Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: First Series, Volume IV St. Augustine: The Writings Against the Manichaeans, and Against the DonatistsPhilip Schaff Cosimo, Inc., 2007 M05 1 - 684 pages "The Council of Nicaea in 325 AD marked the beginning of a new era in Christianity. For the first time, doctrines were organized into a single creed. The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers did most of their writing during and after this important event in Church history. Unlike the previous era of Christian writing, the Nicene and Post-Nicene era is dominated by a few very important and prolific writers. In Volume IV of the 14-volume collected writings of the Nicenes and Post-Nicenes (first published between 1886 and 1889), readers will find Augustines writings defending the Catholic church against the Manichaeans and the Donatists. Manichaeanism was a religion developed in Persia by the prophet Mani. According to this religion, creation has two parts: darkness and light. Light is God and has ten attributes. Opposing this, and coeternal with it, is darkness and its five attributes. Saint Augustine was originally a Manichaean, so his defense of Christianity against this religion comes from a deep understanding of its nature. Donatists were a group of believers who refused to forgive those who had renounced their faith during a time of persecution, which caused a schism in Christianity. In opposing these men, Augustine attempted to mend the rift. Those with an interest in ancient religions will find Augustines writings on Manichaeanism one of the most important historical records of that religions practices." |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 94
Page 11
... darkness , and his members are five : cloud , burning , hot wind , poison , and darkness . Mani teaches : that the light subsistence borders immediately on the dark sub- sistence , without a dividing wall between them ; the light ...
... darkness , and his members are five : cloud , burning , hot wind , poison , and darkness . Mani teaches : that the light subsistence borders immediately on the dark sub- sistence , without a dividing wall between them ; the light ...
Page 12
... Darkness ) with the Kingdom of Darkness , the sensuous poetical way in which Mani expressed his doctrines may leave us in doubt . The probability is , however , that he did pantheistically identify each element of the dualism with his ...
... Darkness ) with the Kingdom of Darkness , the sensuous poetical way in which Mani expressed his doctrines may leave us in doubt . The probability is , however , that he did pantheistically identify each element of the dualism with his ...
Page 13
... Darkness . But Primordial Man , Mani adds , armed himself with the five races [ natures ] , and these are the five gods , the Gentle Breeze , the Wind , the Light , the Water and the Fire . Of them he made his armor , and the first that ...
... Darkness . But Primordial Man , Mani adds , armed himself with the five races [ natures ] , and these are the five gods , the Gentle Breeze , the Wind , the Light , the Water and the Fire . Of them he made his armor , and the first that ...
Page 14
... darkness . The hot wind was mingled with the wind ; whatever now is useful and agreeable in this [ resultant wind ] ... darkness from which the light should be liberated . The sun and the moon were created to be the receptacles of the ...
... darkness . The hot wind was mingled with the wind ; whatever now is useful and agreeable in this [ resultant wind ] ... darkness from which the light should be liberated . The sun and the moon were created to be the receptacles of the ...
Page 15
... darkness . Adam is represented as striving to escape from the allurements of Eve , but Eve is aided by demonic craft in overcoming him . Yet Adam does not become enslaved to lust , and so at last is saved . Eve , lustful from the ...
... darkness . Adam is represented as striving to escape from the allurements of Eve , but Eve is aided by demonic craft in overcoming him . Yet Adam does not become enslaved to lust , and so at last is saved . Eve , lustful from the ...
Contents
6 | |
31 | |
37 | |
65 | |
ON TWO SOULS AGAINST THE MANICHEANS | 91 |
ACTS OR DISPUTATION AGAINST FORTUNATUS THE MANICHEAN | 111 |
AGAINST THE EPISTLE OF MANICHEUS CALLED FUNDAMENTAL | 125 |
The beauty of the straight line might be taken from the region of darkness without taking anything from its substance So evil neither takes from nor ... | 142 |
Evil alone is corruption Corruption is not nature but contrary to nature Corrup tion implies previous good | 147 |
God alone perfectly good | 148 |
In what sense evils are from God | 149 |
Corruption is by Gods permission and comes from us | 150 |
Tim ii 24 25 | 157 |
Written after the year 404 It is put in the Retractations immediately after the De Actis | 387 |
BOOK I | 401 |
CONCERNING THE NATURE OF GOOD AGAINST THE MANICHÆANS | 457 |
The refutation of this absurdity | 143 |
The same subject continued | 144 |
Every nature as nature is good | 145 |
Nature cannot be without some good The Manichæans dwell upon the evils | 146 |
THE ANTIDONATIST WRITINGS | 515 |
THE CORRECTION OF THE DONATISTS | 629 |
667 | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Abraham according animals apostle says AUGUSTIN answered authority baptism of Christ baptized believe better bishop blessed body born called carnal Carth Catholic Church CHAP charity Christian Circumcelliones circumcision command communion Conc condemned confess corruption curse Cypr Cyprian death defiled devil divine doctrine Donatists Donatus earth ecclesiastical province epistle error eternal evil faith false Father Faustus flesh follow fulfilled Gentiles give gospel heart heaven heresy heretics Holy Spirit Jews John judgment kingdom light Lord Manichæans Manichæus Matt Maximianus ment mind Moses nature ness Numidia Old Testament Optatus Paraclete passage Paul peace PETILIANUS praise preached precepts prophecy prophets prove punishment quoted race of darkness received reply righteous sacrament salvation schism Scripture shalt sins soul speak suffer teach thee things thou tion tism traditors true truth unclean unity unrighteous unto wicked words worship written yourselves