The works of Nathaniel Lardner - The Christian Researcher - Home

360 Credibility of the Gospel History.
' matter, which God foresaw, but did not think fit to hinder.'
Or, as he expresseth it in another place: ' They*^ supposed
' that the first man descended from heaven to combat the
' powers of darkness : and that he was armed with five
' celestial elements, air, wind, water, fire, and light. Matter
' devoured a part of his armour, which is the soul. In gene-
' ral God permitted that the celestial substance should be
' mingled with the terrestrial, or bad substance, which occa-
' sioned the creation of the Avorld/
The same learned and judicious author has some other
observations'' relating- to this matter, taken from the obscure
and figurative style of the eastern people, and the language
hi which Mani's works were written, which might not be
well understood by the Greeks and Romans.
And I shall add here a passage of Fortnnatns, who, dis-
puting with Augustine, says :
' Hence' evidently appears
' our ancient original, that before the formation of the world
' souls were sent against the contrary nature to subdue it by
* theirvirtueand patience, that the victory and glory might be
* given to God. For, as the apostle says : (Eph. vi. 12.)
* " We wrestle not only against flesh and blood, but also
* against principalities and powers, against spiritual wicked-
* nesses, and the rulers of darkness." '
To proceed : The'' first work of the Creator was to separate
the parts of the celestial substance, which, though mingled
with matter, had preserved their purity, and to make of
which is agreeable to the words
them the sun and the moon ;
of Augustine: ' The' Manichees say, that those vessels, the
* sun and the moon, were made of the pure substance of
' God; or of that substance of God which had preserved its
* purity.' He presently afterwards explains what is meant
by the substance of God, saying-, that ' the moon was made
* of the good water, the sun of the good fire ;' that is, according
to the Manichrean sentiment.
But it should be observed, that whereas Augustine here
and elsewhere often useth the phrase, " the substance of
God," it seems likely, that thereby the Manichees (if they
B lb. p. 555. " As before, p. 390—392.
' Hinc ergo apparet antiquitas temporum nostrorum, quam repetimus, et
annorum nostrorum, ante mundi constitiitionem hoc more missas esse aniraas
contra contrariam naturam, ut eandem sua passione subjicientes, victoria Deo
redderetur. Nam dixit idem apostolus, &c. Fortun. Disp. 2. n. 22. fin. ap.
Aug. T. 8. " See B. T. 2. p. 361, 362.
' Quas itidem naves de substantia Dei pura perhibent fabricatas.—Naves
autem illas, id est, duo coeli Inminaria, ita distinguunt, ut lunam dicant factam
ex bona aqua, solem vero (.'X igne bono. Aug. De 11. c. 46.
" Beausobre has spoken largely to this point. See him, T. i. p. 227—^234.
p. 592, 593, 529, &c. and T. 2. p. 339, &c.