Manichaeanism


The last great rival religion to Christianity was Manichaeanism, the last

of the important syncretistic religions which drew from Persian and allied

sources. Its connection with Christianity was at first slight and its

affinities were with Eastern Gnosticism. After 280 it began to spread

within the Empire, and was soon opposed by the Roman authorities. Yet it

flourished, and, like other Gnostic religions, with which it is to be
>
classed, it assimilated more and more of Christianity, until in the time

of Augustine it seemed to many as merely a form of Christianity. On

account of its general character, it absorbed for the most part what

remained of the earlier Gnostic systems and schools.





Additional source material: The most important accessible works

are the so-called Acta Archelai (ANF, V, 175-235), the

anti-Manichaean writings of Augustine (PNF, ser. I, vol. IV), and

Alexander of Lycopolis, On the Manichaeans (ANF, VI, 239). On

Alexander of Lycopolis, see DCB. In the opinion of Bardenhewer,

Alexander was probably neither a bishop nor a Christian at all,

but a heathen and a Platonist. Roman edict against Manichaeanism in

Kirch, n. 294.





An Nadim, Fihrist. (Translation after Kessler, Mani, 1889.)





The Fihrist, i.e., Catalogue, is a sort of history of

literature made in the eleventh century by the Moslem historian An

Nadim. In spite of its late date, it is the most important

authority for the original doctrines of Mani and the facts of his

life, as it is largely made up from citations from ancient authors

and writings of Mani and his original disciples.





(a) The Life of Mani.





Mohammed ibn Isak says: Mani was the son of Fatak,(84) of the family of

the Chaskanier. Ecbatana is said to have been the original home of his

father, from which he emigrated to the province of Babylon. He took up his

residence in Al Madain, in a portion of the city known as Ctesiphon. In

that place was an idol's temple, and Fatak was accustomed to go into it,

as did also the other people of the place. It happened one day that a

voice sounded forth from the sacred interior of the temple, saying to him:

"Fatak, eat no flesh, drink no wine and refrain from carnal intercourse."

This was repeated to him several times on three days. When Fatak perceived

this, he joined a society of people in the neighborhood of Dastumaisan

which were known under the name of Al-Mogtasilah, i.e., those who wash

themselves, baptists, and of whom remnants are to be found in these parts

and in the marshy districts at the present time. These belonged to that

mode of life which Fatak had been commanded to follow. His wife was at

that time pregnant with Mani, and when she had given him birth she had, as

they say, glorious visions regarding him, and even when she was awake she

saw him taken by some one unseen, who bore him aloft into the air, and

then brought him down again; sometimes he remained even a day or two

before he came down again. Thereupon his father sent for him and had him

brought to the place where he was, and so he was brought up with him in

his religion. Mani, in spite of his youthful age, spake words of wisdom.

After he had completed his twelfth year there came to him, according to

his statement, a revelation from the King of the Paradise of Light, who is

God the Exalted, as he said. The angel which brought him the revelation

was called Eltawan; this name means "the Companion." He spoke to Mani, and

said: "Separate thyself from this sort of faith, for thou belongest not

among its adherents, and it is obligatory upon you to practise continence

and to forsake the fleshly desires, yet on account of thy youth the time

has not come for thee to take up thy public work." But when he was

twenty-four years old, Eltawan appeared to him and said: "Hail, Mani, from

me and from the Lord who has sent me to thee and has chosen thee to be his

prophet. He commands thee now to proclaim thy truth and on my announcement

to proclaim the truth which is from him and to throw thyself into this

calling with all thy zeal."



The Manichaeans say: He first openly entered upon his work on the day when

Sapor, the son of Ardaschir, entered upon his reign, and placed the crown

upon his head; and this was Sunday, the first day of Nisan (March 20,

241), when the sun stood in the sign Aries. He was accompanied by two men,

who had already attached themselves to his religion; one was called

Simeon, the other Zakwa; besides these, his father accompanied him, to see

how his affairs would turn out.



Mani said he was the Paraclete, whom Jesus, of blessed memory,(85) had

previously announced. Mani took the elements of his doctrine from the

religion of the Magi and Christianity. Before he met Sapor Mani had spent

about forty years in foreign lands.(86) Afterward he converted Peroz, the

brother of Sapor, and Peroz procured him an audience with his brother

Sapor. The Manichaeans relate: He thereupon entered where he was and on his

shoulders were shining, as it were, two candles. When Sapor perceived him,

he was filled with reverence for him, and he appeared great in his eyes;

although he previously had determined to seize him and put him to death.

After he had met him, therefore, the fear of him filled him, he rejoiced

over him and asked him why he had come and promised to become his

disciple. Mani requested of him a number of things, among them that his

followers might be unmolested in the capital and in the other territories

of the Persian Empire, and that they might extend themselves whither they

wished in the provinces. Sapor granted him all he asked.



Mani had already preached in India, China, and among the inhabitants of

Turkestan, and in every land he left behind him disciples.(87)





(b) The Teaching of Mani.





The following extract from the same work gives but the beginning

of an extended statement of Mani's teaching. But it is hoped that

enough is given to show the mythological character of his

speculation. The bulk of his doctrine was Persian and late

Babylonian, and the Christian element was very slight. It is clear

from the writings of St. Augustine that the doctrine changed much

in later years in the West.





The doctrine of Mani, especially his dogmas of the Eternal, to whom be

praise and glory, of the creation of the world and the contest between

Light and Darkness: Mani put at the beginning of the world two eternal

principles. Of these one is Light, the other Darkness. They are separated

from each other. As to the Light, this is the First, the Mighty One, and

the Infinite. He is the Deity, the King of the Paradise of Light. He has

five members or attributes, namely, gentleness, wisdom, understanding,

discretion, and insight; and further five members or attributes, namely,

love, faith, truth, bravery, and wisdom. He asserts that God was from all

eternity with these attributes. Together with the Light-God there are two

other things from eternity, the air and the earth.



Mani teaches further: The members of the air, or the Light-Ether, are

five: gentleness, wisdom, understanding, discretion, and insight. The

members of the Light-Earth are the soft gentle breath, the wind, the

light, the water, and the fire. As to the other Original Being, the

Darkness, its members are also five: the vapor, the burning heat, the

fiery wind, the poison, and the darkness.



This bright shining Primal Being was in immediate proximity with the dark

Primal Being, so that no wall of partition was between them and the Light

touched the Darkness on its broad side. The Light is unlimited in its

height, and also to the right hand and to the left; the Darkness, however,

is unlimited in its depth, and also to the right hand and to the left.



From this Dark-Earth rose Satan, not so that he himself was without

beginning, although his parts were in their elements without beginning.

These parts joined themselves together from the elements and formed

themselves into Satan. His head was like that of a lion, his trunk like

that of a dragon, his wings as those of a bird, his tail like that of a

great fish, and his four feet like the feet of creeping things. When this

Satan had been formed from the Darkness--his name is the First Devil--then

he began to devour and to swallow up and to ruin, to move about to the

right and to the left, and to get down into the deep, so that he

continually brought ruin and destruction to every one who attempted to

overmaster him. Next he hastened up on high and perceived the rays of

light, but felt an aversion to them. Then when he saw how these rays by

reciprocal influence and contact were increased in brilliancy, he became

afraid and crept together into himself, member by member, and withdrew for

union and strengthening back to his original constituent parts. Now once

more he hastened back into the height, and the Light-Earth noticed the

action of Satan and his purpose to seize and to attack and to destroy. But

when she perceived this thereupon the world aeon of Insight perceived it,

then the aeon of Wisdom, the aeon of Discretion, the aeon of the

Understanding, and then the aeon of Gentleness. Thereupon the King of the

Paradise of Light perceived it and reflected on means to gain the mastery

over him. His armies were indeed mighty enough to overcome him; he had the

wish, however, to accomplish this himself. Therefore he begat with the

spirit of his right hand, with the five aeons, and with his twelve elements

a creature, and that was the Primal Man, and him he sent to the conquest

of Darkness.(88)



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