The Gnôsis of the Light

by F. Lamplugh

The Power of the Æons [? the Indivisible Queen, the Mother within the Plêrôma] ordered the Hierarchy of the World of the Virgin Mother [Phaneia, the Mother without the Plêrôma, she who brings into manifestation] according to the Order of the Inner Space. She placed in it the Light-Spark after the pattern of the Monad and placed therein the concealment which surrounds Him. She ordained the Propatôr after the Order of the Indivisible Body and the twelve Holy Ones which surround it, having crowns on their heads and seals of glory in their right hands, after the type found in the Indivisible Point. In the midst of these is Love; a face of the Triple-Power is in the Fount, and there is a Basket which twelve Paternities surround, in whom a Sonship is concealed.

She ordained the Autopatôr according to the order of the Ennead without seal-mark and gave him authority over all that is only self-fathered, and gave him a crown of all-glory and love, and Peace, Truth, and myriads of powers, so that he might gather together those who had been dispersed by the troubling which had taken place when the [Light Spark] went forth with joy. As for the Prince of the Universe, he who has the triple-power to make alive and to destroy, she ordained the Son Prôtogennêtôr after the order of the Triple-Power. She gave him a ninefold Ennead and five tenfold Decads, and that he might have power to accomplish the warfare imposed upon him, she gave him the first-fruits of the Sonship concealed in her that he might be able to become a Triple-Power. He received the Vow of the Sonship because the Universe (30) had been sold [? into slavery], and took upon him the warfare entrusted to him and made arise all that was pure in matter. A world made he, an æon, a town; the world which is called "Incorruptibility" and "Jerusalem." It is also called "The New Earth," and "Self-Perfect," and "Without King." This earth is an earth that brings forth gods, a life-giving earth indeed. This is the earth that the Mother (? Phaneia) asked to have established. That is why she (? the Mother Above) has placed orders or hierarchy in this earth and has placed in it Providence and Love. This is the earth of which it has been written, "The earth which drank the rain a multitude of times": that is to say, which has multiplied the light in her multitudes and multitudes of times, since the (light) went forth until its return; that is to say, it is that from which the Man is named "Sensible." He is fashioned, He has been created according to the type of this earth, He who has been saved from His Self dispersion by the Prôtogennêtôr (31). Because of that, the Father of all those of the Universe, He who has no [bridal] bed has sent [Him,? the Man] a crown bearing the names of all those of the Universe, whether Infinite or Ineffable, or Uncontainable, or Incorruptible, or Unknown, or Solitary, or All-powerful, or Indivisible. This is the crown of which it is written, "They gave it unto Solomon on the day of his exultation of heart."

The First Monad sent Him [the Man] an ineffable vesture which is all Light, all Life, all Love, all Hope, all Faith, all Wisdom, all Gnôsis, all Truth, all Peace, all Witness, all Universal Mother, all Universal Mystery, all Fount, all Universal Perfection, all Invisible, all Unknown, all Infinite, all Ineffable, all Abyss, all Uncontainable, all Fullness, all Silence, all Unshakable, all Unengendered, all Universal Solitary, all Monad, all Ennead, all Dodecad, all Ogdoad, all Decad, all Hebdomad, all Hexad, all Pentad, all Tetrad, all Triad, all Dyad, all Monad. The whole Universe is in it, and the Universe has found itself therein and knows itself therein (29). It gave light to all in its ineffable light, and it was given myriads and myriads of powers, so that the Universe might be established once and for all. It gathered together its skirts and gave them the form of a veil which surrounded it [the Universe] on every side. It poured itself over all things, raised them up and divided them according to the Hierarchies, according to the orders, and according to Providence. Then that-which-was separated itself from that-which-was-not, and that-which-was-not was the evil manifested in matter; and the Robe of Power severed that-which-was from that-which-was-not. That-which-was it called Æonian, and that-which-was-not it called Hyle (matter). It separated by the Midst that-which-was from that-which-was-not, and placed veils between these twain. It placed purifying powers, so that they might purge them and make them clean. It gave in this manner an order to that-which-is and made of the Mother the chief. It gave it ten æons, and each æon has a myriad powers; there is also a Monad and an Ennead in each æon.

The [Robe of Power] placed in her [? Phaneia] an Universal Motherhood and therewith a Power that had hitherto been concealed therein, so that none knew thereof. [? The Robe] placed a great Basket, above which stand three Powers, an Ingenerable One, an Unshakable One, and the Great Pure One. It gave to [? the world order] the twelve other Powers who have received the crown and who surround it. It gave it also the Seven Stratelatai (32), who have the seal of the All-completing [Panteleios], and have on their heads crowns in which there are twelve stones of Adamant, which come from Adam, the Man of Light.

[The Robe of Power] established the Propatôr in all the æons of the Mother of [the Manifestation] of all things, and gave him the full power of Paternity, and Powers to obey him as Father and as First Father of all that exists. It placed upon his head a crown of twelve kinds; it gave him a Power which is Triple-powered and All-powered; it gave him Sonship and myriads and myriads of Glories. It turned the Plêrôma towards him and gave him power to make live and to destroy. It gave him a power of the æon so that he might manifest it, with the myriads and myriads of out-rayed Glories, like the other æons that were with him. The Power which has been given to the Propatôr is called Prôtophanes, because he is the first to be manifested, and Agennêtos, because no one has engendered him. Also Ineffable and "Without Name" is he called, and also Autogênes and Autotheletos, because he has manifested himself by his own will. Yet again is he named Autoloxastos, for he manifested himself with the Glories that were his. Yet again is he termed Invisible, for he is hidden and none can see him.

Now [the Robe of Power] gave unto the Propatôr another Power, that which since the beginning has caused the Light-Spark to appear in this Space, and who is named with names Holy and All-perfecting. Who is Prôtia, that is to say, the First, and is also called Pantia—she who is found in all—and Pangenia—she who has brought forth all in the world—and Loxogenia—she who has brought Glory to birth—and Loxophania—Manifester of Glory—and Loxokrateia—she who has dominion over Glory—and Arsenogenia—she who brings forth males—and Lôia—of which the interpretation is God with us—and Jouêl—of which the interpretation is God for ever—she it is who has ordained that these Powers should appear whose name is called Phaneia, of which the translation is Manifestation. The angel who has appeared with them is he whom the Glories name Loxogenes and Loxophanes, of which the interpretation is "He who engenders Glory" and "He who manifests Glory," for he is one of those Glories who stand about that mighty power called Loxokrator, because in his manifestation he has had dominion over the great Glories.

Such are the Powers that were given to the Propatôr when he was placed in the æon of the Mother, and myriads and myriads of Glories, Angels, Archangels, and Liturgies were bestowed upon him, so that they might serve him, those of matter. They gave him power over everything. He made for himself a mighty æon and placed therein a mighty Plêrôma and a great temple and all the Powers that he had taken and placed within himself, and he rejoiced with them, bringing forth his creatures again according to the commandment of the Father hidden in the Silence, Who had sent him these riches; and the Crown of Fatherhood was given to him because he had been made the Father of all those who came after him. Then he cried out and said, "My children, with whom I travail again until Christ be formed in you"; and again he cried, "Yea, I would set beside a holy virgin an only husband, Christ."

But when he had seen the Grace that the Father in secret had given unto him (that is Himself a Propatôr), he wished to turn the Universe to the Father in secret, for it is His will that the Universe should turn to Him. And when the Mother saw all the grandeurs which had been given unto her Propatôr, she rejoiced greatly, she exulted; that is why she said, "My heart has rejoiced and my tongue has been in exultation." Then she cried to the Power Infinite who stands hard by the æon of the Father, that mighty Power of Glory that the Glories call Trigenielos (33), that is to say, Three Engendered, and who is named also Trigenes and also Harmes. She prayed also unto Him who is concealed in every Space that He would send him the Mother of Him who has withdrawn Himself. The Father in secret sent him the Mystery who reclothes all the æons like the Glories who form the Crown Panteles, that is to say, of Perfection, so that he [the Propatôr] might place the Crown upon the head of the Indivisible [Body] hidden within her, Incorruptible and Unengendered. With [her He sent] the mighty Power which is in her company, she who is called Arsenogenia, who replenishes all the æons of Glory. Thus from him shall the Universe receive the Crown.

Then she established the Autopatôr Father and Æonian One; and gave unto him the æon of the Concealed One in which are found all things, such as species, faces, images, forms, questions, dissemblances, and changes, that which counts and that which is counted, that which thinks and that which is thought. She made a vesture thereof over all which is in him, so that he might give to him who asked him. She gave unto him ten Powers, and nine Enneads, five Æons, and she gave unto him Light; and that gave him power over all secret things, so that he might show mercy to those who had fought, who had towards the æon fled from matter, leaving it behind them. They have fled to the æon of the Autopatôr; they have made their own the promise which has been promised by Him who said, "He who forsakes father, mother, brother, sister, wife, children, and riches, and takes up his cross and follows Me, shall receive the promises that I have promised unto him, and I will give unto them the Mystery of the Father in Secret, because they have loved that which was truly theirs and have fled from him who pursues them with injustice." And he [Autopatôr] gave them Glory, Joy, Exaltation, Jubilation, Peace, Hope, Faith, Love, and the Truth which changes not. This is the Ennead with which he rewarded those that fled from matter; they became happy, they became perfect, they knew God and the Truth, they comprehended the Mystery which works in the Man; for what cause He has revealed Himself, that they might see Him, for He is in truth Invisible; and for their sakes He has revealed in words His Logos, so that they might know Him and become gods and perfect.

When the Mother established the Prôtogennêtôr as her son, she gave unto him the Power of the Sonship; she gave unto him armies of Angels and Archangels; she gave unto him twelve Powers who served him; she gave unto him a robe to consummate all things in him, for in it is revealed every kind of body: the body of fire, the body of water, the body of air [? spirit], the body of earth, the body of wind, the body angelic, the body archangelic, the body of Powers, the body of Dominions, the body of Gods, the body of Lords—in a word, every kind of body, so that nothing might hinder him from mounting into the heights or descending into the depths of Noun. This is the Prôtogennêtôr to whom those of the internal and external Spaces have promised all things that please him, and it is he who separates all matter; for he brooded over it like a bird who stretches her wings over her eggs. Even thus did the Prôtogennêtôr unto matter, and made myriads and myriads of species and kinds come forth. When Matter was warmed she produced the multitudes of Powers that were in her, and he separated them into species and kinds. He gave them a law to love one another, to honour God and to praise Him, and to seek for Him, who He is and what He is, and to wonder at the place from whence they had come forth, so narrow and so sad, and not to return thither again, but to follow him who had given them a law and made them come out of the darkness; of Matter, their Mother. He had said to them, "Let there be light." For they did not know if there were such a thing as light or not. Then he gave them the command not to hurt one another, and left them to go to the Space of the Mother of the Universe beside the Propatôr and the Autopatôr, so that together they might draw up those who had come forth from matter.