Against Heresies: Book I

Let's now examine the inconsistent opinions of those heretics (since there are a couple of them), and see how they do not agree on the same points, but instead present opinions that conflict with each other in both ideas and names. The first among them, Valentinus, who adapted the principles of the heresy known as “Gnostic” to suit the unique character of his own school, taught the following: He claimed that there is a certain Dyad (a twofold being), which cannot be described by any name, where one part is called Arrhetus (unspeakable) and the other is Sige (silence).

FROM THIS DYAD: a second entity was produced, called Pater and Aletheia. From this Tetrad, Logos and Zoe, Anthropos and Ecclesia emerged. These form the primary Ogdoad. He further explained that from Logos and Zoe, ten powers were produced, as we mentioned before.

But from Anthropos and Ecclesia came twelve, one of which separated from the others, fell from its original state, and created the rest of the universe. He also supposed there were two beings named Horos, one positioned between Bythus and the rest of the Pleroma, dividing the created Æons from the uncreated Father, while the other separates the mother from the Pleroma.

Christ was not produced from the Æons within the Pleroma, but was brought forth by the mother who had been excluded from it, due to her memory of better things, but not without some kind of shadow. He, being masculine, separated the shadow from himself and returned to the Pleroma; but his mother, left with the shadow and deprived of her spiritual substance, brought forth another son, the Demiurge, whom Valentinus refers to as the supreme ruler of all things subject to him.

He also asserts that, along with the Demiurge, a left-hand power was produced, which aligns with those falsely called Gnostics, whom we have yet to discuss. Sometimes, he claims that Jesus was produced from the one separated from their mother and united with the rest, that is, from Theletus; other times, he claims Jesus sprang from the one who returned to the Pleroma, that is, from Christ; and occasionally, he describes Jesus as derived from Anthropos and Ecclesia. He declares that the Holy Spirit was produced by Aletheia for the purpose of inspecting and fructifying the Æons by entering them invisibly, and that, in this way, the Æons brought forth the plants of truth.

Secundus again confirms that the primary Ogdoad consists of a right-hand and a left-hand Tetrad, and teaches that one of these is called light, and the other darkness. However, he states that the power which separated from the rest and fell away did not come directly from the thirty Æons, but from their fruits.

THERE IS ANOTHER: who is a renowned teacher among them, and who, striving to reach something more sublime, and to attain a kind of higher knowledge, has explained the primary Tetrad as follows: There is, he says, a certain Proarche who existed before everything, surpassing all thought, speech, and naming, whom I call Monotes (unity). Along with this Monotes there exists a power, which I also term Henotes (oneness). This Henotes and Monotes, being one, produced, yet not in a way to bring forth apart from themselves, the beginning of everything, an intelligent, unbegotten, and invisible being, which language calls "Monad." With this Monad there co-exists a power of the same essence, which I also term Hen (One). These powers—Monotes, Henotes, Monas, and Hen—produced the remaining company of the Æons.

ALAS: alas! Indeed, we must cry out in lamentation at such audacity in creating names as he has shown without shame, in devising a vocabulary for his falsehoods. For when he says: There is a certain Proarche before everything, beyond all thought, whom I call Monotes; and again, with this Monotes, there coexists a power which I also call Henotes, it is clear that he admits these concepts to be his invention, and that he himself has named his system, which no one else had suggested before.

It is also clear that he is the one who dared to invent these names; so that, if he hadn't appeared in the world, the truth would still lack a name.

But in that case, nothing stops anyone else, when dealing with the same subject, from assigning names like these: There is a certain Proarche, royal and beyond all thought, a power existing before all else, extending in every direction.

But alongside it, there is a power I call a Gourd; and with this Gourd there exists a power I call Utter-Emptiness.

This Gourd and Emptiness, since they are one, created (yet did not simply create, as to be separate from themselves) a fruit that is visible, edible, and delightful, which language calls a Cucumber. Along with this Cucumber exists a power of the same essence, which I call a Melon. These powers, the Gourd, Utter-Emptiness, the Cucumber, and the Melon, brought forth the remaining multitude of the absurd melons of Valentinus. If it is appropriate that the language used regarding the universe be applied to the primary Tetrad, and if anyone may assign names as they wish, who will stop us from choosing these names, as they are more believable and generally used and understood by all?

SOME OTHERS: however, have called their primary and first-begotten Ogdoad by these names: first, Proarche; then Anennoetos; third, Arrhetos; and fourth, Aoratos. Then, from the first, Proarche, there emerged, in the first and fifth position, Arche; from Anennoetos, in the second and sixth position, Acataleptos; from Arrhetos, in the third and seventh position, Anonomastos; and from Aoratos, in the fourth and eighth position, Agennetos. This is the Pleroma of the first Ogdoad. They claim that these powers existed before Bythus and Sige, to make them seem more perfect than the perfect, and more knowing than the Gnostics! To these people one might rightly exclaim: “O you trifling sophists!” since, even about Bythus himself, there are many conflicting opinions among them. Some declare him to be without a consort, and neither male nor female, and, in fact, nothing at all; while others claim him to be male-and-female, assigning to him the nature of a hermaphrodite; others, again, assign Sige to him as a spouse, so that the first union may be formed.