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| Chapter XV.—No account can be given of these productions.
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Chapter XV.—No account can be given
of these productions.
1. But let us return to the fore-mentioned
question as to the production [of the Æons]. And, in the first place,
let them tell us the reason of the production of the Æons 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 Æons, and the day twelve
hours, and the year twelve months, on account of the twelve Æons 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 Æons, 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 Æons, 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 numbers3068
| 3068 Referring to numbers like 4, 5, 6, which do not
correspond to any important fact in creation, as 7 e.g., does to the
number of the planets. | as belong to creation? For they
describe those [Æons 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.3069
| 3069 The Latin text is here
scarcely intelligible, and is variously pointed by the editors.
|
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 the3070
| 3070 Harvey explains “his” as here denoting
“in his,” but we are at a loss to know how he would translate
the passage. It is in the highest degree obscure. | 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.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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