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Of the Manichaeans

Alexander of Lycopolis

Chapter 13

About this work

Author: Alexander of Lycopolis

Chapter XIII.—Evil by No Means Found in the Stars and Constellations; All the Evils of Life Vain in the Manichæan Opinion, Which Bring on the Extinction of Life; Their Fancy Having Been Above Explained Concerning the Transportation of Souls from the Moon to the Sun.

But what things does he call evil? As for

‹ Chapter 12 Chapter 14 ›

the

sun

and

moon

,

indeed

,

there

is

nothing

lacking

;

but

with

respect

to

the

heavens

and

the

stars

,

whether

he

says

that

there

is

some

such

thing

,

and

what

it

is

,

it

is

right

that

we

should

next

in

order

examine

.

But

irregularity

is

according

to

them

evil

,

and

unordered

motion

,

but

these

things

are

always

the

same

,

and

in

the

same

manner

;

nor

will

any

one

have

to

blame

any

of

the

planets

for

venturing

to

delay

at

any

time

in

the

zodiac

beyond

the

fixed

period

;

nor

again

any

of

the

fixed

stars

,

as

if

it

did

not

abide

in

the

same

seat

and

position

,

and

did

not

by

circumvolution

revolve

equally

around

the

world

,

moving

as

it

were

one

step

backward

in

a

hundred

years

.

But

on

the

earth

,

if

he

accuses

the

roughness

of

some

spots

,

or

if

pilots

are

offended

at

the

storms

on

the

sea

;

first

,

indeed

,

as

they

think

,

these

things

have

a

share

of

good

in

them

.

For

should

nothing

germinate

upon

earth

,

all

the

animals

must

presently

perish

.

But

this

result

will

send

on

much

of

the

virtue

which

is

intermingled

with

matter

to

God

,

and

there

will

be

a

necessity

for

many

moons

,

to

accommodate

the

great

multitude

that

suddenly

approaches

.

And

the

same

language

they

hold

with

respect

to

the

sea

.

For

it

is

a

piece

of

unlooked

-

for

luck

to

perish

,

in

order

that

those

things

which

perish

may

pursue

the

road

which

leads

most

quickly

to

God

.

And

the

wars

which

are

upon

the

earth

,

and

the

famines

,

and

everything

which

tends

to

the

destruction

of

life

,

are

held

in

very

great

honour

by

them

.

For

everything

which

is

the

cause

of

good

is

to

be

had

in

honour

.

But

these

things

are

the

cause

of

good

,

because

of

the

destruction

which

accompanies

them

,

if

they

transmit

to

God

the

virtue

which

is

separated

from

those

who

perish

.