előttünk, hogy Isten mivel foglalkozott ezen esemény előtt. Ezért a kérdésre a válasz Istennél marad, és nem helyénvaló, hogy ostoba, meggondolatlan és istenkáromló feltételezéseket tegyünk [válaszként]; tehát, ha valaki azt képzeli, hogy felfedezte az anyag eredetét, a valóságban magát Istent kell félretennie, aki mindent alkotott.
4. Mert gondoljátok meg, mindnyájan, akik ilyen véleményeket találtok ki, mivel az Atya maga, akit egyedül Istennek neveznek, akinek van valóságos létezése, de akit ti Demiurgosznak neveztek; mivel, ráadásul az Írás egyedül Őt ismeri el Istennek; és még egyszer, mivel az úr [Messiás] egyedül Őt vallja saját Atyjának, és nem ismer mást, amint azt szavaiból is megmutatom, – amikor ezt a Lényt a hiányosság gyümölcsének és a tudatlanság ivadékának mondod, és úgy írod le Őt, hogy nem tud azokról, amelyek felette állnak, a különféle egyéb állításokkal, amelyet vele kapcsolatban teszel, – gondoljatok arra a szörnyű istenkáromlásra [amiben vétkesek vagytok] Ő ellen, aki valóban Isten. Úgy tűnik, elég komolyan és őszintén állítjátok, hogy hisztek Istenben; de azután, mivel teljesen képtelenek vagytok arra, hogy felfedjetek bármi más Istent, éppen ezt a Lényt jelentitek ki a hiba gyümölcsének és a tudatlanság ivadékának, akiben állítólag hisztek. Nos, ez a vakság és ostoba beszéd abból fakad, hogy semmit sem tartasz fenn Istennek, hanem magának Istennek akarjátok hirdetni születését és létrejöttét, az ő Enoeájából, a Logoszából, és az Életet, és a Krisztust; és ezeknek az elképzelését nem másból alkotjátok, mint puszta emberi tapasztalatból; nem értve, ahogy korábban mondtam, hogy ez az ember esetében lehetséges, aki összetett lény, így beszélni az ember elméjéről és az ember gondolatáról; és azt mondani, hogy a gondolat (ennoeligia) az elméből (sensus), a szándék (enthymesis) ismét a gondolatból, a szó (logosz) pedig a szándékból (de melyik logosz? mert a görögöknél van egy logosz, amely a gondolkodás alapelve, és egy másik, amely a gondolat kifejezésének eszköze); és [mondani], hogy az ember néha nyugalomban és csendben van, míg máskor beszél és tevékeny. De mivel Isten csupa elme, teljes értelem, csupa cselekvő szellem, minden világosság, és mindenkor egy és ugyanaz létezik, mivel egyrészt hasznos számunkra, ha Istenre gondolunk, másrészt pedig, ahogyan az Írásból tanuljuk Őt, ilyen érzések és [működési] megosztottságok nem tulajdoníthatók neki. Nyelvünk ugyanis, mivel testi, nem elégséges az emberi elme gyorsaságának szolgálatára, amennyiben az szellemi természetű, ez oknál fogva a mi szavunk visszatart belül minket, és nem azonnal fejeződik ki úgy, ahogyan azt az elme felfogta, hanem egymás követő folytonos erőfeszítések által ejtjük ki, ahogy a nyelv képes ezt kiszolgálni.
5. De Isten, lévén csupa Elme és teljes Logosz, pontosan azt mondja, amit gondol, és pontosan azt gondolja, amit beszél. Mert az Ő gondolata a Logosz (szó, értelem), a Logosz pedig az Elme, és a mindent felfogó Elme maga az Atya. Ezért, aki Isten elméjéről beszél, és különös eredetet tulajdonít neki, összetett Lénynek nyilvánítja, mintha Isten egy dolog lenne, és a kezdeti Elme egy másik. Tehát ismét a Logosz vonatkozásában, amikor valaki neki tulajdonítja az előállás harmadik helyét az Atyától; ezen feltételezés alapján tudatlan az Ő nagyságáról; és így a Logosz messze elvált Istentől. Ami a prófétát illeti, őrá vonatkozóan jelenti ki, „Nemzedékét (létrejöttét, γενεά) ki fogja elbeszélni?” (Ézs. 53:8) De ti úgy tesztek, mintha az Ő nemzedéke (létrejöttét, γενεά) ki lenne jelentve az Atyától, és átviszitek az Isten Igéjére az ember beszédének előállását, amely a nyelv segítségével megy végbe, és így saját magatok igazságosan leleplezitek, hogy nem ismeritek sem az emberi, sem az isteni dolgokat.
6. De a [saját bölcsességetekkel] felfújt ésszerűségen túl elbizakodottan állítjátok, hogy ismeritek Isten kimondhatatlan titkait; miközben még az úr is, maga Isten Fia megengedte, hogy az Atya egyedül tudja az ítélet valódi napját és óráját, amikor egyértelműen kijelenti: „De arról a napról és arról az óráról senki sem tud, sem a Fiú, hanem az Atya egyedül.” (Mk. 13:32; Mt.24:36) Ha tehát a Fiú nem szégyellte csak az Atyának tulajdonítani ama nap tudását, hanem kijelentette, hogy mi az igaz, akkor ne szégyelljük Istennek fenntartani azokat a nagyobb kérdéseket, amelyek felmerülhetnek bennünk. Mert senki sem magasabbrendű gazdájánál. Ha tehát valaki azt mondja nekünk: “Hogyan állította elő akkor a Fiút az Atya?” azt válaszoljuk neki, hogy senki sem érti azt az előállást (gyárt, termel), vagy nemzedékét, vagy szólítását, vagy kinyilatkoztatást, vagy bármilyen néven írja le valaki az Ő nemzedékét (γενεά), ami valójában teljesen leírhatatlan (elmondhatatlan). Sem Valentinus, sem Marcion, sem Saturninus, sem Basilides, sem angyalok, sem arkangyalok, sem fejedelemségek, sem hatalmak [nem birtokolják ezt a tudást], hanem csak az Atya, aki nemzette, és a Fiú, aki született. Mivel tehát az Ő nemzedéke kimondhatatlan, azok, akik iparkodnak kijelenteni nemzedékeit és létrejövéseit, nem lehetnek ép elméjüknél, amennyiben olyan dolgok leírására vállalkoznak, amelyek leírhatatlanok. Azok tehát, akik kigondolták a kibocsátások (kisugárzások, emission) [elméletét], nem fedeztek fel semmi nagyot, sem nem fedtek fel bármilyen homályos titkot, amikor egyszerűen átvitték azt, amit mindenki megért Isten egyszülött Beszédére; és miközben kimondhatatlannak és megnevezhetetlennek mondják, mégis bemutatják első nemzedékének létrejöttét és kialakulását, mintha ők maguk segédkeztek volna születésénél, így téve hasonlóvá őt a kibocsátások által megformált emberi beszédhez.
7. De nem tévedünk, ha ugyanazt állítjuk az anyag lényegére vonatkozóan is, hogy Isten teremtette azt. Az Írásból ugyanis megtanultuk, hogy Isten van mindenek felette. De honnan és milyen módon hozta létre, az Írás sem nyilatkoztatta sehol; de nem következik számunkra ebből az, hogy találgassunk, hogy saját véleményünknek megfelelően végtelen sejtéseket alkossunk Istenről, hanem az ilyen ismereteket magának Istennek kezében kell hagynunk. Hasonlóképpen, el kell hagynunk annak okát is, hogy miközben mindent Isten teremtett, bizonyos teremtményei vétkeztek és fellázadtak az Istennek való alávetettség állapotából, mások pedig, sőt, a többség, kitartottak és továbbra is kitartanak, [akarattal] alávetik magukat annak, aki megalkotta őket, és azt is, hogy milyen természetűek azok, akik vétkeztek, és milyen természetűek azok, akik kitartanak,- [Azt mondom, hagynunk kell ezeknek a dolgoknak az okát] Istenre és az Ő Beszédére, akinek egyedül mondta azt: “Ülj a jobb kezem felől, míg ellenségeidet lábad zsámolyává teszem.” De mi még mindig a földön lakunk, és még nem ültünk le az Ő trónusára. Mert bár a Megváltó szelleme, aki benne van, „mindent kutat, még az Isten mélységeit is”, de nekünk, “különböző ajándékunk van, különböző szolgálatok, és különböző működések;” (vö.: I.Kor. 12:4-11) mi pedig a földön tartózkodva, ahogy Pál is kijelenti, „rész szerint tudunk, rész szerint pedig prófétálunk” (I. Kor. 13:9). Mivel tehát csak rész szerint ismerünk, mindenféle [nehéz] kérdést annak a kezében kell hagynunk, aki bizonyos mértékig ajándékoz kegyelmet nekünk. Hogy az örök tűz [például] a bűnösök számára készült, az úr egyértelműen kijelentette, és az Írás többi része is bemutatja. És hogy Isten előre tudta, hogy ez megtörténik, az Írás is hasonlóképpen bizonyítja, mivel kezdettől fogva örök tüzet készített azoknak, akik [később] áthágják [parancsait]; de magát az ilyen vétkesek természetének okát sem az Írás, sem az apostol nem mondta el nekünk, sem az úr nem tanított minket [erről]. Ezért az a dolgunk, hogy Istenre bízzuk ennek a kérdésnek az ismeretét, ahogyan az úr is teszi [az ítélet] napját és óráját, és ne rohanjunk a veszély olyan szélsőségébe, hogy semmit sem hagyunk Isten kezében, pedig a kegyelemnek csak bizonyos mértékét kaptunk [Tőle ezen a világon] De amikor olyan pontokat vizsgálunk, amelyek felettünk vannak, és amelyekkel kapcsolatban nem tudunk elégedettséget elérni, [képtelenség], hogy olyan szélsőséges elbizakodottságot tanúsítsunk, hogy feltárjuk Istent és olyan dolgokat, amelyeket még nem fedezhettünk fel, mintha már kitaláltuk volna, a kibocsátásokkal (emisszió) kapcsolatos hiábavaló beszéd által, magát Istent, minden dolgok Teremőjét, és hogy azt állítsuk, hogy szubsztanciája elpártolásból és tudatlanságból származott, hogy egy Istennel szemben álló istentelen hipotézist állítsunk fel.
8. Továbbá, nincs bizonyítékuk rendszerükre, amelyet nemrégiben ők találtak ki, melyek hol bizonyos számokon, hol szótagokon, hol pedig ismét neveken nyugszanak; és vannak olyan esetek is, amikor a levelekben található betűkkel, nem megfelelően értelmezett példabeszédekkel vagy bizonyos [alaptalan] sejtésekkel igyekeznek megalapozni azt a mesés beszámolót, amelyet kitaláltak. Mert ha valaki az iránt tudakozódik, hogy miért [van], hogy az Atya, akinek mindenben közössége van a Fiúval, az úr [Messiás] által kijelentette, hogy egyedül Ő ismeri az [ítélet] óráját és napját, jelenleg nem fog találni megfelelőbbet, vagy előnyösebbet, vagy biztonságosabb okot, mint ez (hiszen, valóban, az úr [Messiás] az egyetlen igazi Mester), hogy általa tudhatjuk, hogy az Atya van mindenek felett. Mer “az Atya” mondja Ő, “nagyobb nálam” (Ján.14:28). Az Atyát tehát urunk a tudás tekintetében kiemelkedőnek jelentette ki; éppen ezért, hogy mi is, amíg kapcsolatban állunk e világ dolgainak rendszerével, a tökéletes tudást és az ilyen kérdéseket [ahogy már említettük] Istenre hagyjuk, és véletlenül sem eshetünk abba a veszélybe, hogy az Atya magasztos természetét vizsgáljuk, hogy felvegyük a kérdést, hogy létezik-e más Isten az Isten felett.
9. De ha a harcok valami szerelmese ellentmond annak, amit mondtam, és annak is, amit az apostol állít, hogy “rész szerint ismerünk, és rész szerint prófétálunk,” és azt képzeli, hogy nem részleges, hanem egyetemes tudást szerzett minden létezőről, – lévén olyan, mint Valentinus, Ptolemaiosz, Basilides, vagy bárki más azok közül, akik azt állítják, hogy Isten mélységeit kutatták,-ne dicsekedjék (hiábavaló dicsőségbe öltözve) azzal, hogy másoknál nagyobb tudásra tett szert azokról a dolgokról, amelyek láthatatlanok, vagy nem tartozhatnak megfigyelésünk alá; hanem azáltal, hogy szorgalmasan kérdezősködik, és értesüléseket szerez az Atyától, mondja el nekünk az okokat (amiket nem ismerünk) azokról a dolgokról, amelyek ezen a világon vannak, – mint például a hajszálak számát a saját fején, és a verebekét, amelyeket napról napra befognak, és olyan egyéb pontokat, amelyeket korábban nem ismerünk, hogy a fontosabb pontok tekintetében is neki tulajdoníthassuk [az igazságot]. De ha azok, akik tökéletesek, még nem értik meg azt, ami a kezük ügyében van, és a lábuk előtt, és szemük előtt és a földön, és különösen a fejük hajszálaira vonatkozó szabályt, hogyan hihetünk nekik a szellemi és a mennyei feletti dolgokról, amelyekről hiú magabiztossággal állítják, hogy Isten felett állnak? Annyit mondtam tehát a számokról, nevekről, szótagokról és olyan kérdésekről, amelyek megértésünk felett vannak, és a példázatok helytelen kifejtésére vonatkozóan: [Nem teszek hozzá többet ezekhez a pontokhoz], mivel te magad is kibővítheted ezeket.
XXIX. Fejezet – Az eretnekek lélek és test jövőbeli sorsáról alkotott nézeteinek cáfolata.
1. Térjünk vissza azonban rendszerük többi pontjához. Mert amikor kijelentik, hogy minden dolgok befejeztével anyjuk újra belép a Pleromába, és megkapja a Megváltót hitveseként; hogy ők maguk, mint szellemiek, amikor megszabadultak állati lelküktől és intellektuális szellemekké válnak, a szellemi angyalok hitvesei lesznek; but that the Demiurge, since they call him animal, will pass into the place of the Mother; that the souls of the righteous shall psychically repose in the intermediate place;-when they declare that like will be gathered to like, spiritual things to spiritual, while material things continue among those that are material, they do in fact contradict themselves, inasmuch as they no longer maintain that souls pass, on account of their nature, into the intermediate place to those substances which are similar to themselves, but [that they do so] on account of the deeds done [in the body], since they affirm that those of the righteous do pass [into that abode], but those of the impious continue in the fire. For if it is on account of their nature that all souls attain to the place of enjoyment, and all belong to the intermediate place simply because they are souls, as being thus of the same nature with it, then it follows that faith is altogether superfluous, as was also the descent of the Saviour [to this world]. If, on the other hand, it is on account of their righteousness [that they attain to such a place of rest], then it is no longer because they are souls but because they are righteous. But if souls would have perished unless they had been righteous, then righteousness must have power to save the bodies also [which these souls inhabited]; for why should it not save them, since they, too, participated in righteousness? For if nature and substance are the means of salvation, then all souls shall be saved; but if righteousness and faith, why should these not save those bodies which, equally with the souls, will enter into immortality? For righteousness will appear, in matters of this kind, either impotent or unjust, if indeed it saves some substances through participating in it, but not others.
2. For it is manifest that those acts which are deemed righteous are performed in bodies. Either, therefore, all souls will of necessity pass into the intermediate place, and there will never be a judgment; or bodies, too, which have participated in righteousness, will attain to the place of enjoyment, along with the souls which have in like manner participated, if indeed righteousness is powerful enough to bring thither those substances which have participated in it. And then the doctrine concerning the resurrection of bodies which we believe, will emerge true and certain [from their system]; since, [as we hold, ] God, when He resuscitates our mortal bodies which preserved righteousness, will render them incorruptible and immortal. For God is superior to nature, and has in Himself the disposition [to show kindness], because He is good; and the ability to do so, because He is mighty; and the faculty of fully carrying out His purpose, because He is rich and perfect.
3. But these men are in all points inconsistent with themselves, when they decide that all souls do not enter into the intermediate place, but those of the righteous only. For they maintain that, according to nature and substance, three sorts [of being] were produced by the Mother: the first, which proceeded from perplexity, and weariness, and fear-that is material substance; the second from impetuosity -that is animal substance; but that which she brought forth after the vision of those angels who wait upon Christ, is spiritual substance. If, then, that substance which she brought forth will by all means enter into the Pleroma because it is spiritual, while that which is material will remain below because it is material, and shall be totally consumed by the fire which bums within it, why should not the whole animal substance go into the intermediate place, into which also they send the Demiurge? But what is it which shall enter within their Pleroma? For they maintain that souls shall continue in the intermediate place, while bodies, because they possess material substance, when they have been resolved into matter, shall be consumed by that fire which exists in it; but their body being thus destroyed, and their soul remaining in the intermediate place, no part of man will any longer be left to enter in within the Pleroma. For the intellect of man-his mind, thought, mental intention, and such like-is nothing else than his soul; but the emotions and operations of the soul itself have no substance apart from the soul. What part of them, then, will still remain to enter into the Pleroma? For they themselves, in as far as they are souls, remain in the intermediate place; while, in as far as they are body, they will be consumed with the rest of matter.
XXX. Fejezet – Annak abszurditása, hogy szellemivé formálják stílusukat, miközben a Demiurgoszt álattá nyilvánítják.
1. Such being the state of the case, these infatuated men declare that they rise above the Creator (Demiurge); and, inasmuch as they proclaim themselves superior to that God who made and adorned the heavens, and the earth, and all things that are in them, and maintain that they themselves are spiritual, while they are in fact shamefully carnal on account of their so great impiety,-affirming that He, who has made His angels spirits, and is clothed with light as with a garment, and holds the circle of the earth, as it were, in His hand, in whose sight its inhabitants are counted as grasshoppers, and who is the Creator and Lord of all spiritual substance, is of an animal nature,-they do beyond doubt and verily betray their own madness; and, as if truly struck with thunder, even more than those giants who are spoken of in [heathen] fables, they lift up their opinions against God, inflated by a vain presumption and unstable glory,-men for whose purgation all the hellebore on earth would not suffice, so that they should get rid of their intense folly.
2. The superior person is to be proved by his deeds. In what way, then, can they show themselves superior to the Creator (that I too, through the necessity of the argument in hand, may come down to the level of their impiety, instituting a comparison between God and foolish men, and, by descending to their argument, may often refute them by their own doctrines; but in thus acting may God be merciful to me, for I venture on these statements, not with the view of comparing Him to them, but of convicting and overthrowing their insane opinions)-they, for whom many foolish persons entertain so great an admiration, as if, forsooth, they could learn from them something more precious than the truth itself! That expression of Scripture, “Seek, and ye shall find,” they interpret as spoken with this view, that they should discover themselves to be above the Creator, styling themselves greater and better than God, and calling themselves spiritual, but the Creator animal; and [affirming] that for this reason they rise upwards above God, for that they enter in within the Pleroma, while He remains in the intermediate place. Let them, then, prove themselves by their deeds superior to the Creator; for the superior person ought to be proved not by what is said, but by what has a real existence.
3. What work, then, will they point to as having been accomplished through themselves by the Saviour, or by their Mother, either greater, or more glorious, or more adorned with wisdom, than those which have been produced by Him who was the disposer of all around us? What heavens have they established? what earth have they founded? what stars have they called into existence? or what lights of heaven have they caused to shine? within what circles, moreover, have they confined them? or, what rains, or frosts, or snows, each suited to the season, and to every special climate, have they brought upon the earth? And again, in opposition to these, what heat or dryness have they set over against them? or, what rivers have they made to flow? what fountains have they brought forth? with what flowers and trees have they adorned this sublunary world? or, what multitude of animals have they formed, some rational, and others irrational, but all adorned with beauty? And who can enumerate one by one all the remaining objects which have been constituted by the power of God, and are governed by His wisdom? or who can search out the greatness of that God who made them? And what can be told of those existences which are above heaven, and which do not pass away, such as Angels, Archangels, Thrones, Dominions, and Powers innumerable? Against what one of these works, then, do they set themselves in opposition? What have they similar to show, as having been made through themselves, or by themselves, since even they too are the Workmanship and creatures of this [Creator]? For whether the Saviour or their Mother (to use their own expressions, proving them false by means of the very terms they themselves employ) used this Being, as they maintain, to make an image of those things which are within the Pleroma, and of all those beings which she saw waiting upon the Saviour, she used him (the Demiurge) as being [in a sense] superior to herself, and better fitted to accomplish her purpose through his instrumentality; for she would by no means form the images of such important beings through means of an inferior, but by a superior, agent.
4. For, [be it observed, ] they themselves, according to their own declarations, were then existing, as a spiritual conception, in consequence of the contemplation of those beings who were arranged as satellites around Pandora. And they indeed continued useless, the Mother accomplishing nothing through their instrumentality, -an idle conception, owing their being to the Saviour, and fit for nothing, for not a thing appears to have been done by them. But the God who, according to them, was produced, while, as they argue, inferior to themselves (for they maintain that he is of an animal nature), was nevertheless the active agent in all things, efficient, and fit for the work to be done, so that by him the images of all things were made; and not only were these things which are seen formed by him, but also all things invisible, Angels, Archangels, Dominations, Powers, and Virtues,-[by him, I say, ] as being the superior, and capable of ministering to her desire. But it seems that the Mother made nothing whatever through their instrumentality, as indeed they themselves acknowledge; so that one may justly reckon them as having been an abortion produced by the painful travail of their Mother. For no accoucheurs performed their office upon her, and therefore they were cast forth as an abortion, useful for nothing, and formed to accomplish no work of the Mother. And yet they describe themselves as being superior to Him by whom so vast and admirable works have been accomplished and arranged, although by their own reasoning they are found to be so wretchedly inferior!
5. It is as if there were two iron tools, or instruments, the one of which was continually in the workman’s hands and in constant use, and by the use of which he made whatever he pleased, and displayed his art and skill, but the other of which remained idle and useless, never being called into operation, the workman never appearing to make anything by it, and making no use of it in any of his labours; and then one should maintain that this useless, and idle, and unemployed tool was superior in nature and value to that which the artisan employed in his work, and by means of which he acquired his reputation. Such a man, if any such were found, would justly be regarded as imbecile, and not in his right mind. And so should those be judged of who speak of themselves as being spiritual and superior, and of the Creator as possessed of an animal nature, and maintain that for this reason they will ascend on high, and penetrate within the Pleroma to their own husbands (for, according to their own statements, they are themselves feminine), but that God [the Creator] is of an inferior nature, and therefore remains in the intermediate place, while all the time they bring forward no proofs of these assertions: for the better man is shown by his works, and all works have been accomplished by the Creator; but they, having nothing worthy of reason to point to as having been produced by themselves, are labouring under the greatest and most incurable madness.
6. If, however, they labour to maintain that, while all material things, such as the heaven, and the whole world which exists below it, were indeed formed by the Demiurge, yet all things of a more spiritual nature than these,-those, namely, which are above the heavens, such as Principalities, Powers, Angels, Archangels, Dominations, Virtues,-were produced by a spiritual process of birth (which they declare themselves to be), then, in the first place, we prove from the authoritative Scriptures that all the things which have been mentioned, visible and invisible, have been made by one God. For these men are not more to be depended on than the Scriptures; nor ought we to give up the declarations of the Lord, Moses, and the rest of the prophets, who have proclaimed the truth, and give credit to them, who do indeed utter nothing of a sensible nature, but rave about untenable opinions. And, in the next place, if those things which are above the heavens were really made through their instrumentality, then let them inform us what is the nature of things invisible, recount the number of the Angels, and the ranks of the Archangels, reveal the mysteries of the Thrones, and teach us the differences between the Dominations, Principalities, Powers, and Virtues. But they can say nothing respecting them; therefore these beings were not made by them. If, on the other hand, these were made by the Creator, as was really the case, and are of a spiritual and holy character, then it follows that He who produced spiritual beings is not Himself of an animal nature, and thus their fearful system of blasphemy is overthrown.
7. For that there are spiritual creatures in the heavens, all the Scriptures loudly proclaim; and Paul expressly testifies that there are spiritual things when he declares that he was caught up into the third heaven, and again, that he was carried away to paradise, and heard unspeakable words which it is not lawful for a man to utter. But what did that profit him, either his entrance into paradise or his assumption into the third heaven, since all these things are still but under the power of the Demiurge, if, as some venture to maintain, he had already begun to be a spectator and a hearer of those mysteries which are affirmed to be above the Demiurge? For if it is true that he was becoming acquainted with that order of things which is above the Demiurge, he would by no means have remained in the regions of the Demiurge, and that so as not even thoroughly to explore even these (for, according to their manner of speaking, there still lay before him four heavens, if he were to approach the Demiurge, and thus behold the whole seven lying beneath him); but he might have been admitted, perhaps, into the intermediate place, that is, into the presence of the Mother, that he might receive instruction from her as to the things within the Pleroma. For that inner man which was in him, and spoke in him, as they say, though invisible, could have attained not only to the third heaven, but even as far as the presence of their Mother. For if they maintain that they themselves, that is, their [inner] man, at once ascends above the Demiurge, and departs to the Mother, much more must this have occurred to the [inner] man of the apostle; for the Demiurge would not have hindered him, being, as they assert, himself already subject to the Saviour. But if he had tried to hinder him, the effort would have gone for nothing. For it is not possible that he should prove stronger than the providence of the Father, and that when the tuner man is said to be invisible even to the Demiurge. But since he (Paul) has described that assumption of himself up to the third heaven as something great and pre-eminent, it cannot be that these men ascend above the seventh heaven, for they are certainly not superior to the apostle. If they do maintain that they are more excellent than he, let them prove themselves so by their works, for they have never pretended to anything like [what he describes as occurring to himself]. And for this reason he added, “Whether in the body, or whether out of the body, God knoweth,” that the body might neither be thought to be a partaker in that vision, as if it could have participated in those things which it had seen and heard; nor, again, that any one should say that he was not carried higher on account of the weight of the body; but it is therefore thus far permitted even without the body to behold spiritual mysteries which are the operations of God, who made the heavens and the earth, and formed man, and placed him in paradise, so that those should be spectators of them who, like the apostle, have reached a high degree of perfection in the love of God.
8. This Being, therefore, also made spiritual things, of which, as far as to the third heaven, the apostle was made a spectator, and heard unspeakable words which it is not possible for a man to utter, inasmuch as they are spiritual; and He Himself bestows [gifts] on the worthy as inclination prompts Him, for paradise is His; and He is truly the Spirit of God, and not an animal Demiurge, otherwise He should never have created spiritual things. But if He really is of an animal nature, then let them inform us by whom spiritual things were made. They have no proof which they can give friar this was done by means of the travail of their Mother, which they declare themselves to be. For, not to speak of spiritual things, these men cannot create even a fly, or a gnat, or any other small and insignificant animal, without observing that law by which from the beginning animals have been and are naturally produced by God-through the deposition of seed in those that are of the same species. Nor was anything formed by the Mother alone; [for] they say that this Demiurge was produced by her, and that he was the Lord (the author) of all creation. And they maintain that he who is the Creator and Lord of all that has been made is of an animal nature, while they assert that they themselves are spiritual,-they who are neither the authors nor lords of any one work, not only of those things which are extraneous to them, but not even of their own bodies! Moreover, these men, who call themselves spiritual, and superior to the Creator, do often suffer much bodily pain, sorely against their will.
9. Justly, therefore, do we convict them of having departed far and wide from the truth. For if the Saviour formed the things which have been made, by means of him (the Demiurge), he is proved in that case not to be inferior but superior to them, since he is found to have been the former even of themselves; for they, too, have a place among created things. How, then, can it be argued that these men indeed are spiritual, but that he by whom they were created is of an animal nature? Or, again, if (which is indeed the only true supposition, as I have shown by numerous arguments of the very clearest nature) He (the Creator) made all things freely, and by His own power, and arranged and finished them, and His will is the substance of all things, then He is discovered to be the one only God who created all things, who alone is Omnipotent, and who is the only Father rounding and forming all things, visible and invisible, such as may be perceived by our senses and such as cannot, heavenly and earthly, “by the word of His power; ” and He has fitted and arranged all things by His wisdom, while He contains all things, but He Himself can be contained by no one: He is the Former, He the Builder, He the Discoverer, He the Creator, He the Lord of all; and there is no one besides Him, or above Him, neither has He any mother, as they falsely ascribe to Him; nor is there a second God, as Marcion has imagined; nor is there a Pleroma of thirty Aeons, which has been shown a vain supposition; nor is there any such being as Bythus or Proarche; nor are there a series of heavens; nor is there a virginal light, nor an unnameable Aeon, nor, in fact, any one of those things which are madly dreamt of by these, and by all the heretics. But there is one only God, the Creator-He who is above every Principality, and Power, and Dominion, and Virtue: He is Father, He is God, He the Founder, He the Maker, He the Creator, who made those things by Himself, that is, through His Word and His Wisdom-heaven and earth, and the seas, and all things that are in them: He is just; He is good; He it is who formed man, who planted paradise, who made the world, who gave rise to the flood, who saved Noah; He is the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of the living: He it is whom the law proclaims, whom the prophets preach, whom Christ reveals, whom the apostles make known to us, and in whom the Church believes. He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ: through His Word, who is His Son, through Him He is revealed and manifested to all to whom He is revealed; for those [only] know Him to whom the Son has revealed Him. But the Son, eternally co-existing with the Father, from of old, yea, from the beginning, always reveals the Father to Angels, Archangels, Powers, Virtues, and all to whom He wills that God should be revealed.
XXXI. Fejezet – Összefoglalás és a fenti érvek alkalmazása.
1. Azok tehát, akik Valentinusz iskolájához tartoznak meg vannak döntve, az eretnekek egész sokasága, valójában szintén fel van forgatva. Mert mindazok az érvek, amelyeket Plerómájuk ellen felléptettem, és azon túlmutató dolgokkal kapcsolatban felhoztam, megmutatva, hogyaan lett mindenek ATyja bezárva és körülhatárolva az által, ami felette van (ha valóban lenne felette valami), és hogy [az elméletük szerint] feltétlenül szükség van arra, hogy sok Atyát, és sok Plerómát, és sok világok teremtményeit gondolják ki, kezdve az egyik halmazzal és egy másikkal végződve, mintha minden oldalon létezne; és hogy minden [a hivatkozott lény] továbbra is a saját tartományában marad, és nem avatkozik bele különösképpen a máséba, mert valójában nincs köztük sem közös érdek, sem semmiféle közösség; és hogy nincs mindenek Istene, hanem hogy ez a név csak és kizárólag a Mindenhatóé; – [mindezek az érvek, mondom, ] hasonlóképpen érvényesek azokkal szemben, akik Markion, Simon és Meander iskolájához tartoznak, vagy bárki máshoz, aki hozzájuk hasonlóan elvágta azt a teremtést, amellyel mi kapcsolatban állunk az Atyától. Azok az érvek ismét, amelyeket felhoztam azokkal szemben, akik azt állítják, hogy mindenek Atyja kétségtelenül mindent magában foglal, de azt a teremtést, amelyhez mi tartozunk, nem Ő alkotta, hanem egy bizonyos más hatalom, vagy angyalok, akik nem ismerik a Propatort, akit középpontként vesz körül az univerzum hatalmas kiterjedése, mint a foltot a [körülvevő] köpeny által; amikor megmutattam, hogy nem valószínű feltevés, hogy az Atyán kívül bármely más lény alkotta azt a teremtést, amelyhez mi tartozunk, – ugyanezek az érvek érvényesek Szaturninusz, Basilides, Karpokrates és a többi gnosztikus követői ellen is, akik hasonló véleményt nyilvánítanak ki. Azok a kijelentések ismét, amelyek az emanációkkal (kiáradás, kisugárzás), az Aeonokkal, és az elfajzás állítólagos állapotával] és anyjuk állandó jellegével kapcsolatban hangzottak el, ugyanúgy megdöntik Basilidest és mindazokat, akik hamisan gnosztikusnak számítanak, akik valójában csak ugyanazokat a nézeteket ismétlik különböző neveken, de az előbbieknél nagyobb mértékben áthelyezik az igazságon kívül eső dolgokat saját tanrendszerükbe. És a számokat tiszteletben tartó megjegyzéseim mindazokkal szemben is érvényesek, akik az igazsághoz tartozó dolgokat jogtalanul eltulajdonítják egy ilyen rendszer támogatására. And all that has been said respecting the Creator (Demiurge) to show that he alone is God and Father of all, and whatever remarks may yet be made in the following books, I apply against the heretics at large. The more moderate and reasonable among them thou wilt convert and convince, so as to lead them no longer to blaspheme their Creator, and Maker, and Sustainer, and Lord, nor to ascribe His origin to defect and ignorance; but the fierce, and terrible, and irrational [among them] thou wilt drive far from thee, that you may no longer have to endure their idle loquaciousness.
2. Moreover, those also will be thus confuted who belong to Simon and Carpocrates, and if there be any others who are said to perform miracles-who do not perform what they do either through the power of God, or in connection with the truth, nor for the well-being of men, but for the sake of destroying and misleading mankind, by means of magical deceptions, and with universal deceit, thus entailing greater harm than good on those who believe them, with respect to the point on which they lead them astray. For they can neither confer sight on the blind, nor hearing on the deaf, nor chase away all sorts of demons-[none, indeed, ] except those that are sent into others by themselves, if they can even do so much as this. Nor can they cure the weak, or the lame, or the paralytic, or those who are distressed in any other part of the body, as has often been done in regard to bodily infinity. Nor can they furnish effective remedies for those external accidents which may occur. And so far are they from being able to raise the dead, as the Lord raised them, and the apostles did by means of prayer, and as has been frequently done in the brotherhood on account of some necessity-the entire Church in that particular locality entreating [the boon] with much fasting and prayer, the spirit of the dead man has returned, and he has been bestowed in answer to the prayers of the saints-that they do not even believe this can be possibly be done, [and hold] that the resurrection from the dead is simply an acquaintance with that truth which they proclaim.
3. Since, therefore, there exist among them error and misleading influences, and magical illusions are impiously wrought in the sight of men; but in the Church, sympathy, and compassion, and stedfastness, and truth, for the aid and encouragement of mankind, are not only displayed without fee or reward, but we ourselves lay out for the benefit of others our own means; and inasmuch as those who are cured very frequently do not possess the things which they require, they receive them from us;-[since such is the case, ] these men are in this way undoubtedly proved to be utter aliens from the divine nature, the beneficence of God, and all spiritual excellence. But they are altogether full of deceit of every kind, apostate inspiration, demoniacal working, and the phantasms of idolatry, and are in reality the predecessors of that dragon who, by means of a deception of the same kind, will with his tail cause a third part of the stars to fall from their place, and will cast them down to the earth. It behoves us to flee from them as we would from him; and the greater the display with which they are said to perform [their marvels], the more carefully should we watch them, as having been endowed with a greater spirit of wickedness. If any one will consider the prophecy referred to, and the daily practices of these men, he will find that their manner of acting is one and the same with the demons.
XXXII. Fejezet – Az eretnekek gonosz és istenkáromló tanainak további felfedése.
1. Moreover, this impious opinion of theirs with respect to actions-namely, that it is incumbent on them to have experience of all kinds of deeds, even the most abominable-is refuted by the teaching of the Lord, with whom not only is the adulterer rejected, but also the man who desires to commit adultery; and not only is the actual murderer held guilty of having killed another to his own damnation, but the man also who is angry with his brother without a cause: who commanded [His disciples] not only not to hate men, but also to love their enemies; and enjoined them not only not to swear falsely, but not even to swear at all; and not only not to speak evil of their neighbours, but not even to style any one “Raca” and “fool; “[declaring] that otherwise they were in danger of hell-fire; and not only not to strike, but even, when themselves struck, to present the other cheek [to those that maltreated them]; and not only not to refuse to give up the property of others, but even if their own were taken away, not to demand it back again from those that took it; and not only not to injure their neighbours, nor to do them any evil, but also, when themselves wickedly dealt with, to be long-suffering, and to show kindness towards those [that injured them], and to pray for them, that by means of repentance they might be saved-so that we should in no respect imitate the arrogance, lust, and pride of others. Since, therefore, He whom these men boast of as their Master, and of whom they affirm that He had a soul greatly better and more highly toned than others, did indeed, with much earnestness, command certain things to be done as being good and excellent, and certain things to be abstained from not only in their actual perpetration, but even in the thoughts which lead to their performance, as being wicked, pernicious, and abominable,-how then can they escape being put to confusion, when they affirm that such a Master was more highly toned [in spirit] and better than others, and yet manifestly give instruction of a kind utterly opposed to His teaching? And, again, if there were really no such thing as good and evil, but certain things were deemed righteous, and certain others unrighteous, in human opinion only, He never would have expressed Himself thus in His teaching: “The righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father;” but He shall send the unrighteous, and those who do not the works of righteousness, “into everlasting fire, where their worm shall not die, and the fire shall not be quenched.”
2. When they further maintain that it is cumbent on them to have experience of every kind of work and conduct, so that, if it be possible, accomplishing all during one manifestation in this life, they may [at once] pass over to the state of perfection, they are, by no chance, found striving to do those things which wait upon virtue, and are laborious, glorious, and skilful, which also are approved universally as being good. For if it be necessary to go through every work and every kind of operation, they ought, in the first place, to learn all the arts: all of them, [I say, ] whether referring to theory or practice, whether they be acquired by self-denial, or are mastered through means of labour, exercise, and perseverance; as, for example, every kind of music, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and all such as are occupied with intellectual pursuits: then, again, the whole study of medicine, and the knowledge of plants, so as to become acquainted with those which are prepared for the health of man; the art of painting and sculpture, brass and marble work, and the kindred arts: moreover, [they have to study] every kind of country labour, the veterinary art, pastoral occupations, the various kinds of skilled labour, which are said to pervade the whole circle of [human] exertion; those, again, connected with a maritime life, gymnastic exercises, hunting, military and kingly pursuits, and as many others as may exist, of which, with the utmost labour, they could not learn the tenth, or even the thousandth part, in the whole course of their lives. The fact indeed is, that they endeavour to learn none of these, although they maintain that it is incumbent on them to have experience of every kind of work; but, turning aside to voluptuousness, and lust, and abominable actions, they stand self-condemned when they are tried by their own doctrine. For, since they are destitute of all those [virtues] which have been mentioned, they will [of necessity] pass into the destruction of fire. These men, while they boast of Jesus as being their Master, do in fact emulate the philosophy of Epicurus and the indifference of the Cynics, [calling Jesus their Master, ] who not only turned His disciples away from evil deeds, but even from [wicked] words and thoughts, as I have already shown.
3. Again, while they assert that they possess souls from the same sphere as Jesus, and that they are like to Him, sometimes even maintaining that they are superior; while [they affirm that they were] produced, like Him, for the performance of works tending to the benefit and establishment of mankind, they are found doing nothing of the same or a like kind [with His actions], nor what can in any respect be brought into comparison with them. And if they have in truth accomplished anything [remarkable] by means of magic, they strive [in this way] deceitfully to lead foolish people astray, since they confer no real benefit or blessing on those over whom they declare that they exert] supernatural] power; but, bringing forward mere boys [as the subjects on whom they practise], and deceiving their sight, while they exhibit phantasms that instantly cease, and do not endure even a moment of time, they are proved to be like, not Jesus our Lord, but Simon the magician. It is certain, too, from the fact that the Lord rose from the dead on the third day, and manifested Himself to His disciples, and was in their sight received up into heaven, that, inasmuch as these men die, and do not rise again, nor manifest themselves to any, they are proved as possessing souls in no respect similar to that of Jesus.
4. If, however, they maintain that the Lord, too, performed such works simply in appearance, we shall refer them to the prophetical writings, and prove from these both that all things were thus predicted regarding Him, and did take place undoubtedly, and that He is the only Son of God. Wherefore, also, those who are in truth His disciples, receiving grace from Him, do in His name perform [miracles], so as to promote the welfare of other men, according to the gift which each one has received from Him. For some do certainly and truly drive out devils, so that those who have thus been cleansed from evil spirits frequently both believe [in Christ], and join themselves to the Church. Others have foreknowledge of things to come: they see visions, and utter prophetic expressions. Others still, heal the sick by laying their hands upon them, and they are made whole. Yea, moreover, as I have said, the dead even have been raised up, and remained among us for many years. And what shall I more say? It is not possible to name the number of the gifts which the Church, [scattered] throughout the whole world, has received from God, in the name of Jesus Christ, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and which she exerts day by day for the benefit of the Gentiles, neither practising deception upon any, nor taking any reward from them Ion account of such miraculous interpositions]. For as she has received freely from God, freely also does she minister [to others].
5. Nor does she perform anything by means of angelic invocations, or by incantations, or by any other wicked curious art; but, directing her prayers to the Lord, who made all things, in a pure, sincere, and straightforward spirit, and calling upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, she has been accustomed to work miracles for the advantage of mankind, and not to lead them into error. If, therefore, the name of our Lord Jesus Christ even now confers benefits [upon men], and cures thoroughly and effectively all who anywhere believe on Him, but not that of Simon, or Menander, or Carpocrates, or of any other man whatever, it is manifest that. when He was made man, He held fellowship with His own creation, and did all things truly through the power of God, according to the will of the Father of all, as the prophets had foretold. But what these things were, shall be described in dealing with the proofs to be found in the prophetical writings.
XXXIII. Fejezet – A lélekvándorlás tanának abszurditása.
1. Felforgathatjuk a testről testre való vándorlásról szóló tanításukat azzal a ténnyel, hogy a lelkek semmire sem emlékeznek azokból az eseményekből, amelyek előz létállapotukban történtek. Mert ha ezzel a céllal küldték ki őket, hogy mindenféle cselekvésben tapasztalatot szerezzenek, akkor szükségképpen meg kell őrizniük az emlékezetüket azokról a dolgokról, amelyeket korábban már megvalósítottak, hogy feltölthesség azokat, amelyekben még hiányosak voltak, és nem azáltal, hogy mindig, szünet nélkül lebegnek ugyanazon törekvések körül, hiába töltvén munkájukat nyomorultan (mert a testnek [a lélekkel] puszta egyesülése nem tudta teljesen kioltani a korábban átélt dolgok emlékét és elmélkedését) és különösen, mert ebből az igazi célból jöttek [ebbe a világba]. Mert ahogy a test alszik és nyugalomban van, bármit is lát a lélek, amit látomásban tesz, ezek közül sokra visszaemlékezve, azt a testével is közli; és ahogy megtörténik, hogy amikor valaki felébred, talán hosszú idő után, elmondja, amit álmában látott, kétségtelenül emlékezne azokra a dolgokra is, amelyeket tett, mielőtt ebbe a testbe került. Mert ha arra, amit csak nagyon rövid ideig látunk, vagy egyszerűen csak képzeletben, és egyedül a lélek, álom útján, emlékezünk rá, miután ismét elegyedik a testtel, és szétszórva az összes tagban, sokkal inkább emlékezne azokra a dolgokra, amelyekkel kapcsolatban olyan hosszú ideig tartózkodott, akár egy elmúlt életének teljes időszakában.
2. Ezekre az ellenvetésekre hivatkozva Platón, az ókori athéni, aki szintén elsőként ismertette ezt a véleményt, amikor nem tudta őket félretenni, feltalálta a feledés csésze [fogalmát], azt képzelve, hogy így megmentheti a nehézségnek eme fiát. Semmiféle bizonyítást nem kísérelt meg [feltevésének], hanem egyszerűen dogmatikusan azt válaszolta [a kérdéses kifogásra], hogy amikor a lelkek belépnek ebbe az életbe, a feledés italára készteti őket az a démon, aki figyeli belépésüket [a világba], mielőtt belépnének a testekbe [hozzájuk rendelve]. Megúszta, hogy [így szólva] újabb nagyobb zavarba esett. Mert ha a feledés pohara, miután megivott, eltörölheti az összes elkövetett tett emlékét, akkor, ó, Platón, hogyan szerezheti meg ennek a ténynek az ismeretét (mivel a lelke most a testben van) hogy mielőtt bejutott volna a testbe, a démon megitatta a feledést okozó kábítószerrel? Mert ha emlékezel a démonra, a pohárra és az életbe való bejutásodra, akkor más dolgokat is ismerned kell; de ha viszont tudatlan vagy róluk, akkor nincs igazság sem a démon történetében, sem a művészettel előkészített feledés poharában.
3. In opposition, again, to those who affirm that the body itself is the drug of oblivion, this observation may be made: How, then, does it come to pass, that whatsoever the soul sees by her own instrumentality, both in dreams and by reflection or earnest mental exertion, while the body is passive, she remembers, and reports to her neighbours? But, again, if the body itself were [the cause of] oblivion, then the soul, as existing in the body, could not remember even those things which were perceived long ago either by means of the eyes or the ears; but, as soon as the eye was turned from the things looked at, the memory of them also would undoubtedly be destroyed. For the soul, as existing in the very [cause of] oblivion, could have no knowledge of anything else than that only which it saw at the present moment. How, too, could it become acquainted with divine things, and retain a remembrance of them while existing in the body, since, as they maintain, the body itself is [the cause of] oblivion? But the prophets also, when they were upon the earth, remembered likewise, on their returning to their ordinary state of mind, whatever things they spiritually saw or heard in visions of heavenly objects, and related them to others. The body, therefore, does not cause the soul to forget those things which have been spiritually witnessed; but the soul teaches the body, and shares with it the spiritual vision which it has enjoyed.
4. For the body is not possessed of greater power than the soul, since indeed the former is inspired, and vivified, and increased, and held together by the latter; but the soul possesses and rules over the body. It is doubtless retarded in its velocity, just in the exact proportion in which the body shares in its motion; but it never loses the knowledge which properly belongs to it. For the body may be compared to an instrument; but the soul is possessed of the reason of an artist. As, therefore, the artist finds the idea of a work to spring up rapidly in his mind, but can only carry it out slowly by means of an instrument, owing to the want of perfect pliability in the matter acted upon, and thus the rapidity of his mental operation, being blended with the slow action of the instrument, gives rise to a moderate kind of movement [towards the end contemplated]; so also the soul, by being mixed up with the body belonging to it, is in a certain measure impeded, its rapidity being blended with the body’s slowness. Yet it does not lose altogether its own peculiar powers; but while, as it were, sharing life with the body, it does not itself cease to live. Thus, too, while communicating other things to the body, it neither loses the knowledge of them, nor the memory of those things which have been witnessed.
5. If, therefore, the soul remembers nothing of what took place in a former state of existence, but has a perception of those things which are here, it follows that she never existed in other bodies, nor did things of which she has no knowledge, nor [once] knew things which she cannot [now mentally] contemplate. But, as each one of us receives his body through the skilful working of God, so does he also possess his soul. For God is not so poor or destitute in resources, that He cannot confer its own proper soul on each individual body, even as He gives it also its special character. And therefore, when the number [fixed upon] is completed, [that number] which He had predetermined in His own counsel, all those who have been enrolled for life [eternal] shah rise again, having their own bodies, and having also their own souls, and their own spirits, in which they had pleased God. Those, on the other hand, who are worthy of punishment, shall go away into it, they too having their own souls and their own bodies, in which they stood apart from the grace of God. Both classes shall then cease from any longer begetting and being begotten, from marrying and being given in marriage; so that the number of mankind, corresponding to the fore-ordination of God, being completed, may fully realize the scheme formed by the Father.
XXXIV. Fejezet – A lelkek külön állapotukban is felismerhetők, és öröklétűek, bár valamikor volt kezdetük.
1. The Lord has taught with very great fulness, that souls not only continue to exist, not by passing from body to body, but that they preserve the same form [in their separate state] as the body had to which they were adapted, and that they remember the deeds which they did in this state of existence, and from which they have now ceased,-in that narrative which is recorded respecting the rich man and that Lazarus who found repose in the bosom of Abraham. In this account He states that Dives knew Lazarus after death, and Abraham in like manner, and that each one of these persons continued in his own proper position, and that [Dives] requested Lazarus to be sent to relieve him-[Lazarus], on whom he did not [formerly] bestow even the crumbs [which fell] from his table. [He tells us] also of the answer given by Abraham, who was acquainted not only with what respected himself, but Dives also, and who enjoined those who did not wish to come into that place of torment to believe Moses and the prophets, and to receive the preaching of Him who was to rise again from the dead. By these things, then, it is plainly declared that souls continue to exist that they do not pass from body to body, that they possess the form of a man, so that they may be recognised, and retain the memory of things in this world; moreover, that the gift of prophecy was possessed by Abraham, and that each class of souls] receives a habitation such as it has deserved, even before the judgment.
2. But if any persons at this point maintain that those souls, which only began a little while ago to exist, cannot endure for any length of time; but that they must, on the one hand, either be unborn, in order that they may be immortal, or if they have had a beginning in the way of generation, that they should die with the body itself-let them learn that God alone, who is Lord of all, is without beginning and without end, being truly and for ever the same, and always remaining the same unchangeable Being. But all things which proceed from Him, whatsoever have been made, and are made, do indeed receive their own beginning of generation, and on this account are inferior to Him who formed them, inasmuch as they are not unbegotten. Nevertheless they endure, and extend their existence into a long series of ages in accordance with the will of God their Creator; so that He grants them that they should be thus formed at the beginning, and that they should so exist afterwards.
3. For as the heaven which is above us, the firmament, the sun, the moon, the rest of the stars, and all their grandeur, although they had no previous existence, were called into being, and continue throughout a long course of time according to the will of God, so also any one who thinks thus respecting souls and spirits, and, in fact, respecting all created things, will not by any means go far astray, inasmuch as all things that have been made had a beginning when they were formed, but endure as long as God wills that they should have an existence and continuance. The prophetic Spirit bears testimony to these opinions, when He declares, “For He spake, and they were made; He commanded, and they were created: He hath established them for ever, yea, forever and ever.” And again, He thus speaks respecting the salvation of man: “He asked life of Thee, and Thou gavest him length of days for ever and ever; ” indicating that it is the Father of all who imparts continuance for ever and ever on those who are saved. For life does not arise from us, nor from our own nature; but it is bestowed according to the grace of God. And therefore he who shall preserve the life bestowed upon him, and give thanks to Him who imparted it, shall receive also length of days for ever and ever. But he who shall reject it, and prove himself ungrateful to his Maker, inasmuch as he has been created, and has not recognised Him who bestowed [the gift upon him], deprives himself of [the privilege of] continuance for ever and ever. And, for this reason, the Lord declared to those who showed themselves ungrateful towards Him: “If ye have not been faithful in that which is little, who will give you that which is great? ” indicating that those who, in this brief temporal life, have shown themselves ungrateful to Him who bestowed it, shall justly not receive from Him length of days for ever and ever.
4. But as the animal body is certainly not itself the soul, yet has fellowship with the soul as long as God pleases; so the soul herself is not life, but partakes in that life bestowed upon her by God. Wherefore also the prophetic word declares of the first-formed man, “He became a living soul,” teaching us that by the participation of life the soul became alive; so that the soul, and the life which it possesses, must be understood as being separate existences. When God therefore bestows life and perpetual duration, it comes to pass that even souls which did not previously exist should henceforth endure [for ever], since God has both willed that they should exist, and should continue in existence. For the will of God ought to govern and rule in all things, while all other things give way to Him, are in subjection, and devoted to His service. Thus far, then, let me speak concerning the creation and the continued duration of the soul.
XXXV. Fejezet – Basilides cáfolata, és azon vélemény, hogy a próféták különböző istenek sugallatára mondták ki jóslataikat.
1. Moreover, in addition to what has been said, Basilides himself will, according to his own principles, find it necessary to maintain not only that there are three hundred and sixty-five heavens made in succession by one another, but that an immense and innumerable multitude of heavens have always been in the process of being made, and are being made, and will continue to be made, so that the formation of heavens of this kind can never cease. For if from the efflux of the first heaven the second was made after its likeness, and the third after the likeness of the second, and so on with all the remaining subsequent ones, then it follows, as a matter of necessity, that from the efflux of our heaven, which he indeed terms the last, another be formed like to it, and from that again a third; and thus there can never cease, either the process of efflux from those heavens which have been already made, or the manufacture of [new] heavens, but the operation must go on ad infinitum, and give rise to a number of heavens which will be altogether indefinite.
2. A többieket, akiket hamisan gnosztikusoknak neveznek, és akik azt állítják, hogy a próféták különböző istenek sugallatára mondták ki próféciáikat, könnyen megcáfolhatóak lesznek abból a tényből, hogy minden próféta egy Istent és Urat hirdetett, és hogy Ő az ég és a föld valódi Alkotója, és mindené, ami azokban van; miközben ezenfelül hirdették Fia eljövetelét, amint azt magukból az Írásokból is bemutatom a következő könyvekben.
3. Ha azonban, bámely tárgy, amely a héber nyelvben különféle [Istenre vonatkozó] kifejezésekkel fordul elő az Írásban, mint például Sabaoth, Elohe, Adonai, és minden más hasonló kifejezés, ezekből igyekezve bebizonyítani, hogy különböző hatalmak és istenek léteznek, tanulják meg, hogy minden ilyen megnyilvánulás csupán egy és ugyanazon Lény bejelentései és megnevezései. Mert az Eloë (Eloah) a júdeai nyelvben Istent jelöli, míg az Elōeim és Eleōuth (ez egy rabbinikus elvont kifejezés אְֶלָהוּת Istenség. Lásd Targum Cant. VIII. I,6) a héber nyelvben azt jelenti, hogy „ami mindent tartalmaz”. Ami az Adonai elnevezést illeti, néha azt jelöli, ami megnevezhető és csodálatra méltó; de máskor, amikor a benne lévő Daleth betű megkettőződik, és a szó kezdeti torokhangot kap – így: Addonai – [azt jelenti], “Az, aki határolja és elválasztja a földet a vízből” hogy a víz később ne borítsa el a földet. Hasonló módon a Sabaoth is, amikor az utolsó szótagban [Sabaōth] görög Omegát írják (Sabaωth), jelenti az “akaratlagos okozó;”-t (a magyarázat Jób targumából való; XXXI. 16.); de amikor a görög omikronnal írják – mint például a Sabaoth – az „első eget” fejezi ki. Ugyanígy a Jaōth (Jαωth) szó is, amikor az utolsó szótagot meghosszabbítjuk és kiejtjük a h-t (hehezetesen ejtjük ki), “előre elrendelt mértéket” jelöl; de amikor röviden a görög Omicron betűvel írják, nevezetesen Jaoth, akkor azt jelenti, hogy „aki elűzi a gonoszokat”. Az összes többi kifejezés hasonlóképpen egy és ugyanazon Lény címét mutatja be; mint például: „az Erők Ura”, „a Mindenek Atyja”, „a Mindenható Isten”, a Magasságos, a Teremtő, az Alkotó, és hasonlók. Nem különböző létezők egymásutánjának nevei és címei ezek, hanem egy és ugyanannak, amely [címek] által az egy Isten és Atya van kinyilatkoztatva, aki mindent magában foglal, és a létezés áldását mindeneknek megadja.
4. Most, hogy az apostolok hirdetése, az úr tantásának tekintélye, a próféták beszédei, az apostolok diktált beszédei és a törvény szolgálata – amelyek mindegyike egy és ugyanazt a Létezőt (lényt) dicsér, mindenek Istenét és Atyját, és nem sok különböző lényt, és nem is olyat, amelyik szubsztanciáját különböző istenektől vagy hatalmaktól származtatja, hanem [kijelentik], hogy mindent egy és ugyanaz Atya [alakított] (aki azonban elfogadja ezeket a műveket] a felosztott anyagok természetével és hajlamaival), a látható és láthatatlan dolgokat, és egy szóval mindent, amelyet sem angyalok, sem más hatalom nem, hanem egyedül Isten, az Atya alakított – mind összhangban vannak állításainkkal, azt hiszem, kellőképpen bebizonyosodott, míg ezek által a súlyos érvek által bizonyíttattak, hogy csak egy Isten van, minden dolgok Alkotója. De nehogy azt higgyék, hogy elkerülöm a bizonyítékok sorozatát, amelyek az Úr Írásaiból származhatnak (mivel ezek az Írások sokkal nyilvánvalóbban és világosabban hirdetik éppen ezt a pontot), odaszánok egy külön könyvet az Írásokra azok javára, akik legalábbis nem rontották meg elméjüket, amely tisztességesen végigköveti azokat [és megmagyarázza őket], és ezekből az isteni írásokból világosan ki fogok mutatni bizonyítékokat, amelyek [kielégítik] az igazság minden szeretőjét.