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Acts of Disputation

Archelaus

Chapter 23

About this work

Author: Archelaus

Section 23

23. The judges said: If we consider that the light

‹ Chapter 22 Chapter 24 ›

existed

before

the

estate

of

the

creatures

was

introduced

,

and

that

there

was

no

object

in

an

opposite

position

which

might

generate

shadow

,

it

must

follow

that

the

light

was

then

diffused

everywhere

,

and

that

all

places

were

illuminated

with

its

effulgence

,

as

has

been

shown

by

what

you

have

stated

just

now

;

and

as

we

perceive

that

the

true

explanation

is

given

in

that

,

we

assign

the

palm

to

the

affirmations

of

Archelaus

.

For

if

the

universe

is

clearly

divided

,

as

if

some

wall

had

been

drawn

through

the

centre

of

it

,

and

if

on

the

one

side

the

light

dwells

,

and

on

the

other

side

the

darkness

,

it

is

yet

to

be

understood

that

this

darkness

has

been

brought

accidentally

about

through

the

shadow

generated

in

consequence

of

the

objects

which

have

been

set

up

in

the

world

;

and

hence

again

we

must

ask

who

it

is

that

has

built

this

wall

between

the

two

divisions

,

provided

you

indeed

admit

the

existence

of

such

a

construction

,

O

Manichæus

.

But

if

we

have

to

take

account

of

this

matter

on

the

supposition

that

no

such

wall

has

been

built

,

then

again

it

comes

to

be

understood

that

the

universe

forms

but

one

locality

,

without

any

exception

,

and

is

placed

under

one

power

;

and

if

so

,

then

the

darkness

can

in

no

way

have

an

ungenerated

nature

.

Archelaus

said

:

Let

him

also

explain

the

following

subject

with

a

view

to

what

has

been

propounded

.

If

God

is

seated

in

His

kingdom

,

and

if

the

wicked

one

in

like

manner

is

seated

in

his

kingdom

,

who

can

have

constructed

the

wall

between

them

?

For

no

object

can

divide

two

substances

except

one

that

is

greater

than

either

,

even

as

it

is

said

in

the

book

of

Genesis

,

that

“

God

divided

the

light

from

the

darkness

.

”

Consequently

the

constructor

of

this

wall

must

also

be

some

one

of

a

capacity

like

that

:

for

the

wall

marks

the

boundaries

of

these

two

parties

,

just

as

among

people

who

dwell

in

the

rural

parts

a

stone

is

usually

taken

to

mark

off

the

portion

of

each

several

party

;

which

custom

,

however

,

would

afford

a

better

apprehension

of

the

case

were

we

to

take

the

division

to

refer

specially

to

the

marking

out

of

an

inheritance

falling

to

brothers

.

But

for

the

present

I

have

not

to

speak

of

matters

like

these

,

however

essential

they

may

appear

.

For

what

we

are

in

quest

of

is

an

answer

to

the

question

,

Who

can

have

constructed

the

wall

required

for

the

designation

of

the

limits

of

the

kingdom

of

each

of

these

twain

?

No

answer

has

been

given

.

Let

not

this

perfidious

fellow

hesitate

,

but

let

him

now

acknowledge

that

the

substance

of

his

duality

has

been

reduced

again

to

a

unity

.

Let

him

mention

any

one

who

can

have

constructed

that

middle

wall

.

What

could

the

one

of

these

two

parties

have

been

engaged

in

when

the

other

was

building

?

Was

he

asleep

?

or

was

he

ignorant

of

the

fact

?

or

was

he

unable

to

withstand

the

attempt

?

or

was

he

bought

over

with

a

price

?

Tell

us

what

he

was

about

,

or

tell

us

who

in

all

the

universe

was

the

person

that

raised

the

construction

.

I

address

my

appeal

to

you

,

O

judges

,

whom

God

has

sent

to

us

with

the

fullest

plenitude

of

intelligence

;

judge

ye

which

of

these

two

could

have

erected

the

structure

,

or

what

the

one

could

have

been

doing

all

the

while

that

the

other

was

engaged

in

the

building

.

Notes

1
Reading utriusque majus. The Codex Casinensis has utrunque majus.
2
The text is dicit, for which dicitur may be adopted.
3
Gen. i. 4.