The works of Nathaniel Lardner - The Christian Researcher - Home

77»e Munidiees. Sect. IV. 355
' land, not to be shaken or moved by any.' But liowever,
as be goes on, ' On*^ one side of his illustrious and holy
' territories was the land of darkness, deep and wide, where
' dwelt fiery bodies, and all sorts of pestiferous things :
' beyond which are muddy waters, boisterous winds, dark
' smoke ; and at the centre the dreadful prince and universal
' governor, having- with him innumerable princes of which
' he is the soul and source. And these are the five natures
' [or elements] of the pestiferous country.'
These five elements, as Augustine observes in plainer
words, are'^ darkness, water, wind, fire, smoke. Darkness
is the otitmost, within that water, within that wind, next fire,
and the inmost smoke ; all which regions have their several
inhabitants. In another place*^ Augustine mentions again
these five elements, but in a different order.
There were as many elements in the^ kingdom of light;
air, light, fire, water, wind: which at the formation of the
world, were mixed with the bad elements.
Hence it appears that'' Mani ascribed to matter, the evil
substance, the land of darkness, not only eternal existence,
but likewise motion and life, animal passions, and, as one
would think, reason or intelligence. If the inhabitants of
those regions had not reason originally, they seem to have
gained it afterwards.
Upon this point I shall mention a thought' of Beausobre,
which is to this purpose. ' Titus of Bostra observes this
^ Jiixta unam vero partem ac latus illustris illius ac sanctse terrae erat tene-
brarum terra, profunda et immensa magnitudine, in qua habitabaiit ignea
corpora, genera scilicet pestifera. Hie inlinilae tenebrae, ex eadem manantes
natura inaestimabiles cum propriis fetibus : ultra quas erant aquae ccenosae ac
turbidae cum suis inhabitatoribus, quarum interius venti horribiles ac vehementes
cum suo principe et genitonbus. Rursus regio ignea et corruptibilis
cum suis ducibus et rationibus. Pari modo introrsum gens caliginis ac fumi
plena, in qua morabatur immanis princeps omnium et dux, habens circa se
innumerabiles principes, quorum omnium ipse erat mens et origo. Haecque
fuerunt naturae quinque terrae pestiferae. ap. Aug. ib. c. 14, n. 19.
« Animadvertimus quinque naturas, quasi partes unms naturae, quam vocat
terrann pestiferam. Ha sunt autem, tenebrae, aquae, venti, ignis, fumus ; quas
quinque naturas sic ordinal, ut exteriores caeteris sint tenebrae, a quibus numerare
iucipit. Intra tenebras, aquas constituit, intra aquas ventos, intra ventos
ignem, intra ignem fumum. Et habebant istae quinque naturae sua quaeque
genera inhabitatorum. Contr. Ep. Manich. c. 28. n. 31.
f eaque elementa his nominibus nuncupant, fumum, tenebras, ignem,
aquam, ventum. Aug. De Haer. c. 46.
s His quinque elementis malls debellandis alia quinque elementa de regno
et substantia Dei missa esse, et in ilia pngna fuisse permixta : fumo aera, tenebris
lucem, igni malo ignem bonum, aquae malee aquam bonam, vento malo
ventum bonum. Id. ibid.
'' Ap' hv tKanpov nov irapa rtfi
MavtvTi voful^onevuv tvavruov, saia ^oxra rt km ayevvtirog ovofia^trai. Tit.
I. i. p. 65. * See Beaus. Hist, de Manich. T. 2. p. 410, 4 11.
2 A 2