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| Letters, Symbols of the Heavens.
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Chapter XLIII—Letters, Symbols of the Heavens.
He has, however, employed the instrumentality of
the aggregate of the seven numbers, in order that the result of the
self-devised (counsel)755
| 755 Supplied
from Irenæus. |
might be manifested. Understand, he says, for the present, that
remarkable number to be Him who was formed by the illustrious one, and
who was, as it were, divided, and remained outside. And He,
through both His Own power and wisdom, by means of the projection of
Himself, imparted, in imitation of the seven powers,756
| 756 This
should be altered into Hebdomad if we follow Irenæus. | animation to this world, so as to make it
consist of seven powers, and constituted (this world) the soul of the
visible universe. And therefore this one has resorted to such all
operation as what was spontaneously undertaken by Himself; and these
minister,757
| 757
τάδε
διακονεῖ. This is
the text of Irenæus, and corrects the common reading, τὰ δἰ
εἰκόνων. | inasmuch as they
are imitations of things inimitable, unto the intelligence of the
Mother. And the first heaven sounds Alpha,758
| 758
φθέγγεται
(Irenæus). The common reading is φαίνεται. | and the one after that E[psilon], and
the third Eta, and the fourth, even that in the midst of the seven
(vowels, enunciates) the power of Iota, and the fifth of O[micron], and
the sixth of U[psilon], and the seventh and fourth from the
central759
| 759
μέσου: in
Irenæus we have μέρους. | one,
O[mega]. And all the powers, when they are connected together in
one, emit a sound, and glorify that (Being) from whom they have been
projected. And the glory of that sound is transmitted upwards to
the Progenitor. And furthermore, he says that the sound of this
ascription of glory being conveyed to the earth, became a creator and
producer of terrestrial objects. And (he maintains) that the
proof of this (may be drawn) from the case of infants recently born,
whose soul, simultaneously with exit from the womb utters similarly
this sound of each one of the elements. As, then, he says, the
seven powers glorify the Logos, so also does the sorrowing soul in
babes (magnify Him).760
| 760
Irenæus has the sentence thus: “so also the soul in
babes, lamenting and bewailing Marcus, glorifies him.” | And on account of this, he says,
David likewise has declared, “Out of the mouths of babes and
sucklings Thou hast perfected praise.”761
And again, “The heavens
declare the glory of God.”762
When,763
| 763
Hippolytus here omits some passages which are to be found in
Irenæus. | however, the soul is involved in
hardships, it utters no other exclamation than the O[mega], inasmuch as
it is afflicted in order that the soul above, becoming aware of what is
akin to herself (below), may send down one to help this (earthly
soul).E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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