Pistis Sophia

A former saying explained. '' And the word which I have spoken unto you of the aforetime : ' So that through two to three witnesses Sry*^f Sr every word may be estabhshed,' — it is this : ^^^^i^^ess Those three mysteries will witness for his last repentance. And amen, | I say unto you : If 269. that man repenteth, no mystery can forgive him his sins, nor can his repentance be received, nor can he at all be hearkened to through any mystery, save through the first mystery of the First Mystery and through the mysteries of the Ineffable. It is these alone which will receive the repentance of that man and forgive his sins ; for those mysteries in sooth are compassionate and merciful - minded and forgiving at every time." When then the Saviour had said this, John chap. io6. continued again and said to the Saviour: " MyJ^^^^^?- . '^ tinueth his Lord, suppose an exceedingly smful brother who questionmg. hath renounced the whole world and the whole matter therein and all its sins and all its cares, and we shall prove him and know that he is not in deceit and play-acting but that in uprightness

and in truth he longeth [after God], and we know that he hath become worthy of the mysteries of the second space or of the third, — desirest thou that we give him of the mysteries of the second space and of the third, before he hath at all received mysteries of the Inheritance of the Light or not ? Desirest thou that we give or And the Saviour answered and said unto John Further of in the midst of the disciples : " If ye know with ntss^o?s^t certainty that that man | hath renounced the 270 whole world and all its cares and all its associations and all its sins, and if ye know in truth that he is not in deceit, neither that he was play-acting nor that he was curious to know the mysteries, how they are brought to pass, but that he longeth after God in truth, hide them not from such an one, but give him of the mysteries of the second and third space and try even of what mystery he is worthy ; and that of which he is worthy, give him and hide it not from him, for if ye hide it from him, ye may be guilty of a great condemnation.

** If ye give him once [of the mysteries] of the second space or of the third and he turneth again and sinneth, ye are to continue again the second time up to the third time. If he still sinneth, ye shall not continue to give him, for those three mysteries will be witnesses unto him for his last repentance. And amen, I say unto you : He who shall give that man anew mysteries of the second space or of the third, is guilty of a great condemnation. But let him be for you as a transgressor and as a stumbling-block. ** Amen, I say unto you : The soul of that man 271. cannot be cast back into the world | from this moment onwards ; but his habitation is in the midst of the jaws of the dragon of the outer darkness, the region of howling and grinding of teeth. And at the dissolution of the world his soul will be frozen up [?] and perish in the violent cold and exceedingly violent fire and will be nonexistent eternally. *' Even if he yet again turneth and renounceth the whole world and all its cares and all its sins, and he is in great citizenship and great repentance, no mystery can receive from him his repentance, nor can it hearken unto him, to have mercy

upon him and receive his repentance and forgive his sins, save the mystery of the First Mystery and the mystery of the Ineffable. It is these alone which will receive the repentance of that man and forgive his sins ; for in sooth those mysteries are compassionate and mercifulminded and forgiving of sins at every time." And when the Saviour had said this, John chap. iw. continued aeain and said: *' My Lord, bearfo^,?^^: ^ . 1 tmueth his with me, if I question thee, and be not wroth questioning, with me, for I question concerning all things with surety and certainty for knowledge of the manner, how we are to herald it to the men of the world." And the Saviour answered and said unto John : *' Question concerning all things on which thou questionest, and I will reveal them unto thee, face to face | in openness without similitude, or 272. with surety." And John answered and said : *' My Lord, if we go forth and herald it and come into a city or a village, and if the men of that city come forth to meet us without our knowing who they are, and if they receive us unto themselves in great deceit and great play-acting and bring us into their house, desiring to make trial of the mysteries of the Light-kingdom, and if they play-act with us in submission and we suppose that they long after God, and we give them the mysteries of the Light-kingdom, and if we thereafter know that they have not done what is worthy of the mystery, and we know that they have playacted with us, and have been deceitful against us and that they have also made a show of the mysteries region by region, making trial of us

Of pretenders who receive the mysteries. A former saying explained. and also of our mysteries, — what is then the thing which will befall such ? " And the Saviour answered and said unto John : ''If ye come into a city or a village, where ye enter into the house and they receive you unto themselves, give them a mystery. If they are worthy, ye will win their souls and they will inherit the Light-kingdom ; but if they are not worthy but are deceitful against you, and if they also make a show of the mysteries, making trial of you and also of the mysteries, then invoke | the first mystery of the First Mystery which hath mercy on every one, and say : Thou Mystery, which we have given unto these impious and iniquitous souls who have not done what is worthy of thy mystery but have made a show of us, turn back [then] the mystery unto us and make them for ever strangers to the mystery of thy kingdom. And shake ye off the dust of your feet as a witness against them, saying : May your souls be as the dust of your house. And amen, I say unto you : In that hour all the mysteries which ye have given unto them, will return unto you, and all the words and all the mysteries of the region up to which they have received figures, will be taken from them.

" Concerning such men, therefore, have I aforetime spoken unto you in similitude, saying : * Where ye enter into a house and are received, say unto them : Peace be with you. And if they are worthy, let your peace come upon them ; and if they are not worthy, let your peace return unto you,' — that is : If those men do what is worthy of the mysteries and in truth long after God, give them the mysteries of the Light-kingdom ; but if they play-act with you and are deceitful against you, without your having known it, | and if ye give them the mysteries of the Light- 274. kingdom, and again thereafter they make a show of the mysteries and they make also trial of you and also of the mysteries, then perform the first mystery of the First Mystery, and it will turn back unto you all the mysteries which ye have given unto them, and it will make them strangers to the mysteries of the Light for ever. *' And such men will not be led back to the world from this moment onwards; but amen, I say unto you : Their dwelling is in the midst of the jaws of the dragon of the outer darkness. And if they still at a time of repentance renounce the whole world and the whole matter therein and all the sins of the world, and they are in entire submission to the mysteries of the Light, no mystery can hearken unto them nor forgive their sins, save this same mystery of the Ineffable, which hath mercy on every one and forgiveth every one his sins."

It came to pass, when Jesus had finished chap. 108. sayine: these words unto his disciples, that Mary Mary again ^ ^ ^ ^ "^ questioneth adored the feet of Jesus and kissed them. Mary Jesus, said: ''My Lord, bear with me, if I question thee, and be not wroth with me." The Saviour answered and said unto Mary : ** Question concerning what thou desirest to question, and I will reveal it | unto thee in 275. openness." And Mary answered and said : *' My Lord, suppose a good and excellent brother whom we have filled with all the mysteries of the Light, and that brother hath a brother or kinsman, in a How the souls of those who have come out of the body may be helped by those on earth. word he hath in general [any] man, and this [man] is a sinner and impious or better he is no sinner, and such an one hath gone out of the body, and the heart of the good brother is grieved and mourneth over him, that he is in judgments and chastisements, — now, therefore, my Lord, what are we to do to remove him out of the chastisements and harsh judgments ? "

And the Saviour answered and said unto Mary : ** Concerning this word, therefore, I have aheady spoken unto you at another time, but hearken that I may say it again, so that ye may be perfected in all mysteries and be called ' the perfected in every fulness.' *' 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 chastisements, 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 Lightkingdom, — 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 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 persecute 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 yethemysquestion 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 ^"^®""sof the Ineffable, — he who, therefore, shall perform that mystery and accomplish it in all its figures and all its types and all its station^, in 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 become 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 continued, 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 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 disdisciples 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 0 T ' t -I 11 1 1 prospect.

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 *^® ciples : '* If ye go into cities or kingdoms or shall make . . 1 ' n • . i 1 • proclamation. countries, proclaim first unto them, saying : 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 continued again in the discourse and said unto Mary : '' Now, therefore, hearken, Mary, concerning the 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 theconand 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 counterfeiting 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 counterfeiting spirit on the other hand seeketh after all evils and lusts and all sins ; the body on the contrary senseth nothing unless it taketh up force out of the matter. Of the counterfeiting spirit. " 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 godhead ; 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 commanded 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 " And thereafter the retributive receivers come and lead that soul out of the body. And thereafter 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 chastisements 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.

How a sin- ''When, therefore, the time of the chastisebrought back ments of that soul in the judgments of the rulers to birth. qI ^y^q midst shall be completed, the counterfeiting 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 commandment 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 mysteries. ^ «^ ^ ^ ^ 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 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 counterfeiting 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 retributive 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 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 accompHshtransgressed. 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 counterfeiting 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 counterfeiting 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 counterfeiting 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 dischargeth 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.

*' 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 exceedingly 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 Of the ascension of that soul into the Inheritance. 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 apologies 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 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 concerning 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,' — concerning 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

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 concerning 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 counterfeiting 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 concerning the word which thou hast aforetime spoken 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 concerning 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

Mary continueth 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 counterfeiting 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 counterfeiting 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, 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, therefore, 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 convicting 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 the chaos, so that the retributive servitors may convict them. But the retributive servitors 299. convict the | souls of the sinners and they keep fast those who have received no mysteries which may lead them out of the chaos. The souls on the other hand which receive mysteries, — they have no power of convicting them, because they do not come forth out of their regions, and also, if they come forth into their regions, they are not able to obstruct them ; nay, they cannot lead them into that chaos.

How the *' Hearken moreover that I may tell you the sinner is ^ word in truth, in what type the mystery of ^t^hlssinB baptism forgiveth sins. Now, therefore, if the souls sin when they are still in the world, the retributive servitors indeed come and are witnesses of all the sins which the soul committeth, lest in sooth they should come forth out of the regions of the chaos, in order that they may convict them in the judgments which are outside the chaos. And the counterfeiting spirit becometh witness of all the sins which the soul shall commit, in order that it may convict it in the judgments which are outside the chaos, not only that it may bear witness of them, but — all the sins of the souls — it sealeth the sins and maketh them fast on to the soul, in order that all the rulers of the chastisements of the sinners may recognize it, that it is a sinning soul, and that they may know of the number of sins which it hath committed, by the seals which the counterfeiting spirit hath made fast on to it, 300. so that it shall be chastized according to | the number of sins which it hath committed. This do they with all sinning souls.

" Now, therefore, he who shall receive the mysteries of the baptisms, then the mystery of How the them becometh a great, exceedingly violent, wise pSyTfns. fire and it burneth up the sins and entereth into the soul secretly and consumeth all the sins which the counterfeiting spirit hath made fast on to it. And when it hath finished purifying all the sins The separawhich the counterfeiting spirit hath made fast on p'^S'r^tions by to the soul, it entereth into the body secretly and ^f^^^-g^^ pursueth all the pursuers secretly and separateth them off on the side of the portion of the body. For it pursueth the counterfeiting spirit and the destiny and separateth them off from the power and from the soul and putteth them on the side of the body, so that it separateth off the counterfeiting spirit and the destiny and the body into one portion ; the soul and power on the other hand it separateth into another. The mystery of baptism on the contrary remaineth in the midst of the two, continually separating them from one another, so that it maketh them clean and purifieth them, in order that they may not be stained by matter.

*' Now, therefore, Mary, this is the way in which the mysteries of the baptisms forgive sins and all iniquities." When then | the Saviour had said this, he said chap. ii6. unto his disciples : " Understand ye in what ^^i* manner I discourse with you ? " Then Mary started forward and said : '* Yea, Maryintermy Lord, in truth I enquire closely into all the samffrom words which thou say est. Concerning' the word ^ ^^.^"^^^ then of the forgiveness of sins thou hast spoken unto us in simiHtude aforetime, saying : * I am come to cast fire on the earth,' and again : ' What will I that it burn ? ' And again thou hast distin- guished it clearly, saying : ' I have a baptism, to baptize in it ; and how shall I endure until it is accomplished ? Think ye I am come to cast peace on the earth ? Nay, but I am come to cast division. For from now on five will be in one house ; three will be divided against two, and two against three.' This, my Lord, is the word which thou hast spoken clearly. ** The word indeed which thou hast spoken : * I am come to cast fire on the earth, and what will I that it burn ? ' — that is, my Lord : Thou hast brought the mysteries of the baptisms into the world, and thy pleasure is that they should consume all the sins of the soul and purify them. And thereafter again thou hast distinguished it clearly, saying : * I have a baptism, to baptize 302. in it ; and | how shall I endure until it is accom-

plished ? ' — that is : Thou wilt not remain in the world until the baptisms are accomplished and purify the perfect souls. *' And moreover the word which thou hast spoken unto us aforetime : ' Think ye I am come to cast peace on the earth ? Nay, but I am come to cast division. For from now on five will be in one house ; three will be divided against two, and two against three,' — that is : Thou hast brought the mystery of the baptisms into the world, and it hath effected a division in the bodies of the world, because it hath separated the counterfeiting spirit and the body and the destiny into one portion ; the soul and the power on the other hand it hath separated into another portion ; — that is : Three will be against two, and two against three." And when Mary had said this, the Saviour said : '' Well said, thou spiritual and light-pure Mary. This is the solution of the word." Mary answered again and said: "My Lord, chap. 117. I will still continue to question thee. Now, ^^^Jg^io^^th^^ therefore, my Lord, bear with me questioning Jesus, thee. Lo, in openness have we known the type in which the baptisms forgive sins. Now on the other hand the mystery of these three spaces and the mysteries of this First Mystery and the mysteries of the Ineffable, in what type do they forgive sins ? Do they forgive in the type | of 303. the baptisms, or not ? "

The Saviour answered again and said : ** Nay, of the forbut all the mysteries of the three spaces forgive finsaccordthe soul in all the regions of the rulers all the sins J^'j^heVmys. which the soul hath committed from the begin- Series. ning onwards. They forgive it, and moreover they forgive the sins which it thereafter will commit, until the time up to which every one of the mysteries shall be effective, — the time up to which every one of the mysteries shall be effective I will tell you at the expansion of the universe. '* And moreover the mystery of the First Mystery and the mysteries of the Ineffable forgive the soul in all the regions of the rulers all the sins and all the iniquities which the soul hath committed ; and [not only] do they forgive it all, but they impute unto it no sin from this hour unto all eternity, because of the gift of that great mystery and its prodigiously great glory." When then the Saviour had said this, he said chap. 118. unto his disciples : '' Understand ye in what manner I speak with you ? " And Mary answered again and said : " Yea, my Lord, already have I seized on all the words

Mary interpreteth the same from Psalm xxxi. which thou sayest. Now, therefore, my Lord, concerning the word which thou sayest : | ' All the mysteries of the three spaces forgive sins and cover their [sc. the souls'] iniquities,' — David, the prophet, then hath prophesied aforetime concerning this word, saying : ' Blessed are they whose sins are forgiven and whose iniquities are covered.' " And the word which thou hast spoken : ' The mystery of the First Mystery and the mystery of the Ineffable forgive all men who shall receive those mysteries, not only the sins which they have committed from the beginning onwards, but also they impute them not to them from this hour unto all eternity,' — concerning this word David hath prophesied aforetime, saying : ' Blessed are those to whom the Lord God will not impute sins,' — that is : Sins will not be imputed from this hour to those who have received the mysteries of the First Mystery and who have received the mystery of the Ineffable." He said : " Well said, Mary, thou spiritual and Hght-pure Mary. This is the solution of the word." And Mary continued again and said : " My Lord, if the man receiveth mysteries from the mysteries | of the First Mystery and again turneth and sinneth and transgresseth, and if he thereafter again turneth and repenteth and prayeth in any [mystery] of his mystery, will it be forgiven him, or not ? "

The Saviour answered and said unto Mary : '' Amen, amen, I say unto you : Every one who shall receive the mysteries of the First Mystery, if he again turneth and transgresseth twelve times of forgiveand again twelve times repenteth, praying in the unto ^twelve mystery of the First Mystery, it will be forgiven. *j^^2 who " But if after the twelve times he again trans- haveregresseth and turneth and transgresseth, it will mysteries of not be forgiven him for ever, so that he should Mystery! turn himself to any [mystery] of his mystery ; and this [man] hath not repentance unless he receiveth the mysteries of the Ineffable, which have compassion at every time and forgive at every time." Mary continued again and said : ** My Lord, chap. 119. but if on the other hand they who have received the mysteries of the First Mystery, turn and transgress, and if they come out of the body before they have repented, will they inherit the kingdom or not, because indeed they have received the gift of the First Mystery ? " The Saviour answered and said unto Mary : of such ini- '' Amen, amen, I say unto you : Every man who sln^and^di^ hath received mysteries in the First Mystery, I without re-

^ .y ./ ^ • pentance. having transgressed for the first and the second 306. and the third time, and if he cometh out of the body before he hath repented, his judgment is far sorer than all the judgments ; for his dwelling is in the midst of the jaws of the dragon of the outer darkness, and at the end of all this he will be frozen up [?] in the chastisements and perish for ever, because he hath received the gift of the First Mystery and hath not abided in it [sc, the gift]. Mary answered and said : " My Lord, all men of theun- who shall receive the mysteries of the mystery ^^^Jnfs?Jf of the Ineffable, and have turned aerain, have *^^^^ ^^° transgressed and have ceased in their faith, andceivedthe again thereafter, when they are still in Ufe, thrinearbie. Of such initiated who sin and die without repentance. have turned and have repented, how many times will it be forgiven them ? " The Saviour answered and said unto Mary : *' Amen, amen, I say unto you : To every man who shall receive the mysteries of the Ineffable, not only if he transgresseth once, turneth again and repenteth, will it be forgiven, but if at any time he transgresseth, and if, when still in life, he turneth again and repenteth, without playacting, and again if he turneth and repenteth and prayeth in any of his mysteries, then will it be forgiven him, because he hath received of the gift of I the mysteries of the Ineffable, and moreover because those mysteries are compassionate and forgive at every time."

And Mary answered again and said unto Jesus : " My Lord, those who shall receive the mysteries of the Ineffable, and have again turned, have transgressed and have ceased in their faith and are moreover come out of the body before they have repented, what will befall such ? " And the Saviour answered and said unto Mary : " Amen, amen, I say unto you : All men who shall receive the mysteries of the Ineffable, — blessed indeed are the souls which shall receive of those mysteries ; but if they turn and transgress and come out of the body before they have repented, the judgment of those men is sorer than all the judgments, and it is exceedingly violent, even if those souls are new and it is their first time for coming into the world. They will not return to the changes of the bodies from that hour onwards and will not be able to do anything, but they will be cast out into the outer darkness and perish and be non-existent for ever." And when the Saviour had said this, he said chap. 120. unto his disciples : '' Understand ye in what manner I speak with you ? ''

Mary answered | and said : *' I have seized on308. the words which thou hast said. Now, there- ^^etltiTthe fore, my Lord, this is the word which thou hast same from said : ' They who shall receive the mysteries of saying. the Ineffable, — blessed indeed are those souls ; but if they turn, transgress, and cease in their faith, and if they go forth out of the body without having repented, they are no more fit from this hour onwards to return to the changes of the body, nor for anything at all, but they are cast out into the outer darkness, they will perish in that region and be non-existent for ever,' — concerning [this] word thou hast spoken unto us aforetime, saying : * Salt is good ; but if the salt becometh sterile, with what are they to salt it ? It is fit neither for the dunghill nor for the earth ; but they throw it away,' — that is : Blessed are all the souls which shall receive of the mysteries of the Ineffable ; but if they once transgress, they are not fit to return to the body henceforth from this hour onwards nor for anything at all, but they are cast into the outer darkness and perish in that region."

And when she had said this, the Saviour said : " Well said, thou spiritual Hght-pure Mary. This is the solution of the word." And Mary continued again | and said : '* My 309. Lord, all men who have received the mysteries of the First Mystery and the mysteries of the Ineffable, those who have not transgressed, but whose faith in the mysteries was in sincerity, without play-acting, — they then have again sinned through the compulsion of the Fate and have again turned and repented and again prayed in any of the mysteries, how often will it be forgiven Of the un- And the Saviour answered and said unto Mary passionTr ^^ ^^^ midst of his disciples : " Amen, amen, I the great gg^y y^nto vou I All men who shall receive the mysteries for ^ ^ '^ therepen- mysterfes of the Ineffable and moreover the mysteries of the First Mystery, sin every time through the compulsion of the Fate, and if they, when they are still in life, turn and repent and abide in any of their mysteries, it will be forgiven them at every time, because those mysteries are compassionate and forgiving for all time. For this cause then have I said unto you before : Those mysteries will not only forgive them their sins which they have committed from the beginning onv/ards, but they do not impute them to them from this hour onwards, — of which I have said unto you that they receive repentance at any time, and that they also will forgive the sins which they commit anew.

oftheun- "If ou the othei hand those who shall receive mysteries of | the mystery of the Ineffable and of the mysteries of the First Mystery, turn and sin and come out of the body without having repented, then they will be even as those will be who have transgressed and not repented. Their dwelling also is in the midst of the jaws of the dragon of the outer darkness and they will perish and be non-existent for ever. For this cause have I said unto you : All men who shall receive the mysteries, if they knew the time when they come out of the body, would watch themselves and not sin, in order that they may inherit the Lightkingdom for ever." When then the Saviour had said this unto his chap. 121. disciples, he said unto them : '* Understand ye in what manner I speak with you ? " Mary answered and said: *' Yea, my Lord, Mary mterwith precision have I precisely followed all the rforme/*^"^ words which thou hast said. Concerning this®^^^""^' word then thou hast spoken unto us aforetime : ' If the house-holder knew at what hour in the night the thief cometh to break into the house, he would keep awake and not suffer the man to break into his house.' "

When then Mary had said this, the Saviour said : *' Well said, thou spiritual Mary. This is the word." The Saviour continued again and said unto his disciples : " Now, therefore, herald ye unto all men who shall receive mysteries in the Light, and speak I unto them, saying : Keep watch over 311. yourselves and sin not, lest ye heap evil on evil and go out of the body without having repented and become strangers to the Light-kingdom for ever." When the Saviour had said this, Mary answered and said : '' My Lord, great is the compassion of those mysteries which forgive sins at every time." The Saviour answered and said unto Mary in if even men the midst of the disciples: *' If to-day a king compassion^ who is a man of the world, giveth a gift to men of much''more his like, and also forgiveth murderers and those *^®^*^® 11 . '11 1 highest mys- who have mtercourse with males, and the rest of teries ? the very grievous sins which are deserving of death, — if it becometh him who is a man of the world, to have done this, much more then have the Ineffable and the First Mystery, who are the lords of the universe, the authority to act in all things as it pleaseth them, that they forgive every one who shall receive mysteries.

** Or if on the other hand a king to-day investeth a soldier with a royal vesture and sendeth him into foreign regions, and he committeth murders and other grievous sins which are deserving of death, then they will not impute them to him, and are not able to do him any evil because he is invested with the royal vesture, — how much more then those who wear the mysteries of the vestures of the Ineffable and those of the First Mystery, who are lords over all those of the height and all those of the depth ! " Thereafter Jesus saw a woman who came to make repentance. | He had baptized her three times, and yet she had not done what was worthy of the baptisms. And the Saviour desired to try Peter, to see if he was compassionate and forgiving, as he had commanded them. He said unto Peter : " Lo, three times have I baptized this soul, and yet at this third time she hath not done what is worthy of the mysteries of the Light. Wherefor then doth she make her body good for nothing ? Now, therefore, Peter, perform the mystery which cutteth off the souls from the inheritances of the Light ; perform that mystery in order that it may cut off the soul of this woman from the Inheritance of the Light."

When then the Saviour had said this, he tried [Peter] to see whether he was compassionate and forgiving. When then the Saviour had said this, Peter said : " My Lord, let her yet this time, that we may give her the higher mysteries ; and if she is fit, then hast thou let her inherit the Light-kingdom, but if she is not fit, then hast thou [to] cut her off from the Light-kingdom." When then Peter had said this, the Saviour knew that Peter was compassionate as he and forgiving. When then all this was said, the Saviour said unto his disciples : " Have ye understood all these words and the type | of this woman ? " 313. Mary answered and said : ** My Lord, I have Mary interunderstood the mysteries of the things which fnctdent*^^ have fallen to this woman's lot. Concernine: the ^/^^ ^ things then which have fallen to her lot, thou ing. hast spoken unto us aforetime in similitude, saying : * A man owned a fig-tree in his vineyard ; and he came to look for its fruit, and he found not a single one on it. He said to the vinedresser : Lo, three years do I come to look for fruit on this fig-tree, and I have not any produce at all from it. Cut it down then ; why doth it make the ground also good for nothing ? But he answered and said unto him : My lord, have patience with it still this year, until I dig round it and give it dung ; and if it beareth in another year, thou hast let it, but if thou dost not find any [fruit] at all, then hast thou [to] cut it down.' Lo, my Lord, this is the solution of the word."

The Saviour answered and said unto Mary : *' Well said, spiritual [one]. This is [the solution of] the word." Mary continued again and said unto the OHAP. 123. Saviour : '* My Lord, a man who hath received mysteries and hath not done what is worthy of In the case of repentance only higher mysteries than those previously received can remit sins. them, but he hath turned and hath sinned, thereafter he hath again repented and hath been in great repentance, — is it then lawful for my brethren to renew for him the mystery which he hath received, or | rather give him a mystery out of the lower mysteries, — is it lawful, or not?" The Saviour answered and said unto Mary : " Amen, amen, I say unto you : Neither the mystery which he hath received, nor the lower hearken unto him, to forgive his sins ; but it is the mysteries which are higher than those which he hath received, which hearken unto him and forgive his sins. Now, therefore, Mary, let thy brethren give him the mystery which is higher than that which he hath received, and they are to accept his repentance from him and forgive his sins, — the latter indeed, because he hath received it once more, and the former, because he hath towered over them [the lower mysteries] upward, — the latter indeed hearkeneth not unto him to forgive his sin ;

but it is the mystery which is higher than that which he hath received, that forgiveth his sins. But if on the other hand he hath received the three mysteries in the two spaces or in the third from within, and he hath turned and transgressed, no mystery hearkeneth unto him to help him in his repentance, neither the higher nor the lower, save the mystery of the First Mystery and the mysteries of the Ineffable, — ^it is they which hearken unto him and accept his repentance from him."

Mary answered and said : ** My Lord, a man who hath received mysteries up to two or three | in the second or third space, and he hath not transgressed, but is still in his faith in upright- ness and without play-acting, [what will befall him] ? " And the Saviour answered and said unto Mary : There is no *' Every man who hath received mysteries in numbed- of^ the second and in the third space, and hath ^^e^f^hhiui not transgressed, but is still in his faith without may receive, play-acting, it is lawful for such an one to receive mysteries in the space which pleaseth him, from the first to the last, because they have not transgressed." Mary continued again and said: *' My Lord, chap. 134. a man who hath known the godhead and hath received of the mysteries of the Light, and hath turned and transgressed and done lawlessly and hath not turned to repent, and a man on the other hand who hath not found the godhead nor known it, and that man is a sinner and moreover impious, and they both have come out of the body, — which of them will get more suffering in the judgments ? "

The Saviour answered again and said unto The fate of Mary : " Amen, amen, I say unto thee : The who^s^neth man who hath known the godhead and hath t^^^ie than received the mysteries of the Liejht, and sinned ?^^* ^^ ^^e •^ ^ . Ignorant and hath not turned to repent, he will get suffer- sinner, ing in the chastisements of the judgments in great sufferings and | judgments exceedingly far sie. more in comparison with the impious and lawbreaking man who hath not known the godhead. Now, therefore, who hath ears to hear, let him hear." When then the Saviour had said this, Mary Mary interstarted forward and said : *' My Lord, my Hght- f^^ff^o^® man hath ears, and I have understood the whole ^ fo/^er word which thou hast spoken. Concerning this word then thou hast spoken unto us in a simiH- tude : ' The slave who knew the will of his lord and made not ready nor did the will of his lord, will receive great blows ; but he who knew not and did not, will be deserving of less. For from every one to whom more is entrusted, of him will more be demanded, and to whom much is handed over, of him much is required,' — that is, my Lord : He who knew the godhead and hath found the mysteries of the Light and hath transgressed, will be chastized in a far greater chastisement than he who hath not known the godhead.

This, my Lord, is the solution of the word." CHAP. 125. Mary continued again and said unto the Saviour : " My Lord, if the faith and the mysteries shall have revealed themselves, — now, therefore, if souls come into the world in many circuits and are neglectful of receiving mysteries, hoping that, if they come into the world at any other circuit, they will receive them, will they not then be 317. in danger | of not succeeding in receiving the

mysteries ? " Of those who The Saviour answered and said unto his disate,^S^ylng ciples : " Herald unto the whole world and say they have nnto men : Strive thereafter that ye may receive many births , . , . . before them, the mystcrics of the Light m this time of affliction and enter into the Light-kingdom. Join not one day to another, or one circuit to another, hoping that ye may succeed in receiving the mysteries if ye come into the world in another circuit. " And these know not when the number of the perfect souls will be at hand ; for if the number of the perfect souls shall be at hand, I will now shut the gates of the Light, and no one from this hour onwards will enter in, nor will any one hereafter go forth, for the number of the perfect souls is completed and the mystery of the First Mystery is completed, for the sake of which the universe hath arisen, — that is : I am that Mystery. '* And from this hour onwards no one will be Of the time able to enter into the Light and no one be able to pietion!^"^' go forth. For at the completion of the time of the number of the perfect souls, before I have set fire to the world, in order that it may purify the seons and the veils and the firmaments and the whole earth and also all the matters which are on it, mankind | will be still existing. 318.

*' At that time then the faith will reveal Those who itself still more and the mysteries in those days. ateTre ex" And many souls will come by means of the circuits f^^j^ fjP^ of the changes of the body, and coming back into the world are some of those in this present time who have hearkened unto me, how I taught, who at the completion of the number of the perfect souls will find the mysteries of the Light and receive them and come to the gates of the Light and find that the number of the perfect souls is complete, which is the completion of the First Mystery and the gnosis of the universe. And they will find that I have shut the gates of the Light and that it is impossible that any one should enter in or that any one should go forth from this hour. *' Those souls then will knock at the gates of Their enthe Light, saying : Lord, open unto us ! And I thTgates of will answer unto them : I know you not, whence ^^s^^- ye are. And they will say unto me : We have received of thy mysteries and fulfilled thy whole teaching and thou hast taught us on the high

ways. And I will answer and say unto them : I know you not, who ye are, ye who are doers of iniquity and of evil even unto now. Wherefor 319. go into the outer darkness. And | from that hour they will go into the outer darkness, there where is howling and grinding of teeth. '* For this cause then, herald unto the whole world and say unto them : ' Strive thereafter, to renounce the whole world and the whole matter therein, that ye may receive the mysteries of the Light before the number of the perfect souls is completed, in order that they may not make you stop before the gates of the Light and lead you away into the outer darkness.' " Now, therefore, who hath ears to hear, let him hear." Mary inter- When then the Saviour had said this, Mary started forward again and said : " My Lord, not only hath my light-man ears, but my soul hath heard and understood all the words which thou sayest. Now, therefore, my Lord, concerning the words which thou hast spoken : * Herald unto the men of the world and say unto them : Strive thereafter, to receive the mysteries of the Light, in this time of affliction, that ye may inherit the Light-kingdom. . . .

[A CONSIDERABLE LaCUNA HERE OCCURS IN

And Mary continued again and said unto Jesus : chap. 126. ** In what type is the outer darkness ; or rather how many regions of chastisement are there in it?" And Jesus answered and said unto Mary : of the '' The outer darkness is a great dragon, whose the^lTte^r tail is in his mouth, outside the whole world ^^^^k^essand surrounding the whole world. And there are many regions of chastisement within it. There are twelve mighty | chastisement- dungeons 320. and a ruler is in every dungeon and the face of the rulers is different one from another. '' And the first ruler, who is in the first dungeon, of the rulers hath a crocodile's face, whose tail is in his mouth, twelve And out of the jaws of the dragon cometh all fndThe^r ice and all dust and all cold and all different names, diseases. This [is] he who is called with his authentic name in his region ' Enchthonin.' *' And the ruler who is in the second dungeon, — a cat's face is his authentic face. This [is] he who is called in his region * Charachar.' ** And the ruler who is in the third dungeon, — a dog's face is his authentic face. This [is] he who is called in his region ' Archaroch.'

*' And the ruler who is in the fourth dungeon, — a serpent's face is his authentic face. This [is] he who is called in his region * Achrochar.' '' And the ruler who is in the fifth dungeon, — a black bull's face is his authentic face. This [is] he who is called in his region ' Marchur.' ** And the ruler who is in the sixth dungeon, — a wild boar's face is his authentic face. This [is] he who is called in his region ' Lamchamor.' '* And the ruler who is in the seventh dungeon, 32-1. I — a bear's face is his authentic face. This [is] he who is called in his region with his authentic name * Luchar.' ** And the ruler of the eighth dungeon, — a vulture's face is his authentic face, whose name in his region is called * Laraoch.' " And the ruler of the ninth dungeon, — a basilisk's face is his authentic face, whose name in his region is called * Archeoch.' '' And in the tenth dungeon is a multitude of rulers, and every one of them hath seven dragon's heads in his authentic face. And he who is over them all is in his region with his name called * Xarmaroch.'

" And in the eleventh dungeon is a multitude of rulers, — and every one of them hath seven cat-faced heads in his authentic face. And the great one over them is called in his region ' Eochar.' *' And in the twelfth dungeon is an exceedingly great multitude of rulers, and every one of them hath seven dog-faced heads in his authentic face. And the great one over them is called in his region ' Chremaor.' *' These rulers then of these twelve dungeons are inside the dragon of the outer darkness, each 322. and every one | of them hath a name every hour, and every one of them changeth his face every hour. And moreover every one of these dungeons of the doors hath a door opening upwards, so that the dragon dungeons. of the outer darkness hath twelve dark dungeons, and every dungeon hath a door opening upwards. And an angel of the height watcheth each of the doors of the dungeons, — whom Yew, the First Man, the overseer of the Light, The angeis the envoy of the First Commandment, hath ^e^doore. established as watchers of the dragon, so that the dragon and the rulers of his dungeons which are in him, may not mutiny."

When the Saviour had said this, Mary Mag- chap. 127. dalene answered and said : " My Lord, will then the souls which shall be led into that region, be led through these twelve doors of the dungeons, every one according to the judgment of which it is deserving ? " The Saviour answered and said unto Mary : what souia *' No soul at all will be led into the dragon the dragon, through these doors. But the soul[s] of the bias- ^^^ ^^^' phemers and of those who are in the doctrines of error and of all who teach doctrines of error, and of those who have intercourse with males, and of those stained and impious men and of atheists and murderers and adulterers and sorcerers, — all such souls then, if while still in life they do not repent but | remain persistently in their sin, and 323 all the souls which have stayed behind without, — that is those which have had the number of the circuits which are appointed them in the sphere, without having repented, — well, at their last circuit will those souls, they and all the souls of which I have just told you, be led out of [?] the jaws of the tail of the dragon into the dungeons of the outer darkness. And when those souls

The nature of the names of the dragon. Of the severity of the chastisements of the dragon. Of the degrees of the fires of the chastisements. have been led into the outer darkness into the jaws of his tail, he turneth his tail into his own mouth and shutteth them in. Thus will the souls be led into the outer darkness. *' And the dragon of the outer darkness hath twelve authentic names on his doors, a name on every one of the doors of the dungeons. And these twelve names are different one from another ; but the twelve are one in the other, so that he who speaketh one name, speaketh all. These then will I tell you at the expansion of the universe. Thus then is fashioned the outer darkness, — that is the dragon." When then the Saviour had said this, Mary answered and said | unto the Saviour : " My Lord, are then the chastisements of that dragon far more terrible compared with all the chastisements of the judgments ? " The Saviour answered and said unto Mary : '' Not only are they more painful compared with all the chastisements of the judgments, but all the souls which are led into that region, will be frozen up [?] in the violent cold and the hail and exceedingly violent fire which is in that region, but also at the dissolution of the world, that is at the ascension of the universe, those souls will perish through the violent cold and the exceedingly violent fire and be non-existent for ever."

Mary answered and said : " Woe unto the souls of sinners ! Now, therefore, my Lord, is the fire in the world of mankind fiercer, or the fire in Amente ? " The Saviour answered and said unto Mary : '' Amen, I say unto thee : The fire in Amente is nine times fiercer than the fire in mankind. ** And the fire in the chastisements of the great chaos is nine times more violent than that in Amente. " And the fire in the chastisements of the rulers who [are] on the way of the midst, is nine times more violent than the fire of the chastisements in the great chaos. ** And the fire | in the dragon of the outer dark- 325. ness and in all the chastisements in him is seventy times more violent than the fire in all the chastisements and in all the judgments of the rulers who [are] on the way of the midst." And when the Saviour had said this unto Mary, chap. 128. she smote her breast, she cried out and wept, The dis- 1 n 1 T • 1 1 'I ciples bewail she and all the disciples together, and said : the fate of ** Woe unto sinners, for their chastisements are^^""^^^* exceedingly numerous ! "

Mary came forward, she fell down at the feet of Jesus, kissed them and said : " My Lord, bear with me if I question thee, and be not wroth with me, that I trouble thee oft ; for from now on I will begin to question thee on all things with determination." The Saviour answered and said unto Mary : ** Question concerning all things on which thou desirest to question, and I will reveal them unto thee in openness without similitude." Mary answered and said : '* My Lord, if a good Mary further man hath accomplished all the mysteries and he j^^us!^^^^* hath a kinsman, in a word he hath a man, and that man is an impious [one] who hath committed all sins and is deserving of the outer darkness, and he hath not repented, or he hath completed his number of circuits in the changes of the body, and that man hath done nothing useful, How to save the souls of sinners. A summary of the formulae. and he hath come out of the body, and we have known certainly of him, that he hath sinned | and is deserving of the outer darkness, — what are we to do with him, to save him from the chastisements of the dragon of the outer darkness, and that he m^j be removed into a righteous body which shall find the mysteries of the Lightkingdom, in order that it may be good and go on high and inherit the Light-kingdom ? "

The Saviour answered and said unto Mary : ** If a sinner is deserving of the outer darkness, or hath sinned according to the chastisements of the rest of the chastisements and hath not repented, or a sinning man who hath completed his number of circuits in the changes of the body and hath not repented, — if then these men of whom I have spoken, shall come out of the body and be led into the outer darkness, now, therefore, if ye desire to remove them out of the chastisements of the outer darkness and all the judgments and to remove them into a righteous body which shall find the mysteries of the Light, that it may go on high and inherit the Lightkingdom, — then perform this same mystery of the Ineffable which forgiveth sins at every time, and when ye have finished performing the mystery then say : " The soul of such or such a man of whom I think in my heart, — if it is in the region of the chastisements of the dungeons of the outer darkness, or if it is in the rest of the chastisements of the dungeons of the outer darkness and in the rest of the chastisements | of the dragons, — then is it to be removed out of them all. And if it hath completed its number of its circuits of the changes,

then is it to be led before the Virgin of Light, and the Virgin of Light is to seal it with the seal of the Ineffable and cast it down in whatever month into a righteous body which shall find the mysteries of the Light, so that it may be good, go on high and inherit the Light-kingdom. And moreover if it hath completed the circuits of changes, then is that soul to be led before the seven virgins of the Light who [are set] over the baptisms, and they are to apply them to the soul and seal it with the sign of the kingdom of the Ineffable and lead it into the orders of the Light. '* This then will ye say when ye perform the mystery. *' Amen, I say unto you : The soul for which ye shall pray, if it indeed is in the dragon of the outer darkness, he will draw his tail out of his mouth and let go that soul. And moreover if it is in all the regions of the judgments of the rulers, amen, I say unto you : The receivers of Melchisedec will with haste snatch it away, whether the dragon let it go or it is in the judgments of the rulers ; in a word, the receivers of Melchisedec | will snatch it away out of all the regions in which 328. it is, and will lead it into the region of the Midst before the Virgin of Light, and the Virgin of Light proveth it and seeth the sign of the kingdom of the Ineffable which is on that soul.

*' And if it hath not yet completed its number of circuits in the changes of the soul, or [in the changes] of the body, the Virgin of Light sealeth it with an excellent seal and hasteth to have it cast down in any month into a righteous body which shall find the mysteries of the Light, be good and go on high into the Light-kingdom. Of the Ughtbeams and lightstreams. ** And if that soul hath had its number of the circuits, then the Virgin of Light proveth it, and doth not have it chastized, because it hath had its number of circuits, but handeth it over to the seven virgins of the Light. And the seven virgins of the Light prove that soul, baptize it with their baptisms and give it the spiritual chrism and lead it into the Treasury of the Light and put it in the last order of the Light until the ascension of all the perfect souls. And when they prepare to draw apart the veils of the region of those of the Eight, they cleanse that soul anew and purify it and put it in the orders of the first saviour who [is] in the | Treasury of the Light."

It came to pass then, when the Saviour had finished speaking these words unto his disciples, that Mary answered and said unto Jesus : ** My Lord, I have heard thee say : ' He who shall receive of the mysteries of the Ineffable or who shall receive of the mysteries of the First Mystery, — they become flames of light-beams and lightstreams and penetrate all the regions until they reach the region of their inheritance.' '* The Saviour answered and said unto Mary : " If they receive the mystery when still in life, and if they come out of the body, they become light-beams and light-streams and penetrate all the regions until they reach the region of their inheritance. '* But if they are sinners and are come out of the body and have not repented, and if ye perform for them the mystery of the Ineffable, in order that they may be removed out of all the chastisements and be cast into a righteous body, which is good and inheriteth the Light-kingdom or is brought into the last order of the Light, then they will not be able to penetrate the regions, because they do not perform the mystery [themselves]. But the receivers of Melchisedec follow them and lead them before the Virgin of Light. And | the 33o. servitors of the judges of the rulers make frequent haste to take those souls and hand them over from one to the other until they lead them before the Virgin of Light."

And Mary continued and said unto the Saviour : chap. 130. " My Lord, if a man hath received the mysteries Mary piead- p i 1 T • 1 j^ 1 • 1 r n • n eth for those 01 the Light which [arej m the first space from who have without, and when the time of the mysteries up m|steries. to which they reach, is completed, and if that man continueth anew to receive mysteries of the mysteries which [are] within the mysteries which he hath already received, and moreover that man hath become negHgent, not having prayed in the prayer which taketh away the evil of the victuals which he eateth and drinketh, and through the evil of the victuals he is bound to the axle of the Fate of the rulers and through the necessity of the elements he hath sinned anew after the completion of the time up to which the mystery reacheth, — because he hath become negligent and hath not prayed in the prayer which taketh away the evil of the souls and purifieth them, — and that man is come out of the body before he hath repented anew and anew received the mysteries of the mysteries which [are] within the mysteries which he hath already received,— those which accept repentance from him and forgive his sins, — and when he | came forth 331. out of the body and we knew with certainty

that they have carried him into the midst of the dragon of the outer darkness because of the sins which he committed, and that that man hath no helper in the world nor any one compassionate, that he should perform the mystery of the Ineffable until he should be removed out of the midst of the dragon of the outer darkness and led into the Light-kingdom, — now, therefore, my Lord, what will befall him until he save himself from the chastisements of the dragon of the outer darkness ? By no means, 0 Lord, abandon him, because he hath endured sufferings in the persecutions and in the whole godhood in which he is. ** Now, therefore, 0 Saviour, have mercy with me, lest one of our kinsmen should be in such a type, and have mercy with all the souls which shall be in this type ; for thou art the key which openeth the door of the universe and shutteth the door of the universe, and thy mystery comprehendeth them all. Have then mercy, 0 Lord, with such souls. For they have called on the name of thy mysteries, [were it but] for one single day, and have truly had faith in them and were not in play-acting. Give them then, 0 Lord, a gift in thy goodness and give them rest in thy mercy."

When then Mary had said this, the Saviour called her most exceedingly blessed because of 332. the words | which she had spoken. And the Saviour was in great compassion and said unto Mary : '' Unto all men who shall be in this type of which thou hast spoken, unto them while they [are] still in life, give ye the mystery of one of the twelve names of the dungeons of the dragon of the outer darkness, — those which I will give you when I have ended explaining unto you the uni- verse from within without and from without within. *' And all men who shall find the mystery of oftheeffione of the twelve names of that dragon of the names of * outer darkness, and all men even if they are *^®*j^®^^® very great sinners, and they have first received the mysteries of the Light and thereafter have transgressed, or they have performed no mystery at all, then if they have completed their circuits in the changes, and if such men go forth out of the body without having repented anew, and if they are led into the chastisements which [are] in the midst of the dragon of the outer darkness, and remain in the circuits and remain in the chastisements in the midst of the dragon, — these, if they know the mystery of one of the twelve names of the angels while they are in

life and are in the world, and if they speak one of their names while they are in the midst of the chastisements of the dragon, — then, at the hour when they shall speak it, the whole dragon will be tossed about and most exceedingly convulsed, and the door of the dungeon in which the souls | of those men 333. are, openeth itself upward, and the ruler of the dungeon in which those men are, casteth the souls of those men out of the midst of the dragon of the outer darkness, because they have found the mystery of the name of the dragon.

** And when the ruler casteth out souls, straight- The souls way the angels of Yew, the First Man, who watch then^Z the dungeons of that region, hasten to snatch ^^^*p^^^^^ away those souls to lead them before Yew, thetoYeAv. First Man, the Envoy of the First Commandment. And Yew, the First Man, seeth the souls and proveth them ; he findeth that they have com- pleted their circuits and that it is not lawful to bring them anew into the world, for it is not lawful to bring anew into the world all souls which are cast into the outer darkness. [But] if they have not yet completed their number of circuits in the changes of the body, the receivers of Yew keep them with them until they perform for them the mystery of the Ineffable, and remove them into a good body which shall find the mysteries of the Light and inherit the Light-kingdom. Of their '* But if Ycw provetli them and findeth that fate!^^^^^ they have completed their circuits and that it is not lawful to [rejturn them anew to the world, and that also the sign of the Ineffable | is npt with them, then Yew hath compassion upon them and leadeth them before the seven virgins of the Light. They baptize them with their baptisms, but they do not give them the spiritual chrism. And they lead them into the Treasury of the Light, but they do not put them in the orders of the Inheritance, because no sign and no seal of the Ineffable is with them.

But they save them from all chastisements and put them into the light of the Treasury, separated and apart by themselves alone until the ascension of the universe. And at the time when they will draw apart the veils of the Treasury of the Light, they cleanse those souls anew and purify them most exceedingly and give them anew mysteries and put them in the last order which [is] in the Treasury, and those souls will be saved from all the chastisements of the judgments."

And when the Saviour had said this, he said unto his disciples : '* Have ye understood in what manner I discourse with you ? " Mary then answered and said: ''My Lord, Mary interthis is the word which thou hast spoken unto us samffrom^ aforetime, in a simihtude, saying : ' Make to ^ f^^^ner yourselves a friend out of the Mamon of unrighteousness, so that if ye remain behind, he may receive you into | the everlasting tents.' Who 335. then is the Mamon of unrighteousness, if not the dragon of the outer darkness ? This is the word : He who shall understand the mystery of one of the names of the dragon of the outer darkness, if he remaineth behind in the outer darkness or if he hath completed the circuits of the changes, and speaketh the name of the dragon, he will be saved and go up out of the darkness and be received into the Treasury of the Light. This is the word, my Lord." The Saviour answered again and said unto Mary : " Well said, spiritual and pure [one]. This is the solution of the word." Mary continued again and said : '' My Lord, chap. 131. doth the dragon of the outer darkness come into this world or doth he not come ? "

The Saviour answered and said unto Mary : of the light " When the Hght of the sun is outside [? above the and^hr"" world! he covereth the darkness of the dragon : darkness of . . o ' ^jjg dragon. but if the sun is below the world, then the darkness of the dragon abideth as veihng of the sun and the breath of the darkness cometh into the world in form of a smoke in the night, — that is, if the sun withdraweth into himself his rays, then indeed the world is not able to endure the darkness of the dragon in its true form ; otherwise would it be dissolved and go to ruin withal." When the Saviour had said this, Mary continued again and said unto the Saviour: "My Of the cup of forgetfulness. Of the counterfeiting spirit. Of the fashioning of a new soul. Lord, still do I question thee and | hide [it] not from me. Now, therefore, my Lord, who compelleth then the man until he sinneth ? " The Saviour answered and said unto Mary : ** It is the rulers of the Fate who compel the man until he sinneth."

Mary answered and said unto the Saviour : '* My Lord, surely the rulers do not come down to the world and compel the man until he sinneth ? " The Saviour answered and said unto Mary : *' They do not come down in this manner into the world. But the rulers of the Fate, when an old soul is about to come down through them, then the rulers of that great Fate who [are] in the regions of the head of the aeons, — which is that region which is called the region of the kingdom of Adamas, and which is that region which is in face of the Virgin of Light, — then the rulers of the region of that head give the old soul a cup of forgetfulness out of the seed of wickedness, filled with all the different desires and all forgetfulness. And straightway, when that soul shall drink out of the cup, it forgetteth all the regions to which it hath gone, | and all the chastisements in which it hath travelled. And that cup of the water of forgetfulness becometh body outside the soul, and it resembleth the soul in all [its] figures and maketh [itself] Hke it, — which is what is called the counterfeiting spirit.

*' If on the other hand it is a new soul which they have taken out of the sweat of the rulers and out of the tears of their eyes, or far rather out of the breath of their mouths, — in a word, if it is one of the new souls or one of such souls, if it is one out of the sweat, then the five great rulers of the great Pate take up the sweat of all the rulers of their aeons, knead it together withal, portion it and make it into a soul. Or far rather if it is refuse of the purification of the Light, then Melchisedec taketh it up from the rulers. The five great rulers of the great Fate knead the refuse together, portion it and make it into different souls, so that every one of the rulers of the aeons, every one of them putteth his portion into the soul. For this cause they knead it jointly, so that all may [parjtake of the soul. ** And the five great rulers, if they portion it and make it into souls, bring it out of the sweat | of the rulers. But if it is one out of the refuse 338. of the purification of the Light, then Melchisedec, the great Receiver of the Light, taketh it [sc, the refuse] up from the rulers, or far rather if it is out of the

tears of their eyes or out of the breath of their mouth, — in a word, out of such souls, when the five rulers portion it and make it into different souls, — or far rather if it is an old soul, then the ruler who is in the head of the aeons, himself mixeth the cup of forgetfulness with the seed of wickedness, and he mixeth it with every one of the new souls at the time when he is in the region of the head. And that cup of forgetfulness becometh the counterfeiting spirit for that soul, and bideth outside the soul, being a vesture for it and resembling it in every way, being envelope as vesture outside it.

" And the five great rulers of the great Fate of the inof the aeons and the ruler of the disk of the sun the^a^er? and the ruler of the disk of the moon inbreathe within into that soul, and there cometh forth out of them a portion out of my power which the Jesus promiseth to reveal all in detail. last Helper hath cast into the Mixture. And the portion of that power remaineth within in the soul, I unloosed and existing on its own authority for the economy unto which it hath been inset, to give sense unto the soul, in order that it may seek after the works of the Light of the Height always. ** And that power is like the species of the soul in every form and resembleth it. It cannot be outside the soul, but remaineth inside it, as I have commanded it from the beginning. When I willed to cast it into the first Commandment, I gave it commandment to remain outside [? inside] the souls for the economy of the First Mystery. *' And so I will tell you at the expansion of the universe all these words concerning the power and also concerning the soul, after what type they are fashioned, or what ruler f ashioneth them, or what are the different species of the souls. And so will I tell you at the expansion of the universe how many fashion the soul.

And I will tell you the name of all of them who fashion the soul. And I will tell you the type, how the counterfeiting spirit and the destiny have been prepared. And I will tell you the name of the soul before it is purged, and moreover its name when it hath been purged and become pure. And I will tell you the name of the counterfeiting spirit ; and I will tell you the name of the destiny. And I will tell you the name of all the bonds with which the rulers bind the counterfeiting spirit | to the soul. And I will tell you the name of all the decans who fashion the soul in the bodies of the soul in the world ; and I will tell you in what

manner the souls are fashioned. And I will tell you the type of every one of the souls ; and I will tell you the type of the souls of the men and of those of the birds and of those of the wild beasts and of those of the reptiles. And I will tell you the type of all the souls and of those of all the rulers which are sent into the world, in order that ye may be completed in all gnosis. All this will I tell you at the expansion of the universe. And after all this I will tell you wherefor all this hath come to pass. ''Hearken, therefore, that I may discourse of the Hghtwith you concerning the soul according as I have thJcountersaid : The five great rulers of the great Pate of ^^^*^^s ®p^"*- the aeons and the rulers of the disk of the sun and the rulers of the disk of the moon breathe into that soul, and there cometh out of them a portion of my power, as I have just said. And the portion of that power remaineth within the soul, so that the soul can stand. And they put | the counterfeiting spirit outside the soul, watching 341. it and assigned to it ; and the rulers bind it to the soul with their seals and their bonds and seal it to it, that it may compel it always, so that it continually doeth its mischiefs and all its iniquities, in order that it may be their slave always and remain under their sway always in the changes of the body ; and they seal it to it that it may be in all the sin and all the desires of the world.

** For this cause, therefore, have I in this manner The parents brought the mysteries into this world which undo Tban^don^ all the bonds of the counterfeiting spirit and all the seals which are bound to the soul, — those which make the soul free and free it from its Salome is in doubt. Mary removeth the doubt of Salome. parents the rulers, and make it into refined light and lead it up into the kingdom of its father, the first Issue, the First Mystery, for ever. *' For this cause therefore, have I said unto you aforetime : ' He who doth not abandon father and mother and come and follow after me, is not worthy of me.' I have, therefore, said at that time : Ye are to abandon your parents the rulers, that I may make you sons of the First Mystery for ever." And when | the Saviour had said this, Salome started forward and said : *' My Lord, if our parents are the rulers, how standeth it written in the Law of Moses : ' He who shall abandon his father and his mother, let him die the death ' ? Hath not thus the Law made statement thereon ? "

And when Salome had said this, the lightpower in Mary Magdalene bubbled up in her and she said to the Saviour : ** My Lord, give commandment unto me that I discourse with my sister Salome to tell her the solution of the word which she hath spoken." It came to pass then, when the Saviour had heard Mary say these words, that he called her most exceedingly blessed. The Saviour answered and said unto Mary : *' I give commandment unto thee, Mary, that thou speak the solution of the word which Salome hath spoken." And when the Saviour had said this, Mary started forward to Salome, embraced her and said unto her : ** My sister Salome, concerning the word which thou hast spoken : It standeth written in the Law of Moses : ' He who shall abandon his father and his mother, let him die the death,' — now, therefore, my sister Salome, the Law hath not said this concerning the soul nor concerning the body nor concerning the counterfeiting spirit, for all these are sons | of 343. the rulers and are out of them. But the Law hath said this concerning the power which hath came forth out of the Saviour, and which is the light-man within us to-day. The Law hath moreover said : Every one who shall remain without the Saviour and all his mysteries, his parents, will not only die the death but go to ruin in destruction."

When then Mary had said this, Salome started forward to Mary and embraced her anew. Salome said : *' The Saviour hath power to make me understanding like thyself." It came to pass, when the Saviour had heard the words of Mary, that he called her most exceedingly blessed. The Saviour answered and said unto Mary in the midst of his disciples : " Hearken, therefore, Mary, who it is who compelleth the man until he sinneth. '' Now, therefore, the rulers seal the counter- of the feiting spirit to the soul, [but] so that it doth not to^th?c?un^ agitate it every hour, making it do all sins and all g^^^jf ^^^ iniquities. And they give commandment moreover unto the counterfeiting spirit, saying : * If the soul Cometh out of the body, do not agitate it, being assigned to it and transferring it to all the regions of the judgments, region by region, on account of all the sins which thou hast made it do, in order that it may be chastized in all the regions of the judgments, so that it may not be able to go | on high to the Light and return into 344. changes of the body.'

** In a word, they give commandment to the counterfeiting spirit, saying : * Do not agitate it at all at any hour unless it doth not speak mysteries and undo all the seals and all the bonds with which we have bound thee to it. [But] if it sayeth the mysteries and undoeth all the seals and all the bonds and [sayeth] the apology of the region, and if it cometh, then let it go forth, for it belongeth to those of the Light of the Height and hath become a stranger unto us and unto thee, and thou wilt not be able to seize it from this hour onwards. If on the contrary it sayeth not the mysteries of the undoing of thy bonds and of thy seals and of the apologies of the region, then seize it and let it not out ; thou shalt transfer it to the chastisements and all the regions of the judgments on account of all the sins which thou hast made it do. After this lead [such souls] before the Virgin of Light, who sendeth them once more into the circuit.' Of the *' The rulers of the great Fate of the seons

to^t^e^ser^^" hand these over to the counterfeiting spirit ; and vitors. ^Y^Q rulers summon the servitors of their aeons, to the number of three-hundred-and-sixty-and-five, and give them the soul and the counterfeiting spirit, which are bound to one another. The counterfeiting spirit is the without of the soul, and the compound of the power is the within of the soul, being within both of them, in order that they 346. may be able to stand, for | it is the power which keepeth the two up-right. And the rulers give commandment to the servitors, saying unto them : ' This is the type which ye are to put into the body of the matter of the world.' They say unto them indeed : ' Put the compound of the power, the within of the soul, within them all, that they may be able to stand, for it is their up-rightness, and after the soul put the counterfeiting spirit.' *' Thus they give commandment to their ser- Of concepvitors, that they may deposit it into the bodies of the antitype. And following this fashion the servitors of the rulers bring the power and the soul and the counterfeiting spirit, bring them down to the world, and pour [them] out into the world of the rulers of the midst. The rulers of the midst look after the counterfeiting spirit ; and also the destiny, whose name is Moira, leadeth the man until it hath him slain through the death appointed unto him, which the rulers of the great Fate have bound to the soul.

And the servitors of the sphere bind the soul and the power and the counterfeiting spirit and the destiny. And they portion them all and make them into two portions and seek after the man and also after the woman in the world to whom they have given signs, in order that they may | send them 346. into them. And they give one portion to the man and one portion to the woman in a victual of the world or in a breath of the air or in water or in a kind which they drink.

'' All this I will tell unto you and the species of every soul and the type, how they enter into the bodies, whether of men or of birds or of cattle or of wild beasts or of reptiles or of all the other species in the world. I will tell you their type, in what type they enter into men ; I will tell it you at the expansion of the universe. *' Now, therefore, when the servitors of the rulers cast the one portion into the woman and the other into the man in the fashion which I Of the compulsion of the parents. Of the process of gestation. Of the incarnation of the soul. have told you, then the servitors secretly compel them, even if they are removed at very great distance from one another, so that they concert to be in a concert of the world. And the counterfeiting spirit which is in the man, cometh to the portion which is entrusted to the world in the matter of his body, and lifteth it and casteth it down into the womb of the woman [into the portion] which is entrusted to the seed of wickedness. *' And in that hour the three-hundred-andsixty-and-five servitors of the rulers go into her womb and take up their abode in it. The servitors bring the two portions the one to the other, and moreover the servitors withhold | the blood of all the food of the woman which she will eat and which she will drink, and they withhold [it] in the womb of the woman up to forty days. And after forty days they knead the blood of the power of all the food and knead it well in the woman's womb.

" After forty days they spend another thirty days in building its members in the image of the body of the man ; each buildeth a member. I will tell you the decans who will build it [sc, the body] ; I will tell them you at the expansion of the universe. '* If then after this the servitors shall have completed the whole body and all its members in seventy days, after this the servitors summon into the body which they have built, — first indeed they summon the counterfeiting spirit ; thereafter they summon the soul within them ; and thereafter they summon the compound of the power into the soul ; and the destiny they put outside them all, as it is not blended with them, [but] following them and accompanying them. *' And after this the servitors seal them one of the seal to the other with all the seals which the rulers JSLm. have given them. [And] they seal the day on which they have taken up their abode in the womb of the woman, — they seal [it] on the left hand | of 348. the plasm ; and they seal the day on which they have completed the body, on the right hand ; and they seal the day on which the rulers have handed it over to them, on the middle of the skull of the body of the plasm ; and they seal the day on which the soul hath come forth out of the rulers, they seal it on the [left of] the skull of the plasm ;

and they seal the day on which they kneaded the members and separated them for a soul, they seal it on the right of the skull of the plasm ; and the day on which they have bound the counterfeiting spirit to it [the soul], they seal on the back of the skull of the plasm ; and the day on which the rulers have breathed the power into the body, they seal on the brain which is in the midst of the head of the plasm and also on the inside [? the heart] of the plasm ; and the number of years which the soul will spend in the body, they seal on the forehead which is on the plasm. And so they seal all those seals on the plasm. I will tell you the names of all these seals at the expansion of the universe ; and after the expansion of the universe I will tell you wherefor all hath come to pass. And, if ye could understand it, I am that mystery.

*' Now, therefore, the servitors complete the whole man. And of all these seals with which they have sealed the body, | the servitors carry the 349. whole peculiarity and bring it to all the retributive rulers who [are] over all the chastisements of the judgments ; and these hand it over to their receivers, in order that they may lead their souls out of the bodies, — they hand over to them the peculiarity of the seals, in order that they may know the time when they are to lead the souls out of the bodies, and in order that they may know the time when they are to bring to birth the body, so that they may send their servitors in order that they may draw near and follow the soul and bear witness of all the sins it shall do, — they and the counterfeiting spirit, — on account of the manner and way, how they shall chastize it in the judgment. Of the *' And when the servitors have given the estmy. peculiarity of the seals to the retributive rulers, they withdraw themselves to the economy of their occupations which is appointed unto them through the rulers of the great Fate. And when the number of months of the birth of the babe is completed, the babe is born. Small in it is the compound of the power, and small in it is the soul ; and small in it is the counterfeiting spirit. The destiny on the contrary is large, as it is not mingled into the body for their 350. economy, but followeth the soul | and the body

and the counterfeiting spirit, until the time when the soul shall come forth out of the body, on account of the type of death by which it shall slay it [the body] according to the death appointed for it by the rulers of the great Pate. Of how a '* Is he to die by a wild beast, the destiny by hisXath. leadeth the wild beast against him until it slay him ; or is he to die by a serpent, or is he to fall into a pit by mischance, or is he to hang himself, or is he to die in water, or through such [kinds of death], or through another death which is worse or better than this, — in a word, it is the destiny which forceth his death upon him. This is the occupation of the destiny, and it hath no other occupation but this. And the destiny followeth every man until the day of his death." Mary answered and said: ** To all men then chap. 133. who are in the world, will all which is appointed them through the Pate, whether good or bad or sin or death or hfe, — in a word, will all which is appointed them through the rulers of the Fate, have to come unto them ? "

The Saviour answered and said unto Mary : There is no " Amen, I say unto you : All which is appointed theXstin^ unto every one through the Fate, whether all good or all sins, — in a word, all which is appointed them, Cometh unto them. '* For this cause, therefore, have I brought | the 35if keys of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven ; ^f^^^^^^l^ otherwise no flesh in the world would be saved, teries. For without mysteries no one will enter into the Light-kingdom, be he a righteous or a sinner. " For this cause, therefore, have I brought the keys of the mysteries into the world, that I may free the sinners who shall have faith in me and hearken unto me, so that I may free them from the bonds and the seals of the aeons of the rulers and bind them to the seals and the vestures and the orders of the Light, in order that he whom I shall free in the world from the bonds and the seals of the aeons of the rulers, may be freed in the Height from the bonds and seals of the aeons of the rulers, and in order that he whom I

The mysteries are for all men. A prophecy of John the Baptizer. shall bind in the world to the seals and the vestures and the orders of the Light, may be bound in the Light-land to the orders of the inheritances of the Light. *' For the sake of sinners, therefore, have I torn myself asunder at this time and have brought them the mysteries, that I may free them from the seons of the rulers and bind them to the inheritances of the Light, and not only the sinners, but also the righteous, in order that I may give them the mysteries and that they may be taken into the Light, for without mysteries they cannot | be taken into the Light. " For this cause, therefore, I have not hidden it, but I have cried it aloud clearly. And I have not separated the sinners, but I have cried it aloud and said it unto all men, unto sinners and righteous, saying : * Seek that ye may find, knock that it may be opened unto you ; for every one who seeketh in truth, will find, and who knocketh, to him it will be opened.' For I have said unto all men : They are to seek the mysteries of the Light-kingdom which shall purify them and make them refined and lead them into the Light.

** For this cause, therefore, hath John the Baptizer prophesied concerning me, saying : ' I indeed have baptized you with water unto repentance for forgiveness of your sins. He who Cometh after me, is stronger than me. Whose fan is in his hand, and he will purify his floor. The chaff indeed he will consume with unquenchable fire, but the wheat he will gather into his barn.' The power in John hath prophesied concerning me, knowing that I would bring the mysteries into the world and purify the sins of the sinners who shall have faith in me and hearken unto me, and make them into refined light and lead them into the Light." When then Jesus had said this, Mary answered CHAP. 134. and said : " My Lord, if men go to seek and they come upon the doctrines of error, | whence then 333, are they to know whether they belong to thee or not ? " The Saviour answered and said unto Mary : ** I have said unto you aforetime : * Be ye as skilful money-changers. Take the good, throw the bad away.' *' Now, therefore, say unto all men who would The criteseek the godhead : ' If north wind cometh, orthodoxy, then ye know that there will be cold ; if south wind cometh, then ye know that there will be burning and fervent heat.' Now, therefore, say unto them :

' If ye have known the face of the heaven and of the earth from the winds, then know ye exactly, if then any come now unto you and proclaim unto you a godhead, whether their words have harmonized and fitted with all your words which I have spoken unto you through two up to three witnesses, and whether they have harmonized in the setting of the air and of the heavens and of the circuits and of the stars and of the light-givers and of the whole earth and all on it and of all waters and all in them.' Say unto them : ' Those who shall come unto you, and their words fit and harmonize in the whole gnosis with that which I have said unto you, I will receive as belonging unto us.' This is what ye shall say unto men, if ye make proclamation unto them in order that they may guard themselves from the doctrines of error. I

The Books of Yew. Few only will accomplish the mystery of the First Mystery. *' Now, therefore, for the sake of sinners have I rent myself asunder and am come into the world, that I may save them. For even for the righteous, who have never done any evil and have not sinned at all, it is necessary that they should find the mysteries which are in the Books of Yew, which I have made Enoch write in Paradise, discoursing with him out of the tree of the Gnosis and out of the tree of the Life. And I made him deposit them in the rock Ararad, and set the ruler Kalapatauroth, who is over Skemmtit, on whose head is the foot of Yew, and who surroundeth all aeons and Pates, — I set up that ruler as watcher over the Books of Yew on account of the flood, and in order that none of the rulers may be envious of them and destroy them. These will I give you, when I shall have told you the expansion of the universe." When then the Saviour had said this, Mary answered and said : ** My Lord, who now then is the man in the world who hath not sinned at all, who is pure of iniquities ? For if he is pure of one, he will not be able to be pure of another, so that he may find the mysteries which are in the Books of Yew ? For I say : A man in this world will not be able to be pure of sins ; for if he is pure of one, he will not be able to be pure of another."

The Saviour answered and said unto Mary : " I say unto you : They will find one in a thousand and two in ten-thousand for the accomplishment | of the mystery of the First Mystery. This will I tell unto you when I have explained to you the expansion of the universe. For this cause, therefore, I have rent myself asunder and have brought the mysteries into the world, because all are under sin and all are in need of the gift of the mysteries." Mary answered and said unto the Saviour : chap. 136. ** My Lord, before thou didst come to the region of the rulers and before thou didst come down into the world, hath no soul entered into the Light ? " The Saviour answered and said unto Mary : No soul had tti- _T J -r>^ TTi*^ entered into Amen, amen, 1 say unto you : Joeiore i did come the Lisht into the world, no soul hath entered into the^^^^ Light. And now, therefore, when I am come, ^^^ ^i^^t I have opened the gates of the Light and opened the ways which lead to the Light. And now, therefore, let him who shall do what is worthy of the mysteries, receive the mysteries and enter into the Light."

Mary continued and said : *' But, my Lord, I have heard that the prophets have entered into the Light." The Saviour continued and said unto Mary : of the *' Amen, amen, I say unto you : No prophet hath p^^p^^*^- entered into the Light ; but the rulers of the seons have discoursed with them out of the aeons and ,. given them the mystery of the aeons. And when I came to the regions of the aeons, I have turned EHas and sent him into the body of John the Baptizer, and the rest also I turned into righteous bodies, which will find the mysteries | of the Light, 356. go on high and inherit the Light-kingdom. *' Unto Abraham on the other hand and Isaac of the and Jacob I have forgiven all their sins and their p^*"^^^^^- iniquities and have given them the mysteries of the Light in the aeons and placed them in the region of Yabraoth and of all the rulers who have repented. And when I go into the Height and Of the souls of the righteous from Adam to Jesus. The disciples know of a surety that Jesus is the Great Initiator.

am on the point of going into the Light, I will carry their souls with me into the Light. But, amen, I say unto you, Mary : They will not go into the Light before I have carried thy soul and those of all thy brethren into the Light. " The rest of the patriarchs and of the righteous from the time of Adam unto now, who are in the aeons and all the orders of the rulers, when I came to the region of the seons, I have through the Virgin of Light made to turn into bodies which will all be righteous, — those which will find the mysteries of the Light, enter in and inherit the Light-kingdom." Mary answered and said : " Blessed are we before all men because of these splendours which thou hast revealed unto us." The Saviour answered and said unto Mary and all the disciples : "I will still reveal unto you all the splendours of the Height, from the interiors of the interiors to the exteriors of the exteriors, | that ye may be perfected in all gnosis and in all fulness and in the height of the heights and the depths of the depths."