CONTENTS

CHAPTER VII

POST-CHRISTIAN GNOSTICS

Expectation of Parusia causes Gnosticism to be ignored by Apostolic writers—Change in Christian teaching at end of Ist century—Destruction of Temple of Jerusalem forces Christians to separate from Jews—Some compromise with heathenism necessary—Coveted position of Christian bishops—Founders of Gnostic sects—Only evidence of their teaching till lately, Irenaeus and Epiphanius, both unsatisfactory—Discovery of Philosophumena of Hippolytus, and Salmon and Stähelin’s attacks on its credibility—The Pistis Sophia and Bruce Papyrus—General features of Post-Christian Gnostics—Their belief in Divinity and Historicity of Jesus—Difficulties arising from this and their various solutions—Secrecy of doctrine common among Gnostics and consequent calumnies—Many Gnostic doctrines still doubtful—Parallel between the Gnostic and Protestant sects—Gnosticism bridge between heathenism and Christianity—Effect of this on Catholic practice and doctrine 1-24

CHAPTER VIII

POST-CHRISTIAN GNOSTICS:—THE OPHITES

Different accounts of origin of Ophites—Alteration from time to time of their doctrines—Phrygia first home of Ophites and its history—Its religion and bi-sexual deity lead to theocrasia—Jewish settlements in Phrygia and their apostasy—Addiction of Phrygian Jews to magic—Their connection with Cabala uncertain—Ineffable First Cause of the Ophites—The Great Light or Supreme Being at once Father-and-Son—Female Deity necessary in Phrygia—Formation of Supreme Triad of Father, Mother, and Son—Messenger of Triad called Christos—Creation of Universe by Powers intermediate between God and man, and Legend of Sophia—Sophia’s son Ialdabaoth the Demiurge, the seven heavens, and their rulers—The Ophiomorphus or serpent-shaped god, whence derived—Passions of mankind derived from Ophiomorphus, but latter not bad—Creation of Man by planetary powers—The seven earthly demons, Talmud, and Cabala—Man’s soul brought from above by Christos—The visoul of the world and the Mysteries—Ophites followers of Jesus, but believe in salvation through Mysteries—Scheme of redemption and abstinence from generation—Composite nature of Jesus, His earthly life, passion, and resurrection—Rites attributed to Ophites—Naassene Hymn and its explanation—Changes of man’s soul and Gospel according to the Egyptians—Necessity of guide through next world like Book of the Dead—Celsus’ Diagram described and explained—“Defences” or Apologiae of soul added by Origen—Explanation of and commentary on Diagram and Defences—Spread and decay of Ophite sect—Gradual modification of their doctrines and connection with the Pistis Sophia—Apocryphal Gospels used by Ophites: extracts quoted—Ophites apply fantastic interpretation to all literature 25-82

CHAPTER IX

POST-CHRISTIAN GNOSTICS: VALENTINUS

Early Ophites probably uneducated—General softening of manners under Julian Emperors and development of morality—Change in ethical ideals of Gnosticism probably starts in Alexandria—Doctrines of Saturninus and Basilides—Basilides’ system never intended for public use and probably merges in that of Valentinus—Links with Simon Magus and Ophites—Success of Valentinus’ teaching and abuse of him by Fathers—Valentinus’ theology: Bythos either bi-sexual or makes syzygy with Sigê—Emanation of Ogdoad—Valentinus’ statements as to this possibly metaphors—Emanation of Decad and Dodecad—Names of Aeons and their explanation—Sophia and her Fall in Valentinus’ system—Her Ectroma and emanation of Christos, the Holy Spirit, and the Cross—Sophia Without and Jesus the Joint Fruit of the Pleroma—Formation of worlds from passions of Sophia Without and their rulers—The different natures of men and demons—The Heavenly Banquet—Valentinus’ predestinarian views contrasted with Ophites’—Salvation of Psychics by Jesus—-Valentinus’ account of Crucifixion doubtful—Life of Valentinus—His successors—Italic School: Ptolemy, Secundus, and Heracleon—Anatolic School: Axionicus, Bardesanes, Theodotus, and Alexander—Life of Bardesanes and his Hymns—Valentinus’ innovations on Christianity and attitude of early Fathers towards them—His use of metaphor and “God is Love”—Exegesis of Valentinus and his followers and his pastoral attitude—Did Valentinus ever attempt to break with Church or to found secret sect?—Valentinus’ compliance with heathenism attracts rich and learned—Dangers of this for Church—Proceedings of Marcus—-Spread of sect after Valentinus’ death—Ptolemy’s letter to Flora—Egypt natural home of sect—Its Decay—Half-way house between earlier Gnosticism and Catholicism 83-133

viiCHAPTER X

THE SYSTEM OF THE PISTIS SOPHIA AND ITS RELATED TEXTS

Description of the Pistis Sophia MS.—Story of two first parts—Pre-terrestrial acts of Jesus—Incarnation and Second Ascension with address of the Powers—Arrangement of Heavenly Worlds and their occupants: the Powers above and below the Veil: those of the Right, Middle, and Left—The starry world—Adventures of Jesus’ passage to the upper worlds—He changes the course of the stars—Meeting of Jesus with Pistis Sophia and her history—Is the Pistis Sophia the Interrogations of Mary?—Ophite features in Pistis Sophia—Valentinian ones more marked—Joys of elect in next world and places according to mysteries—Mysteries are sacraments—Eucharistic grace revealed in book—-Complete union of worshippers with deity confined to few—Egyptian features in book—Existing MS., Coptic version of Greek text—Original work probably by Valentinus—The Texts of the Saviour: a thaumaturgic work—Its continuation—Texts of the Saviour later than Pistis Sophia and quotations from them—Are the Texts by Marcus the Magician?—The Bodleian Papyrus Bruce and its divisions—One fragment must be later than Pistis Sophia—Another connected with the Texts of the Saviour—Dr Karl Schmidt’s views as to date, etc. discussed—Increase of post-mortem terrors in later books, a peculiarly Egyptian feature—Degeneration of Gnosticism in Egypt and its magical tendencies—Ill effects of this upon Egyptian Christianity—Services rendered to Church by Gnosticism generally 134-202

CHAPTER XI

MARCION

Increase of anti-Jewish feeling in Rome under Antoninus Pius—History of Marcion—Terror of Church at Marcion’s doctrine—Uncompromising character of Marcionism—Marcion’s expurgation of Scripture—His Antitheses—His Two Gods—His Docetic views—His anti-Jewish teaching—His treatment of the Pauline Epistles—His abhorrence of allegory—The original nature of his system and its resemblance to Protestantism—Puritanism of Marcionites—History of Marcionism—Rise of sects within it—Marcion’s follower Apelles leans towards Catholicism—Tatian’s, Encratites’, and other variations of Marcionism—After Constantine, many Marcionites rejoin Church—Others coalesce with Manichaeans—Failure of Marcion’s attempted reform—Interest of Marcion’s heresy for later ages 203-223

viiiCHAPTER XII

THE WORSHIP OF MITHRAS

Reaction of East towards Persia in Roman times—Struggle between Rome and Persia only closes with Mahommedan Invasion—Rome leans to Persian fashions and proclaims Mithras protector of Empire—How Mithraism reached Rome—Its propagation by the soldiery—Mithras may have been originally god of Western Asia—His place in Persian religion—Magism, its tenets and connection with magic—And with astrology—Uncertainty as to Mithraic tenets and Cumont’s theory—Roman ideas as to Ormuzd and Ahriman—Connection of Mithras with the Sun—The Legend of Mithras—Explanation of Tauroctony—The Mithraic Eucharist or Banquet—Mithras probably the only god for his worshippers—His position midway between heaven and earth—Ahriman in Mithraism—Identified with Greek Hades—Lord of Destiny—The seven spheres in Mithraism—Eclecticism of Mithraics as to worship of other gods—Possibly as to Christianity also—The Mysteries of Mithras—The seven degrees of initiation—Privileges of higher initiates doubtful—The so-called Mithraic Liturgy—The priests and ceremonies of Mithraism—Likeness of Mithraism to Freemasonry and its political uses—Decline of Mithraism on loss of Dacia—Its extinction under Gratian—Exclusion of women from mysteries drawback to Mithraism—Not attractive save to soldiers—Survivals of Mithraism in royal titles—And in magic and astrology 224-276

CHAPTER XIII

MANES AND THE MANICHAEANS

Contrast between Mithraism and Manichaeism—Life and Death of Manes—Ardeshîr, son of Sassan, finds religion necessary to State—Restores Zoroastrianism—Manichaeism a Zoroastrian heresy—Christian account of origin of Manichaeism too late—Manes’ cardinal doctrines Persian—Conflict between Light and Darkness—Satan and the First Man—Defeat of latter and creation of Universe—The Redemption of the Light—Birth and ancestry of Adam—Jesus sent as Saviour to Adam—Infidelity of Eve and its results—Likeness of these to Mandaite stories—Rôles of Buddha, Zoroaster, and Jesus in Manichaeism—The salvation and transmigration of souls—The death of the perfect righteous—Of the Hearer—Distinction between Perfect and Hearer peculiar to Manichaeism—Obligations of Hearers—Hatred of Manes for Jews—Manes aims at syncretic religion—MSS. ixfound at Turfan prove chameleon-like character of Manichaeism—Manichaeans are Christians among Christians, Buddhists among Buddhists—Manichaean Cosmogony and Anthropogony in Bar Khôni and the Turkestan MSS.—-Organization of Manichaean Church—Ritual of Manichaeans confined to prayers and hymns—Manichaean prayers from Mahommedan sources—Khuastuanift or Manichaean Litany from Turkestan given with commentary—Perfect redeem Light by eating food—Hearers’ fasts help scheme of redemption—Sacrament among Manichaeans doubtful—Symbolical pictures in Manichaean Churches—Festivals of the Bema, Christmas, and Sunday—Manichaean Scriptures—Manichaean treatise found at Tunhuang—The two great archangels and the division of the sexes—History of Manichaeism 277-357

CONCLUSION

End of Paganism—Supremacy of Christianity in West—Its borrowings from its defeated rivals—Triumph of Christianity survival of fittest 358-361

Index 362-425

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