Miscellanies 3.4.29

Their doctrine flowed from some apocryphal book, and I will set out the passage that is the mother of their licentiousness; whether they themselves are the authors of the book (see the madness, if they lie even about God because of their lack of self-control), or whether, coming upon others, they have understood this fine doctrine in a perverted way. The passage runs thus: “All things were one; but since it seemed good to its unity not to be alone, an Inspiration came out from it, and it had fellowship with her and made the Beloved. From this came out from him an Inspiration, with which he had fellowship and made powers that can be neither seen nor heard,” as far as “each by its own name.” For if these too, like the Valentinians, had posited spiritual fellowships, perhaps someone would have accepted their supposition; but to raise the fellowship of carnal outrage into a holy prophecy belongs to one who has despaired of salvation.