Chapter XIII.—His Doctrine of Emanation Further Expanded.

Therefore, according to this reasoning, Simon became confessedly a god to his silly followers, as that Libyan, namely, Apsethus—begotten, no doubt, and subject to passion, when he may exist potentially, but devoid of propensions. (And this too, though born from one having propensions, and uncreated though born) from one that is begotten, when He may be fashioned into a figure, and, becoming perfect, may come forth from two of the primary powers, that is, Heaven and Earth. For Simon expressly speaks of this in the “Revelation” after this manner: “To you, then, I address the things which I speak, and (to you) I write what I write. The writing is this: there are two offshoots from all the Æons, having neither beginning nor end, from one root. And this is a power, viz., Sige, (who is) invisible (and) incomprehensible. And one of these (offshoots) appears from above, which constitutes a great power, (the creative) Mind of the universe, which manages all things, (and is) a male. The other (offshoot), however, is from below, (and constitutes) a great Intelligence, and is a female which produces all things. From whence, ranged in pairs opposite each other, they undergo conjugal union, and manifest an intermediate interval, namely, an incomprehensible air, which has neither beginning nor end. But in this is a father who sustains all things, and nourishes things that have beginning and end. This is he who stood, stands, and will stand, being an hermaphrodite power according to the pre-existent indefinite power, which has neither beginning nor end. Now this (power) exists in isolation. For Intelligence, (that subsists) in unity, proceeded forth from this (power), (and) became two. And that (father) was one, for having in himself this (power) he was isolated, and, however, He was not primal though pre-existent; but being rendered manifest to himself from himself, he passed into a state of duality. But neither was he denominated father before this (power) would style him father. As, therefore, he himself, bringing forward himself by means of himself, manifested unto himself his own peculiar intelligence, so also the intelligence, when it was manifested, did not exercise the function of creation. But beholding him, she concealed the Father within herself, that is, the power; and it is an hermaphrodite power, and an intelligence. And hence it is that they are ranged in pairs, one opposite the other; for power is in no wise different from intelligence, inasmuch as they are one. For from those things that are above is discovered power; and from those below, intelligence. So it is, therefore, that likewise what is manifested from these, being unity, is discovered (to be) duality, an hermaphrodite having the female in itself. This, (therefore,) is Mind (subsisting) in Intelligence; and these are separable one from the other, (though both taken together) are one, (and) are discovered in a state of duality.”

[18] Γέγονεν οὖν ὁμολογουμένως κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν λόγον τοῖς ἀνοήτοις Σίμων θεός, ὥσπερ ὁ Λίβυς ἐκεῖνος [ὁ καὶ] Ἄψεθος: γεννητὸς μὲν καὶ παθητός, ὅταν ᾖ ἐν δυνάμε[σ]ι[ν], ἀπαθὴς δὲ καὶ [ἀ]γέννητος, ὅταν ἐξεικονισθῇ καὶ γενόμενος τέλειος ἐξέλθῃ τῶν δυνάμεων τῶν πρώτων δύο, τουτέστιν οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς. λέγει γὰρ Σίμων δια(ρρή)δην περὶ τούτου ἐν τῇ Ἀποφάσει οὕτως: «ὑμῖν οὖν λέγω ἃ λέγω καὶ γράφω ἃ γράφω, τὸ γράμμα τοῦτο: δύο εἰσὶ παραφυάδες τῶν ὅλων αἰώνων, μήτε ἀρχὴν μήτε πέρας ἔχουσαι, ἀπὸ μιᾶς ῥίζης, ἥτις ἐστὶ δύναμις Σιγὴ ἀόρατος, ἀκατάληπτος. ὧν ἡ μία φαίνεται ἄνωθεν, ἥτις ἐστὶ μεγάλη δύναμις, Νοῦς τῶν ὅλων, διέπων τὰ πάντα, ἄρσην: ἡ δὲ ἑτέρα κάτωθεν, Ἐπίνοια, μεγάλη [θεός,] θήλεια, γεννῶσα τὰ πάντ(α). ἔνθεν ἀλλήλοις ἀντιστοιχοῦντες συζυγίαν ἔχουσι, καὶ τὸ μέσον διάστημα ἐμφαίνουσιν ἀέρα ἀκατάληπτον, μήτε ἀρχὴν μήτε πέρας ἔχοντα, ἐν δὲ τούτῳ Πατὴρ ὁ βαστάζων πάντα καὶ τρέφων τὰ ἀρχὴν καὶ πέρας ἔχοντα. οὗτός ἐ(στ)ιν ὁ ἑστὼς στὰς στησόμενος, ὢν ἀρσενόθηλυς δύναμις κατὰ τὴν προϋπάρχουσαν δύναμιν ἀπέραντον, ἥτις οὔτ' ἀρχὴν οὔτε πέρας ἔχει, ἐν μονότητι οὖσα. ἀπὸ δὲ ταύτης προελθοῦσα ἡ ἐν μονότητι Ἐπίνοια ἐγένετο δύο. κἀκεῖνος ἦν εἷς: ἔχων γὰρ ἐν ἑαυτῷ αὐτὴν ἦν μόνος. οὐ μέντοι πρῶτος, καίπερ προϋπάρχων: φανεὶς γὰρ αὑτῷ ἀπὸ ἑαυτοῦ ἐγένετο δεύτερος. ἀλλ' οὐδὲ Πατὴρ ἐκλήθη πρὶν αὐτὴ[ν] αὐτὸν ὀνομάσαι πατέρα. ὡς οὖν αὐτὸς ἑαυτὸν ἀπὸ ἑαυτοῦ προαγαγὼν ἐφανέρωσεν ἑαυτῷ τὴν ἰδίαν ἐπίνοιαν, οὕτως καὶ ἡ φανεῖσα Ἐπίνοια Ν[οῦν] οὐκ ἐποίησεν, ἀλλὰ ἰδοῦσα αὐτὸν ἐνέκρυψε τὸν Πατέρα ἐν ἑαυτῇ_τουτέστι τὴν δύναμιν_, καὶ ἔστιν ἀρσενόθηλυς δύναμις καὶ Ἐπίνοια. ὅθεν ἀλλήλοις ἀντι(στο)ιχοῦσιν: οὐδὲν γὰρ διαφέρει δύναμις ἐπινοίας, ἓν ὄντες: ἐκ μὲν τῶν ἄνω εὑρίσκεται δύναμις, ἐκ δὲ τῶν κάτω ἐπίνοια. ἔστιν οὖν οὕτως καὶ τὸ φανὲν ἀπ' αὐτῶν: ἓν ὂν δύο εὑρίσκεται: ἀρσενόθηλυς [δύναμις ὄν,] ἔχει τὴν θήλειαν ἐν ἑαυτῷ. οὕτως ἐστὶ [καὶ] νοῦς ἐν ἐπινοίᾳ: ἀχώριστα ἀπ' ἀλλήλων, ἓν ὄντες δύο εὑρίσκονται».