Animadversions on Doctor Heylins Quinquarticular History, Part 5 – Part 7
Dr. H.
Of this sort Manes was the first, by birth of Persia, and Founder of the damnable Sect of the Manichees, Anno 273, or thereabouts. This wretch did first excogitate two Gods, the one good, and the other evil, both of like Eternity; ascribing all pious actions to the one, all sins and vices to the other: Which ground so laid, he utterly deprived the will of man of that natural liberty, of which it is by God invested; and therefore that in man there was no ability of resisting sin, or not submitting unto any of those wicked actions, which his lusts and passion offered to him. Contendebant item peccatum non esse à libero arbitrio, sed à Daemone & eapropter non posse per liberum arbitrium impediri, as my Author hath it.
Answ. Who is this Author? Prateolus a Pontifician, who neither took great pains in examining what the Ancients delivered concerning Hereticks, nor was fearful of affixing to men what they never held. It had been more comely for a man of great reading, as Doctor Heylin either is, or seems to be, to have referred us to Epiphanius, or Cyril of Ierusalem, or Austin, from whom we should have taken the opinions of Manes with less suspicion; but seeing he hath consulted his ease more than his credit, and chosen rather to take things upon trust from Prateolus, than to peruse those from whom Prateolus must take what he brings, if it be truth that he brings, I shall let him enjoy his humour, and not put my self to the trouble of an enquiry, whether these furious men did affirm that sin was not from freewill? Though there be some passages that render it probable, that they thought, that man when he sinned did propria voluntate peccare; Though withal they seem to have been of this mind, that the voluntas male agendi was not a thing we brought on our selves by the fall, but something natural to us. However, without offence, I hope the Doctor may be minded that Manes was not the first of that wicked sort of men: for he, first called not as Augus. Urbicus, but as Socrates Cubricus, got into his hands the Books of one Terebynthus, who had changed his name into Buddas, and published them to the World, as if composed by himself; it being not likely that the World should be taken with any Books that did bear the name of Buddas: who though pretending to be born of a Virgin, and to be able to work great feats, died not long before miserably, being thrown from an high place, and having his neck broke. Nor was this Terebynthus or Buddas foreign: he had got into his custody the four Books entitled Evangelium▪ Liber Capitum, Mysteriorum, Thesaurorum; but the Books were composed by his Master, one Scythianus, a Saracen Merchant, who to gratifie his wife lived in Egypt, yet Scythianus himself did not excogitate these two Gods, or first principles, one good the other evil, but sucked in that absurdity from such Writings or Fragments as he had met with of Empedocles and Pythagoras, as Socrates tells us, lib. 1. c. 21: whom in this whole matter I the more confidently follow, because he faithfully alledgeth every thing out of the disputation of Archelaus a Mesopotamian Bishop, who disputed with Manes face to face. Wherefore seeing this is the undoubted and capital errour of the Manichees, to assert two first Principles, the one good the other bad, I leave it to the serious consideration of our Historian, Whether the opinion of Mr. Pierce and the English Tilenus, concerning the positivity of sin, do not border somewhat too neer that absurd blasphemy; and Whether it would not sound better in the ears of Christians and Philosophers to say, that the obliquity of the sinful act is but a privation, and to be attributed to the defectible nature of the will; but the Act, which is the substratum of this obliquity, is positive, and to be ascribed to him who is the first and supreme Agent and Cause; and Whether the admonition that Austin once gave to the Manichees, de duabus anim. contra Manich. cap. 6. in fine, may not …itly be given to the two forementioned Authors, ut eos sequi mallent, qui omne quicquid esset, quoniam esset, in quantumque esset, ex uno deo esse praedicarent.
Dr. H. Page 4, 5.
— Others not daring to ascribe all their sins and wickedness unto God himself, imputed the whole blame thereof to the Stars and Destinies; the powerful influence of the one, and the irresistible Decrees of the other, necessitating men to those wicked actions, which they so frequently commit. Thus we are told of Bardesanes, quòd fato conversationes hominum ascriberet.
Ans. We are told of Bardesanes, but where? or by whom? In the Margin I find, Aug. de Haeres. cap. 25. quoted. But one would almost think that the Doctor was born under some such Planet, as did either incline or necessitate him to mistake. Nothing is by S. Austin said of Bardesanes, cap. 25. Indeed in cap. 35. the words before mentioned are found; but the Historian (if he had not written in haste) needed not have been ignorant that the Learned judge this passage to be the additament of some later Pen, and they also affirm, that it is wanting in most antient Copies of S. Austin. Spondanus out of Baronius sticks not to affirm, that nothing was ever more strenuously opposed by Bardesanes than the Doctrine of Fatality; which he proves from the testimony of many, yea all, and from Bardesanes his own Dialogue of Fate, written to Antoninus the Emperor, and recorded by Eusebius, lib. 6. de Praep. Evangelica.
Dr. H. Ibid. Page 5.
And thus it is affirmed of Priscilianus, Fatalibus astris homines alligatos, That men were thralled to the Stars; which last S. Austin doth report of one Colarbus, save that he gave this power and influence only to the Planets.
Ans. Of any such fatalist as Colarbus did I never read. In all Authors that mention him, (which I have met with) he is called Colarbas or Colarbasus, or bassus. Where he was born or where he taught, by all enquiry I have not yet found, but he is commonly joyned with Marcus; whose Heresie was raised out of the Greek Alphabet, subjecting all Men and their Members to the Letters thereof, so as foreign and foreign should rule the Head, foreign and foreign the Neck: perhaps his School-fellow Colarbasus thought it less irrational to subject us to the Planets. The History of Priscilianus is most exactly described by Sulpicius Severus, in whom I have read it with care and delight, and find that his Heresie did spread it self most stupendiously, so as not only multitudes of Laicks, but also sundry Bishops were carried away with it: among the rest Hyginus or Iginus, or Adyginus, the Bishop of Corduba and Successor to Hosius, though he was the very first man that set himself against it. The Heresie it self was a mixture of Gnosticism and Manichaism. Idacius and Ithacius called in the assistance of the secular powers to suppress it, for which they are severely censured by Sulpitius. However the Emperor did take cognizance of the cause, put Priscilianus, Felicissimus, Armenius, Latronianus and also Euchrocia (a noted woman) to death, banished Instantius and Tyberianus into our Isle of Sylly: But in all the accusations brought against Priscillianus, I do not find him, in that Author, charged with Fatality; yet seeing he was wont to pray naked, and to keep night Meetings with base women, let him upon Austins authority pass for a Fatalist: and though he was after his death Celebrated for a Martyr, and had in such honor by his followers, as that they were wont to swear by him, yet I hope that his name is abhorred by all professing Reformation, and that nothing of Fatality hath been taught by any whom Protestants honour: The Doctor thinks otherwise, and I must see on what grounds.