Of the light of the sun and the darkness of the dragon.
Mary continued again and said:
"My Lord, doth the dragon (of the outer darkness) come into this world or doth he not come?"
The Saviour answered and said unto Mary:
"When the light (of the sun) is outside {? above the world}, he covereth the darkness (of the dragon); but if the sun is below the world, then the darkness (of the dragon) abideth [as] veiling 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 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."
2. Of the cup of forgetfulness. Of the counterfeiting spirit.
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 æons),--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} like it,--which is what is called the counterfeiting spirit.
3. Of the fashioning of a new soul.
"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 Fate) take up the sweat of all the rulers (of their æons) 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 æons) every one of them putteth his portion into the soul. For this cause they knead it jointly, so that all may {par}take 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 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 æons) 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.
4. Of the in-breathing of the power.
"And the five great rulers (of the great Fate, of the æons) and the ruler (of the disk of the sun) 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 last Helper hath cast into the Mixture). And the portion of that power remaineth within in the soul, 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).
5. Iesus promiseth to reveal all in detail.
"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 fashioneth 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.
6. Of the light-power and the counterfeiting spirit.
"Hearken, therefore, that I may discourse with you concerning the soul according as I have said: The five great rulers (of the great Fate of the æons) 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 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.
7. The parents we are to abandon.
"For this cause (therefore) have I in this manner brought the mysteries into this world which undo 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 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.'1 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."
1. Read: Luke 14:25-27;