all things proceed; the one a most pure and subtle matter, called light; and the other a gross and corrupt substance, called darkness. Each of these are subject to the dominion of a superintending Being, whose existence is from all eternity. The Being who presides over the light is called GoD, he who rules the land of dark ness bears the title of HYLE, or DEMON. The ruler of the light is supremely happy, and in consequence thereof benevolent and good. The prince of darkness is unhappy in himself, and desiring to render others partakers of his misery, is evil and malignant. These two beings have produced an immense multitude of creatures resembling themselves, and distributed them through their respective provinces.

The prince of darkness knew not for a long series of ages that light existed in the universe; and no sooner perceived it, by means of a war kindled in his dominions, than he bent his endeavours towards subjecting it to his empire. The ruler of the light opposed to his efforts an army commanded by the first man, but not with the highest success; for the generals of the prince of darkness seized upon a considerable portion of the celestial elements, and of the light itself, and mingled them in

the mass of corrupt matter. The second general of the ruler of the light, whose name was the living Spirit, made war with more success against the prince of darkness; but could not entirely disengage the pure particles of the celestial matter from the corrupt mass through which they had been dispersed. The prince of darkness after his defeat produced the first parents of the human race. The beings engendered from this original stock, consist of a body formed out of the corrupt matter of the kingdom of darkness, and of two souls, one of which is sensitive and lustful, and owes its existence to the evil principle; the other rational and immortal, a particle of that divine light which was carried away by the army of darkness, and immersed into the mass of malignant matter.

Mankind being thus formed by the prince of darkness, and those minds that were the productions of the eternal light being united to their mortal bodies, God created the earth out of the corrupt mass of matter by that living spirit who had vanquished the prince of darkness. The design of this creation was to furnish a dwelling for the human race, to deliver by degrees the captive souls from their corporeal prisons, and to extract the

gross substance in which they were involved. In order to carry this design into execution, God produced two beings of eminent dignity from his own substance, which were to lend their auspicious succours to imprisoned souls: one of these sublime entities was Christ, and the other the holy Ghost. Christ is that glorious intelligence which the Persians called Mythras: he is a most splendid substance, consisting of the brightness of the eternal light, subsisting in and by himself, endowed with life, enriched with infinite wisdom, and having his residence in the sun. The holy Ghost is also a luminous, animated body, diffused through every part of the atmosphere which surrounds this terrestrial globe. This genial principle warms and illuminates the minds of men, renders also the earth fruitful, and draws forth gradually from its bosom the latent particles of celestial fire, which it wafts up on high to their primitive station.

After the supreme Being had for a long time admonished and exhorted the captive souls, by the ministry of the angels and holy men, raised up and appointed for that purpose, he ordered Christ to leave the solar regions, and to descend upon earth, in order

those imprisoned spirits to their celestial country. In obedience to this divine command Christ appeared among the jews, clothed with the shadowy form of a human body, and not with the real substance. During his ministry, he taught mortals how to disengage the rational soul from the corrupt body, to conquer the violence of malignant matter; and demonstrated his divine mission by stupendous miracles. On the other hand, the prince of darkness used every method to inflame the jews against this divine messenger, and incited them at length to put him to death upon an ignominious cross; which punishment however, he suffered not in reality, but only in appearance, and in the opinion of men. When Christ had fulfilled the purposes of his mission, he returned to his throne in the sun, and appointed a certain number of chosen apostles to propagate through the world the religion he had taught during the course of his ministry. But before his departure, he promised that at a certain period of time he would send an apostle, superior to all others in eminence and dignity, whom he called the Paraclete, or Comforter, who should add many things to the precepts

round the mansions of darkness with an invincible guard, composed of those souls who have not finished their purifications, who, set in array, like a military band, shall surround those gloomy seats of woe, and hinder any of their wretched inhabitants from coming forth again to the light.*

To support their fundamental doctrine of two principles, the Manicheans argue in this manner: If we depend only on one Almighty Cause, infinitely good, and infinitely free, who disposes universally of all beings according to the pleasure of his will, we cannot account for the existence of natural and moral evil. If the Author of our being be supremely good, he will take continual pleasure in promoting the happiness of his creatures, and preventing every thing which can diminish or disturb their felicity. We cannot therefore explain the evils which we experience, but by the hypothesis of two principles; for it is impossible to

conceive that the first man could derive the faculty of doing ill from a good principle, since this faculty, and every thing which can produce evil, is vicious; for evil cannot proceed but from a bad cause, therefore the freewill of Adam was derived from two opposite principles. He depended on the good principle for his power to persevere in innocence; but his power to deviate from virtue owed its rise to an evil principle. Hence it is evident there are two contrary principles; the one the source of good, the other the fountain of all vice and misery.+

Manes commanded his followers to mortify and macerate the body, which he looked upon as essentially corrupt; to deprive it of all those objects which could contribute either to its convenience or delight; to extirpate all those desires which lead to the pursuit of external objects, and to divest themselves of all the passions and instincts of nature: but he did not impose

this severe manner of living without distinction upon his adherents. He divided his disciples into two classes; one of which comprehended the perfect christians, under the name of the elect; the other the imperfect and feeble, under the title of hearers. The elect were obliged to an entire abstinence from flesh, eggs, milk, fish, wine, all intoxicating drink, wedlock, and all amorous gratifications; and to live in a state of the sharpest penury, nourishing their emaciated bodies with bread, herbs, pulse, and melons. The discipline appointed for the hearers was of a milder nature: they were allowed to possess houses, lands, and wealth; to feed upon flesh, and to enter into the bonds of conjugal tenderness. But this liberty was granted them with many limitations, and under the strictest conditions of moderation and temperance.

The general assembly of the Manicheans was headed by a president, who represented Jesus Christ. There were joined to him twelve rulers, or masters, who were designed to represent the twelve apostles; and these were followed by seventy-two bishops, the

images of the seventy-two disciples of our Lord. These bishops had presbyters and deacons under them; and all the members of these religious orders were chosen out of the class of the elect.

The Manicheans observed the Lord's day, but fasted upon it. They likewise çelebrated easter, and had a regular church discipline and censors. They read the scriptures; they baptized even infants in the name of the Father, Son, and holy Ghost, and partook of the Lord's supper.

The doctrine of Manes differs from the Gnostics in this respect: Instead of supposing evil to have originated ultimately from inferior and subordinate beings, he held the doctrine of two original independent principles; the one immaterial, and supremely good; the other material, and the source of all evil, but actuated by a soul, or something of the nature of intelligence.

MARCELLIANS, a denomination in the fourth century; so called from Marcellus, who held the sentiments of the Sabellians.+ See Sabellians.