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Of the Manichaeans

Alexander of Lycopolis

Chapter 6

About this work

Author: Alexander of Lycopolis

Chapter VI.—The Two Principles of the Manichæans; Themselves Controverted; The Pythagorean Opinion Respecting First Principles; Good and Evil Contrary; The Victory on the Side of Good.

They lay down two principles, God and Matter.

‹ Chapter 5 Chapter 7 ›

If

he

(

Manes

)

separates

that

which

comes

into

being

from

that

which

really

exists

,

the

supposition

is

not

so

faulty

in

this

,

that

neither

does

matter

create

itself

,

nor

does

it

admit

two

contrary

qualities

,

in

being

both

active

and

passive

;

nor

,

again

,

are

other

such

theories

proposed

concerning

the

creative

cause

as

it

is

not

lawful

to

speak

of

.

And

yet

God

does

not

stand

in

need

of

matter

in

order

to

make

things

,

since

in

His

mind

all

things

substantially

exist

,

so

far

as

the

possibility

of

their

coming

into

being

is

concerned

.

But

if

,

as

he

seems

rather

to

mean

,

the

unordered

motion

of

things

really

existent

under

Him

is

matter

,

first

,

then

,

he

unconsciously

sets

up

another

creative

cause

(

and

yet

an

evil

one

)

,

nor

does

he

perceive

what

follows

from

this

,

namely

,

that

if

it

is

necessary

that

God

and

matter

should

be

supposed

,

some

other

matter

must

be

supposed

to

God

;

so

that

to

each

of

the

creative

causes

there

should

be

the

subject

matter

.

Therefore

,

instead

of

two

,

he

will

be

shown

to

give

us

four

first

principles

.

Wonderful

,

too

,

is

the

distinction

.

For

if

he

thinks

this

to

be

God

,

which

is

good

,

and

wishes

to

conceive

of

something

opposite

to

Him

,

why

does

he

not

,

as

some

of

the

Pythagoreans

,

set

evil

over

against

Him

?

It

is

more

tolerable

,

indeed

,

that

two

principles

should

be

spoken

of

by

them

,

the

good

and

the

evil

,

and

that

these

are

continually

striving

,

but

the

good

prevails

.

For

if

the

evil

were

to

prevail

,

all

things

would

perish

.

Wherefore

matter

,

by

itself

,

is

neither

body

,

nor

is

it

exactly

incorporeal

,

nor

simply

any

particular

thing

;

but

it

is

something

indefinite

,

which

,

by

the

addition

of

form

,

comes

to

be

defined

;

as

,

for

instance

,

fire

is

a

pyramid

,

air

an

octahedron

,

water

an

eikosahedron

,

and

earth

a

cube

;

how

,

then

,

is

matter

the

unordered

motion

of

the

elements

?

By

itself

,

indeed

,

it

does

not

subsist

,

for

if

it

is

motion

,

it

is

in

that

which

is

moved

;

but

matter

does

not

seem

to

be

of

such

a

nature

,

but

rather

the

first

subject

,

and

unorganized

,

from

which

other

things

proceed

.

Since

,

therefore

,

matter

is

unordered

motion

,

was

it

always

conjoined

with

that

which

is

moved

,

or

was

it

ever

separate

from

it

?

For

,

if

it

were

ever

by

itself

,

it

would

not

be

in

existence

;

for

there

is

no

motion

without

something

moved

.

But

if

it

was

always

in

that

which

is

moved

,

then

,

again

,

there

will

be

two

principles

—

that

which

moves

,

and

that

which

is

moved

.

To

which

of

these

two

,

then

,

will

it

be

granted

that

it

subsists

as

a

primary

cause

along

with

God

?