of the first Christ and of the Holy Spirit, both of whom were produced by the Father after the repentance[1] [of Sophia], and of the second[2] Christ (whom they also style Saviour), who owed his being to the joint contributions [of the Æons]. They tell us, however, that this knowledge has not been openly divulged, because all are not capable of receiving it, but has been mystically revealed by the Saviour through means of parables to those qualified for understanding it. This has been done as follows. The thirty Æons are indicated (as we have already remarked) by the thirty years during which they say the Saviour performed no public act, and by the parable of the labourers in the vineyard. Paul also, they affirm, very clearly and frequently names these Æons, and even goes so far as to preserve their order, when he says, "To all the generations of the Æons of the Æon."[3] Nay, we ourselves, when at the giving[4] of thanks we pronounce the words, "To Æons of Æons" (for ever and ever), do set forth these Æons. And, in fine, wherever the words Æon or Æons occur, they at once refer them to these beings.
2. The production, again, of the Duodecad of the Æons, is indicated by the fact that the Lord was twelve[5] years of age when He disputed with the teachers of the law, and by the election of the apostles, for of these there were twelve.[6] The other eighteen Æons are made manifest in this way: that the Lord, [according to them,] conversed with His dis-
- ↑ Billius renders, "from the repentance of the Father," but the above seems preferable.
- ↑ Harvey remarks, "Even in their Christology the Valentinians must have their part and counterpart."
- ↑ Or, "to all the generations of the ages of the age." See Eph. iii. 21. The apostle, of course, simply uses these words as a strong expression to denote "for ever."
- ↑ Literally, "at the thanksgiving," or "eucharist." Massuet, the Benedictine editor, refers this to the Lord's Supper, and hence concludes that some of the ancient liturgies still extant must even then have been in use. Harvey and others, however, deny that there is any necessity for supposing the Holy Eucharist to be referred to; the ancient Latin version translates in the plural, "in gratiarum actionibus."
- ↑ Luke ii. 42.
- ↑ Luke vi. 13.
