230 LUCIFER. Pistis- Sophia. (Continue, (Translated and annotated by G. R. S. M., with additional notes by H. P. B.) of the Gnosis, and as the Pistis-Sophia presupposes a thorough knowledge of ‘the outlines of this scheme, we are compelled to depart somewhat from our original plan and insert a résumé of this sublime system. It is somewhat invidious to select any particular school, but perhaps that of Valentinus who flourished at the beginning of the second century 4.p., will best serve our purpose. The following is translated from the Refulation of All Heresies (1) attributed to Hippolytus, Bishop of Ostia (Portus), who was put to death a.p. 222, ‘There is, however, doubt as to the identification and date of this writer; but, be that as it may, he is the fairest and most accurate of all the Church Fathers and his Refufation is one of the most reliable chronicles of the Gnostic period that we possess. (2) After a most interesting review of the Pythagorean and Platonic systems of numbers and a comparison between these systems and that of Valentinus, in order to prove that the teaching of the latter was from the former philosophers and not of Christ, our author continues : “For them, the beginning of all things is the Monad, (3) ingenerable, imperishable, incomprehensible, inconceptible, the creator and cause of the generation of all things that are generated. () This Monad is called by them the Father. Now as to its nature there is a difference of opinion among them ; for some declare that the Father is devoid of femininity and without a syzygy (consort, pair, or sakti) and solitary; whereas others think that it is impossible that from a single male principle, the generation of all things should be, and so they are compelled to add to the Father of All, in order that it (5) may be a Father, the syzygy Silence (Sig). But as to whether Silence is a syzygy or not, let them settle this dispute among themselves. (6) “In the beginning, says (Valentinus), naught was that was generated. The Father alone was, ungenerated, without space (or region), time, counsellor, or any other essence (or attribute) capable of being conceived by any means. It was alone, solitary, and at test, iiself tn itself, alone. But since it had the power of creating (emanating rather), it seemed good to it ® perhaps many of our readers are unfamiliar with the general scheme (2) More generally known as the Philsophumena, Lib, IV. cap 29 ats (2) But even so, when it is remembered that we get the following résumé from the writings of an opponent, itis evident that no partiality to the “heretics” colors the exposition, and that we have the barcst pussible justice at the best. What should we have learned from the pen of a Gnostic ! (3) See the Chart of the Plerdina, appended to this paper. G) Our author, with the usual matenialising propensity of the ecclesiastic, thus makes the Valentinian Systein start from Brahma, the creator or third Logos; in other words he starts from the Pleroma. Bythus or the Monad, on the contrary, is the First Unmanifested Logos, the Potentiality of all Potentialities. (5) Although our author expresses Bythus, or the Father, by masculine pro- nouns in his narrative, we prefer to follow Valentinus, who tells us that the Father Was ‘without attributes” We, therefore, shall use impersonal pronouns when referring to the Monad, and so vindicate the teachings of the great Gnostic sage for all philosophical minds. | . (© Thatis the mystery of the First Unmanifested Logos and Mulaprakriti.PISTIS-SOPHIA. 231 at length to generate and produce that which was most beautiful and most perfect in itself, for it loved not solitude. For Love, said (Valentinus), was all, but Love is not Love if there is nothing to be loved. “Therefore, the Father, solitary as it was, emanated and generated Mind and Truth, the Duad, which is the Lady and Beginning and Mother of all the A3ons which they reckon in the Pleroma. And Mind and Truth, having emanated from the Father, possessing the power of generation like their parent, in imitation of the Father, emanated themselves also the Logos and Life. (1) And the Logos and Life emanate Man and the Assembly (ekAlesia, Church). But Mind and Truth, when they saw that their own generations had become generators in their turn, gave thanks to the Father of All and offered it Ten Zions, the perfect number. For, said he, Mind and Truth could not offer the Father a more perfect number than this. For it was necessary that the Father which was perfect, should be wor- shipped with a perfect number, and the Ten is perfect because it is the first number of the plurality of digits. But the Father was more perfect still, because being itself ingenerable, alone through one and the first syzygy, Mind and Truth, it was able to emanate all the roofs of all things which are, “[80] And when the Logos and Life also saw that Mind and Truth had celebrated the Father of Ali (All-Father) with a perfect number. The Logos together with Life wished to worship their own father and mother, Mind and Truth. But since Mind and Truth were generable and had not their own fatherhood perfect, viz., the quality of being themselves parentless, the Logos and Life do not worship their own father Mind with a perfect, but with an imperfect number, and offer their parents Twelve Azons. “Now, the following are the first roots of the ‘Bons according to Valentinus: Mind and Truth, the Logos and Life, Man and the Assembly ; Ten from Mind and Truth, and Twelve from the Logos and Life; eight-and- twenty in all.(2) These are called by the following names: Bythius and Mixis, Agératus and Henésis, Autophyés and Hédoné, Akinétus and Synkrisis, Monogenés and Makaria. ‘These are the Ten Hons, which some derive from Mind and Truth, and others from the Logos and Life. Some again derive the Twelve of which we have been speaking from Man and the Assembly, and others from the Logos and Life; and the names they give these Twelve are—Paraldlétus and Pistis, Patrikus and Elpis, Métrikus and Agapé, Aénds (Acinous) and Synesis, Ekklesiastikus and Makariotes, Thelétus and Sophia.(3) “Now, the twelfth of these Twelve, and the youngest of the eight-and- {0) The verbs in this passage are singular, Mind and Truth being regarded as one duad. (2) That is four sevens, three being still unmanifested even in the Divine Mind. G) ECA DODECAD. Se ae Bythius Mixis| Parahletus PISTIS (Bythus-likey (Mingling) (Advocate or Comforter) (Faith or Confidence) _——— — + Ageratus Hendsis, Patrikus Elpis (Unaging) (Union or Oneness) (Father-like) (Hope) Katophyés Hedoné Metrikas ‘Agape (Sdlf-existent) (Bliss) (Mother-like) (Love or Charity) ——— ete Akinétus ‘Synkrasis Ainds ‘Synesis (Immoveable) (Mixing) (Everlasting or Everflowing) (Understanding) ———. a Monogents Makaria Ekklesiastikus Makariotés (Only-begotten) —(Blessedness) (Ekktesia-like) (Happiness) —_+——,,, Theletas SOPHIA (The Longed-for or Desired) (Wisdom)232 LUCIFER. twenty Zons, Sophia by name, a female Hon, beholding the multitude and power of the Sons which had generated, returned to the depth of the Father and perceived that all the rest of the ons, being in their nature generated, generated through a syzygy. But the Father alone generated without a syzygy. She, therefore, desired to imitate the Father and generate by herself without ‘her syzygy, in. order that she might per form a work not inferior to that of the Father, being ignorant that the ungenerable, as it is fundamentally the beginning and root, and the deep and depth of all, could generate alone, whereas Sophia being generated and produced’ after many, could not ‘possess the power of the ungenerated. For in the ungenerated, he said, are all things together, whereas in the generated the feminine has the power of emanating the essence, while the masculine has the power of informing the essence emanated by the feminine. Sophia, therefore, emanated the only thing which she could, viz., a formless and uninformed’ (unwrought) essence. This is what, he said, Moses said: ‘The earth was invisible and unformed.'(1) This is, he said, the good and Celestial Jerusalem, into which God promised to lead the sons of Israel, saying : ‘I will lead you into a land flowing with milk and honey.’(2) “ [81] And so ignorance having been produced through Sophia, within, in the Pleroma, and formlessness also by the generation (production) of Sophia, tumult arose in the Pleroma lest the generations (progeny) of the Zons ‘should in like manner become formless and imperfect, and destruction in no long time seize on the Eons. All the Hons, therefore, betook themselves to praying to the Father to stop the sorrowing Sophia. For she was bewailing and groaning because of the Abortion generated by herself; for thus they call it. Therefore, the Father taking pity on the tears of Sophia and giving ear to the prayers of the Eons, ordered an additional emanation, For it was not himself that emanated, but Mind and Truth which (emanated) the Christos and Holy Spirit for the informing and differentiation of the Abortion and for the consolation and appeasing of the complaints of Sophia. So that together with the Christos and the Holy Spirit there are thirty Aons.(3) Now, some of them think that she (the Holy Spirit) is the thirtieth AZon, while others maintain that Sigé co-exists with the Father, and that the Mons should be reckoned together with them. The Christos and Holy Spirit then, being after-emana- ted by Mind and Truth, immediately separated this formless Abortion of Sophia, which was generated by her alone without her syzygy, from the universal ons, lest the perfect ons seeing it should be thrown into confusion by its formlessness. In order then that the Abortion should not appear to the perfect AZons in all its formlessness, the Father again emanated additionally one Hon, the Staurus (Cross or Stock), which having become great, in as much as it was from the great and perfect Father, having been projected into the custody and stockade of the ‘Eons, became the Hérus (Boundary) of the Pleroma (Completion) having within itself all (1) Genesis i 2. (2) Exodus xxiii. 3. G) 30 = 2 X 3 X 5 and also 3 X 10; and 3 X (7 + 3). Now if we remember that five is the nimber of the Pentagram or Man, we shall be able to see that the number 30 includes both Microcosinic and Macrocosmic numbers. If again we add to the Pleroma the Father, we get 31. Now 777 = 343 + 36 =(7X7X 74+ 2X7 xX 3S=7P +27 @x 7+ 3) Also 777 = 7 X 10° +7 X 10+ 7. Take the powers to represent anes and apply them to the ggometrical Figures, Eamest esoteric students should take the hint and work out some of the marvellous permutations, combinations, and interchangeabilities of numbers and geometrical figures; but in this stupendous and mind: jering task ach must do his own thinking for himself.