VALENTINIAN, in church history, a ſect of Christian heretics, who ſprung up in the ſecond century, and were ſo called from their leader Valentinus.
The Valentini-ans were only a branch of the Gnoſtics, who realiſed or perſoniſed the Platonic ideas concerning the Deity, whom they called Pleroma or Plenitude. Their ſyſtem was this: the firſt principle is Bythos, i. e. Depth, which remained many ages unknown, having with it Ennoe or Thought, and Sige or Silence; from theſe ſprung the Nous or Intelligence, which is the only ſon, equal to and alone capable of comprehending the Bythos; the ſiſter of Nous they called Aletheia or Truth; and theſe conſtituted the firſt quaternity of æons, which were the ſource and original of all the reſt: for Nous and Aletheia produced the World and Life; and from theſe two proceeded Man and the Church. But beſides theſe 8 principal æons, there were 22 more; the laſt of which, called Sophia, being deſirous to arrive at the knowledge of Bythos, gave herſelf a great deal of uneaſineſs, which created in her Anger and Fear, of which was born Matter. But the Horos or Bounder ſtopped her, preſerved her in the Pleroma, and reſtored her to Perfection. Sophia then produced the Chriſt and the Holy Spirit, which brought the æons to their laſt perfection, and made every one of them contribute their utmoſt to form the Saviour. Her Enthymeſe, or Thought, dwelling near the Pleroma, perfected by the Chriſt, produced every thing that is in the world by its diuers paſſions. The Chriſt ſent into it the Saviour, accompanied with angels, who delivered it from its paſſions, without annihilating it: from thence was formed corporeal matter. And in this manner did they romance concerning God, nature, and the miſteries of the Christian religion.