Chapter XVI.—The Sethian Theory Concerning “Mixture” And “Composition;” Application of It to Christ; Illustration from the Well of Ampa.

These, and other assertions similar to these, are made (by the Sethians) in their interminable commentaries. They, however, persuade their disciples to become conversant with the theory respecting composition and mixture. But this theory has formed a subject of meditation to many, but (among others) also to Andronicus the Peripatetic. The Sethians, then, affirm that the theory concerning composition and mixture is constituted according to the following method: The luminous ray from above is intermingled, and the very diminutive spark is delicately blended in the dark waters beneath; and (both of these) become united, and are formed into one compound mass, just as a single savour (results) from the mixture of many incense-offerings in the fire, and (just as) an adept, by having a test in an acute sense of smell, ought to be able from the single odour of the incense to distinguish accurately each (ingredient) of the incense-offerings that have been mingled in the fire,—whether, for example, storax, and myrrh, and frankincense, or whatever other (ingredient) may be mixed (in the incense). They, however, employ also other examples, saying both that brass is mixed with gold, and that some art has been discovered which separates the brass from the gold. And, in like manner, if tin or brass, or any substance homogeneous with it, be discovered mixed with silver, these likewise, by some art superior to that of mixing, are distinguished. But already some one also distinguishes water mingled with wine.533    ὕδωρ μεμιγμένον οἴνῳ διακρίνει:  Miller’s text is ὕδωρ μεμιγμένον αἰνωδία κρήνη, which is obviously corrupt. His emendation of the passage may be translated thus: “And now some one observes water from a wayside fountain, mixed, so they say; and even though all things be intermingled, a separation is effected.” So, say they, though all things are commingled, they are capable of being separated. Nay, but, he says, derive the same lesson from the case of animals. For when the animal is dead, each of its parts is separated; and when dissolution takes place, the animal in this way vanishes. This is, he says, what has been spoken: “I came not to send peace on the earth, but a sword,”534    Matt. x. 34.—that is, the division and separation of the things that have been commingled. For each of the things that have been commingled is separated and divided when it reaches its proper place. For as there is one place of mixture for all animals, so also has there been established one (locality) of separation. And, he says, no one is aware of this (place), save we alone that have been born again, spiritual, not carnal, whose citizenship is in heaven above.

In this manner insinuating themselves, they corrupt their pupils, partly by misusing the words spoken (by themselves), while they wickedly pervert, to serve any purpose they wish, what has been admirably said (in Scripture); and partly by concealing their nefarious conduct, by means of whatever comparisons they please. All these things, then, he says, that have been commingled, possess, as has been declared, their own particular place, and hurry towards their own peculiar (substances), as iron towards the magnet, and the chaff to the vicinity of amber, and the gold to the spur535    κέντρῳ. In other passages the word κερκίς is used, i.e., the backbone. of the sea falcon. In like manner, the ray536    Or, “power.”of light which has been commingled with the water, having obtained from discipline and instruction its own proper locality, hastens towards the Logos that comes from above in servile form; and along with the Logos exists as a logos in that place where the Logos is still: (the light, I say, hastens to the Logos with greater speed) than the iron towards the magnet.

And that these things, he says, are so, and that all things that have been commingled are separated in their proper places, learn. There is among the Persians in a city Ampa,537    Or, “Ama.” near the river Tigris, a well; and near the well, at the top, has been constructed a certain reservoir, supplied with three outlets; and when one pumps from this well, and draws off some of its contents in a vessel, what is thus pumped out of the well, whatever it is at all, he pours into the reservoir hard by. And when what is thus infused reaches the outlets, and when what is taken up (out of each outlet) in a single vessel is examined, a separation is observed to have taken place.  And in the first of the outlets is exhibited a concretion of salt, and in the second of asphalt, and in the third of oil; and the oil is black, just as, he says, Herodotus538    Herodotus, vi. 119. also narrates, and it yields a heavy smell, and the Persians call this “rhadinace.” The similitude of the well is, say the Sethians, more sufficient for the demonstration of their proposition than all the statements that have been previously made.

[21] Ταῦτ' ἔστιν ἃ λέγουσι καὶ τοιούτοις παραπλήσια ἐν ἀπείροις συγγράμμασι: πείθουσι δὲ [διὰ τοῦ] ἐντυγχάνειν τῷ περὶ κράσεως καὶ μίξεως λόγῳ τοὺς μαθητευομένους, ὃς [μέντοι] μεμελέτηται πολλοῖς [τε] ἄλλοις καὶ Ἀνδρονίκῳ τῷ Περιπατητικῷ. λέγουσιν οὖν οἱ Σηθιανοὶ τὸν περὶ κράσεως καὶ μίξεως λόγον συνεστάναι τῷδε τῷ τρόπῳ: τὴν ἀκτῖνα τὴν φωτεινὴν ἄνωθεν ἐγκεκρᾶσθαι καὶ τὸν σπινθῆρα τὸν ἐλάχιστον [ἐν] τοῖς σκοτεινοῖς ὕδασι κάτω καταμεμῖχθαι λεπτῶς καὶ συνηνῶσθαι καὶ γεγονέναι [ἐν] ἓν φύραμά τι, ὥσ[περ] μίαν ὀσμὴν ἐκ πολλῶν καταμεμιγμένων ἐπὶ τοῦ πυρὸς [ὀσμώμεθα] θυμιαμάτων. καὶ δεῖ τὸν ἐπιστήμονα, τῆς ὀσφρήσεως ἔχοντα κριτήριον εὐαγές, ἀπὸ τῆς μιᾶς τοῦ θυμιάματος ὀσμῆς διακρίνειν λεπτῶς ἕκαστον τῶν καταμεμιγμένων ἐπὶ τοῦ πυρὸς θυμιαμάτων, οἱονεὶ στύρακα καὶ σμύρναν καὶ λίβανον ἢ εἴ τι ἄλλο εἴη μεμιγμένον. χρῶνται δὲ καὶ ἑτέροις παραδείγμασι, λέγοντες καταμεμῖχθαι [καὶ] χρυσίῳ χαλκόν, καὶ τέχνη τις εὕρηται ἡ διακρίνουσα τὸν χαλκὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ χρυσίου. ὁμοίως δὲ κἂν [ἐν] ἀργύρῳ κασσίτερος ἢ χαλκὸς ἤ τι τῶν ὁμογενῶν καταμεμιγμένον εὑρεθῇ, μίξεώς τινι τέχνῃ κρείττονι καὶ ταῦτα διακρίνεται. ἤδη δέ τις καὶ ὕδωρ μεμιγμένον οἴνῳ διακρίνει: οὕτω, φησί, καὶ [κἂν] πάντα τὰ συγκεκραμένα διακρίνεται. Καὶ δὴ ἀπὸ τῶν ζῴων, φησί, [τοῦτο] καταμάνθανε: τελευτήσαντος γὰρ τοῦ ζῴου ἕκαστα διακρίνεται καὶ λυθὲν οὕτω τὸ ζῷον ἀφανίζεται. τοῦτό ἐστι, φησί, τὸ εἰρημένον: «οὐκ ἦλθον εἰρήνην βαλεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, ἀλλὰ μάχαιραν», τουτέστι [τὸ] διχάσαι καὶ χωρίσαι τὰ συγκεκραμένα. διχάζεται γὰρ καὶ διακρίνεται ἕκαστα τῶν συγκεκραμένων οἰκείου χωρίου τυχόντα: ὡς γάρ ἐστι, [φησί,] χωρίον συγκράσεως τοῖς ζῴοις ἅπασιν ἕν, οὕτω καὶ τῆς διακρίσεως καθέστηκεν ἕν, ὃ οἶδεν οὐδείς, φησίν, [ἀλλ'] ἢ μόνοι ἡμεῖς, οἱ ἀναγεννώμενοι πνευματικοί, οὐ σαρκικοί, ὧν ἐστι «τὸ πολίτευμα ἐν οὐρανοῖς» ἄνω. οὕτω[ς ὡς ἰὸς] παρεισδύοντες διαφθείρουσι τοὺς ἀκροωμένους, ὁτὲ μὲν ἀποχρώμενοι [τοῖς εὐαγγελικοῖς] ῥητοῖς, εἰς ὃ θέλουσι συνάγοντες κακῶς τὰ καλῶς εἰρημένα, [ὁτὲ δὲ] φωλεύοντες [τε] τὸ ἑαυτῶν ἀδίκημα διὰ παραβολῶν ὧν βούλονται. πάντα οὖν, φησί, τὰ συγκεκραμένα, καθὼς εἴρηται, ἔχει [χωρί]ον ἴδιον καὶ τρέχει πρὸς τὰ οἰκεῖα, ὥσ[περ ὁ] σίδηρος [πρὸς] τὴν Ἡρακλείαν λίθον καὶ τὸ ἄχυρον [τοῦ] ἠλέκτρου πλησίον καὶ τοῦ κέντρου τοῦ θαλασσίου ἱέρακος τὸ χρυσίον. οὕτως [καὶ] ἡ τοῦ καταμεμιγμένου τῷ ὕδατι φωτὸς [ἀκτίς, φησίν,] οἰκείου χωρίου ἐκ διδασκαλίας καὶ μαθήσεως μεταλαβοῦσα, σπεύδει πρὸς τὸν λόγον τὸν ἄνωθεν ἐλθόντα ἐν εἰκόνι δουλικῇ, μᾶλλον ἢ ὁ σίδηρος πρὸς τὴν Ἡρακλείαν λίθον, καὶ γίνεται μετὰ τοῦ λόγου λόγος ἐκεῖ, ὅπου [ὁ] λόγος ἐστί. Καὶ ὅτι ταῦθ' οὕτως ἔχει, φησί, καὶ [ὅτι] πάντα διακρίνεται τὰ συγκεκραμένα ἐπὶ τῶν οἰκείων τόπων [ὄντα, ἐκ τούτων] μάνθανε. φρέαρ ἐστὶν ἐν Πέρσαις ἐν Ἄμ[π]ῃ πόλει παρὰ τὸν Τίγριν ποταμόν: ᾠκοδόμηται δὲ παρὰ τὸ φρέαρ [ἄνω] δεξαμενή τις ἔχουσα τρεῖς ἀφετηρίας ἀφ' αὑτῆς. οὗ φρέατος ἀντλήσας [τις καὶ] κάδδῳ ἀνενέγκας τὸ ἀπὸ τοῦ φρέατος ἀντληθὲν ὅ τι ποτέ ἐστιν, ἔχεεν εἰς τὴν παρακειμένην δεξαμενήν: τὸ δὲ χυθὲν ἐλθὸν ἐπὶ τὰς ἀφετηρίας καὶ ἑνὶ σκεύει ἀναληφθὲν διακρίνεται, καὶ ἐν μὲν [τῇ πρώτῃ] ἅλας πηγνύμενον δείκνυται, ἐν ἑτέρᾳ δὲ τῶν ἀφετηριῶν ἄσφαλτος, ἐν δὲ τῇ τρίτῃ ἔλαιον. μέλαν δέ ἐστι τὸ ἔλαιον, ὡς, φησί, καὶ Ἡρόδοτος ἱστορεῖ, καὶ ὀσμὴν παρεχόμενον βαρεῖαν: ῥαδινάκην δὲ αὐτὸ οἱ Πέρσαι καλοῦσιν. ἤρκει, φασὶν οἱ Σηθιανοί, πρὸς ἀπόδειξιν τοῦ προκειμέν(ου) ἡ τοῦ φρέατος ὁμοιότης πάντων μᾶλλον τῶν προειρημένων.