Chapter XXXVII.—Other Turgid and Ridiculous Theories About the Origin of the Æons and Creation, Stated and Condemned.

Now listen to some other buffooneries314    Oehler gives good reasons for the reading “ingenia circulatoria,” instead of the various readings of other editors. of a master who is a great swell among them,315    Insignioris apud eos magistri. and who has pronounced his dicta with an even priestly authority. They run thus: There comes, says he, before all things Pro-arche, the inconceivable, and indescribable, and nameless, which I for my own part call Monotes (Solitude). With this was associated another power, to which also I give the name of Henotes (Unity). Now, inasmuch as Monotes and Henotes—that is to say, Solitude and Union—were only one being, they produced, and yet not in the way of production,316    Non proferentes. Another reading is “non proserentes” (not generating). the intellectual, innascible, invisible beginning of all things, which human language317    Sermo. has called Monad (Solitude).318    Or, solitariness. This has inherent in itself a consubstantial force, which it calls Unity319    Or, Union. These powers, accordingly, Solitude or Solitariness, and Unity, or Union, propagated all the other emanations of Æons.320    Compare our Irenæus, I. 2, 3. [Vol. I. p. 316.] Wonderful distinction, to be sure! Whatever change Union and Unity may undergo, Solitariness and Solitude is profoundly supreme. Whatever designation you give the power, it is one and the same.

CAPUT XXXVII.

Accipe alia ingenia Currucae Enniani, insignioris apud eos magistri, qui et pontificali sua auctoritate in hunc modum censuit. Est, inquit, 0591B ante omnia Proarche, inexcogitabile, et inenarrabile, et innominabile , quod ego nomino Monoteta. 0592A Cum hac erat alia virtus, quam et ipsam appello Henoteta. Monotes et Henotes, id est Solitas et Unitas, cum unum essent, protulerunt non proferentes initium omnium intellectuale, innascibile, invisibile, quod sermo Monada vocavit. Huic adest consubstantiva virtus, quam appellat Unio. Hae igitur virtutes Solitas, Singularitas, Unitas , Unio, caeteras prolationes Aeonum propagarunt. O differentia! Mutetur Unio et Unitas, Singularitas et suum Solitas , quamquam designaveris, unum est .