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Of the Manichaeans

Alexander of Lycopolis

Chapter 14

About this work

Author: Alexander of Lycopolis

Chapter XIV.—Noxious Animals Worshipped by the Egyptians; Man by Arts an Evil-Doer; Lust and Injustice Corrected by Laws and Discipline; Contingent and Necessary Things in Which There is No Stain.

And, as it seems, we have been ignorant

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that

the

Egyptians

rightly

worship

the

crocodile

and

the

lion

and

the

wolf

,

because

these

animals

being

stronger

than

the

others

devour

their

prey

,

and

entirely

destroy

it

;

the

eagle

also

and

the

hawk

,

because

they

slaughter

the

weaker

animals

both

in

the

air

and

upon

the

earth

.

But

perhaps

also

,

according

to

them

,

man

is

for

this

reason

held

in

especial

honour

,

because

most

of

all

,

by

his

subtle

inventions

and

arts

,

he

is

wont

to

subdue

most

of

the

animals

.

And

lest

he

himself

should

have

no

portion

in

this

good

,

he

becomes

the

food

of

others

.

Again

,

therefore

,

those

generations

are

,

in

their

opinion

,

absurd

,

which

from

a

small

and

common

seed

produce

what

is

great

;

and

it

is

much

more

becoming

,

as

they

think

,

that

these

should

be

destroyed

by

God

,

in

order

that

the

divine

virtue

may

be

quickly

liberated

from

the

troubles

incident

to

living

in

this

world

.

But

what

shall

we

say

with

respect

to

lust

,

and

injustice

,

and

things

of

this

sort

,

Manichæus

will

ask

.

Surely

against

these

things

discipline

and

law

come

to

the

rescue

.

Discipline

,

indeed

,

using

careful

forethought

that

nothing

of

this

sort

may

have

place

amongst

men

;

but

law

inflicting

punishment

upon

any

one

who

has

been

caught

in

the

commission

of

anything

unjust

.

But

,

then

,

why

should

it

be

imputed

to

the

earth

as

a

fault

,

if

the

husbandman

has

neglected

to

subdue

it

?

because

the

sovereignty

of

God

,

which

is

according

to

right

,

suffers

diminution

,

when

some

parts

of

it

are

productive

of

fruits

,

and

others

not

so

;

or

when

it

has

happened

that

when

the

winds

are

sweeping

,

according

to

another

cause

,

some

derive

benefit

therefrom

,

whilst

others

against

their

will

have

to

sustain

injuries

?

Surely

they

must

necessarily

be

ignorant

of

the

character

of

the

things

that

are

contingent

,

and

of

those

that

are

necessary

.

For

they

would

not

else

thus

account

such

things

as

prodigies

.