Perception and Deception

During one of the six days, angels and archangels and all the spiritual essence did not receive a beginning. And because this is so, God himself says in Job: 'When the stars were created, all my angels shouted to me with a great voice' (Job 38:7). Therefore, having been created. Because of this, the saying is confirmed, saying: 'If the spirit of the ruler rises upon you, do not leave your place' (Luke 10:19). For this pretext becomes the cause of many evils, with the devil having cast down something even greater, which now works by introducing a slander against God, as if because of the command not to take hold of only the known good and evil, but also to prevent them from becoming gods, as if he saw them about to become gods.

Indeed, from this deception, the whole heresy called Ophite was established, which exalts the serpent greatly concerning him, as they think, saying: in whom, they say, God intended man to be in wickedness, calling wickedness to be the not-knowing of good and evil; thus they say this craftily: He, they say, made man in good things; and they mythologize other things about the serpent, slandering him whom they have raised up as a god to themselves. However, the serpent performs his deception well, persuading them only to have an opening not for good, just as the apostle said: 'I wish you to be wise unto good, blameless unto evil' (Romans 16:19).

But the serpent, wanting them to be wise unto evil, wished to open those eyes running toward this, who, while virtue is at work, are not opened but happen to be closed, remaining blind, which Jesus says he works in the Gospel, saying: 'I came that those who do not see might see, and those who see might become blind' (John 9:39). But Jesus, according to history, has made no one blind, but has granted sight to the blind. It is therefore evident that he makes those who see badly blind, and makes those who are useful to see again with the useful eyes, who, being the inner man, saving the ability to see clearly not sensually but intellectually, before knowing and imposing reason upon the sense, they hide...

Regarding what was said in the 82nd section: 'The wise will hide perception.' And so that what is said may become clear through an example: perception is the tactile sense of hot and cold, hard and soft, rough and smooth; and to the irrational and the child, these things are manifest through touch. But when the physician comes to feel the pulse, he hides the perception, providing a reason through the movement of the throbbing vessels. In the same way, the laypeople perceive images by sense alone, but the scribes contemplate them with the logic of the eye.

Thus the man, before the transgression, was looking at things with a mind that was scientifically applying understanding to things, as is necessary. As long as he had these eyes directing themselves toward appropriate spectacles, he did not know evil; instead of testing it, he did not accept it. But when these eyes grew dim, and those leaning toward evil were opened, then he also became cast out.

The devil, having this will, seeks to make the woman wise, introducing envy to conceive of God, and promising great things, so that by these things he might entice, saying: 'You shall become like gods, knowing good and evil' (Gen 3:5), while also subverting her intention with more views, lest the idolatry through images be joined, all while flattering the angels who are with him.

3, 6–7. And she saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasing to the eyes and beautiful for understanding, and having taken of its fruit she ate, and she gave also to her husband with her, and they ate, and the eyes of the two were opened and they knew that they were naked. Holding fast to the deception of the serpent, she made for him a trial that was the opposite of it; for that which lies out for food is not tested by sight, except that once the deception has begun, it works a certain pleasure and enjoyment, even if it thus rouses the deceived to action.

After having perceived according to the deceptions of the serpent spoken of, she took it through consent and ate, performing the act of a finished work, and she receives the man as a partner, doing and distributing the things toward deception; for such is perception, of which we thought the woman possessed a reason.