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The Gnostics and Their Remains

By Charles William King

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Future Punishments

The Gnostics did not fail, after the example of their orthodox rivals, to employ the strongest stimulants of terror in order to gain converts, as is forcibly manifested by this picture of the varied torments of the world to come, the appointed heritage of all who obtained not the Gnosis which they preached ('Pistis-Sophia,' 255):--

"And Jesus continuing in his discourse said unto the disciples, When I shall have returned into the Light, preach ye unto the whole world. Say unto them, Slacken not by day and night to seek until ye shall find the mysteries of the Kingdom of Light, that shall cleanse you, and render you a pure light, and shall bring you into the Kingdom of Light. Say unto them, Renounce the world and all the Matter which is therein, and all the cares and the sins thereof--in a word, all the conversation that therein is--that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of Light, that ye may be saved from all the punishments that are in the judgment-places. Say unto them, Renounce murmuring, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of Light, that ye may be saved from the burning of the Figure of the Dog. Say unto them, Renounce obedience (to the world), that ye may be saved from the judgments of the Figure of the Dog. Say unto them, Renounce invocation (of idols), that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of Light, that ye may be saved from the torments of Ariel. Renounce a lying tongue, that ye may be saved from the burning rivers of the Figure of the Dog-shaped one. Renounce false witnessing, that ye may be set free, that ye may be saved from the same rivers. Renounce boastings and pride, that ye may be saved from the burning pits of Ariel. Renounce self-love, that ye may be saved from the judgments of Orcus. * Renounce talkativeness, that ye may be saved from the fires of Orcus. Renounce unjust judgments, that ye may be saved from the torments that be in Orcus. Renounce covetousness, that ye may be saved from the rivers of smoke of the Dog-shaped. Renounce the love of this world, that ye may be saved from the pitched-coats burning of the Dog-shaped. Renounce robbery, that ye may be saved from the rivers of deceit of Ariel. Renounce evil speaking, that ye may be saved from the torments of the river of smoke. Renounce wickedness, that ye may be saved from the burning seas of Ariel. Renounce unmercifulness, that ye may be saved from the judgments of the Dragon-shapes. Renounce anger, that ye may be saved from the rivers of smoke of the Dragon-shapes. Renounce reviling, that ye may be saved from the burning seas of the Dragon-shapes. Renounce robbery, that ye may be saved from the boiling seas of the same. Renounce thieving, that ye may be saved from Ildabaoth. Renounce backbiting, that ye may be saved from the burning rivers of the Lion-shaped one. Renounce fighting and quarrelling, that ye may be saved from the boiling rivers of Ildabaoth. Renounce stubbornness, that ye may be saved from the ministers of Ildabaoth and his burning seas. Renounce evil deeds, that ye may be saved from all the devils of Ildabaoth and from all his punishments. Renounce desperateness, that ye may be saved from the seas of boiling pitch of Ildabaoth. Renounce adultery, that ye may be saved from the seas of brimstone and pitch of the Lion-shaped. Renounce murders, that ye may be saved from the Ruler of crocodiles, which is the first creature in the ice that is in the Outer Darkness. Renounce cruelty and ungodliness, that ye maybe saved from the Rulers of the Outer Darkness. Renounce impiety, that ye may be saved from weeping and the gnashing of teeth. Renounce witchcraft, that ye may be saved from the mighty frost and hail of the Outer Darkness. Renounce blasphemy, that ye may be saved from the great dragon of the Outer Darkness. Renounce false doctrines, that ye may be saved from all the torments of the great dragon of the Outer Darkness.

"Say unto them that teach false doctrines, and unto every one that is taught by them, Woe unto you; for, unless ye repent and leave your error, ye shall fall into the torments of the great dragon of the Outer Darkness, exceeding cruel, and they in the world shall not redeem you out of them for ever and ever, but ye shall be utterly destroyed unto the end. Say unto them that slight the doctrine of truth of the First Mystery, Woe unto you, for your punishment shall be evil beyond that of all men: ye shall abide in the great frost, ice, and hail in the middle of the dragon, and in the Outer Darkness, and they in this world shall not redeem you from this hour forth for ever, but ye shall be in that place; and in the dissolution of the universe ye shall be consumed, so that ye shall be destroyed for ever."

 

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Footnotes
356:* These regions and the shapes of their Rulers seem to have been suggested to our author by the Egyptian mummy-ease paintings of the Gates p. 357 in which are seated so many genii with heads of hawk, baboon, man, crocodile, lion, jackal, vulture, winnowing-fan, and serpent; all armed with swords. These were the Gates passage through which on his way to the judgment seat Anubis is prayed to procure for the defunct in the papyrus-ritual buried with him.