Chapter
XX.—The Divine Virtue in the View of the Same Manichæus
Corporeal and Divisible; The Divine Virtue Itself Matter Which Becomes
Everything; This is Not Fitting.
I, indeed, besides all these things, wonder that they do
not perceive that they are making the divine virtue to be corporeal,
and dividing it, as it were, into parts. For why, as in the case
of matter, is not the divine virtue also passible and divisible
throughout, and from one of its parts the sun made, and from another
the moon? For clearly this is what they assert to belong to the
divine virtue; and this is what we said was the property of matter,
which by itself is nothing, but when it has received form and
qualities, everything is made which is divided and distinct. If,
therefore, as from one subject, the divine virtue, only the sun and the
moon have their beginning, and these things are different, why was
anything else made? But if all things are made, what follows is
manifest, that divine virtue is matter, and that, too, such as is made
into forms. But if nothing else but the sun and moon are what was
created by the divine virtue, then what is intermixed with all things
is the sun and moon; and each of the stars is the sun and moon, and
each individual animal of. those who live on land, and of fowls, and of
creatures amphibious. But this, not even those who exhibit
juggling tricks would admit, as, I think, is evident to every
one.