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Alexander of Lycopolis

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Introductory Notice to

[2194] A treatise on their tenets by Alexander of Lycopolis, who first turned from paganism to the Manichæan opinions.

Chapter I.—The Excellence of the Christian Philosophy; The Origin of Heresies Amongst Christians.

[2195] [Note the practical character of Christian ethics, which he so justly contrasts with the ethical philosophy of the heathen. This has been finely pointed out by the truly illustrious William Wilberforce in his Practical View, cap. ii. (Latin note), p. 25, ed. London, 1815.]

[2196] ἐν τοῖς ἐριστικοῖς. The philosophers of the Megarean school, who were devoted to dialectics, were nicknamed οἱ ᾽Εριστικοί. See Diog. Lærtius.

Chapter II.—The Age of Manichæus, or Manes; His First Disciples; The Two Principles; Manichæan Matter.

[2197] Manes, or Manichæus, lived about a.d. 240. He was a Persian by birth, and this accounts for the Parseeism which can be detected in his teaching. He was probably ordained a priest, but was afterwards expelled from the Christian community, and put to death by the Persian government. His tenets spread considerably, and were in early youth embraced by St. Augustine. [See Confess., iii. 6.]

[2198] Plato, Timæus, 51.

[2199] In substance, but not in words, Aristotle, Met., Book Λ 4 (1070´ b).

Chapter III.—The Fancies of Manichæus Concerning Matter.

[2200] δημιουργὸς.

Chapter IV.—The Moon’s Increase and Wane; The Manichæan Trifling Respecting It; Their Dreams About Man and Christ; Their Foolish System of Abstinence.

[2201] δημιουργὸς.

Chapter VII.—Motion Vindicated from the Charge of Irregularity; Circular; Straight; Of Generation and Corruption; Of Alteration, and Quality Affecting Sense.

[2202] τὸ ἄτακτον.

Chapter X.—The Mythology Respecting the Gods; The Dogmas of the Manichæans Resemble This: the Homeric Allegory of the Battle of the Gods; Envy and Emulation Existing In God According to the Manichæan Opinion; These Vices are to Be Found in No Good Man, and are to Be Accounted Disgraceful.

[2203] Hom., Il., xx. 23–54.

Chapter XXI.—Some Portions of the Virtue Have Good in Them, Others More Good; In the Sun and the Moon It is Incorrupt, in Other Things Depraved; An Improbable Opinion.

[2204] This passage and the following sentences are corrupt. Possibly something is wanting.—Tr.

Chapter XXIV.—Christ is Mind, According to the Manichæans; What is He in the View of the Church? Incongruity in Their Idea of Christ; That He Suffered Only in Appearance, a Dream of the Manichæans; Nothing is Attributed to the Word by Way of Fiction.

[2205] Gen. xxii. 1.

Chapter XXV.—The Manichæan Abstinence from Living Things Ridiculous; Their Madness in Abhorring Marriage; The Mythology of the Giants; Too Allegorical an Exposition.

[2206] Gen. vi. 2.

Elucidation.

[2207] Mosheim, E. H., vol. i. p 383, note 5, Murdock’s edition, New York, 1844. His references to Lardner in this case do not accord with my copy.

[2208] Histoire des Manichéens (Lardner’s reference), pp. 236–237.

[2209] Credib., vol. vii. p. 574, ed. London, 1829.

[2210] Lardner’s reference is: Bib. G., lib. v. c. 1, tom. 5, p. 290.

[2211] Long extract from Cave ubi supra. He quotes the Latin of Cave’s Diss. on Writers of Uncertain Date.

[2212] Lardner’s reference is to Photius, Contra Manich., i. cap. 11.

[2213] Lardner quotes from the Hist. des Manich., art. 16., Mémoires, etc., tom. iv.

[2214] Reference defective. See Lardner, Credib., vol. iii. 269. Here will be found (p. 252) a learned examination of Archelaus, and what amounts to a treatise on these Manichæans.

 

 

 

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