Bad Advertisement?
Are you a Christian?
Online Store:Visit Our Store
| Other Capricious Features in the System. The Æons Unequal in Attributes. The Superiority of Nus; The Vagaries of Sophia Restrained by Horos. Grand Titles Borne by This Last Power. PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP
Chapter IX.—Other Capricious Features in the System. The
Æons Unequal in Attributes. The Superiority of Nus; The Vagaries
of Sophia Restrained by Horos. Grand Titles Borne by This Last
Power.
But, further, there is an
“acceptance6713 of persons,”
inasmuch as Nus alone among them all enjoys the knowledge of the
immeasurable Father, joyous and exulting, while they of course pine in
sorrow. To be sure, Nus, so far as in him lay, both wished and tried to
impart to the others also all that he had learnt about the greatness
and incomprehensibility of the Father; but his mother, Sige,
interposed—she who (you must know) imposes silence even on her
own beloved heretics;6714
6714 Tertullian has, above,
remarked on the silent and secret practices of the Valentinians: see
chap. i. p. 503. | although they
affirm that this is done at the will of the Father, who will have all
to be inflamed with a longing after himself. Thus, while they are
tormenting themselves with these internal desires, while they are
burning with the secret longing to know the Father, the crime is almost
accomplished. For of the twelve Æons which Homo and Ecclesia had
produced, the youngest by birth (never mind the solecism, since Sophia
(Wisdom) is her name), unable to restrain herself, breaks away without
the society of her husband Theletus, in quest of the Father and
contracts that kind of sin which had indeed arisen amongst the others
who were conversant with Nus but had flowed on to this
Æon,6715 that is, to Sophia;
as is usual with maladies which, after arising in one part of the body,
spread abroad their infection to some other limb. The fact is,6716 under a pretence of love to the Father, she
was overcome with a desire to rival Nus, who alone rejoiced in the
knowledge of the Father.6717 But when Sophia,
straining after impossible aims, was disappointed of her hope, she is
both overcome with difficulty, and racked with affection. Thus
she was all but swallowed up by reason of the charm and toil (of her
research),6718
6718 Præ vi dulcedinis
et laboris. | and dissolved into
the remnant of his substance;6719
6719 It is not easy to say
what is the meaning of the words, “Et in reliquam substantiam
dissolvi.” Rigaltius renders them: “So that whatever
substance was left to her was being dissolved.” This seems to be
forcing the sentence unnaturally. Irenæus (according to the Latin
translator) says: “Resolutum in universam
substantiam,” “Resolved into his (the Father’s)
general substance,” i. 2, 2. [Vol. I. p. 317.] | nor would
there have been any other alternative for her than perdition, if she
had not by good luck fallen in with Horus (Limit). He too had
considerable power. He is the foundation of the great6720 universe, and, externally, the guardian
thereof. To him they give the additional names of Crux (Cross),
and Lytrotes (Redeemer,) and Carpistes
(Emancipator).6721
6721 So Grabe; but
Reaper, according to Neander. | When Sophia was
thus rescued from danger, and tardily persuaded, she relinquished
further research after the Father, found repose, and laid aside all her
excitement,6722 or
Enthymesis (Desire,) along with the passion which had come over
her.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
|