I

God through the death of His Son, much more casting them down into the dungeons of smoky being reconciled we shall be saved in His hell, He delivered them to be reserved for life.' But because even when due punish- punishment in judgment.'' 13 Hence Peter ment is rendered to sinners, there is no un- shows that there is still due to them the penrighteousness on God's part, he thus says: alty of the last judgment, concerning which What shall we say? Is God unrighteous the Lord says: Go ye into everlasting fire, who visiteth with wrath?" But in one place which has been prepared for the Devil and he has briefly admonished that goodness and his angels." Although they have already severity are alike from Him, saying: "Thou penally received this hell, that is, an inferior seest then the goodness and severity of God; smoky air as a prison, which nevertheless toward them that have fallen, severity, but since it is also called heaven, is not that towards thee goodness, if thou shouldst con-heaven in which there are stars, but this lower tinue in goodness,3

CHAP. 32.—FROM GOD ALSO IS THE VERY POWER

TO BE HURTFUL.

Likewise because the power even of those that are hurtful is from God alone, thus it stands written, Wisdom speaking: "Through me kings reign and tyrants hold the land through me."4 The apostle also says: "For there is no power but of God."s But that it is worthily done is written in the book of Job: "Who maketh to reign a man that is a hypocrite, on account of the perversity of the people." And concerning the people of Israel God says: "I gave them a king in my wrath."7 For it is not unrighteous, that the wicked receiving the power of being hurtful, both the patience of the good should be proved and the iniquity of the evil punished. For through the iniquity of the evil punished. For through power given to the Devil both Job was proved so that he might appear righteous, and Peter was tempted lest he should be presumptuous,9 and Paul was buffeted lest he should be exalted, and Judas was damned so that he should hang himself." When, therefore, through the power which He has given the Devil, God Himself shall have done all things righteously, nevertheless punishment shall at last be rendered to the Devil not for these things justly done, but for the unrighteous willing to be hurtful, which belonged to himself, when it shall be said to the impious who persevered in consenting to his wickedness, "Go ye into everlasting fire which my God has prepared for the Devil and his angels."

8

12

heaven by the smoke of which the clouds are conglobulated, and where the birds fly; for both a cloudy heaven is spoken of, and flying things are called heavenly. As when the Apostle Paul calls those evil angels, against whom as enemies by living piously we contend, spiritual things of wickedness in heavenly places." That this may not be understood of the upper heavens, he plainly says elsewhere: "According to the presence of the prince of this air, who now worketh in the sons of disobedience." 15

66

Likewise because sin, or unrighteousness, is not the striving after evil nature but the desertion of better, it is thus found written in the Scriptures: "Every creature of God is which God planted in Paradise is assuredly good." And accordingly every tree also evil nature when he touched the forbidden good. Man did not therefore strive after an tree; but by deserting what was better, he committed an evil deed. Since the Creator is better than any creature which He has made, His command should not have been

deserted, that the thing forbidden, however good, might be touched; since the better having been deserted, the good of the creature to the command of the Creator. God did not was striven for, which was touched contrary plant an evil tree in Paradise; but He Himself was better who prohibited its being

touched.

CHAP. 36.—NO CREATURE OF GOD IS EVIL, BUT beginning. Then, although it may be em

CHAP. 42.--MANICHÆAN

BLASPHEMIES

CERNING THE NATURE OF GOD.

If

CON

ory, intellect, temperance, virtue, plenty, If they say that it is not subject to sense, light, suavity, extensions, numbers, forgetfulness, what does He remind? peace, measure, form, order; but in what they say that it is not deficient in wisdom, they call supreme good, so many evil things: what does He teach? If they say that it is death, sickness, forgetfulness, foolishness, not confused, what does He restore? If they confusion, impotence, need, stolidity, blind- say that it was not vanquished and taken capness, pain, unrighteousness, disgrace, war, tive, what does He liberate? If they say that intemperance, deformity, perversity. For it was not in need, to what does He minister they say that the princes of darkness also have aid? If they say that it did not lose feeling, been alive in their own nature, and in their what does He animate? If they say that it own kingdom were safe, and remembered and has not been blinded, what does He illuminate? understood. For they say that the Prince of If it is not in pain, to what does He give reDarkness harangued in such a manner, that lief? If it is not unrighteous, what does He neither could he have said such things, nor correct through precepts? If it is not in discould he have been heard by those by whom grace, what does He cleanse? If it is not in he was said to have been heard, without war, to what does He promise peace? If it is memory and understanding; and to have had not deficient in moderation, upon what does a temper suitable to his mind and body, and He impose the measure of law? If it is not to have ruled by virtue of power, and to have deformed, what does He reform? If it is not had abundance and fruitfulness with respect perverse, what does He emend? For all these to his elements, and they are said to have things done by Christ, they say, are to be atperceived themselves mutually and the light tributed not to that thing which was made as near at hand, and to have had eyes by which by God, and which has become depraved by they could see the light afar off; which eyes its own free choice in sinning, but to the very assuredly could not have seen the light with- nature, yea to the very substance of God, out some light (whence also they are rightly which is what God Himself is. called light); and they are said to have enjoyed exceedingly the sweetness of their pleasures, and to have been determined by measured members and dwelling-places. But unless there had been some sort of beauty there, they would not have loved their wives, nor would their bodies have been steady by adaptation of parts; without which, those things could not have been done there which the Manichæans insanely say were done. And unless some peace had been there, they would not have obeyed their Prince. Unless measure had been there, they would have done nothing else than eat or drink, or rage, or whatever they might have done, without any society: although not even those that did these things would have had determinate forms, unless measure had been there. But now the Manichæans say that they did such things that they cannot be denied to have had in all their actions measures suitable to themselves. But if form had not been there, no natural quality would have there subsisted. But if there had been no order there, some would not have ruled, others been ruled; they would not have lived harmoniously in their elements; in fine, they would not have had their members adapted to their places, so that they could not do all those things that the Manichæans vainly fable. But if they say that God's nature does not die, what according to their vanity does Christ raise from the dead? If they say that it does not grow sick, what does He cure?

What can be compared to those blasphemies? Absolutely nothing, unless the errors of other sectaries be considered; but if that error be compared with itself in another aspect, of which we have not yet spoken, it will be convicted of far worse and more execrable blasphemy. For they say that some souls, which they will have to be of the substance of God and of absolutely the same nature, which have not sinned of their own accord, but have been overcome and oppressed by the race of darkness, which they call evil, for combating which they descended not of their own accord, but at the command of the Father, are fettered forever in the horrible sphere of darkness. So according to their sacrilegious vaporings, God liberated Himself in a certain part from a great evil, but again condemned Himself in another part, which He could not liberate, and triumphed over the enemy itself as if it had been vanquished from above. O criminal, incredible audacity, to believe, to speak, to proclaim such things about God! Which when they endeavor to defend, that with their eyes shut they may rush headlong into yet worse things, they say that the commingling of the evil nature does these things, in order that the good nature of God may suffer so great evils: for that this good nature in its own sphere could or can suffer no one of these things. As if a nature were lauded

UN VERSITY

OF

CALIFORNIA

CHAP. XLIII.] NATURE OF GOOD, AGAINST THE MANICHEANS.

361

as incorruptible, because it does not hurt itself, though the latter is in the midst of darkness it and not because it cannot suffer hurt from pertains to its nature to dwell in darkness; another. Then if the nature of God hurt the but souls which are the very same thing that nature of darkness, and the nature of darkness God is, cannot be received, he says, into those hurt the nature of God, there are therefore peaceful realms, and are alienated from the two evil things which hurt each other in turn, life and liberty of the holy light, and are and the race of darkness was the better dis- fettered in the aforesaid horrible sphere: posed, because if it committed hurt it did it whence he says, "Those souls shall adhere unwillingly; for it did not wish to commit to the things that they have loved, having hurt, but to enjoy the good which belonged to been left in the same sphere of darkness, God. But God wished to extinguish it, as bringing this upon themselves by their own Manichæus most openly raves forth in his deserts." Is not this assuredly free voluntary epistle of the ruinous Foundation. For for- choice? See how insanely he ignores what he getting that he had shortly before said: "But says, and by making self-contradictory stateHis most resplendent realms were so founded ments wages a worse war against himself upon the shining and happy land, that they than against the God of the race of darkness could never be either moved or shaken by any itself. Accordingly, if the souls of light are one;" he afterwards said: "But the Father damned, because they loved darkness, the of the most blessed light, knowing that great race of darkness, which loved light, is unjustly ruin and desolation which would arise from damned. And the race of darkness indeed the darkness, threaten his holy worlds, unless loved light from the beginning, violently, it he should send in opposition a deity excel- may be, but yet so as to wish for its posseslent and renowned, mighty in strength, by sion, not its extinction: but the nature of light whom he might at the same time overcome wished to extinguish in war the darkness; and destroy the race of darkness, which hav- therefore when vanquished it loved darkness. ing been extinguished, the inhabitants of light Choose which you will: whether it was comwould enjoy perpetual rest." Behold, he pelled by necessity to love darkness, or sefeared ruin and desolation that threatened duced by free will. If by necessity, wherehis worlds! Assuredly they were so founded fore is it damned? if by free will, wherefore upon the shining and happy land that they is the nature of God involved in so great innever could be either moved or shaken by any one? Behold, from fear he wished to hurt the neighboring race, which he endeavored to destroy and extinguish, in order that the inhabitants of light might enjoy perpetual rest. Why did he not add, and perpetual bondage? Were not these souls that he fettered forever in the sphere of darkness, the inhabitants of light, of whom he says plainly, that "they have suffered themselves to err from their GLING WITH EVIL ARE ATTRIBUTED TO THE former bright nature?" when against his will NATURE OF GOD BY THE MANICHEANS. he is compelled to say, that they sinned by free will, while he wishes to ascribe sin only What if we should also show that before to the necessity of the contrary nature: every- the commingling of evil, which stupid fable where ignorant what to say, and as if he were they have most madly believed, great evils himself already in the sphere of darkness were in what they call the nature of light? which he invented, seeking, and not finding, what will it seem possible to add to these blashow he may escape. But let him say what phemies? For before the conflict, there was he will to the seduced and miserable men by the hard and inevitable necessity of fighting: whom he is honored far more highly than here is truly a great evil, before evil is comChrist, that at this price he may sell to them mingled with good. Let them say whence such long and sacrilegious fables. Let him this is, when as yet no commingling had taken say what he will, let him shut up, as it were, place? But if there was no necessity, there in a sphere, as in a prison, the race of dark- was therefore free will: whence also this so ness, and let him fasten outside the nature great evil, that God himself should wish to of light, to which he promised perpetual rest hurt his own nature, which could not be hurt on the extinction of the enemy: behold, the by the enemy, by sending it to be cruelly penalty of light is worse than that of dark-commingled, to be basely purged, to be unness; the penalty of the divine nature is worse justly damned? Behold, the great evil of a than that of the adverse race. But since al-pernicious, noxious, and savage will, before

iquity? If the nature of God was compelled by necessity to love darkness, it did not vanquish, but was vanquished: if by free will, why do the wretches hesitate any longer to attribute the will to sin to the nature which God made out of nothing, lest they should thereby attribute it to the light which He begat?

CHAP. 43.-MANY EVILS BEFORE HIS COMMIN

any evil from the contrary nature was mingled ent by the power of divinity, for administerwith it! Or perchance he did not know that ing and ruling all things, undefilably, inviolathis would happen to his members, that they bly, incorruptibly, without any connection should love darkness and become hostile to with them, which we say of God; but fetholy light, as Manichæus says, that is, not tered, oppressed, polluted, to be loosed and only to their own God, but also to the Father liberated, as they say, not only through the from whom they had their being? Whence running to and fro of the sun and the moon, therefore this so great evil of ignorance, be- and through the powers of light, but also fore any evil from the nature of darkness was through their Elect: what sacrilegious and mingled with it? But if he knew that this incredible turpitudes this kind of error recomwould happen, either there was in him ever-mends to them even if it does not induce them lasting cruelty, if he did not grieve over the to accept, it is horrible to speak of. For contamination and damnation of his own na- they say that the powers of light are transture that was to take place, or everlasting formed into beautiful males and are set over misery, if he did so grieve: whence also this against the women of the race of darkness; so great evil of your supreme good before any and that the same powers again are transcommingling with your supreme evil? As- formed into beautiful females and are set over suredly that part of the nature itself which against the males of the race of darkness; was fettered in the eternal chain of that that through their beauty they enkindle the sphere, if it knew not that this fate awaited it, foulest lust of the princes of darkness, and even so was there everlasting ignorance in the in this manner vital substance, that is, the nature of God, but if it knew, then ever-nature of God, which they say is held fettered lasting misery: whence this so great evil be- in their bodies, having been loosed from their fore any evil from the contrary nature was commingled? Or perchance did it, in the greatness of its love (charity), rejoice that through its punishment perpetual rest was prepared for the residue of the inhabitants of light? Let him who sees how abominable it is to say this, pronounce an anathema. But if this should be done so that at least the good nature itself should not become hostile to the light, it might be possible, perchance, not for the nature of God indeed, but for some man, as it were, to be regarded as praiseworthy, who for the sake of his country should be willing to suffer something of evil, which evil indeed could be only for a time, and not forever: but now also they speak of that fettering in the sphere of darkness as eternal, and not indeed of a certain thing but of the nature of God; and assuredly it were a most unrighteous, and execrable, and ineffably sacrilegious joy, if the nature of God rejoiced that it should love darkness, and should become hostile to holy light. Whence this so monstrous and abominable evil before any evil from the contrary nature was commingled? Who can endure insanity so perverse and so impious, as to attribute so great good things to supreme evil, and so great evils to supreme good, which is God? CHAP. 44.-INCREDIBLE TURPITUDES IN GOD IMAGINED BY MANICHÆUS.

But now when they speak of that part of the nature of God as everywhere mixed up in heaven, in earth, in all bodies dry and moist, in all sorts of flesh, in all seeds of trees, herbs, men, and animals: not as pres

members relaxed through lust, flies away, and when it has been taken up or cleansed, is liberated. This the wretches read, this they say, this they hear, this they believe, this they put as follows, in the seventh book of their Thesaurus (for so they call a certain writing of Manichæus, in which these blasphemies stand written): "Then the blessed Father, who has bright ships, little apartments, dwellingplaces, or magnitudes, according to his indwelling clemency, brings the help by which he is drawn out and liberated from the impious bonds, straits, and torments of his vital substance. And so by his own invisible nod he transforms those powers of his, which are held in this most brilliant ship, and makes them to bring forth adverse powers, which have been arranged in the various tracts of the heavens. Since . these consist of both sexes, male and female, he orders the aforesaid powers to bring forth partly in the form of beardless youths, for the adverse race of females, partly in the form of bright maidens, for the contrary race of males: knowing that all these hostile powers on account of the deadly and most foul lust innate in them, are very easily taken captive, delivered up to these most beautiful forms which appear, and in this manner they are dissolved. But you may know that this same blessed Father of ours is identical with his powers, which for a necessary reason he transforms into the undefiled likeness of youths and maidens. But these he uses as his own arms, and through them he accomplishes his will. But there are bright ships full of these divine powers, which are stationed after the likeness of marriage