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| Secundus' System of Æons; Epiphanes; Ptolemæus.
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Chapter
XXXIII.—Secundus’ System of Æons; Epiphanes;
Ptolemæus.
A certain (heretic) Secundus,726
| 726
Concerning Secundus and Epiphanes, see Irenæus, i. 11;
Theodoret, Hær. Fab., i. 5–9; Epiphanius, xxxii. 1,
3, 4; Tertullian, Adv. Valent., c. xxxviii.; and St.
Augustine, Hær., xi. Hippolytus, in his remarks
on Secundus and Epiphanes, borrows from St. Irenæus. | born about the same time with
Ptolemæus, expresses himself thus: (he says) that there is a
right tetrad and a left tetrad,—namely, light and darkness.
And he affirms that the power which withdrew and laboured under
deficiency, was not produced from the thirty Æons, but from the
fruits of these. Some other (heretic), however—Epiphanes, a
teacher among them—expresses himself thus: “The
earliest originating principle was inconceivable, ineffable, and
unnameable;” and he calls this Monotes. And (he maintains)
that there co-exists with this (principle) a power which he denominates
Henotes. This Henotes and this Monotes, not by projection (from
themselves), sent forth a principle (that should preside) over all
intelligibles; (and this was) both unbegotten and invisible, and he
styles it a Monad. “With this power co-exists a power of
the same essence, which very (power) I call Unity. These four
powers sent forth the remainder of the projections of the
Æons.” But others, again, denominate the chief and
originating Ogdoad, (which is) fourth (and) invisible, by the following
names: first, Proarche; next, Anennœtus; third, Arrhetus;
and fourth, Aoratus. And that from the first, Proarche, was
projected by a first and fifth place, Arche; and from Anennœtus,
by a second and sixth place, Acataleptus; and from Arrhetus, by a third
and seventh place, Anonomastus; and from Aoratus, Agennetus, a
complement of the first Ogdoad. They wish that these powers
should exist before Bythus and Sige. Concerning, however, Bythus
himself, there are many different opinions. Some affirm him to be
unwedded, neither male nor female; but others (maintain) that Sige, who
is a female, is present with him, and that this constitutes the first
conjugal union.
But the followers of Ptolemæus727
| 727
Concerning Ptolemæus, see Irenæus, i. 12; Tertullian,
De Præscript., c. xlix.; and Advers. Valent., c.
viii.; Epiphanius, Hær., xxxiii. 3–7; and Theodoret,
Hæret. Fab., i. 8. | assert that (Bythus) has two spouses,
which they call likewise dispositions, viz., Ennoia and Thelesis
(conception and volition). For first the notion was conceived of
projecting anything; next followed, as they say, the will to do
so. Wherefore also these two dispositions and
powers—namely, Ennoia and Thelesis—being, as it were,
mingled one with the other, there ensued a projection of Monogenes and
Aletheia by means of a conjugal union. And the consequence was,
that visible types and images of those two dispositions of the Father
came forth from the invisible (Æons), viz., from Thelema, Nous,
and from Ennoia, Aletheia. And on this account the image of the
subsequently generated Thelema is (that of a) male; but (the image) of
the unbegotten Ennoia is (that of a) female, since volition is, as it
were, a power of conception. For conception always cherished the
idea of a projection, yet was not of itself at least able to project
itself, but cherished the idea (of doing so). When, however, the
power of volition (would be present), then it projects the idea which
had been conceived.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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