117. Prudence held the first place in holy Abraham. For of him the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and that was counted to him for righteousness;” Gen. xv. 6. for no one is prudent who knows not God. Again: “The fool hath said, There is no God;” Ps. xiv. [xiii.] 1. for a wise man would not say so. How is he wise who looks not for his Maker, but says to a stone: “Thou art my father”? Jer. ii. 27. Who says to the devil as the Manichæan does: “Thou art the author of my being”? Manes, the founder of Manicheism, living about a.d. 250. He taught that there were two original principles absolutely opposed one to the other. On the one side God, from Whom nothing but good can go forth; on the other original evil—the author of all matter—which therefore is evil too. Man was formed by this evil spirit. For, whilst man’s soul is an emanation from the good God, man’s body in which the soul is imprisoned was framed of material elements. Hence the Manichæan is here represented addressing the devil as his father, the author of his earthly existence. How is Arius The father of Arianism, born a.d. 256, was condemned at the Council of Nicæa a.d. 325. He denied that Christ was “of one substance with the Father;” but held Him to be a kind of secondary God, created out of nothing before the world. But he considered Him to be the creator of the world. wise, who prefers an imperfect and inferior creator to one who is a true and perfect one? How can Marcion Marcion flourished between the years a.d. 140–190. He also taught the existence of more than one Principle, and held that man was created by an inferior Being. or Eunomius Eunomius was the leader of the extreme Arian party, flourishing c. a.d. 360. He maintained the absolute unlikeness of the Son to the Father not only in substance but even in will. Hence his party were called Anomœans (ανόμοιος, unlike). In baptizing they also applied no water to the lower part of the body, asserting that it was created by an evil spirit, thus with Marcion recognizing the dual Principle. Theodoret, who is the authority for this latter and some other charges against the Eunomians, says, however, that he is speaking from hearsay, not of his own knowledge. Hær. Fab. IV. 3. be wise, who prefer to have an evil rather than a good God? And how can he be wise who does not fear his God? For: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Ps. cxi. [cx.] 10. Elsewhere, too, it stands: “The wise turn not aside from the mouth of the Lord, but come near Him in their confession of His greatness.” Prov. xxiv. 7 [LXX.]. So when the Scripture says: “It was counted to him for righteousness,” that brought to him the grace of another virtue.