affirm that so great a creation was[1] formed by angels, or by some particular production ignorant of the true God in that territory which is His own. Nor is it possible that those things which are earthy and material could have been formed within their Pleroma, since that is wholly spiritual. And further, it is not even possible that those things which belong to a multiform creation, and have been formed with mutually opposite qualities, [could have been created] after the image of the things above, since these (i.e. the Æons) are said to be few, and of a like formation, and homogeneous. Their talk, too, about the shadow of kenoma—that is, of a vacuum—has in all points turned out false. Their figment, then, [in what way soever viewed,] has been proved groundless,[2] and their doctrines untenable. Empty, too, are those who listen to them, and are verily descending into the abyss of perdition.
Chap. ix.—There is but one Creator of the world, God the Father: this the constant belief of the church.
1. That God is the Creator of the world is accepted even by those very persons who in many ways speak against Him, and yet acknowledge Him, styling Him the Creator, and an angel, not to mention that all the Scriptures call out [to the same effect], and the Lord teaches us of this Father[3] who is in heaven, and no other, as I shall show in the sequel of this work. For the present, however, that proof which is derived from those who allege doctrines opposite to ours, is of itself sufficient,—all men, in fact, consenting to this truth: the ancients on their part preserving with special care, from the tradition of the first-formed man, this persuasion, while they celebrate the praises of one God, the Maker of heaven and
- ↑ The text has fabricâsse, for which, says Massuet, should be read fabricatam esse; or fabricâsse itself must be taken in a passive signification. It is possible, however, to translate, as Harvey indicates, "that He (Bythus) formed so great a creation by angels," etc., though this seems harsh and unsuitable.
- ↑ Literally, empty: there is a play on the words vacuum and vacui (which immediately follows), as there had been in the original Greek.
- ↑ Comp. e.g. Matt. v. 16, v. 45, vi. 9, etc.
