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Of the Manichaeans

Alexander of Lycopolis

Chapter 16

About this work

Author: Alexander of Lycopolis

Chapter XVI.—Because Some are Wise, Nothing Prevents Others from Being So; Virtue is to Be Acquired by Diligence and Study; By a Sounder Philosophy Men are to Be Carried Onwards to the Good; The Common Study of Virtue Has by Christ Been Opened Up to All.

In general, it is worth while to inquire of

‹ Chapter 15 Chapter 17 ›

these

men

,

“

Is

it

possible

for

no

man

to

become

good

,

or

is

it

in

the

power

of

any

one

?

”

For

if

no

man

is

wise

,

what

of

Manichæus

himself

?

I

pass

over

the

fact

that

he

not

only

calls

others

good

,

but

he

also

says

that

they

are

able

to

make

others

such

.

But

if

one

individual

is

entirely

good

,

what

prevents

all

from

becoming

good

?

For

what

is

possible

for

one

is

possible

also

for

all

.

And

by

the

means

by

which

one

has

become

virtuous

,

by

the

same

all

may

become

so

,

unless

they

assert

that

the

larger

share

of

this

virtue

is

intercepted

by

such

.

Again

,

therefore

,

first

,

What

necessity

is

there

for

labour

in

submitting

to

discipline

(

for

even

whilst

sleeping

we

may

become

virtuous

)

,

or

what

cause

is

there

for

these

men

rousing

their

hearers

to

hopes

of

good

?

For

even

though

wallowing

in

the

mire

with

harlots

,

they

can

obtain

their

proper

good

.

But

if

discipline

,

and

better

instruction

and

diligence

in

acquiring

virtue

,

make

a

man

to

become

virtuous

,

let

all

become

so

,

and

that

oft

-

repeated

phrase

of

theirs

,

the

unordered

motion

of

matter

,

is

made

void

.

But

it

would

be

much

better

for

them

to

say

that

wisdom

is

an

instrument

given

by

God

to

man

,

in

order

that

by

bringing

round

by

degrees

to

good

that

which

arises

to

them

,

from

the

fact

of

their

being

endowed

with

sense

,

out

of

desire

or

pleasure

,

it

might

remove

from

them

the

absurdities

that

flow

from

them

.

For

thus

they

themselves

who

profess

to

be

teachers

of

virtue

would

be

objects

of

emulation

for

their

purpose

,

and

for

their

mode

of

life

,

and

there

would

be

great

hopes

that

one

day

evils

will

cease

,

when

all

men

have

become

wise

.

And

this

it

seems

to

me

that

Jesus

took

into

consideration

;

and

in

order

that

husbandmen

,

carpenters

,

builders

,

and

other

artisans

,

might

not

be

driven

away

from

good

,

He

convened

a

common

council

of

them

altogether

,

and

by

simple

and

easy

conversations

He

both

raised

them

to

a

sense

of

God

,

and

brought

them

to

desire

what

was

good

.