Theodoret fays, "There (m) being a pro. digious tumult and inteftin war in the

kingdom of Hyle, as they contended and fought with each other, they exceeded the "bounds of their own territories, and came "to the confines of light at the fight of "which they were greatly surprised and de"lighted, and did all they could to lay hold "of, and mix the light with themselves."

Titus of Boftra fays, "that (2) matter

having made the inroad before mentioned, "the good being sent out a power or spirit, "to which the Manicheans give what name

they please, to reduce matter to better or"der: which was in fome measure effected, "for matter was greatly delighted at the fight of that power, and devoured it, and "thereby was rendered more tame."

In the Acts of Archelaus this affair is related after this manner.

"Darkneffe (0) ex

(η) — ἀιῶσι δὲ πολλοις ὕσερον διαςασιάσαι πρὸς ἑαυ τὴν τὴν ὕλην, κὶ τὶς τάυτης καρπὸς πρὸς ἀλλήλες· τὸ δὲ πο λέμε συςάντων, κὶ τῶν μὲν διωκόντων, τῶν δὲ διωκομένων, μέχρι τῶν ὅρων τε φωτὸς αὐτὸς ἀφικέσθαι· ἔτα τὸ φῶς θεασα μένος, ἡσθῆναι τε ἐπ' αὐτῷ, καὶ θαυμάσαι καὶ βεληθῆναι πααυδὶ κατ' αυτό ςρατευσαι, καὶ ἁρπάσαι, κὶ κερᾶσαι τῷ φωτὶ τὸ Stovonor. Thdrt. 1. 4. p. 212. C.

(n) Tit. contr. Manich. 1. 2. p. 68.

(0)

Γνόντα δὲ τὸν ἀγαθὸν πατέρα τὸ σκότῳ ἐν τῇ

ን"

Se&t. IV.

Seat. IV. "ceeding it's limits fought with light. When "the good Father, [that is, God,] perceiv

་་

ed, that darkneffe was come into his councr trey, he detached from him a power called "the Mother of life. This power formed "the first man, and invefted him with the "five elements, wind, light, water, fire, "air. Thus equipped he went down to fight "with darkneffe. But (p) the princes of "darkneffe fighting against him devoured a part of his armour, which is the foul." "The first man, as it follows in those Acts,

being overpowered, looked up to God, "who taking pity on him fent to his (q) " relief another power called the Living Spi"rit; who defcending reached out his hand "to him, and rescued him. But he left "the foul below. Then the Living Spi"rit created the world. He created the

lights

24 αυτὸ ἐπιδεδημηκὸς, προβάλλειν ἐξ αυτῇ δύναμιν, λεγομένην μητέρα τῆς ζωῆς, καὶ αυτὴν προβεβληκέναι τὸν πρῶτον ἄνθρωπον, κ. λ. ap. Arch. n. 7. β. 10.

(β) δι δὲ τῇ σκότες ἄρχοντες ἀντιπολεμῶντες αὐτῷ ἔφαγον ἐκ τῆς πανοπλίας αυτό, ὅ ἐσιν ἡ ψυχή. ib.

(9) καὶ ἐπέςειλεν ἕτεραν δύναμιν προβληθεῖσαν ὑπ' αυτέ, λεγομένην ζῶν πνεύμα ἔκτοτε ἄν κατέλειψε κάτω τὴν ψυχήν. Τότε ζῶν πνευμα ἔκτισε τὸν κόσμον. Τότε πάλιν τὸ ζῶν πνευμα ἔκτισε τις φως ρας, ὅ ἐσι τῆς ψυχῆς λείψανα, καὶ ὅντως ἐπόιησε τὸ σερέωμα κυκλουσαι κι πάλιν ἔκτισε τὴν γῆν. ib. p. 10. 11.

lights out of the fouls that remained, and Sect. IV. "appointed the firmament to revolve. At

length he created the earth.”

Who is meant by the Living Spirit, is not certain; whether the Word, or the Holy Spirit, or fome other Intelligent Being: But it seems to be rather more probable, that (r) hereby is meant fome fpirit inferior to the divine perfons, and that Mani was of the fame opinion with divers others in former times, who, judging the creation of this vifible world unworthie of God, ascribed that work to fome inferior intelligence.

And, as Beaufobre fays, " IF (t) we re"duce to fimple ideas all which is fayd

concerning the first man, his defcent, his

armour, his combats, a part of his at"mour taken from him, and devoured by "the princes of darkneffe, the meaning may "amount to this: that the foul is a celeftial "fubftance, which God has thought fit to "mix with matter, for making the world "and that this was occafioned by an enterprise of matter, which God foresaw, but "did not think fit to hinder." Or, as he expreffeth

(r) See Beauf. T. 2, p. 359.

(t) ib. T. 2. p. 390.

;

Sect. IV. expreffeth it in another place :

They (u) fuppofed, that the firft man defcended "from heaven to combat the powers of "darkneffe: and that he was armed with "five celeftial elements, air, wind, water, "fire and light. Matter devoured a part of "his armour, which is the foul. In gene

ral, God permitted, that the celestial fub"stance should be mingled with the terref "tial or bad fubftance, which occafioned the "creation of the world."

The fame learned aud judicious author has fome other observations (x) relating to this matter, taken from the obfcure and figurative ftile of the Eastern people, and the language in which Mani's works were writ, which might not be well understood by the Greeks and Romans.

And I fhall add here a paffage of Fortunatus, who difputing with Auguftin fays: "Hence (y) evidently appears our ancient original, that before the formation of the "world

(u) ib. p. 555.

(x) as before, p. 390. 391. 392.

(y) Hinc ergo apparet antiquitas temporum noftrorum, quam repetimus, et annorum noftrorum, ante mundi conftitutionem hoc more miffas effe animas contra contrariam naturam, ut eamdem fua paffione fubjicientes, victoria Deo redderetur. Nam dixit idem apoftolus, &c. Fortun. Disp. z. n: 22. fin. ap. Aug. T. 8.

"world fouls were fent against the contra"rie nature to fubdue it by their virtue and

patience, that the victorie and glorie might "be given to God. For, as the Apostle fays: [Eph. vi. 12.] We wrestle not only against flesh and bloud, but also against princi palities and powers, against fpiritual wickedneffes, and the rulers of darkneffe."

To proceed: The (2) first work of the creator was to separate the parts of the celestial fubftance, which, though mingled with matter, had preserved their purity, and to make of them the fun and the moon: which is agreeable to the words of Augustin: The (a) Manicheans fay, "that thofe veffels, the furi " and moon, were made of the pure fub"ftance of God; or of that fubftance of "God, which had preferved it's purity." He presently afterwards explains what is meant by the fubftance of God, faying, "that the moon was made of the good water, the fun of the good fire;" that is, according to the Manichean fentiment.

VOL. VI.

(2) See B. T. 2. p. 361. 362.

R

But

(a) Quas itidem naves de fubftantia Dei pura perhibent fabricatas. Naves autem illas, id eft, duo coeli luminaria, ita diftinguunt, ut lunam dicant factam ex bona aqua, folem vero ex igne bono. Aug. De H. c. 46.

Sect. IV.