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Contre les Valentiniens

XVIII.

Plus propre à l'action par l'autorité de ses trois enfants, elle entreprend de perfectionner chacune de ces espèces. Mais elle ne put atteindre la substance spirituelle, parce qu'elle est elle-même spirituelle. Car la ressemblance de nature ne permet point à des êtres égaux et consubstantiels d'agir réciproquement l'un sur l'antre. Dans celle intention, elle borne ses efforts à la substance animale, après avoir produit les lois de Soter. Et d'abord, ô blasphème qu'on ne peut ni prononcer, ni lire, ni entendre sans horreur! elle produit notre Dieu, le Dieu de tous les hommes, excepté des hérétiques¹, le Père, le Créateur, le Roi de tous les êtres qui sont postérieurs. Tous, en effet, viennent de lui, si toutefois ils viennent de lui et non pas plutôt de celle Achamoth par laquelle, à son propre insu, secrètement et semblable à l'automate qui obéit à l'impulsion extérieure, il était mû dans chacune de ses opérations. En un mot, c'est à cause de cette ambiguïté de personnes dans les œuvres, qu'ils lui ont imposé le nom combiné de Métropator, tandis que toutes ses autres appellations sont distinctes conformément à la nature et à la condition de ses actes, de sorte que pour les substances animées, qu'ils rangent à la droite, ils l'appellent Père, mais que pour les substances matérielles qu'ils relèguent à la gauche, ils le nomment Démiurgue; et Roi, lorsqu'il s'agit du gouvernement de l'ensemble.

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Against the Valentinians

Chapter XVIII.--Blasphemous Opinion Concerning the Origin of the Demiurge, Supposed to Be the Creator of the Universe.

Having become a better proficient ¹ in practical conduct by the authority which, we may well suppose, ² accrued to her from her three children, she determined to impart form to each of the natures. The spiritual one however, she was unable to touch, inasmuch as she was herself spiritual. For a participation in the same nature has, to a very great extent, ³ disqualified like and consubstantial beings from having superior power over one another. Therefore ⁴ she applies herself solely to the animal nature, adducing the instructions of Soter ⁵ (for her guidance). And first of all (she does) what cannot be described and read, and heard of, without an intense horror at the blasphemy thereof: she produces this God of ours, the God of all except of the heretics, the Father and Creator ⁶ and King of all things, which are inferior to him. For from him do they proceed. If, however, they proceed from him, and not rather from Achamoth, or if only secretly from her, without his perceiving her, he was impelled to all that he did, even like a puppet ⁷ which is moved from the outside. In fact, it was owing to this very ambiguity about the personal agency in the works which were done, that they coined for him the mixed name of (Motherly Father), ⁸ whilst his other appellations were distinctly assigned according to the conditions and positions of his works: so that they call him Father in relation to the animal substances to which they give the place of honour ⁹ on his right hand; whereas, in respect of the material substances which they banish ¹⁰ to his left hand, they name him Demiurgus; whilst his title King designates his authority over both classes, nay over the universe. ¹¹