Chapter X.—Origin of the World; Basilides’ Account of the “Sonship.”
All things, therefore whatsoever it is possible to declare, and whatever, being not as yet discovered, one must omit, were likely to receive adaptation to the world which was about to be generated from the Seed. And this (Seed), at the requisite seasons, increases in bulk in a peculiar manner, according to accession, as through the instrumentality of a Deity so great, and of this description. (But this Deity) the creature can neither express nor grasp by perception. (Now, all these things) were inherent, treasured in the Seed, as we afterwards observe in a new-born child the growth of teeth, and paternal substance, and intellect, and everything which, though previously having no existence, accrues unto a man, growing little by little, from a youthful period of life. But since it would be absurd to say that any projection of a non-existent God became anything non-existent (for Basilides altogether shuns and dreads the Substances of things generated in the way of projection for, (he asks,) of what sort of projection is there a necessity, or of what sort of matter799 Or, “of what sort of material substance,” etc. must we assume the previous existence, in order that God should construct a world, as the spider his web; or (as) a mortal man, for the purpose of working it, takes a (piece of) brass or of wood, or some other of the parts of matter?),—(projection, I say, being out of the question,) certainly, says (Basilides), God spoke the word, and it was carried into effect. And this, as these men assert, is that which has been stated by Moses: “Let there be light, and there was light.”800 Gen. i. 3. Whence he says, came the light? From nothing. For it has not been written, he says, whence, but this only, (that it came) from the voice of him who speaks the word. And he who speaks the word, he says, was non-existent; nor was that existent which was being produced.801 Or, “being declared.” The seed of the cosmical system was generated, he says, from nonentities; (and I mean by the seed,) the word which was spoken, “Let there be light.” And this, he says, is that which has been stated in the Gospels: “He was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”802 John i. 9. [See translator’s important note (1), p. 7, supra.] He derives his originating principles from that Seed, and obtains from the same source his illuminating power. This is that seed which has in itself the entire conglomeration of germs. And Aristotle affirms this to be genius, and it is distributed by him into infinite species; just as from animal, which is non-existent, we sever ox, horse, (and) man. When, therefore, the cosmical Seed becomes the basis (for a subsequent development), those (heretics) assert, (to quote Basilides’ own words:) “Whatsoever I affirm,” he says, “to have been made after these, ask no question as to whence. For (the Seed) had all seeds treasured and reposing in itself, just as non-existent entities, and which were designed to be produced by a non-existent Deity.”
Let us see, therefore, what they say is first, or what second, or what third, (in the development of) what is generated from the cosmical Seed. There existed, he says, in the Seed itself, a Sonship, threefold, in every respect of the same Substance with the non-existent God, (and) begotten from nonentities. Of this Sonship (thus) involving a threefold division, one part was refined, (another gross,) and another requiring purification. The refined portion, therefore, in the first place, simultaneously with the earliest deposition of the Seed by the non-existent one, immediately burst forth803 Literally, “throbbed.” and went upwards and hurried above from below, employing a sort of velocity described in poetry,—
“…As wing or thought,”804 Odyssey, vii. 36.—
and attained, he says, unto him that is nonexistent. For every nature desires that (nonexistent one), on account of a superabundance of beauty and bloom. Each (nature desires this), however, after a different mode. The more gross portion, however, (of the Sonship) continuing still in the Seed, (and) being a certain imitative (principle), was not able to hurry upwards. For (this portion) was much more deficient in the refinement that the Sonship possessed, which through itself hurried upwards, (and so the more gross portion) was left behind. Therefore the more gross Sonship equipped itself with some such wing as Plato, the Preceptor of Aristotle, fastens on the soul in (his) Phædrus.805 See Plato, vol. i. p. 75 et seq., ed. Bekker. Miller has “Phædo;” an obvious mistake. And Basilides styles such, not a wing, but Holy Spirit; and Sonship invested in this (Spirit) confers benefits, and receives them in turn. He confers benefits, because, as a wing of a bird, when removed from the bird, would not of itself soar high up and aloft; nor, again, would a bird, when disengaged from its pinion, at any time soar high up and aloft; (so, in like manner,) the Sonship involved some such relation in reference to the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit in reference to the Sonship. For the Sonship, carried upwards by the Spirit as by a wing, bears aloft (in turn) its pinion, that is, the Spirit. And it approaches the refined Sonship, and the non-existent God,806 [Foretaste of Cent. IV.] Miller’s text has, instead of τοῦ οὐκ ὄντος (non-existent), οικοῦντος (who dwells above). even Him who fabricated the world out of nonentities. He was not, (however,) able to have this (spirit) with (the Sonship) itself; for it was not of the same substance (with God), nor has it (any) nature (in common) with the Sonship. But as pure and dry air is contrary to (their) nature, and destructive to fishes; so, in contrariety to the nature of the Holy Spirit, was that place simultaneously of non-existent Deity and Sonship,—(a place) more ineffable than ineffable (entities), and higher up than all names.
Sonship, therefore, left this (spirit) near that Blessed Place, which cannot be conceived or represented by any expression. (He left the spirit) not altogether deserted or separated from the Sonship; nay, (far from it,) for it is just as when a most fragrant ointment is put into a vessel, that, even though (the vessel) be emptied (of it) with ever so much care, nevertheless some odour of the ointment still remains, and is left behind, even after (the ointment) is separated from the vessel; and the vessel retains an odour of ointment, though (it contain) not the ointment (itself). So the Holy Spirit has continued without any share in the Sonship, and separated (from it), and has in itself, similarly with ointment, its own power, a savour of Sonship. And this is what has been declared: “As the ointment upon the head which descended to the beard of Aaron.”807 Ps. cxxxiii. 2. This is the savour from the Holy Spirit borne down from above, as far as formlessness, and the interval (of space) in the vicinity of our world. And from this the Son began to ascend, sustained as it were, says (Basilides), upon eagles’ wings, and upon the back. For, he says, all (entities) hasten upwards from below, from things inferior to those that are superior. For not one of those things that are among things superior, is so silly as to descend beneath. The third Sonship, however, that which requires purification, has continued, he says, in the vast conglomeration of all germs conferring benefits and receiving them. But in what manner it is that (the third Sonship) receives benefits and confers them, we shall afterwards declare when we come to the proper place for discussing this question.
[22] Πάντα οὖν ὅσα ἔστιν, [φησίν,] εἰπεῖν ἢ ἔτι μὴ εὑρόντα παραλιπεῖν, ὅσα τῷ μέλλοντι γενέσθαι ἀπὸ τοῦ σπέρματος κόσμῳ ἔμελλεν ἁρμόζειν, ἀναγκαίως καιροῖς ἰδίοις κατὰ προσθήκην αὐξανομένῳ, [ὡς] ὑπὸ τηλικούτου καὶ τοιούτου θεοῦ, ὁποῖον οὐκ εἰπεῖν οὐ[δὲ] νοήσει δυνατὴ γέγονε χωρῆσαι ἡ κτίσις, [καὶ] [γενέσθαι προβεβουλευμένα ὡς οὐκ ὄντα] ἐνυπῆρχε τεθησαυρισμένα τῷ σπέρματι, καθάπερ νεογενεῖ παιδίῳ ὀδόντας ὕστερον ὁρῶμεν προσγίνεσθαι καὶ πατρικὴν οὐσίαν καὶ φρένας καὶ ὅσα παραυξανομένῳ ἐκ νέου κατὰ μικρὸν ἀνθρώπῳ γίνεται, ἃ μὴ πρότερον ἦν. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἦν ἄπορον εἰπεῖν προβολήν τινα [ἐκ] τοῦ μὴ ὄντος θεοῦ γεγονέναι, τὸ οὐκ ὂν [σπέρμα παρεισάγει]: φεύγει γὰρ πάνυ καὶ δέδοικε τὰς κατὰ προβολὴν [γεγενημένας] τῶν γεγονότων οὐσίας ὁ Βασιλείδης. ποίας γὰρ προβολῆς, [φησί,] χρεία ἢ ποίας ὕλης ὑποθέσεως, ἵνα κόσμον [ὁ] θεὸς ἐργάσηται, καθάπερ ὁ ἀράχνης τὰ μηρύματα, ἢ θνητὸς ἄνθρωπος χαλκὸν ἢ ξύλον ἢ [ἄλλο] τι τῶν τῆς ὕλης μερῶν ἐργαζόμενος λαμβάνει; ἀλλὰ «εἶπε», φησί, «καὶ ἐγένετο». καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὡ[ς] λέγουσιν οἱ ἄνδρες οὗτοι, τὸ λεχθὲν ὑπὸ Μωσέως: «γενηθήτω φῶς. καὶ ἐγένετο φῶς». πόθεν, φησί, γέγονε τὸ φῶς; ἐξ οὐδενός. οὐ γὰρ γέγραπται, φησί, πόθεν, ἀλλ' αὐτὸ μόνον [τὸ γενόμενον] ἐκ τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ λέγοντος. ὁ δὲ λέγων, φησίν, οὐκ ἦν, οὐδὲ τὸ λεγόμενον ἦν. Γέγονε[ν οὖν], φησίν, ἐξ οὐκ ὄντος τὸ [οὐκ ὂν] σπέρμα τοῦ κόσμου, ὁ λόγος ὁ λεχθεὶς «γενηθήτω φῶς». καὶ τοῦτο, φησίν, ἐστὶ τὸ λεγ(ό)μενον ἐν τοῖ(ς) εὐαγγελίοις: «ἦν τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινόν, ὃ φωτίζει πάντα ἄνθρωπον ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν κόσμον». [πᾶς γὰρ ὁ κόσμος] λαμβάνει τὰς ἀρχὰς ἀπὸ τοῦ σπέρματος ἐκείνου καὶ φωτίζεται. _τοῦτο [δ'] ἔστι τὸ σπέρμα, [τ]ὸ ἔχον ἐν ἑαυτῷ πᾶσαν τὴν πανσπερμίαν, ὅ φησιν Ἀριστοτέλης γένος εἶναι, εἰς ἀπείρους τεμνόμενον ἰδέας, ὡς τέμνομεν ἀπὸ τοῦ ζῴου βοῦν, ἵππον, ἄνθρωπον, ὅπερ [δ'] ἔστιν οὐκ ὄν. _ Ὑποκειμένου τοίνυν τοῦ κοσμικοῦ σπέρματος [οὕτως ὡς] ἐκεῖνοι λέγουσιν, ὅ τι ἂν λέγω, φησίν, μετὰ ταῦτα γεγονέναι, μὴ ἐπιζήτει πόθεν: εἶχε γὰρ πάντα τὸ σπέρμα ἐν ἑαυτῷ τεθησαυρισμένα καὶ κατακείμενα οἷον οὐκ ὄν[τα], ὑπὸ [τε] τοῦ οὐ(κ) (ὄν)τος θεοῦ γενέσθαι προβεβουλευμένα. ἴδωμεν οὖν τί λ(έγ)ουσιν πρῶτον ἢ τί δεύτερον ἢ τί τρίτον [τ]ὸ ἀπὸ τοῦ σπέρματος τοῦ κοσμικοῦ γεγενημένον. ἦν [οὖν], φησίν, ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ σπέρματι υἱότης τριμερής, κατὰ πάντα τῷ οὐκ ὄντι θε[ῷ] ὁμοούσιος, γεν[ν]ητὴ ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων. ταύτης τῆς υἱότητος τῆς τρ(ι)χῇ διῃρημένης τὸ μέν τι ἦν λεπτομερές, τὸ δὲ [παχυμερές, τὸ δὲ] ἀποκαθάρσεως δεόμενον. Τὸ μὲν οὖν λεπτομερὲς εὐθέως πρῶτον, ἅμα τῷ γενέσθαι τοῦ σπέρματος τὴν πρώτην καταβολὴν ὑπὸ τοῦ [οὐκ] ὄντος, διέσφυξε καὶ ἀνῆλθε καὶ ἀνέδραμε κάτωθεν ἄνω, ποιητικῷ τινὶ χρησάμενον τάχει: ὡσεὶ πτερὸν ἠὲ νόημα, καὶ ἐγένετο, φησί, πρὸς τὸν οὐκ ὄντα: ἐκείνου γὰρ δι' ὑπερβολὴν κάλλους καὶ ὡραιότητος πᾶσα φύσις ὀρέγεται, ἄλλη δὲ ἄλλως. Ἡ δὲ παχυμερεστέρα ἔτι μένουσα ἐν τῷ σπέρματι, μιμητική τις οὖσα, ἀναδραμεῖν μὲν οὐκ ἠδυνήθη: πολὺ γὰρ ἐνδεεστέρα [οὖσα] τῆς λεπτομερείας, ἧς εἶχεν ἡ δι' αὑτῆς υἱ(ό)τ(ης) ἀναδραμοῦσα, ἀπελίπετο. [ἀν]επτέρωσεν οὖν αὑτὴν ἡ υἱότης ἡ παχυμερεστέρα τοιούτῳ τινὶ πτερῷ, ὁποίῳ διδάσκαλος ὢ[ν] Ἀριστοτέλους Πλάτων ἐν Φαίδ(ω)νι τὴν ψυχὴν πτεροῖ, καὶ καλεῖ τὸ τοιοῦτο Βασιλείδης οὐ πτερὸν ἀλλὰ Πνεῦμα ἅγιον, ὃ εὐεργετεῖ ἡ υἱότης ἐνδυσαμένη καὶ εὐεργετεῖται. εὐεργετεῖ μὲν [οὖν καὶ εὐεργετεῖται], ὅτι καθάπερ ὄρνιθος πτερὸν αὐτὸ καθ' αὑτὸ [καὶ] τοῦ ὄρνιθος ἀπηλλαγμένον οὐκ ἂν γένοιτό ποτε ὑψηλὸν οὐδὲ μετάρσιον, οὐδ' αὖ ὄρνις ἀπολελυμένος τοῦ πτεροῦ οὐκ ἄν ποτε γένοιτο ὑψηλὸς οὐδὲ μετάρσιος, τοιοῦτόν τινά τοι λόγον ἔσχεν ἡ υἱότης πρὸς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα πρὸς τὴν υἱότητα. Ἀναφερομένη γοῦν ὑπὸ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἡ υἱότης ὡς ὑπὸ πτεροῦ, ἀναφέρει τὸ πτερόν, τουτέστι τὸ Πνεῦμα, καὶ πλησίον γενομένη τῆς λεπτομεροῦς υἱότητος καὶ τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ οὐκ ὄντος καὶ δημιουργήσαντος [κόσμον οὐκ ὄντα] ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων, ἔχειν μὲν αὐτὸ μεθ' αὑτῆς οὐκ ἠδύνατο: ἦν γὰρ οὐχ ὁμοούσιον οὐδὲ φύσιν εἶχε [μετὰ] τῆς υἱότητος. ἀλλὰ ὥσπερ ἐστὶ παρὰ φύσιν καὶ ὀλέθριος τ(οῖς ἰ)χθύσιν ἀὴρ καθαρὸς καὶ ξηρός, οὕτω τῷ Πνεύματι τῷ ἁγίῳ ἦν παρὰ φύσιν ἐκεῖνο τὸ ἀρρήτων ἀρρητότερον καὶ «παντὸς ὀνόματος ἀνώτερον» τοῦ οὐκ ὄντος ὁμοῦ θεο[ῦ] καὶ τῆς υἱότητος χωρίον. Κατέλιπεν οὖν αὐτὸ πλησίον [γενομένη ἡ] υἱότης ἐκείνου τοῦ μακαρίου καὶ νοηθῆναι μὴ δυναμένου [μὴ] μηδὲ χαρακτηρισθῆναί τινι λόγῳ χωρίου, οὐ [μέντοι] παντάπασιν ἔρημον οὐδὲ ἀπηλλαγμένον τῆς υἱότητος. ἀλλὰ γὰρ ὥσπερ μύρον εὐωδέστατον εἰς ἄγγος ἐμβληθέν, εἰ καὶ ὅτι μάλιστα ἐπιμελῶς ἐκκενωθείη, ὅμως ὀσμή τις ἔτι μένει τοῦ μύρου καὶ καταλείπεται, κἂν ᾖ κεχωρισμένον τοῦ ἀγγείου, καὶ μύρου ὀσμὴν τὸ ἀγγεῖον [ἔχ]ει καὶ μὴ [ἔχον] μύρον, οὕτως τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον μεμένηκε [μὲν] τῆς υἱότητος ἄμοιρον καὶ ἀπηλλαγμένον, ἔχει δ' ἐν ἑαυτῷ μύρου παραπλησίαν τὴν δύναμιν, [τὴν τῆς υἱότητος] ὀσμήν. καὶ τοῦτό ἐστι, [φησί,] τὸ λεγόμενον: «ὡς μύρον ἐπὶ κεφαλῆς τὸ καταβαῖνον ἐπὶ τὸν πώγωνα τὸν Ἀ(α)ρώ(ν)»: [τουτέστιν] ἡ ἀπὸ τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου φερομένη ὀσμὴ ἄνωθεν κάτω μέχρι τῆς ἀμορφίας καὶ τοῦ διαστήματος τοῦ καθ' ἡμᾶς, ὅθεν ἤρξατο ἀνελθεῖν ἡ υἱότης, οἱονεὶ ἐπὶ [τῶν] πτερύγων ἀετοῦ, φησί, καὶ τῶν μεταφρένων [ἀν]ενεχθεῖσα. σπεύδει γάρ, φησί, πάντα κάτωθεν ἄνω, ἀπὸ τῶν χειρόνων ἐπὶ τὰ κρείττονα, οὐδὲν δὲ οὕτως ἀνόητόν ἐστι τῶν [ἐν] τοῖς κρείττοσιν, ἵνα μὴ [μένῃ, ἀλλὰ] κατέλθῃ κάτω. ἡ δὲ τρίτη υἱότης, φησίν, ἡ ἀποκαθάρσεως δεομένη, μεμένηκε[ν ἐν] τῷ μεγάλῳ τῆς πανσπερμίας σωρῷ, [καὶ αὐτὴ] εὐεργετοῦσα καὶ εὐεργετουμένη: τίνα δέ τοι τρόπον εὐεργετεῖται καὶ εὐεργετεῖ, ὕστερον ἐροῦμεν, κατὰ τὸν οἰκεῖον αὐτοῦ γενόμενοι λόγον.