*' Now, therefore, all men, sinners or better who are no sinners, not only if ye desire that they be taken out of the judgments and violent chastise- ments, but that they be removed into a righteous body which will find the mysteries of the godhead, so that it goeth on high and inheriteth the Light- kingdom, — then perform the third mystery of the Ineffable | and say: Carry ye the soul of this and this man of whom we think in our hearts^ carry him out of all the chastisements of the rulers and haste ye quickly to lead him before the Virgin of Light; and in every month let the Virgin of Light seal him with a higher seal, and in every month let the Virgin of Light cast him into a body which will be righteous and good, so that it goeth on high and inheriteth the Light-kingdom.
'' And if ye say this, amen, I say unto you: All who serve in all the orders of the judgments of the rulers, hasten to hand over that soul from one to the other, until they lead it before the Virgin of Light. And the Virgin of Light sealeth THIRD BOOK 231 THIRD BOOK 231 it with the sign of the kingdom of the Ineffable and handeth it over unto her receivers, and the receivers will cast it into a body which will be righteous and find the mysteries of the Light, so that it will be good and goeth on high and inheriteth the Light-kingdom. Lo, this is it on which ye question me."
And Mary answered and said: " Now, therefore, chap. io9. my Lord, hast thou then not brought mysteries ^n^^th^her into the world that man | may not die through the questioning. death which is appointed him by the rulers of ^^^' the Pate, — be it that it is appointed one to die by the sword or die by the waters or through tortures and torturings and acts of violence which are in the law, or through any other evil death, — hast thou then not brought mysteries into the world that man may not die with them through the rulers of the Fate, but that he may die by a sudden death, so that he endure no sufferings through such kinds of death? For they are exceedingly numerous who persecute us because of thee, and numerous those who per- secute us because of thy name, in order that, if they torture us, we may speak the mystery and straightway go out of the body without having endured any sufferings at all."
The Saviour answered and said unto all his How he who disciples: "Concerning this word on which yethemys- question me, I have spoken unto you at another ^^^^j^^^^^^^^^j^ time; but hearken again that I may say it unto out of the you anew: Not only ye, but every man who will without accomplish that first mystery of the First Mystery ^"^®""s- of the Ineffable, — he who, therefore, shall per- form that mystery and accomplish it in all its figures and all its types and all its station^, in 232 PISTIS SOPHIA CHAP. 110.
performing it, he will not come out of the body; but after he hath accomplished that mystery in 278. all its figures | and all its types, thereafter then at every time when he shall speak the name of that mystery, he will save himself from all that which is appointed him by the rulers of the Pate. And in that hour he will come forth out of the body of the matter of the rulers, and his soul will be- come a great light-stream, so that it soareth on high and penetrateth all the regions of the rulers and all the regions of the Light, until it reacheth the region of its kingdom. Neither giveth it answers nor apologies in any region at all, for it is without tokens."
When then Jesus had said this, Mary con- tinued, threw herself at Jesus' feet, kissed them and said: '' My Lord, still will I question thee. Reveal [it] unto us and hide [it] not from us."
Jesus answered and said unto Mary: '* Question on what ye question, and I will reveal [it] unto you in openness without simiKtude."
Mary answered and said: ** My Lord, hast que"stionT^. thou then not brought mysteries into the world because of poverty and riches, and because of weakness and strength, and because of...and healthy bodies, in a word because of all such, so that, if we go into the regions of the land, and they do not have faith in us and they hearken not unto our words, and we perform any such mysteries in those regions, they may know truly 279. in truth that we | herald the words [of the God] of the universe? " The Saviour answered and said unto Mary in the midst of the disciples: *' Concerning this mystery on which ye question me, I have given Mary con- tinueth her THIRD BOOK 233 it unto you at another time; but I will repeat it and speak the word unto you: *' Now, therefore, Mary, not only ye, but The mystery every man who shall accomplish the mystery of fng of the the raising of the dead, — that which healeth the ^^^'^• demons and all pains and all sicknesses and the blind and the lame and the maimed and the dumb and the deaf, which I have given unto you aforetime, — he who shall receive [that] mystery and accomplish it, thereafter then, if he ask for all things, for poverty and riches, for weakness and strength, for...and healthy body, and for all healings of the body and for the raising of the dead and for healing the lame and the blind and the deaf and the dumb and all sicknesses and all pains, — in a word, he who shall accomplish that mystery and ask for all the things which I have just said, then will they quickly come to pass for him."
When then the Saviour had said this, the The dis- disciples came forward, cried out all together elm? and said: ** 0 Saviour, thou hath made us very ^^^J'g^^^/* exceedingly frenzied because of the great deeds ^^^^^y of the of which thou tellest us; and because thou hast borne up our souls, they have pressed to go forth out of us I unto thee, for we issue from thee. 28o. Now, therefore, because of these great deeds of which thou tellest us, our souls have become frenzied and they have pressed very exceedingly, yearning to go forth out of us on high to the region of thy kingdom."
When then the disciples had said this, the chap. in. Saviour continued again and said unto his dis- 5?^T *^® ^ ^ disciples ciples: '* If ye go into cities or kingdoms or shall make countries, proclaim first unto them, saying: 234 PISTIS SOPHIA Search ever and cease not, until ye find the mysteries of the Light which will lead you into the Light-kingdom. Say unto them: Beware of the doctines of error. For many will come in my name and say: It is I. And it is not I, and they will lead many astray.
Whatmys- *' Now, therefore, unto all men who come unto shaiTgive^ you and have faith in you and hearken unto your words and do what is worthy of the mysteries of the Light, give the mysteries of the Light and hide them not from them. And unto him who is worthy of the higher mysteries, give them, and to him who is worthy of the lower mysteries, give them, and hide not anything from any one.
The mystery *' The mystery of the raising of the dead and kigofthir of the healing of the sick, on the other hand, br^i^en^to gi^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^ S^^^ instruction in it, for *"y- that mystery belongeth to the rulers, it and all its namings. For this cause, therefore, give it | 281. unto no one, nor give instruction in it until ye establish the faith in the whole world, in order that, if ye come into cities or into countries, and they do not receive you unto themselves, and do not have faith, and do not hearken unto your words, ye may raise the dead in those regions and heal the lame and the blind and manifold of sicknesses in those regions. And through all such they will have faith in you, that ye herald the God of the universe, and will have faith in all the words of you. For this cause, therefore, have I given unto you that mystery, until ye establish the faith in the whole world."
When then the Saviour had said this, he con- tinued again in the discourse and said unto Mary: '' Now, therefore, hearken, Mary, concerning the THIRD BOOK 235 word on which thou hast questioned me: Who constraineth the man until he sinneth? Now, therefore, hearken: " Is the babe born, the power is feeble in it, of thecon- and the soul is feeble in it, and also the counter- man. feiting spirit is feeble in it; in a word, the three together are feeble, without any one of them ir sensing anything, whether good or evil, because of the load of forgetfulness which is very heavy. Moreover the body also is feeble. And the babe eateth of the delights of the world of the rulers; and the power draweth into itself from the portion of the power which | is in the delights; 282. and the soul draweth into itself from the portion of the soul which is in the delights; and the coun- terfeiting spirit draweth into itself from the portion of the evil which is in the delights and in its lusts. And on the other hand the body draweth into itself the matter which senseth not, which is in the delights. The destiny on the contrary taketh nothing from the dehghts, because it is not mingled with them, but it departeth again in the condition in which it Cometh into the world.
*' And little by little the power and the soul and the counterfeiting spirit grow, and every one of them senseth according to its nature: the power senseth to seek after the hght of the height; the soul on the other hand senseth to seek after the region of righteousness which is mixed, which is the region of the commixture; the counter- feiting spirit on the other hand seeketh after all evils and lusts and all sins; the body on the con- trary senseth nothing unless it taketh up force out of the matter.
236 PISTIS SOPHIA Of the coun- terfeiting spirit.
283.
" And straightway the three develop sense, every one according to its nature. And the retributive receivers assign the servitors to follow them and be witnesses of all the sins which they commit, with a view to the manner and method how they will chastize them in the judgments.
" And after this the counterfeiting spirit | contriveth and senseth all sins and the evil which the rulers of the great Fate have commanded for the soul, and it maketh them for the soul.
'' And the inner power stirreth the soul to seek after the region of the Light and the whole god- head; and the counterfeiting spirit leadeth away the soul and compelleth it continually to do all its lawless deeds, all its mischiefs and all its sin, and is persistently allotted to the soul and is hostile to it, and making it do all this evil and all these sins.
" And it goadeth on the retributive servitors, so that they are witnesses in all the sins which it will make it do. Moreover also if it will rest in the night [or] by day, it stirreth it in dreams or in lusts of the world, and maketh it to lust after all the things of the world. In a word, it driveth [?] it into all the things which the rulers have com- manded for it and it is hostile to the soul, making it do what pleaseth it not.
" Now, therefore, Mary, this is in fact the foe of the soul, and this compelleth it until it doeth all sins.
'' Now, therefore, if | the time of that man The state of ig completed, first Cometh forth the destiny and soul after Icadcth the man unto death through the rulers ^^^^' and their bonds with which they are bound through the Fate.
284.
THIRD BOOK 237 " And thereafter the retributive receivers come and lead that soul out of the body. And there- after the retributive receivers spend three days circling round with that soul in all the regions and dispatch it to all the aeons of the world. And the counterfeiting spirit and the destiny follow that soul; and the power returneth to the Virgin of Light.
** And after three days the retributive receivers lead down that soul to the Amente of the chaos; and when they bring it down to the chaos, they hand it over to those who chastize. And the retributive receivers return unto their own regions according to the economy of the works of the rulers concerning the coming-forth of the souls.
'* And the counterfeiting spirit becometh the receiver of the soul, being assigned unto it and transferring it according to the chastisement because of the sins which it hath made it commit, and is in great enmity to the soul.
*' And when the soul hath finished the chastise- ments in the chaos according to the sins | which it 285. hath committed, the counterfeiting spirit leadeth it forth out of the chaos, being assigned unto it and transferring it to every region because of the sins which it hath committed; and it leadeth it forth on the way of the rulers of the midst. And when it reacheth them, [the rulers] question it on the mysteries of the destiny; and if it hath iiot found them, they question their destiny. And those rulers chastize that soul according to the sins of which it is guilty. I will tell you the type of their chastisements at the expansion of the universe.
238 PISTIS SOPHIA 238 PISTIS SOPHIA How a sin- ''When, therefore, the time of the chastise- brought back ments of that soul in the judgments of the rulers to birth. qI ^y^q midst shall be completed, the counter- feiting spirit leadeth the soul up out of all the regions of the rulers of the midst and bringeth it before the light of the sun according to the com- mandment of the First Man, Yew, and bringeth it before the judge, the Virgin of Light. And she proveth that soul and findeth that it is a sinning soul, and casteth her light-power into it for its standing-upright and because of the body and the community of sense, — the type of which I will tell you at the expansion of the universe. And the Virgin of Light sealeth that soul and 286. handeth it over to one of her receivers | and will have it cast into a body which is suitable to the sins which it hath committed.
" And amen, I say unto you: They will not discharge that soul from the changes of the body until it hath yielded its last circuit according to its merit. Of all these then will I tell you their type and the type of the bodies into which it will be cast according to the sins of each soul.
All this will I tell you when I shall have told you the expansion of the universe."
CHAP. 112. Jesus continued again in the discourse and said: Of the as- *' If on the contrary it is a soul which hath death of the uot hearkened unto the counterfeiting spirit in that hath ^^ i^^ works, but hath become good and hath received the received the mysteries of the Light which are in the second space or even those which are in the third space which is within, when the time [of the coming-forth] of that soul out of the body is completed, then the counterfeiting spirit followeth that soul, it and the destiny; and THIRD BOOK 239 it followeth it on the way on which it will go above.
*' And before it removeth itself above, it. uttereth the mystery of the undoing of the seals^ and all the bonds of the counterfeiting spirit with which the rulers have bound it to the soul; and when it is uttered, the bonds of the counter- feiting spirit undo themselves, and it ceaseth to come into that soul and releaseth the soul according to the commandments which | the 287. rulers of the great Fate have commanded it, saying: ' Release not this soul until it tell thee the mystery of the undoing of all the seals with which we have bound thee to the soul.'
*' If then the soul shall have uttered the mystery of the undoing of the seals and of all the bonds of the counterfeiting spirit, and if it ceaseth to come into the soul and ceaseth to be bound to it, then it uttereth in that moment a mystery and releaseth the destiny to its region to the rulers who are on the way of the midst. And it uttereth the mystery and releaseth the counterfeiting spirit to the rulers of the Pate to the region in which it was bound to it.
'' And in that moment it becometh a great light-stream, shining exceedingly, and the retri- butive receivers who have led it forth out of the body, are afraid of the light of that soul and fall on their faces. And in that moment that soul becometh a great light-stream, it becometh entirely wings of light, and penetrateth all the regions of the rulers and all the orders of the Light, until it reacheth the region of its kingdom up to which it hath received mysteries.
*' If on the other hand it is a soul which hath 240 PISTIS SOPHIA Of the state received mysteries in the first space which is of one who without, and if after it | hath received the cdl^d^the naysteries it hath accomphshed them, it [then] mysteries, tumeth and committeth sin after the accompHsh- transgressed. ing of the mysteries, and if the time of the 288. coming-forth of that soul is completed, then the retributive receivers come to lead that soul out of the body.
'* And the destiny and the counterfeiting spirit follow that soul. Because the counter- feiting spirit is bound to it with the seals and the bonds of the rulers, it followeth thus that soul which travelleth on the ways with the counter- feiting spirit.
*' It uttereth the mystery of the undoing of all the bonds and all the seals with which the rulers have bound the counterfeiting spirit to the soul. And when the soul uttereth the mystery of the undoing of the seals, straightway the bonds of the seals which are bound in the counterfeiting spirit to the soul undo themselves. And when the soul uttereth the mystery of the undoing of the seals, straightway the counter- feiting spirit undoeth itself and ceaseth to be assigned to the soul. And in that moment the soul uttereth a mystery and restraineth the counterfeiting spirit and the destiny and dis- chargeth them which follow it. But no one of 289. them is in its power; | but it is in their power.
'* And in that moment the receivers of that soul come with the mysteries which it hath received, come and snatch that soul out of the hands of the retributive receivers, and the [latter] receivers go back to the works of the rulers for the purpose of the economy of the leading-forth of the souls.
THIRD BOOK 241 *' And the receivers of that soul on the other hand who belong to the Light, become wings of light for that soul and become vestures of Hght for it and they do not lead it into the chaos, because it' is not lawful to lead into the chaos souls which have received mysteries, but they lead it on the way of the rulers of the midst. And when it reacheth the rulers of the midst, those rulers meet the soul, they being in great fear and violent fire and with different faces, in a word in great immeasurable fear.
*' And in that moment the soul uttereth the mystery of their apology. And they are ex- ceedingly afraid and fall on their faces, being in fear of the mystery which it hath uttered, and of their apology. | And that soul surrendereth their 290. destiny, saying unto them: Take your destiny! The apology I come not to your regions from this moment ^f the ways of onwards. I have become a stranger unto you *^® "^^^^*- for ever, being about to go unto the region of my inheritance.
*' And when the soul shall have said this, the receivers of the Light fly with it on high and lead it into the seons of the Pate, it giving every region its apology and its seals, — which I will tell you at the expansion of the universe. And it giveth the counterfeiting spirit to the rulers and telleth them the mj^stery of the bonds with which it is bound to it, and sayeth unto them: There have The apology ye your counterfeiting spirit! I come not to of the Fate, your region from this moment onwards. I have become a stranger unto you for ever. And it giveth every one his seal and his apology.
*' And when the soul shall have said this, the receivers of the Light fly with it on high and lead 16 242 PISTIS SOPHIA 291.
Of the as- cension of that soul into the In- heritance.
292 it I out of the aeons of the Pate and lead it up into all the aeons [above], it giving to every region its apology and the apology of all the regions and the seals to the tyrants of the king, the Adamas. And it giveth the apology of all the rulers of all the regions of the Left, — whose collective apolo- gies and seals I will one day tell you when I shall tell you the expansion of the universe.
*' And moreover those receivers lead that soul to the Virgin of Light and that soul giveth the Virgin of Light the seals and the glory of the songs of praise. And the Virgin of Light and also the seven other virgins of the Light together prove that soul and find together their signs in it and their seals and their baptisms and their chrism. And the Virgin of Light | sealeth that soul and the receivers of the Light baptize that soul and give it the spiritual chrism; and every one of the virgins of the Light sealeth it with her seals.
*' And moreover the receivers of the Light hand it over to the great Sabaoth, the Good, who is at the gate of the Life in the region of those of the Eight, who is called 'Father.' And that soul giveth him the glory of his songs of praise and his seals and his apologies. And Sabaoth, the Great and Good, sealeth it with his seals. And the soul giveth its science and the glory of the songs of praise and the seals to the whole region of those of the Right. They all seal it with their seals; and Melchisedec, the great Receiver of the Light who is in the region of those of the Right, sealeth that soul and all the receivers of Melchisedec seal that soul and lead it into the Treasury of the Light.
** And it giveth the glory and the honour and THIRD BOOK 243 the laud of the songs of praise and all the seals of all the regions of the Light. And all those of the region of the Treasury of the Light seal it with their seals and it goeth unto the region of the Inheritance."
When then the Saviour had said this unto his chap. 113. disciples | he said unto them: " Understand ye 293. in what manner I discourse with you? " And Mary again started forward and said: Mary inter- *' Yea, my Lord, I understand in what manner fJJ^mer sa^y"^ thou dost discourse with me, and I will compre-^"^^* hend them all [sc, thy words]. Now, therefore, concerning these words which thou sayest, my mind hath brought forward four thoughts in me and my light-man hath led me and exulted and seethed, desiring to come forth out of me and enter into thee. Now, therefore, my Lord, hearken that I may tell thee the four thoughts which have arisen in me.
'' The first thought hath arisen in me con- cerning the word which thou hast spoken: ' Now, therefore, the soul giveth the apology and seal unto all the rulers who are in the region of the king, the Adamas, and giveth the apology and the honour and the glory of all their seals and the songs of praise to the region of the Light,' — con- cerning this word then thou hast spoken unto us aforetime, when they brought thee the piece of The piece money and thou didst see that it was of silver and ^^^^^^^ copper and didst ask: ' Whose is this image? ' brought unto They said: * The king's.' And when thou sawest that it was of silver and copper mixed, thou saidst: * Give therefore the king's unto the king and God's unto God,' — that is: If the soul receiveth mysteries, it giveth the apology to 244 PISTIS SOPHIA 294. all the rulers and to the region | of the king, the Adamas; and the soul giveth the honour and the glory to all those of the region of the Light. And the word: ' It hath glistened, when thou didst see that it is made up of silver and copper,' — it is the type thereof, that in it [sc, the soul] is the power of the Light, which is the refined silver, and that in it is the counterfeiting spirit, which is the material copper. This, my Lord, is the first thought.
** The second thought is on the other hand that which thou hast just said unto us con- cerning the soul which receiveth the mysteries: ' If it Cometh into the region of the rulers of the way of the midst, they come forth to meet it in exceedingly great fear and they are afraid of it. And the soul giveth the mystery of the fear unto them and they are afraid before it. And it giveth the destiny to its region, and it giveth the counter- feiting spirit to its own region, and it giveth the apology and the seals to every one of the rulers who are on the ways, and it giveth the honour and the glory and the laud of the seals and the songs of praise to all those of the region of the Light,' — concerning this word, my Lord, thou hast spoken aforetime through the mouth of our brother A saying of Paul: ' Givc tax to whom tax is due, give fear ^^"^' to whom fear is due, give tribute to whom tribute is due, give honour to whom honour is due, and give laud to whom laud is due, and owe not any 295. other anything,' | — that is, my Lord: The soul which receiveth mysteries, giveth apology to all regions. This, my Lord, is the second thought.
" The third thought on the other hand concern- ing the word which thou hast aforetime spoken THIRD BOOK 245 unto us: ' The counterfeiting spirit is hostile to The foes of the soul, making it do all sins and all mischiefs, house.^^^^ and it transferreth it in the chastisements because of all the sins which it hath made it commit; in a word, it is hostile to the soul in every way,' — concerning this word, therefore, thou hast said unto us aforetime: ' The foes of the man are the dwellers in his house,' — that is: The dwellers in the house of the soul are the counterfeiting spirit and the destiny, which are hostile to the soul the whole time, making it commit all sin and all iniquities. Lo this, my Lord, is the third thought.
*' The fourth thought on the other hand con- cerning the word which thou hast said: ' If the soul goeth forth out of the body and travelleth on the way with the counterfeiting spirit, and if it hath not found the mystery of the undoing of all the bonds and the seals which are bound to the counterfeiting spirit, so that it may cease to haunt or be assigned to it, — if it then hath not found it, the counterfeiting spirit leadeth the soul to the Virgin of Light, the judge; and the judge, the Virgin of Light, proveth the soul and findeth | that it hath sinned and, as she also hath not found 296. the mysteries of the Light with it, she handeth it over to one of her receivers, and her receiver leadeth it and casteth it into the body, and it cometh not out of the changes of the body before it hath yielded its last circuit,' — concerning this word, then, my Lord, thou hast said unto us aforetime: * Be reconciled with thy foe as long a former as thou art on the way with him, lest perchance ceSTngTe"-' thy foe hand thee over to the judge and the judge ^^^*^- hand thee over to the servant and the servant 246 PISTIS SOPHIA 297.
CHAP. 114.
Mary con- tinueth to question Jesus.
cast thee into prison, and thou shalt not come forth out of that region till thou hast yielded the last farthing.'
*' Because of this manifestly is thy word: Every soul which cometh forth out of the body and travelleth on the way with the counter- feiting spirit and findeth not the mystery of the undoing of all the seals and all the bonds, so that it may undo itself from the counterfeiting spirit which is bound to it, — that soul which hath not found mysteries of the Light and hath not found the mysteries of detachment from the counter- feiting spirit which is bound to it, — if then it hath not found it, the counterfeiting spirit leadeth that soul to the Virgin of Light, and the Virgin of Light, yea that judge, handeth over that soul I to one of her receivers, and her receiver casteth it into the sphere of the seons, and it cometh not out of the changes of the body before it hath yielded the last circuit which is appointed for it. This then, my Lord, is the fourth thought."
It came to pass then, when Jesus had heard Mary say these words, that he said: " Well said, all-blessed Mary, spiritual [one]. These are the solutions of the words which I have spoken."
Mary answered and said: " Still, my Lord, do I question thee, because from now on I will begin to question thee on all things with sureness. For this cause, therefore, my Lord, be patient with us and reveal unto us all things on which we shall question thee for the sake of the manner, how my brethren are to herald it to the whole race of men."
And when she had said this to the Saviour, THIRD BOOK 247 the Saviour answered and said unto her in great compassion towards her: *' Amen, amen, I say unto you: Not only will I reveal unto you all things on which ye shall question me, but from now on I will reveal unto you other things on which ye have not thought to question, which have not entered into the heart of man, and which also all the gods, who are below man, know not. Now, therefore, Mary, question on what thou mayest question, and I will reveal it unto thee face to face without similitude."
And Mary answered and said: "My Lord, CHAP. 115. in what type then do | the baptisms forgive sins? 298. I heard thee say: ' The retributive servitors follow the soul, being witnesses to it for all the sins which it committeth, that they may convict it in the judgments.' Now, therefore, my Lord, do the mysteries of the baptisms wipe out the sins which are in the hands of the retributive servitors, so that they forget them? Now, there- fore, my Lord, tell unto us the type, how they forgive sins; nay, we desire to know it with sureness."
And the Saviour answered and said unto Mary: of the re. *' Finely hast thou spoken. The servitors indeed s^rvitora. are they who bear witness to all sins; but they abide in the judgments, seizing the souls and con- victing all the souls of sinners who have received no mysteries; and they keep them fast in the chaos, chastizing them. And those retributive receivers cannot overstep the chaos to reach to the orders which are above the chaos, and convict the souls which come forth out of those regions. Now then it is not lawful to use force on the souls which receive mysteries, and lead them into 248 PISTIS SOPHIA