Forerunners and rivals of Christianity : $b being studies in religious history from 330 B.C. to 330 A.D., Vol. 2 (of 2)Legge, Francis
Religion
Forerunners and rivals of Christianity : $b being studies in religious history from 330 B.C. to 330 A.D., Vol. 2 (of 2)
Legge, Francis
Christianity and other religions; Religions
Irenaeus, Bk I. c. 1, § 10, p. 49, Harvey: Δημιουργήσαντα δὴ τὸν
κόσμον, πεποιηκέναι καὶ τὸν ἄνθρωπον τὸν χοϊκόν· οὐκ ἀπὸ ταύτης δὲ τῆς
ξηρᾶς γῆς, ἀλλ’ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀοράτου οὐσίας, ἀπὸ τοῦ κεχυμένου καὶ ῥευστοῦ
τῆς ὕλης λαβόντα· καὶ εἰς τοῦτον ἐμφυσῆσαι τὸν ψυχικὸν διορίζονται.
“Having indeed fashioned the world, he (the Demiurge) made material
man; not taking him out of this dry earth, but from the unseen
substance, from the poured forth and liquid matter, and into him, they
declare, he breathed that which is of the soul.” Although this might
be taken for a Ptolemaic elaboration or embroidery of Valentinus’ own
doctrine, it is repeated in almost identical words in the _Excerpta
Theodoti_ of Clement of Alexandria, which represent the teaching of
the Oriental School, and it is therefore possibly the statement of
Valentinus himself. Hippolytus, _op. cit._ Bk VI. c. 34, p. 293,
Cruice, is quite in accord with this. Irenaeus says later (Bk I. c. 1,
§ 11) with reference to the body of Jesus: καὶ ὑλικὸν δὲ οὐδ’ ὁτιοῦν
εἰληφέναι λέγουσιν αὐτόν· μὴ γὰρ εἶναι τὴν ὕλην δεκτικὴν σωτηρίας.
“And they say that He took on Himself nothing whatever of matter; for
matter is not susceptible of salvation.” From which it is to be
inferred that Valentinus rejected the resurrection of the body.
Footnote 386:
Irenaeus, Bk I. c. 1, § 4, p. 23, Harvey, says that when Jesus, the
Joint Fruit of the Pleroma, was projected, Angels of the same kind as
himself (ὁμογενεῖς) were projected with him as a guard of honour. That
these are the spiritual spouses of the souls of men is confirmed by
Hippolytus, _op. cit._ Bk VI. c. 34, p. 292, according to Cruice’s
emendation: Ὑποδιῄρηται δὲ καὶ τὰ ἐν τῇ Ὀγδοάδι, καὶ προβεβήκασιν ἡ
Σοφία, ἥτις ἐστὶ μήτηρ πάντων τῶν ζώντων κατ’ αὐτούς, καὶ ὁ κοινὸς τοῦ
Πληρώματος καρπὸς ὁ Λόγος, [καὶ] οἵτινες εἰσὶν ἄγγελοι ἐπουράνιοι,
πολιτευόμενοι ἐν Ἰερουσαλὴμ τῇ ἄνω, τῇ ἐν οὐρανοῖς. “The things which
are in the Ogdoad also are subdivided, and there proceed (from it)
Sophia who is, according to them, the Mother of All Living, and the
Joint Fruit of the Pleroma, the Logos, and there are certain heavenly
angels who are citizens of the Jerusalem which is above, that which is
in the heavens.” So later (_ibid._ p. 293, Cruice) ... οἵτινές εἰσι
λόγοι ἄνωθεν κατεσπαρμένοι ἀπὸ τοῦ κοινοῦ τοῦ Πληρώματος καρποῦ καὶ
τῆς Σοφίας εἰς τοῦτον τὸν κόσμον, κατοικοῦντες ἐν [σώμα]τι χοϊκῷ μετὰ
ψυχῆς, ὅταν δαίμονες μὴ συνοικῶσι τῇ ψύχῃ. “There are certain Logoi
sown from above in the world by the Joint Fruit of the Pleroma and
Sophia, which dwell in the material body with the soul, when there are
no demons dwelling with it.” Clement of Alexandria, in _Strom._ Bk V.
c. 14, points out that the notion of demons dwelling with the soul is
to be found in Plato, and quotes the passage from the Vision of Er
(_Rep._ Bk X. c. 15) about the souls of men between births each
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