The World Bewitched, Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII. That the Doctrines aſcribed to the Manichees, are a mixture of all the preceeding, and the original of the Opinions moſt common at this day.
S. 1. IF it were abſolutely requiſite to know the Opinions of the ancient Hereticks, at leaſt of thoſe that are call'd ſo, we would be at the ſame Pains as thoſe that endeavour to diſcover them: For their own Books that were then condemned, being loſt, 'tis not reaſonable blindly to believe whatever their Adverſaries ſay of them, whoſe Zeal for the Truth was often mixed with human Paſſions: So that they may ſometimes impute to their Antagoniſts Opinions that were not ſo bad as they gave out, either miſunderſtanding or wreſting them. Perhaps St. Auſtin has increaſed the number of Hereſies to a hundred, for fear he ſhould diminish that of ſeventy which Epiphanius had before eſtablished in his Preface, and 57th Chapter of the Hereſies. For if Celſus could mark, in the moſt remote Antiquity, and from the firſt times that we have any knowledge of Books, but 100 principal Doctors of Heatheniſm, each of whom made not a particular Sect, but only followed the footſteps of his Predeceſſors; how can it be imagin'd that Chriſtianity, that has the Word of God for it's Rule, ſhould have been in much leſs time more divided than Paganiſm, that was founded on ſuch weak and uncertain Grounds.
Sect. 2. St. Auſtin it ſeems ſhould be chiefly conſulted, as to the Doctrine of the Manichees, ſince he himſelf had been infected with their poiſon, and has particularly treated of that matter in his 46 Ch. of the Hereſies; however, I ſhall do it with great caution, by the Reaſons juſt now alledged: beſides that theſe words of his Preface, Ad quod vult Deum, made him extreamly ſuſpected; for he ſays, that in his little Book of Hereſies, he ſhows a way, Ʋnde poſſit omnis haereſis, & quae nota eſt, & quae ignota vitari. To avoid all Hereſies, whether known or unknown. For how can one provide himſelf againſt what is unknown, and conſequently ſignifies nothing? nay, I may boldly ſay, that what is unknown cannot be called Hereſy, ſince whatever deſerves that name, muſt be known; or perhaps St. Auſtin's meaning muſt be underſtood in this ſenſe; that diſcovering the nature and Genius of ſuch Hereſies, as are already known, he has furnished us with light, and weapons againſt thoſe that are yet unknown, but may become manifeſt hereafter. However this being not the place to inſiſt longer upon this Reaſoning, we ſhall return to our ſubject. The ſame Father in his Book againſt the Manichees, imputes to them ſome things, Quantumlibet negent ad ſe pertinere. Thô they deny them ever ſo much. But as he treats not diſtinctly enough of all their Opinions, eſpecially thoſe that belong to our deſign, I ſhall rather follow Danaeus, who has gathered the chief points of their belief, as well out of the Book of St. Auſtin before quoted, and the reſt of his works, as out of many other Authors, from whom I ſhall only relate what may be ſubſervient to our ſubject.
Sect. 3. As to God and the Spirits, they are ſaid,
Firſt. To have eſtabliſhed two principles, contrary to each other, one of which was good, and the Author and Original of all good; and the other bad, the Author of all Evil, and the Prince of darkneſs. That the firſt as they ſay, is the God that has formed all things, and that the other is Hyle, that is the matter from which all things have been formed, and which is eſteem'd by them to be the Devil. Some diſtinguiſh the Devil from the Prince of darkneſs, and tranſlate not as we do the laſt words of the 44th v. of the 8th Ch. of St. John. He is the Father of lies; but his Father is a lie, namely the Father of the Devil.
Second. As to the good God, they ſay, that his Eſſence is diſperſed as by portions, through all the Creatures, and inherent to them, which they explain by many wonderful Commentaries. This is what they think of God and the Devil, in relation to their Eſſence and Exiſtence, what follows concerns their Operations.
Sect. 4. Third. The People of darkneſs formerly warr'd with the People of light. The good God went himſelf to attack, the Prince of darkneſs, by ſome certain principal Spirits, which he had produced of his own Eſſence, who however, being too weak, were taken Priſoners; but Chriſt came to repair that diſorder, having been begotten by ſome certain firſt Man, who had been the promoter of this War, and had begun it.
Fourth. That in the mean while, Chriſt himſelf is the Serpent that ſeduced Adam and Eve.
Fifth. That Chriſt is now fixed amongſt the Stars, eſpecially, in the luminous Globe of the Sun, in which ſenſe they explain his Aſcenſion to Heaven.
Sect. 5. Sixth. They believe the Metempſychoſis in this manner; That the Souls ſhall paſs into the bodies of ſuch a kind of living Creatures, as they have moſt loved or abuſed, during their Life. He that has killed a mouſe or a fly, ſhall paſs in puniſhment, into the body of a mouſe or a fly, the ſtate in which he ſhall be put after death, ſhall likewiſe be oppoſed to that, in which he was during his Life. He that is rich ſhall be poor, and he that is poor ſhall be rich.
Seventh. They alſo give two Souls to every Man, one of which, is always contrary to the other. But enough of their Doctrines, we leave the reſt to Danaeus, who aſcribes to them 21 in all, becauſe what he and other Authors ſay, belongs not to our ſubject.
Sect. 6. However I am not apt to aſſert, that they have believed and taught ſuch groſs Doctrines, as are imputed to them, and have been now related. For ſuppoſing the common Opinion, concerning the Doctrine of the Manichees, that they were chiefly extracted from the Philoſophy of the Perſians, (ſince Manes, their Firſt Author, was undoubtedly a Perſian,) and that they are ſtrangely mingled with the Chriſtian Divinity; It is unreaſonable to have the ſame Opinion of that People, that we have of other Nations, who never cultivated the ſtudy of Nature and Human learning; ſuch as thoſe we have met with in the Northern parts of Africa, and the Southern of America. It may well be, that the Manichees aſcribe to the whole Ʋniverſe, a principle like that which is obſerved in it's parts, viz. The active cauſe, and the matter, which Ariſtotle eſtabliſhed to be eternal as well as the World; and that afterwards, matter conſidered as inſenſible by a miſinterpretation of the words of Moſes, that ſpreads in the beginning, darkneſs over the Abyſs, and the Spirit of God moving over it, ſhould have produced thoſe monſtrous thoughts, of which we have given ſome inſtances.
Sect. 7. Suppoſing they have eſtabliſhed two principal cauſes, one of good and the other of evil; but yet, ſo as that the Firſt is unconteſtably ſuperior to the Second, as much as light is above darkneſs, and the workman above the matter he works upon; 'tis probable, that they had an Idea of God, as a Soul infuſed through the whole Ʋniverſe, that conſider'd by them as the body, in which that Firſt cauſe continually operates. And as the contrary motions of corporeal paſſions riſe againſt the Empire of Reaſon that ought to govern them, ſo they might believe, that the Animal Spirits proceeding from matter, perpetually rebel againſt God, the Fountain of all Reaſon. Whence it would follow, that God ſhould not be more abſolute maſter of the Ʋniverſe, than Man is of his body; thence has proceeded that Idea of two different Gods, one good, and the other bad; the latter being ſtill inferior to the former, who is indeed the workman, but has not an arbitrary Government, there being a power in the World, ſo great, that it is able to reſiſt him.
Sect. 8. But whether I have made a juſt conjecture, or whether the Manichees had other Opinions, then thoſe I imagine; it ſeems nevertheleſs, that I may reaſonable ſuppoſe it, upon this foundation, that no Opinions ſo groſs as thoſe that are aſcribed to them; not only are not admitted, but not ſo much as moved or propounded, as we ſhall ſee very ſoon in the ſeries of this work; becauſe the principal points of thoſe ſorts of belief with their dependencies, have a great relation with my Second and Third Book, as I hope to ſhow at the end of the Second. And therefore whether any one treats of the Devil and Spirits according to the Holy Scripture; or whether he only follows his own ſenſe and right, it may … aſſured, that all his Reaſonings will turn upon this notion of his; that God and the Devil have each an Empire, one contrary to the other, and that thô the Devil be ſubject to the power of God; yet his Empire is more apparent. It is denyed, that God now works any miracles, but ſome are raſhly aſcribed to the Devil, that ſurpaſs all thoſe that are mentioned in the Holy writ. We believe that there are Angels, and gather from the Holy Scripture, that they encamp about the faithful, and the Devil likewiſe is inceſſantly active to do them hurt, if poſſible he can, but his abode is in Hell. However it is very rare to hear any one ſay, he has ſeen an Angel in a viſion, whereas the Devil appears almoſt continually. If any thing has been either ſignified or foretold, we never believe it to be the Operation of an Angel, but of the Devil: one is poſſeſt by him, and another bewitch'd; by his means, unknown Tongues are ſpoken, ſtrange things are ſaid, others no leſs wonderful are perform'd, and the moſt hidden ſecrets diſcover'd. But you will ſcarce meet with any that has ſo good Opinion of the power of an Angel; if we have any Holy thought, or good inſpiration, how inconſiderable ſoever it may be, we aſcribe it to the Holy Ghoſt, and ſeem not to believe, that the Angels are ſo much as capable of contributing to it; ſince it ne'er comes in our mind to think upon them. But the Devil penetrates the moſt ſecret thoughts of Men, overthrows their beſt deſigns, and inceſſantly excites them to Evil, if they are accuſed and convicted of any crime, the excuſe is always at hand, for the Devil has done it, or at leaſt has tempted them ſo to do.
Sect. 9. And therefore ſince neither the Ancient Heathens nor the moderns; neither the Jews, the Mahometans, nor the Firſt Chriſtians, ever entertained any ſuch Opinions; and that 'tis manifeſt, they have a greater relation with thoſe of Manes, I cannot but believe that this Doctrine which begun to ſpring up in the Third Century, was immediatly oppoſed on all ſides by Orthodox Doctors, but yet ſpread very far into Aſia, whence it having paſſed into Europe, it has maintained it ſelf there longer then 'tis believed. This will not appear ſtrange, if we make a ſerious reflection upon this, that Men writing againſt errors, often aim at nothing elſe, but their own reputation and the glory of having confuted them, whilſt they themſelves cheriſh thoſe errors, and keep them in their boſom, ſo that when they come, to examine themſelves they find at bottom, that they agree with thoſe, whoſe evil Doctrines they fancy as heartily to deteſt, as they appear outwardly incenſed againſt them.