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Chapter 09
1. Which one of these applies to the dividend growth model of stock valuation?
A. The dividend must be for the same time period as the stock price.
B. The growth rate must be less than the discount rate.
C. The rate of growth must be positive.
D. The model cannot be applied if the growth rate is zero.
E. The dividend amount must be constant over time.
2. Next year's annual dividend divided by the current stock price is called the:
A. yield to maturity.
B. total yield.
C. dividend yield.
D. capital gains yield.
E. earnings yield.
3. The rate at which a stock's price is expected to appreciate (or depreciate) is called the _____
yield.
A. current
B. total
C. dividend
D. capital gains
E. earnings
4. If a stock pays a constant annual dividend then the stock can be valued using the:
5.
In the formula, P3 = Div / R - g, the dividend is for period:
A.
two.
B. five.
C.
four.
D. three.
E. one.
8. The underlying assumption of the dividend growth model is that a stock is worth:
A. the same amount to every investor regardless of their desired rate of return.
B. the present value of the future income that the stock is expected to generate.
C. an amount computed as the next annual dividend divided by the market rate of return.
D. the same amount as any other stock that pays the same current dividend and has the
same required rate of return.
E. an amount computed as the next annual dividend divided by the required rate of return.
9. Assume you are using the dividend growth model to value stocks. If you expect the market
rate of return to increase across the board on all equity securities, then you should also
expect the:
A. 4
B. 5
C. 6
D. 7
E. 8
11. Phillips Co. currently pays no dividend. The company is anticipating dividends of $.02, $.05,
$.10, $.20, and $.30 over the next 5 years, respectively. After that, the company anticipates
increasing the dividend by 3.5 percent annually. One step in computing the value of this stock
today is to compute the value of:
A. P1.
B. P3.
C. P4.
D. P5.
E. P6.
12. For a firm with a constant payout ratio, the dividend growth rate can be estimated as:
14.
A stock’s PE ratio is primarily affected by which three factors?
A.
accounting practices, opportunities, and the market rate of return
B.
dividend yield, capital gains yield, and opportunities
C.
market rate of return, risk, opportunities
D.
accounting practices, market rate of return, risk
E.
risk, opportunities, accounting practices
15. Which one of these factors generally has the greatest impact on a firm’s PE ratio?
16. The closing price of a stock is quoted at 32.08, with a P/E of 21 and a net change of .36.
Based on this information, which one of the following statements is correct?
A. The closing price on the previous day was $.36 higher than today's closing price.
B. A dealer will buy the stock at $32.08 and sell it at $32.44 a share.
C. The current earnings per share equal $32.08 / 21 + $.36.
D. The current stock price is equivalent to 21 years of the firm’s current earnings per share.
E. The earnings per share have increased by $.36 this year.
17. A forward PE is generally based on the projected:
A.
average earnings for the next five years.
B.
average earnings for the next three years.
C.
earnings for the upcoming quarter.
D.
earnings for the next year.
E.
stock price in one year.
18. Which one of these stock valuation methods is used for a non-dividend paying firm that is
experiencing accounting losses?
A.
price-earnings ratio
B.
constant-dividend model
C.
price-sales ratio
D.
differential-growth model
E. constant-growth model
19. Enterprise value equals the:
A.
combined market value of debt and equity minus excess cash.
B.
market value of equity minus the market value of debt plus excess cash.
C.
market value of debt plus the book value of equity minus excess cash.
D.
combined market value of debt and equity.
E.
combined book value of debt and equity minus excess cash.
20. One advantage of the EV/EBITDA ratio over the PE ratio is the:
A.
inclusion of depreciation charges.
B.
increased reliance on leverage.
C.
averaging of annual sales.
D.
inclusion of all the firm’s cash reserves.
E.
lessened impact of leverage on the ratio.
21.
What amount of a firm’s cash should be included in the enterprise value?
A.
only the amount needed to run the business
B.
none of the cash should be included
C.
somewhere between 25 and 50 percent at the user’s discretion
D.
only the amount necessary to maintain a constant EV/EBITDA ratio
E.
the average cash balance over the past three years
22.
If the issuer of a stock receives the proceeds from a sale of that issuer’s stock, then the sale:
A.
had to have occurred on the floor of an exchange.
B.
was a secondary market transaction.
C.
was transacted on the NYSE.
D.
was conducted in the primary market.
E.
had to have been a limit order.
23. Which one of these statements is correct?
A.
Investors earn a return called a spread.
B.
Dealers pay a fee, called the spread, to brokers.
C.
Investors sell at the ask price.
D.
Dealers buy at the bid price.
E.
Brokers maintain an inventory of securities.
A.
act as floor brokers.
B.
only represent stock purchasers.
C.
seek the best price for their customers.
A.
at a price of $46 at the end of the day on which the order was placed.
B.
at $46 following the first trade with a price below $46.
C.
as a market order once a trade occurs at a price of $46 or less.
D.
immediately at a price of $46.
E.
as a market order once a trade occurs at a price of $46 or higher.
A.
guarantees the quantity purchased but not the price.
B.
guarantees both the purchase price and the order fulfillment.
C.
is executed only if the purchase price is less than the limit amount.
D.
guarantees the purchase price but not the order execution.
E.
will be executed either at the limit price or at the end-of-day price.
27. A day order to sell at a limit of $32 will be:
A.
executed at the next available price once a trade occurs at the limit price.
B.
cancelled at the end of the day if not executed.
C.
executed only if the purchase price is less than the limit amount.
D.
executed at the end-of-day price if $32 has not been obtained.
E.
transferred to a market order on the following day if not executed at the limit price.
28.
NASDAQ:
A.
has a single trading floor located in Chicago, Illinois.
B.
has multiple trading floors.
C.
is a designated market maker system.
D.
has a multiple market maker system.
E.
is closed to all electronic communications networks (ECNs).
29. Rosita's announced that its next annual dividend will be $1.65 a share and all future
dividends will increase by 2.5 percent annually. What is the maximum amount you should pay
to purchase a share of this stock if you require a 12 percent rate of return?
A. $13.75
B. $17.80
C. $15.46
D. $16.94
E. $17.37
30. How much are you willing to pay for one share of stock if the company just paid an annual
dividend of $1.03, the dividends increase by 3 percent annually, and you require a rate of
return of 15 percent?
A. $8.58
B. $9.49
C. $10.40
D. $8.84
E. $6.87
31. Upland Motors recently paid a $1.48 per share annual dividend. Dividends are expected to
increase by 2.5 percent annually. What is one share of this stock worth today if the
appropriate discount rate is 14 percent?
A. $12.87
B. $13.04
C. $14.16
D. $13.19
E. $12.25
32. MJ Enterprises stock traditionally provides an average rate of return of 11.6 percent. The
firm’s next annual dividend is projected at $2.40 with future increases of 3 percent per year.
What price should you pay for this stock is you are satisfied with the firm’s average rate of
return?
A. $28.74
B. $22.50
C. $27.91
D. $28.89
E. $21.31
33. Unique Stores common stock pays a constant annual dividend of $1.75 a share. What is the
value of this stock at a discount rate of 13.25 percent?
A. $12.50
B. $13.33
C. $13.21
D. $12.88
E. $14.18
34. Martin's Yachts is expected to pay annual dividends of $1.40, $1.75, and $2.00 a share over
the next three years, respectively. After that, the dividend is expected to remain constant.
What is the current value per share at a discount rate of 14 percent?
A.
$12.22
B.
$13.57
C.
$13.08
D.
$12.82
E.
$13.39
35. The common stock of Fine China sells for $38.42 a share. The stock is expected to pay an
annual dividend of $1.80 next year and increase that amount by 4 percent annually thereafter.
What is the market rate of return on this stock?
A.
9.04%
B.
9.13%
C.
8.69%
D.
9.22%
E.
8.36%
36. Last year, Logistics paid an annual dividend of $2.20 and announced that all future dividends
would be $2.25 a share indefinitely. What is your required rate of return if you are willing to
pay $15.25 a share for this stock?
A. 14.75%
B. 16.07%
C. 13.88%
D. 13.67%
E. 14.50%
37. Martha's recently paid an annual dividend of $3.60 on its common stock. This dividend
increases by 2.5 percent per year. What is the market rate of return if the stock is selling for
$32.65 a share?
A. 12.57%
B. 13.45%
C. 15.55%
D. 16.05%
E. 13.80%
38. Bikes and More just announced its next annual dividend will be $2.42 a share and all future
dividends will increase by 2.5 percent annually. What is the market rate of return if this stock
is currently selling for $22 a share?
A. 13.62%
B. 13.84%
C. 13.58%
D. 13.50%
E. 13.46%
39. Shares of the Samson Co. offer an expected total return of 12 percent. The dividend is
increasing at a constant 3.25 percent per year. What is the value of the next dividend if the
stock is selling at $28 a share?
A.
$2.50
B.
$2.45
C.
$2.78
D.
$2.34
E.
$2.10
40. A stock had a total return of 9.62 percent last year. The dividend amount was $.70 a share
which equated to a dividend yield of 2.39 percent. What is the dividend growth rate?
A. 7.06%
B. 4.03%
C. 7.23%
D. 5.48%
E. 2.48%
41. Weisbro and Sons common stock sells for $21 a share and pays an annual dividend that
increases by 5 percent annually. The rate of return on this stock is 9 percent. What is the
amount of the last dividend paid?
A.
$.77
B.
$.80
C.
$.84
D.
$.87
E.
$.88
42. The common stock of Energy Saver pays an annual dividend that is expected to increase by 4
percent annually. The stock commands a market rate of return of 12 percent and sells for
$58.25 a share. What is the expected amount of the next dividend to be paid?
A. $4.87
B. $5.02
C. $5.10
D. $4.66
E. $4.33
43. The Reading Co. has adopted a policy of increasing the annual dividend on its common stock
at a constant rate of 3 percent annually. The last dividend it paid (T = 0) was $.90 a share.
What will the company's dividend be six years from now?
A.
$0.90
B.
$0.93
C.
$1.04
D.
$1.07
E.
$1.11
44. A stock pays a constant annual dividend and sells for $31.11 a share. If the dividend yield of
this stock is 9 percent, what is the dividend amount?
A.
$1.40
B.
$1.80
C.
$2.20
D.
$2.40
E.
$2.80
45. You have decided to purchase shares of GHC but need an expected 12 percent rate of return
to compensate for the perceived risk of such ownership. What is the maximum price you
should pay per share if the company pays a constant $2.70 annual dividend per share?
A. $23.04
B. $22.50
C. $32.67
D. $34.29
E. $21.59
46.
T&P common stock sells for $23.43 a share at a market rate of return of 11.65 percent. The
company just paid its annual dividend of $1.20. What is the dividend growth rate?
A.
5.87%
B.
6.43%
C.
5.91%
D.
6.07%
E.
6.21%
47.
S&P Enterprises will pay an annual dividend of $2.08 a share on its common stock next year.
Last week, the company paid a dividend of $2.00 a share. The company adheres to a
constant rate of growth dividend policy. What will one share of S&P common stock be worth
ten years from now if the applicable discount rate is 8 percent?
A.
$71.16
B.
$74.01
C.
$76.97
D.
$80.05
E.
$83.25
48. Wilbert's Clothing Stores just paid a $1.20 annual dividend and increases its dividend by 2.5
percent annually. You would like to purchase 100 shares of stock in this firm but realize that
you will not have the funds to do so for another three years. If you desire a 10 percent rate of
return, how much should you expect to pay for 100 shares when you can afford to buy this
stock? Ignore trading costs.
A. $1,640
B. $1,681
C. $1,723
D. $1,766
E. $1,810
49. The Merriweather Co. just announced that it will pay a dividend next year of $1.60. The
company will then increase its dividend by 10 percent per year for two years after which it
will maintain a constant 2 percent dividend growth rate. What is one share worth today at a
required rate of return of 14 percent?
A. $21.60
B. $15.17
C. $23.14
D. $23.95
E. $24.79
50. The Bell Weather Co. is a new firm in a rapidly growing industry. The company is planning on
increasing its annual dividend by 20 percent next year and then decreasing the growth rate to
a constant 5 percent per year. The company just paid its annual dividend in the amount of $1
per share. What is the current value of a share if the required rate of return is 14 percent?
A. $13.28
B. $13.42
C. $13.33
D. $13.19
E. $13.24
51. New Corp. last paid a $1.50 per share annual dividend. The company is planning on paying
$1.62, $1.68, $1.75, and $1.80 a share over the next four years, respectively. After that the
dividend will be a constant $2.00 per share per year. What is the market price of this stock if
the market rate of return is 15 percent?
A. $6.00
B. $8.49
C. $12.48
D. $11.57
E. $9.09
52. Alpha Industries is going to pay $.35, $.50, and $.80 a share over the next three years,
respectively. After that, the company has stated that the annual dividend will be $1.25 per
share indefinitely. What is this stock worth today at a discount rate of 13.45 percent?
A. $6.20
B. $9.48
C. $10.88
D. $7.61
E. $5.06
53. City Movers announced that its next annual dividend will be $.40 a share. The following
dividends will be $.60, and $.75 a share annually for the following two years, respectively.
After that, dividends are projected to increase by 3.5 percent per year. How much is one
share of this stock worth at a rate of return of 12 percent?
A.
$8.45
B.
$6.84
C.
$7.87
D.
$8.06
E.
$7.03
54. DC Motors recently paid $1.10 as its annual dividend. Future dividends are projected at $1.06
$1.02, and $1.00 over the next three years, respectively. After that, the dividend is expected
to decrease by 2 percent annually. What is one share of this stock worth at a rate of return of
17 percent?
A. $5.62
B. $5.50
C. $5.21
D. $5.33
E. $5.98
55. Ancient Industries just paid a dividend of $1.03 a share. The company announced today that
it expects to pay $.90 a share next year and a final liquidating dividend of $18.44 in two years.
What is one share of this stock worth today if the required rate of return is 16 percent?
A. $14.94
B. $14.48
C. $13.23
D. $13.44
E. $13.60
56. A company plans to pay an annual dividend of $.30 a share for two years commencing two
years from today. After that time, a constant $1 a share annual dividend is planned
indefinitely. Given a required return of 14 percent, what is the current value of this stock?
A.
$4.82
B.
$5.25
C.
$5.39
D.
$5.46
E.
$5.58
57. The Elder Co. is in downsizing mode. The company paid a $2.50 annual dividend last year.
The company has announced plans to lower the dividend by $.50 a year. Once the dividend
amount becomes zero, the company will cease all dividends permanently. The required rate
of return is 14.5 percent. What is one share of this stock worth?
A. $3.85
B. $3.48
C.
$4.87
D.
$4.13
E.
$4.39
58.
M&D Enterprises paid its first annual dividend yesterday in the amount of $.28 a share. The
company plans to double each annual dividend payment for the next three years. After that
time, it plans to pay a constant $2.25 per share indefinitely. What is one share of this stock
worth today if the market rate of return on similar securities is 11.5 percent?
A. $19.41
B. $18.40
C. $17.46
D. $16.93
E. $17.13
59. BC ‘n D just paid its annual dividend of $.60 a share. The projected dividends for the next five
years are $.30, $.50, $.75, $1.00, and $1.20, respectively. After that time, the dividends will be
held constant at $1.40. What is this stock worth today at a discount rate of 14 percent?
A. $7.56
B. $10.60
C.
$8.02
D.
$9.28
E.
$9.43
60. Beaksley, Inc. is a very cyclical type of business which is reflected in its dividend policy. The
firm pays a $2.00 a share dividend every other year with a payment being paid today. Five
years from now, the company is repurchasing all of the outstanding shares at a price of $50 a
share. What is the current value of one share at a discount rate of 12 percent?
A.
$34.03
B.
$31.24
C.
$33.78
D.
$27.89
E.
$34.99
61.
Last week, Railway Tours paid its annual dividend of $1.20 per share. The company has been
reducing the dividends by 10 percent each year. What is the value of this stock at a discount
rate of 13 percent?
A.
$4.70
B. $3.71
C. $8.31
D. $36.00
E. $27.00
62. Nu-Tech is expecting a period of intense growth and has decided to reduce its annual
dividend by 10 percent a year for the next two years. After that, it will maintain a constant
dividend of $.70 a share. Last year, the company paid $1.80 per share. What is the value of
this stock if the required rate of return is 13 percent?
A. $6.99
B. $6.79
C. $8.22
D. $8.87
E. $7.62
63. What would be the maximum an investor should pay for the common stock of a firm that has
no growth opportunities but pays a dividend of $1.36 per year? The required rate of return is
12.5 percent.
A. $9.52
B. $10.88
C. $11.24
D. $10.64
E. $11.47
64. The Felix Corp. will pay an annual dividend of $1.00 next year. The dividend will increase by
12 percent a year for the following two years before growing at 4 percent indefinitely
thereafter. If the required rate of return is 10 percent, what is the stock’s current value?
A. $13.38
B. $14.05
C. $19.11
D. $9.80
E. $10.38
65. A company paid an annual dividend of $.40 a share last month and plans to increase the
dividend by 7 percent a year for the next 6 years and then increase it by 4 percent annually
thereafter. What is the value of this stock at the end of Year 6 if the discount rate is 11
percent?
A. $10.63
B. $8.92
C. $9.68
D. $10.21
E. $9.37
66. Lory Company had net earnings of $127,000 this past year of which $46,200 was paid out in
dividends. The company's equity was $1,587,500. Lory has 200,000 shares outstanding with a
current market price of $11.63 per share. Both the number of shares and the dividend payout
ratio are constant. What is the required rate of return if the growth rate is 5.6 percent?
A. 8.42%
B. 6.67%
C. 7.70%
D. 7.39%
E. 8.24%
67. Engine Builders stock sells for $24.20 a share. The firm just paid an annual dividend of $2 per
share and has a long-established record of increasing its dividend by a constant 2.5 percent
annually. What is the market rate of return on this stock?
A. 10.97%
B. 14.41%
C. 10.70%
D. 12.34%
E. 11.46%
68. The dividend yield on Alpha's common stock is 5.2 percent. The company just paid a $2.10
dividend. The rumor is that the dividend will be $2.30 next year. The dividend growth rate is
expected to remain constant at the current level. What is the required rate of return on
Alpha's stock?
A. 14.72%
B. 12.31%
C. 18.29%
D. 20.01%
E. 24.21%
69. Uptown Clothing just paid $1.50 as its annual dividend and increases its dividend by 2.5
percent each year. What will Uptown’s stock price be in ten years at a discount rate of 12.25
percent?
A. $19.46
B. $22.08
C. $20.19
D. $19.70
E. $21.50
70. Merriweather’s has a policy of increasing its annual dividend by 1.75 percent each year. How
much will one share be worth five years from now if the required rate of return is 15 percent
and the next dividend will be $3.40?
A. $28.48
B. $27.99
C. $34.84
D. $28.60
E. $32.78
71. Lester’s has a return on equity of 11.6 percent, a profit margin of 6.2 percent, and a payout
ratio of 35 percent. What is the firm’s growth rate?
A.
13.74%
B.
7.54%
C.
11.09%
D.
8.77%
E.
9.71%
72. Dexter’s has a fixed dividend payout ratio of 40 percent, current net income of $5,200, total
assets of $56,400, and total equity of $21,600. Given this information, what estimate would
you use as the dividend growth rate if the last dividend paid was $.464 per share?
A. 9.63%
B.
3.69%
C.
12.84%
D.
8.61%
E.
14.44%
73. Rudy’s stock is currently valued at $28.40 a share. The firm had earnings per share of $1.86
last year and projects earnings of $2.09 a share for next year. What is the trailing twelve
month price-earnings ratio?
A. 13.59
B.
14.38
C.
12.84
D.
16.67
E.
15.27
74.
L&R’s stock is currently valued at $32.70 a share. The firm had earnings per share of $1.88
last year and projects earnings of $2.10 a share for next year. What is the forward price-
earnings ratio?
A.
15.57
B.
14.38
C.
17.39
D.
16.43
E.
15.06
75.
Russell’s has annual revenue of $387,000 with costs of $216,400. Depreciation is $48,900 and
the tax rate is 30 percent. The firm has debt outstanding with a market value of $182,000
along with 9,500 shares of stock that is selling at $67 a share. The firm has $48,000 of cash
of which $29,500 is needed to run the business. What is the firm’s EV/EBITDA ratio?
A.
5.57
B.
4.34
C.
3.39
D.
3.93
E.
6.20
76.
Kurt’s Interiors has annual revenue of $506,000 with costs of $369,400. Depreciation is
$64,900 and the tax rate is 34 percent. The firm has debt outstanding with a market value of
$240,000 along with 7,500 shares of stock that is valued at $87 a share. The firm has $51,200
of cash, all of which is needed to run the business. What is the firm’s EV/EBITDA ratio?
A.
6.37
B.
6.53
C.
5.39
D.
6.15
E.
6.28
77.
Jaxon’s has total revenue of $418,300, earnings before interest and taxes of $102,600,
depreciation of $59,200, and a tax rate of 30 percent. The firm is all-equity financed with
15,000 shares outstanding at a book value of $38.03 a share and a price-to-book ratio of 3.2.
What is the firm’s EV/EBITDA ratio if the firm has excess cash of $49,300?
A.
9.67
B.
11.28
C.
8.39
D.
9.15
E.
10.97
78. What are the components of the required rate of return on a share of stock? Briefly explain
each component.
79. Explain whether it is easier to find the required return on a publicly traded stock or a publicly
traded bond, and explain why.
80. A number of publicly traded firms pay no dividends yet investors are willing to buy shares in
these firms. How is this possible? Does this violate our basic principle of stock valuation?
Explain.
81. What is the difference between the EV/EBITDA ratio and the PE ratio?
82. Explain the differences between a market order, a limit order, and a stop order.
Chapter 09 Key
1. Which one of these applies to the dividend growth model of stock valuation?
A. The dividend must be for the same time period as the stock price.
B. The growth rate must be less than the discount rate.
C. The rate of growth must be positive.
D. The model cannot be applied if the growth rate is zero.
E. The dividend amount must be constant over time.
2. Next year's annual dividend divided by the current stock price is called the:
A. yield to maturity.
B. total yield.
C. dividend yield.
D. capital gains yield.
E. earnings yield.
It can hardly be doubted that the writer from whom Hippolytus here
quotes is referring to the soul or animating principle of the world,
whom he here and elsewhere identifies with the great God of the
Greek mysteries[179]. Hence it was the casting-down to this earth of
Ophiomorphus which gave it life and shape, and thus stamped upon
it the impress of the First Man[180]. As Ophiomorphus was also the
child of Ialdabaoth son of Sophia, the Soul of the World might
therefore properly be said to be drawn from all the three visible
worlds[181].
We come to the creation of man which the Ophites attributed to the
act of Ialdabaoth and the other planetary powers, and represented
as taking place not on the earth, but in some one or other of the
heavens under their sway[182]. According to Irenaeus—here our only
authority—Ialdabaoth boasted that he was God and Father, and that
there was none above him[183]. His mother Sophia or Prunicos,
disgusted at this, cried out that he lied, inasmuch as there was
above him “the Father of all, the First Man and the Son of Man[184]”;
and that Ialdabaoth was thereby led on the counsel of the serpent or
Ophiomorphus to say, “Let us make man in our own image[185]!” Here
the Greek or older text of Irenaeus ends, and our only remaining
guide is the later Latin one, which bears many signs of having been
added to from time to time by some person more zealous for
orthodoxy than accuracy. Such as it is, however, it narrates at a
length which compares very unfavourably with the brevity and
concision of the statements of the Greek text, that Ialdabaoth’s six
planetary powers on his command and at the instigation of Sophia
formed an immense man who could only writhe along the ground
until they carried him to Ialdabaoth who breathed into him the breath
of life, thereby parting with some of the light that was in himself; that
man “having thereby become possessed of intelligence (Nous) and
desire (Enthymesis) abandoned his makers and gave thanks to the
First Man”; that Ialdabaoth on this in order to deprive man of the light
he had given him created Eve out of his own desire; that the other
planetary powers fell in love with her beauty and begot from her sons
who are called angels; and finally, that the serpent induced Adam
and Eve to transgress Ialdabaoth’s command not to eat of the fruit of
the Tree of Knowledge[186]. On their doing so, he cast them out of
Paradise, and threw them down to this world together with the
serpent or Ophiomorphus. All this was done by the secret
contrivance of Sophia, whose object throughout was to win back the
light and return it to the highest world whence it had originally come.
Her manner of doing so seems to have been somewhat roundabout,
for it involved the further mingling of light with matter, and even
included the taking away by her of light from Adam and Eve when
turned out of Paradise and the restoring it to them when they
appeared on this earth—a proceeding which gave them to
understand that they had become clothed with material bodies in
which their stay would be only temporary[187]. Cain’s murder of Abel
was brought about by the same agency, as was the begettal of Seth,
ancestor of the existing human race. We further learn that the
serpent who was cast down got under him the angels begotten upon
Eve by the planetary powers, and brought into existence six sons
who, with himself, form “the seven earthly demons.” These are the
adversaries of mankind, because it was on account of man that their
father was cast down; and “this serpent is called Michael and
Sammael[188].” Later Ialdabaoth sent the Flood, sought out Abraham,
and gave the Law to the Jews. In this, as in everything, he was
opposed by his mother Sophia, who saved Noah, made the Prophets
prophesy of Christ, and even arranged that John the Baptist and
Jesus should be born, the one from Elizabeth and the other from the
Virgin Mary[189]. In all this, it is difficult not to see a later interpolation
introduced for the purpose of incorporating with the teaching of the
earlier Ophites the Biblical narrative, of which they were perhaps
only fully informed through Apostolic teaching[190]. It is quite possible
that this interpolation may be taken from the doctrine of the Sethians,
which Irenaeus expressly couples in this chapter with that of the
Ophites, and which, as given by Hippolytus, contains many Jewish
but no Christian features[191]. Many of the stories in this interpolation
seem to have found their way into the Talmud and the later Cabala,
as well as into some of the Manichaean books.
So far, then, the Ophites succeeded in accounting to their
satisfaction for the origin of all things, the nature of the Deity, the
origin of the universe, and for that of man’s body. But they still had to
account in detail for the existence of the soul or incorporeal part of
man. Irenaeus, as we have seen, attributes it to Ophiomorphus, but
although this may have been the belief of the Ophites of his time, the
Naassenes assigned it a more complicated origin. They divided it, as
Hippolytus tells us, into three parts which were nevertheless one, no
doubt corresponding to the threefold division that we have before
seen running through all nature into angelic, psychic, and earthly[192].
The angelic part is brought by Christos, who is, as we have seen, the
angel or messenger of the triune Deity, into “the form of clay[193],” the
psychic we may suppose to be fashioned with the body by the
planetary powers, and the earthly is possibly thought to be the work
of the earthly demons hostile to man[194]. Of these last two parts,
however, we hear nothing directly, and their existence can only be
gathered from the difference here strongly insisted upon between
things “celestial earthly and infernal.” But the conveyance of the
angelic soul to the body Hippolytus’ Ophite writer illustrates by a bold
figure from what Homer in the Odyssey says concerning Hermes in
his character of psychopomp or leader of souls[195]. As to the soul or
animating principle of the world, Hippolytus tells us that the Ophites
did not seek information concerning it and its nature from the
Scriptures, where indeed they would have some difficulty in finding
any, but from the mystic rites alike of the Greeks and the
Barbarians[196]; and he takes us in turns through the mysteries of the
Syrian worshippers of Adonis, of the Phrygians, the Egyptian (or
rather Alexandrian) worshippers of Osiris, of the Cabiri of
Samothrace, and finally those celebrated at Eleusis, pointing out
many things which he considers as indicating the Ophites’ own
peculiar doctrine on this point[197]. That he considers the god
worshipped in all these different mysteries to be one and the same
divinity seems plain from a hymn which he quotes as a song of “the
great Mysteries,” and which the late Prof. Conington turned into
English verse[198]. So far as any sense can be read into an
explanation made doubly hard for us by our ignorance of what really
took place in the rites the Ophite writer describes, or of any clear
account of his own tenets, he seems to say that the many apparently
obscene and sensual scenes that he alludes to, cover the doctrine
that man’s soul is part of the universal soul diffused through Nature
and eventually to be freed from all material contact and united to the
Deity; whence it is only those who abstain from the practice of carnal
generation who can hope to be admitted to the highest heaven[199].
All this is illustrated by many quotations not only from the heathen
poets and philosophers, but also from the Pentateuch, the Psalms,
the Jewish Prophets, and from the Canonical Gospels and St Paul’s
Epistles.
The connection of such a system with orthodox Christianity seems at
first sight remote enough, but it must be remembered that Hippolytus
was not endeavouring to explain or record the Ophite beliefs as a
historian would have done, but to hold them up to ridicule and, as he
describes it, to “refute” them. Yet there can be no doubt that the
Ophites were Christians or followers of Christ who accepted without
question the Divine Mission of Jesus, and held that only through Him
could they attain salvation. The difference between them and the
orthodox in respect to this was that salvation was not, according to
them, offered freely to all, but was on the contrary a magical result
following automatically upon complete initiation and participation in
the Mysteries[200]. Texts like “Strait is the way and narrow is the gate
that leadeth into eternal life” and “Not every one that saith unto me
Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven” were laid hold of
by them as showing that complete salvation was confined to a few
highly instructed persons, who had had the sense to acquire the
knowledge of the nature of the Deity and of the topography of the
heavenly places which underlay the ceremonies of the Mysteries.
Such an one, they said after his death would be born again not with
a fleshly but with a spiritual body and passing through the gate of
heaven would become a god[201]. It does not follow, however, that
those who did not obtain this perfect gnosis would be left, as in some
later creeds, to reprobation. The cry of “all things in heaven, on
earth, and below the earth[202]” that the discord of this world[203] might
be made to cease, which the Naassene author quoted by Hippolytus
daringly connects with the name of Pappas given by the Phrygians
to Sabazius or Dionysos, would one day be heard, and the
Apocatastasis or return of the world to the Deity would then take
place[204]. If we may judge from the later developments of the Ophite
teaching this was to be when the last spiritual man (πνευματικός) or
perfect Gnostic had been withdrawn from it. In the meantime those
less gifted would after death pass through the planetary worlds of
Ialdabaoth until they arrived at his heaven or sphere, and would then
be sent down to the earth to be reincarnated in other bodies.
Whether those who had attained some knowledge of the Divine
nature without arriving at perfect Gnosis would or would not be
rewarded with some sort of modified beatitude or opportunity of
better instruction is not distinctly stated, but it is probable that the
Ophites thought that they would[205]. For just as those who have been
admitted into the Lesser Mysteries at Eleusis ought to pause and
then be admitted into the “great and heavenly ones,” the progress of
the Ophite towards the Deity must be progressive. They who
participate in these heavenly mysteries, says the Naassene author,
receive greater destinies than the others[206].
It might seem, therefore, that the Mysteries or secret rites of the
heathens contained in themselves all that was necessary for
redemption, and this was probably the Ophite view so far as the
return of the universe to the bosom of the Deity and the consequent
wiping out of the consequences of the unfortunate fall of Sophia or
Prunicos were concerned. A tradition. preserved by Irenaeus says
that Sophia herself “when she had received a desire for the light
above her, laid down the body she had received from matter—which
was, as we have seen, the visible heaven—-and was freed from
it[207].” But this seems to be an addition which is not found in the
Greek version, and is probably taken from some later developments
of the Ophite creed. It is plain, however, that the whole scheme of
nature as set forth in the opinions summarized above is represented
as contrived for the winning-back of the light—for which we may, if
we like, read life—from matter, and this is represented as the work of
Sophia herself. The futile attempt of the arrogant and jealous
Ialdabaoth to prolong his rule by the successive creation of world
after world, of the archetypal or rather protoplasmic Adam, and
finally of Eve, whereby the light is dispersed through matter more
thoroughly but in ever-diminishing portions[208], is turned against him
by his mother Sophia, the beneficent ruler of the planetary worlds,
who even converts acquaintance with the “carnal generation” which
he has invented into a necessary preparation for the higher
mysteries[209]. Thus Hippolytus tells us that the Naassenes
The generic law of the Whole was the first Intelligence of all
The second [creation?] was the poured-forth Chaos of the
First-born
And the third and labouring soul obtains the law as her
portion
Wherefore clothed in watery form [Behold]
The loved one subject to toil [and] death
Now, having lordship, she beholds the Light
Then cast forth to piteous state, she weeps.
Now she weeps and now rejoices
Now she weeps and now is judged
Now she is judged and now is dying
Now no outlet is found, the unhappy one
Into the labyrinth of woes has wandered.
But Jesus said: Father, behold!
A strife of woes upon earth
From thy spirit has fallen
But he [i.e. man?] seeks to fly the malignant chaos
And knows not how to break it up.
For his sake, send me, O Father;
Having the seals, I will go down
Through entire aeons I will pass,
All mysteries I will open
And the forms of the gods I will display,
The secrets of the holy Way
Called knowledge [Gnosis], I will hand down.
To Sabaoth:
To Astaphaios:
To Ailoaios:
and to Horaios: