Chapter IX.—Valentinus.

Valentinus,1030    See Eusebius, Hist. Ecclesiast., vi. 38; Epiphanius, Hær, xix.; and Theodoret, Hær. Fab., ii. 7.    This section differs considerably from what Hippolytus has already stated concerning Valentinus. [“Sige,” vol. i. p. 62, note 5.] however, and the adherents of this school, though they agree in asserting that the originating principle of the universe is the Father, still they are impelled into the adoption of a contrary opinion respecting Him. For some of them maintain that (the Father) is solitary and generative; whereas others hold the impossibility, (in His as in other cases,) of procreation without a female. They therefore add Sige as the spouse of this Father, and style the Father Himself Bythus. From this Father and His spouse some allege that there have been six projections,—viz., Nous and Aletheia, Logos and Zoe, Anthropos and Ecclesia,—and that this constitutes the procreative Ogdoad. And the Valentinians maintain that those are the first projections which have taken place within the limit, and have been again denominated “those within the Pleroma;” and the second are “those without the Pleroma;” and the third, “those without the Limit.” Now the generation of these constitutes the Hysterema Acamoth. And he asserts that what has been generated from an Æon, that exists in the Hysterema and has been projected (beyond the Limit), is the Creator.  But Valentinus is not disposed to affirm what is thus generated to be primal Deity, but speaks in detractive terms both of Him and the things made by Him. And (he asserts) that Christ came down from within the Pleroma for the salvation of the spirit who had erred. This spirit, (according to the Valentinians,) resides in our inner man; and they say that this inner man obtains salvation on account of this indwelling spirit.  Valentinus, however, (to uphold the doctrine,) determines that the flesh is not saved, and styles it “a leathern tunic,” and the perishable portion of man. I have (already) declared these tenets in the way of an epitome, inasmuch as in their systems there exists enlarged matter for discussion, and a variety of opinions. In this manner, then, it seems proper also to the school of Valentinus to propound their opinions.

[13] Ὁ δὲ Οὐαλεντῖνος (κ)αὶ οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς τούτου σχολῆς εἶναι λέγουσι τὴν τοῦ π(α)ντὸς ἀρχὴν Πατέρα. καὶ ἐναντίᾳ δὲ δόξῃ προσφέρονται: οἱ μὲν γὰρ αὐτῶν μόνον [τὸν Πατέρα νομίζουσιν] εἶναι καὶ γεννητικόν, οἱ δὲ ἀδυνάτως [νομίζοντες] ἔχειν γεννᾶν ἄνευ θηλείας, καὶ τούτῳ σύζυγον προστιθέασι Σιγήν, Βυθὸν αὐτὸν ὀνομάσαντες. ἐκ τούτου [οὖν καί, ὥς] τινες, ἐκ τῆς συζύγου προβολὰς γεγονέναι ἕξ: Νοῦν καὶ Ἀλήθειαν, Λόγον καὶ Ζωήν, Ἄνθρωπον καὶ Ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ εἶναι ταύτην τὴν Ὀγδοάδα πρωτογενέτειραν. [ταύτην δέ,] τάς τε ἐν[τ]ὸς τοῦ Ὅρου προβολὰς γεγενημένας πάλιν καλεῖσθαι [τὰ] ἐντὸς πληρώματος [καὶ εἶναι πρῶτα]: δεύτερα δὲ [εἶναι] τὰ ἐκτὸς πληρώματος, καὶ τρί[τ]α τὰ ἐκτὸς τοῦ Ὅρου, ὧν ἡ γέννησις τὸ ὑστέρημα ὑπάρχει. τὸ[ν] δὲ [πατέρα τῶν ὅλων] ἐκ τοῦ ἐν ὑστερήματι προβληθέντος αἰῶνος γεγονέναι [θέλει], καὶ τοῦτον εἶναι δημιουργὸν λέγει, μὴ βουλόμενος αὐτὸν πρῶτον εἶναι θεόν, ἀλλὰ δυσφημῶν τε αὐτὸν καὶ τὰ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ γεγενημένα. Τὸν δὲ Χριστὸν ἐκ τοῦ ἐκτὸς πληρώματος [Πνεύματος ἁγίου καὶ δημιουργοῦ γεννηθέντα] κατεληλυθέναι ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ τοῦ ἀποπλανηθέντος πνεύματος, ὃ κατοικεῖ ἐν «τῷ ἔσω ἡμῶν ἀνθρώπῳ», ὃν σῳζόμενόν φησι τούτου χάριν τοῦ ἐνοικοῦντος. τὴν δὲ σάρκα μὴ σῴζεσθαι θέλει, «δερμάτινον χιτῶνα» [αὐτὴν] ἀποκαλῶν καὶ «ἄνθρωπον φθειρόμενον». ταῦτα [δὲ] ἐν ἐπιτομῇ ἐξεῖπον, πολλῆς ὕλης κατ' αὐτοὺς τυγχανούσης καὶ διαφόρων γνωμῶν. οὕτως οὖν δοκεῖ καὶ τῇ Οὐαλεντίνου σχολῇ.