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Of the Manichaeans

Alexander of Lycopolis

Chapter 8

About this work

Author: Alexander of Lycopolis

Chapter VIII.—Is Matter Wicked? Of God and Matter.

Is matter, in respect of alteration, an evil cause

‹ Chapter 7 Chapter 9 ›

?

It

is

thus

proved

that

it

is

not

more

evil

than

good

.

For

let

the

beginning

of

the

change

be

from

evil

.

Thus

the

change

is

from

this

to

good

through

that

which

is

indifferent

.

But

let

the

alteration

be

from

good

.

Again

the

beginning

goes

on

through

that

which

is

indifferent

.

Whether

the

motion

be

to

one

extreme

or

to

the

other

,

the

method

is

the

same

,

and

this

is

abundantly

set

forth

.

All

motion

has

to

do

with

quantity

;

but

quality

is

the

guide

in

virtue

and

vice

.

Now

we

know

that

these

two

are

generically

distinguished

.

But

are

God

and

matter

alone

principles

,

or

does

there

remain

anything

else

which

is

the

mean

between

these

two

?

For

if

there

is

nothing

,

these

things

remain

unintermingled

one

with

another

.

And

it

is

well

said

that

if

the

extremes

are

intermingled

,

there

is

a

necessity

for

some

thing

intermediate

to

connect

them

.

But

if

something

else

exists

,

it

is

necessary

that

that

something

be

either

body

or

incorporeal

,

and

thus

a

third

adventitious

principle

makes

its

appearance

.

First

,

therefore

,

if

we

suppose

God

and

matter

to

be

both

entirely

incorporeal

,

so

that

neither

is

in

the

other

,

except

as

the

science

of

grammar

is

in

the

soul

;

to

understand

this

of

God

and

matter

is

absurd

.

But

if

,

as

in

a

vacuum

,

as

some

say

,

the

vacuum

is

surrounded

by

this

universe

;

the

other

,

again

,

is

without

substance

,

for

the

substance

of

a

vacuum

is

nothing

.

But

if

as

accidents

,

first

,

indeed

,

this

is

impossible

;

for

the

thing

that

wants

substance

cannot

be

in

any

place

;

for

substance

is

,

as

it

were

,

the

vehicle

underlying

the

accident

.

But

if

both

are

bodies

,

it

is

necessary

for

both

to

be

either

heavy

or

light

,

or

middle

;

or

one

heavy

,

and

another

light

,

or

intermediate

.

If

,

then

,

both

are

heavy

,

it

is

plainly

necessary

that

these

should

be

the

same

,

both

among

light

things

and

those

things

which

are

of

the

middle

sort

;

or

if

they

alternate

,

the

one

will

be

altogether

separate

from

the

other

.

For

that

which

is

heavy

has

one

place

,

and

that

which

is

middle

another

,

and

the

light

another

.

To

one

belongs

the

superior

,

to

the

other

the

inferior

,

and

to

the

third

the

middle

.

Now

in

every

spherical

figure

the

inferior

part

is

the

middle

;

for

from

this

to

all

the

higher

parts

,

even

to

the

topmost

superficies

,

the

distance

is

every

way

equal

,

and

,

again

,

all

heavy

bodies

are

borne

from

all

sides

to

it

.

Wherefore

,

also

,

it

occurs

to

me

to

laugh

when

I

hear

that

matter

moving

without

order

,

—

for

this

belongs

to

it

by

nature

,

—

came

to

the

region

of

God

,

or

to

light

and

brightness

,

and

such

-

like

.

But

if

one

be

body

,

and

the

other

incorporeal

,

first

,

indeed

,

that

which

is

body

is

alone

capable

of

motion

.

And

then

if

they

are

not

intermingled

,

each

is

separate

from

the

other

according

to

its

proper

nature

.

But

if

one

be

mixed

up

with

the

other

,

they

will

be

either

mind

or

soul

or

accident

.

For

so

only

it

happens

that

things

incorporeal

are

mixed

up

with

bodies

.