Chapter 3

§ 1.

These then are the transactions spoken of by them as taking place within the Pleroma; first, what became subject to passion, and well nigh lost itself as it were in a vast and intricate matter¹, trying to search out the Father; next, the composition, equivalent to six Æons in one, of him who is called Order, and the Cross, and the Redeemer and the Assertor of Liberty and the Assigner of bounds, and Maintainers of causes; then the production, by their Father, upon second thoughts, of the first Christ, with the Holy Spirit, subsequent to that of the Æons; lastly, how the second Christ, whom they denominate also Saviour, was put together and framed by way of contribution from them all.

But all this, they say, is not openly uttered, being all cannot receive such knowledge; however, our Saviour has mysteriously indicated it in Parables to such as have power to understand it. As for instance: the thirty Æons, they say, are indicated by the thirty years, of which we made mention before, wherein, as they observe, our Saviour did nothing openly;² as also by the Parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard. Paul also, as they affirm, most evidently names these Æons in many places; and hath moreover observed the Order in which they follow one another,³ when he says, Unto all the generations of the Age of all Ages: (of the Æon of all Æons). Nay, and that we too, in the Eucharist, when we utter the clause, ‘World without end’ (unto the Æon of all Æons) give signification of those Æons. In a word, wheresoever mention is made of Age or Ages, they will have it referred to the aforesaid Æons.

§ 2.

They add that the origination of their band of twelve Æons is signified by our Lord’s being twelve years old,⁴ when He conversed with the Doctors of the Law;⁵ and by His choice of the Apostles, in that there were twelve of them. Again, that the other eighteen Æons are manifested by the circumstance of His abiding eighteen months, as they say, with His Disciples, after He rose from the dead. Also, that by the two first letters of His Name, the I, and the H, those eighteen Æons are clearly enough indicated; and the ten Æons in like manner they say are signified by the letter I, which stands first in His Name.⁶ And this was the cause why our Saviour said, “one iota, or one tittle, must not pass away, till all be fulfilled.”

§ 3.

As to the calamity which befel the twelfth Æon, they say it was darkly implied in the apostasy of Judas, who was twelfth among the Apostles. As also by His having suffered in the twelfth month. For they will have it that He preached for one year only after His Baptism.

They add that in the case of the woman with an issue of blood, this is most evidently set forth; in that she, having suffered twelve years, was healed by the presence of Our Saviour, upon touching the hem of His Garment; and that this was why Our Saviour said, “Who touched me?” informing His Disciples of the mysterious event among the Æons, the healing of that Æon which had become subject to Passion. For the woman who had suffered for twelve years, being in fact that Power, when its substance was being drawn out, and melting away without limit, (as they affirm), had she not touched that which He wore, that is, the Truth which makes one of the first quaternion, and of which the hem of His Garment is the symbol,—would have been resolved into that which was the ground of her being. She was stayed, however, and rested from her calamity, because the Power which went out of Him (and this they will have to be Order or Limit) healed her, and withdrew the calamity from her.

§ 4.

Again, their doctrine that Our Saviour proceeding from all, is in a certain sense all, they affirm to be signified by the expression, Every male that openeth the Womb;⁷ and that He, being All,⁸ opened the womb of her who is the thought, or Imagination, of that afflicted Æon, the womb, I say of her who was banished from the Pleroma,—the same whom they also denominate the second Ogdoad, whereof we shall give an account a little below. And Paul also evidently for no other reason, as they affirm, used the expression, “And He is all,”⁹ and again, “All things are to Him, and of Him are all things,”¹⁰ and again, “In Him dwelleth all The Fulness (Pleroma) of the Godhead.”¹¹ And this following, “That He summed up all things in Christ,¹² by God,” they expounded to the same effect; and if there be any thing else of the like sound.

§ 5.

Next, as concerning him whom they call Order, or Limit—to whom they give so many names, affirming that he hath two modes of operation, the one apt to establish, the other to divide; and that in respect of his establishing and consolidating he is the Cross, but in respect of his dividing and distinguishing, he is Order, or Limit:—the operation of the same Order, they say, our Saviour signified as follows: that is to say, first his work of consolidating, when He says, “He that taketh not up his cross and followeth Me,¹³ cannot become My Disciple;”¹⁴ and, “Take up the cross and follow Me;” and, his distinguishing work again, where it is said, “I came not to send peace, but a sword.”¹⁵ John also, according to them, indicated the same by the words,¹⁶ “The fan is in His Hand, and He shall throughly purge the floor, and shall gather the wheat into His garner, but the chaff He will burn with fire unquenchable.

Now in this speech also, they said there was signified the operation of Order or Limit. For that “Fan,” they expound to be the Cross, who, they add, consumes also all material things, as fire the chaff, but purges those who are saved, as the fan does the wheat.

Moreover they affirm that Paul the Apostle also, makes mention of this Cross in the text,¹⁷ “For the Word of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness; but to us which are saved, it is the Power of God.”

¹⁸And again, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of Jesus¹⁹, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”

§ 6.

Such then are the sayings of them all about their Pleroma, and vain invention; violently adapting the good words to their own evil devices. And not only from the Gospels and Apostolical writings do they endeavour to make out their proofs, perverting their versions, and falsifying their expositions; but also out of the Law and the Prophets; taking occasion from the many Parables and allegories there uttered, which may be wrested many ways, others by their exposition do cleverly and craftily suit what is ambiguous to their own device, and so lead captive from the Truth all such as maintain not firmly their faith in One God the Father Almighty, and in One Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God.