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Against the Valentinians

Tertullian

Chapter 18

About this work

Author: Tertullian

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

Having become a better proficient in practical conduct by the

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authority

which

,

we

may

well

suppose

,

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

,

disqualified

like

and

consubstantial

beings

from

having

superior

power

over

one

another

.

Therefore

she

applies

herself

solely

to

the

animal

nature

,

adducing

the

instructions

of

Soter

(

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

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

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

)

,

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

on

his

right

hand

;

whereas

,

in

respect

of

the

material

substances

which

they

banish

to

his

left

hand

,

they

name

him

Demiurgus

;

whilst

his

title

King

designates

his

authority

over

both

classes

,

nay

over

the

universe

.

Notes

1
Exercitior.
2
Scilicet.
3
Fere.
4
Eo animo.
5
See above, chap. xvi. p. 512.
6
Demiurgum.
7
Et velut sigillario. “Sigillarium est νευρόσπαστον,” Oehler.
8
The Father acting through and proceeding from his Mother.
9
Commendant.
10
Delegant.
11
Communiter in universitatem.