Chapter XLIII—Letters, Symbols of the Heavens.

He has, however, employed the instrumentality of the aggregate of the seven numbers, in order that the result of the self-devised (counsel)736    Supplied from Irenæus. might be manifested. Understand, he says, for the present, that remarkable number to be Him who was formed by the illustrious one, and who was, as it were, divided, and remained outside. And He, through both His Own power and wisdom, by means of the projection of Himself, imparted, in imitation of the seven powers,737    This should be altered into Hebdomad if we follow Irenæus. animation to this world, so as to make it consist of seven powers, and constituted (this world) the soul of the visible universe. And therefore this one has resorted to such all operation as what was spontaneously undertaken by Himself; and these minister,738    τάδε διακονεῖ. This is the text of Irenæus, and corrects the common reading, τὰ δἰ εἰκόνων. inasmuch as they are imitations of things inimitable, unto the intelligence of the Mother. And the first heaven sounds Alpha,739    φθέγγεται (Irenæus). The common reading is φαίνεται. and the one after that E[psilon], and the third Eta, and the fourth, even that in the midst of the seven (vowels, enunciates) the power of Iota, and the fifth of O[micron], and the sixth of U[psilon], and the seventh and fourth from the central740    μέσου: in Irenæus we have μέρους. one, O[mega]. And all the powers, when they are connected together in one, emit a sound, and glorify that (Being) from whom they have been projected. And the glory of that sound is transmitted upwards to the Progenitor. And furthermore, he says that the sound of this ascription of glory being conveyed to the earth, became a creator and producer of terrestrial objects. And (he maintains) that the proof of this (may be drawn) from the case of infants recently born, whose soul, simultaneously with exit from the womb utters similarly this sound of each one of the elements. As, then, he says, the seven powers glorify the Logos, so also does the sorrowing soul in babes (magnify Him).741    Irenæus has the sentence thus: “so also the soul in babes, lamenting and bewailing Marcus, glorifies him.” And on account of this, he says, David likewise has declared, “Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings Thou hast perfected praise.”742    Ps. viii. 2. And again, “The heavens declare the glory of God.”743    Ps. xix. 1. When,744    Hippolytus here omits some passages which are to be found in Irenæus. however, the soul is involved in hardships, it utters no other exclamation than the O[mega], inasmuch as it is afflicted in order that the soul above, becoming aware of what is akin to herself (below), may send down one to help this (earthly soul).

[48] Κέχρηται δὲ διακόνῳ τῷ τῶν ἑπτὰ ἀριθμῶν μεγέθει, ἵνα τῆς αὐτοβουλήτου [βουλῆς] φανερωθῇ ὁ καρπός. τὸν μέντοι ἐπίσημον [τοῦτον ἀριθμὸν] ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος, φησί, τὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ ἐπισήμου μορφωθέντα νόησον, τὸν ὥσπερ μερισθέντα [ἢ διχοτομηθέντα] καὶ ἔξω μείναντα. ὃς τῇ ἑαυτοῦ δυνάμει τε καὶ φρονήσει διὰ τῆς [ἀπ'] αὐτοῦ προβολῆς τοῦτον [τὸν] [τὴν ζωὴν] τῶν ἑπτὰ δυνάμεων μιμήσει τῆς Ἑβδομάδος δυνάμεως ἐψύχωσε κόσμον καὶ ψυχὴν ἔθετο εἶναι τοῦ ὁρωμένου παντός. κέχρηται μὲν οὖν καὶ [αὐτὸς] οὗτος τῷδε [τῷ] ἔργῳ ὡς αὐθαιρέτως ὑπ' αὐτοῦ γενομένῳ, τὰ [δὲ] † διακονεῖ, † μιμήματα ὄντα τῶν ἀμιμήτων, τὴν ἐνθύμησιν τῆς Μητρός. Καὶ ὁ μὲν (π)ρῶτος οὐρανὸς φθέγγεται τὸ ἄλφα, ὁ δὲ μετὰ τοῦτον τὸ [ει], ὁ δὲ τρίτος τὸ ἦτα, (ὁ) δ(ὲ) τέταρτος καὶ [ὁ] μέσος τῶν ἐπτὰ τὴν τοῦ ἰῶτα δύναμιν, ὁ δὲ πέμπτος τὸ [ου], ἕκτος δὲ τὸ [υ], ἕβδομος δὲ καὶ τέταρτος ἀπὸ τοῦ μέσου τὸ [ω]. αἳ δὲ δυνάμεις πᾶσαι εἰς ἓν συμπλακεῖσαι ἠχοῦσι καὶ δοξάζουσιν ἐκεῖνον ὑφ' οὗ προεβλήθησαν, ἡ δὲ δόξα τῆς ἠχήσεως ἀνεπέμφθη πρὸς τὸν Προπάτορα. ταύτης μέν(τ)οι τῆς δοξολογίας τὸν ἦχον εἰς τὴν γῆν φερόμενόν φησι πλάστην γενέσθαι καὶ γεν[ν]ήτορα τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Τὴν δὲ ἀπόδειξιν [φέρει] ἀπὸ τῶν ἄρτι γεν[ν]ωμένων βρεφῶν, ὧν ἡ ψυχὴ ἅμα τῷ ἐκ μήτρας προελθεῖν ἐπιβοᾷ ὁμοίως ἑνὸς ἑκάστου τῶν στοιχείων τούτων τὸν ἦχον. καθὼς οὖν [αἱ] ἐπτά, φησίν, δυνάμεις δοξάζουσι τὸν Λόγον, οὕτω καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ ἐν τοῖς βρέφεσι κλαίουσα [καὶ θρηνοῦσα δοξάζει αὐτόν]. διὰ τοῦτο δέ φησι καὶ τὸν Δα(βὶ)δ εἰρηκέναι: «ἐκ στόματος νηπίων καὶ θηλαζόντων κατηρτίσω αἶνον» καὶ πάλιν: «οἱ οὐρανοὶ διηγοῦνται δόξαν θεοῦ». ἐπὰν δὲ ἐν πόνοις γένηται ἡ ψυχή, [ὡς] ἐπιβοᾷ οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἢ τὸ [ω], ἐφ' ᾧ ἀνίεται, ὅπως γνωρίσασα ἡ ἄνω ψυχὴ τὸ συγγενὲς αὐτῆς, βοηθὸν αὐτῇ καταπέμψῃ.