A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

§ 54. Manichæanism 281disciples. 87 [255](b) The Teaching of Mani.The following extract from the same work gives but thebeginning of an extended statement of Mani's teaching. Butit is hoped that enough is given to show the mythologicalcharacter of his speculation. The bulk of his doctrine wasPersian and late Babylonian, and the Christian element wasvery slight. It is clear from the writings of St. Augustine thatthe doctrine changed much in later years in the West.The doctrine of Mani, especially his dogmas of the Eternal, towhom be praise and glory, of the creation of the world and thecontest between Light and Darkness: Mani put at the beginningof the world two eternal principles. Of these one is Light, theother Darkness. They are separated from each other. As to theLight, this is the First, the Mighty One, and the Infinite. He isthe Deity, the King of the Paradise of Light. He has five membersor attributes, namely, gentleness, wisdom, understanding,discretion, and insight; and further five members or attributes,namely, love, faith, truth, bravery, and wisdom. He asserts thatGod was from all eternity with these attributes. Together withthe Light-God there are two other things from eternity, the airand 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 gentlebreath, the wind, the light, the water, and the fire. As to theother Original Being, the Darkness, its members are also five:87 Important material has been recently recovered from Turfan in ChineseTurkestan, reported by Messrs. Stein, Le Coq, and F. K. W. Müller, inSitzungsberichte der Berliner Academie, for 1904, p. 348; for 1905, p. 1077;for 1908, p. 398; for 1909, p. 1202; for 1910, pp. 293, 307.