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 “acceptance103    Exceptio. 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;104    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,105    In hunc derivaret. 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,106    Sed enim. 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.107    De Patre. 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),108    Præ vi dulcedinis et laboris. and dissolved into the remnant of his substance;109    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 great110    Illius. universe, and, externally, the guardian thereof. To him they give the additional names of Crux (Cross), and Lytrotes (Redeemer,) and Carpistes (Emancipator).111    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,112    Animationem.or Enthymesis (Desire,) along with the passion which had come over her.

CAPUT IX.

0555A

Sed et hoc exceptio personarum est, quod solus ille Nus ex omnibus immensi patris fruitur notione, gaudens et exultans, illis utique moerentibus . Plane Nus, quantum in ipso fuit, et voluerat et tentaverat caeteris quoque communicare quae norat, quantus et quam incomprehensibilis pater: sed intercessit mater Sige, illa scilicet, quae et ipsis haereticis suis tacere praescribit: etsi de patris nutu aiunt factum, volentis omnes in desiderium sui accendi. Itaque dum macerantur intra semetipsos, dum tacita cupidine cognoscendi patrem uruntur, pene scelus factum est. Namque ex illis duodecim Aeonibus, quos Homo et Ecclesia ediderant novissima natu Aeon (viderit soloecismus). Sophia 0555B enim nomen est, incontinentia sui, sine conjugis Phileti societate prorumpit in patrem inquirere, et genus contrahit vitii, quod exorsum quidem 0556A fuerat in illis aliis qui circa Nun, in hunc autem, id est in Sophiam derivarat, ut solent vitia in corpore alibi connata , in aliud membrum perniciem suam efflare. Sed enim sub praetexto dilectionis in patrem, aemulatio superabat in Nun solum de patre gaudentem. Ut vero impossibilia contendens Sophia frustrarat , et vincitur difficultate, et extenditur affectione, modico abfuit prae vi dulcedinis et laboris devorari, et in reliquam substantiam dissolvi, nec alias quam pereundo cessasset, nisi bono fato in Horon incursasset , (quaedam et huic vis est, fundamentum, universitatis illius extrinsecus custos) quem et Crucem appellant, et Lytroten, et Carpisten. Ita Sophia periculo exempta, et tarde persuasa, declinata 0556B investigatione patris conquievit, et totam Enthymesin, id est, animationem cum Passione quae insuper acciderat, exposuit .