Philosophumena; or, The refutation of all heresies, Volume II — David Hume — John Shaqi
Philosophumena; or, The refutation of all heresies, Volume II
David Hume · en
54.[282] But they declare that first the four elements which they say
are fire, water, earth (and) air, were made through the Mother and
projected as an image of the Tetrad on high. And reckoning in with
them their energies, such as heat, cold, moisture, and dryness they
exactly reflect the Ogdoad. Next, they enumerate ten powers, thus:
Seven circular bodies which they also call heavens, then a circle
encompassing these which they call the Eighth Heaven and besides these,
the Sun and Moon.[283] And these making up the number 10, they declare
to be the image of the invisible decad which is from Logos and Zoe.
And (they say) that the dodecad is revealed through the circle called
the Zodiac. For they declare that the twelve most evident signs shadow
forth the dodecad which is the daughter of Anthropos and [Sidenote: p.
330.] Ecclesia. And since they say the highest heaven has been linked
to the ascension of the universals, the swiftest in existence, which
(heaven) weighs down upon the sphere itself, and counterbalances by
its own weight the swiftness of the others, so that in thirty years
it completes the cycle from sign to sign--this they declare to be the
image of Horos encircling their thirty-named Mother.[284]
Again the Moon traversing the heavens completely in 30 days, typifies
(they say) by these days the number of the Aeons. And the Sun
completing his journey and terminating his cyclical return to his
former place in 12 months shows forth the Dodecad. And that the days
themselves, since they are measured by 12 hours, are a type of the
mighty[285] Ogdoad. And also that the perimeter of the Zodiacal circle
has 360 degrees and that each Zodiacal sign has 30. Thus by means of
the circle, they say, the [Sidenote: p. 331.] image of the connection
of the 12 with the 30 is observed. And again also they imagine that
the earth is divided into 12 climates, and that each several climate
receives a single power from the heavens immediately above it[286] and
produces children of the same essence with the power sending down [this
influence] by emanation [which is they say] a type of the Dodecad on
high.
55. And besides this, they say that the Demiurge of the Ogdoad on
high,[287] wishing to imitate the Boundless and Everlasting and
Unconfined and Timeless One and not being able to form a model of His
stability and permanence, because he was himself the fruit of the
Hysterema, was forced to place in it for rendering it eternal, times
and seasons and numbers, thinking that by the multitude of times he was
imitating the Boundless One. But they declare that in this the truth
having escaped him, he followed the false; and that therefore when the
times are fulfilled, his work will be dissolved.[288]