Imatges de pàgina
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cheans the other Hearers, and imperfect. Chap: 3: These alone were permitted to till the Earth, Queft17 to eat Fish and Flefh, to drink Wine, to mar-t ry, but not (23) to beget Children (as S. Auguftin, who was nine Years amongst the Hearers, affures us) nor (24) to kill any Animal.

The Manichæans (as well as the Marcionites) were profefs'd Enemies of our Creator, whom they call'd Satan, Matter, Darkness, and the Prince of the World. I mean, the Creator of our Bodies, and (in their wicked Syftem) of one of our two Souls.

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Manichæus, fays (25) Theodoret, calls Marriage the Sanction of THE DEVIL:

And in another Place. (26) Manichæus Jays, that Marriage is a Co-operator with Matter and therefore be commands the Virginal State.

So S. Auguftin: The Manichæans, fays (27) he, think and preach, that the Devil made and join'd the Male and Female. (28) They condemn Marriage, fays he, without Doubt, and forbid it, as much as they can, fince they forbid Generation, which is the End of Marriage.

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(23) Monent Auditores fuos,ut, fi utuntur Conju gibus,conceptum tamen generationemq; devitent. S. Aug. Lib. de Hæres. Cap. xlvi. (24) S. Aug. ibidem. (25) Τὸν δὲ γάμον [Μάνης] το διαβόλο νομοθεσίαν φησί, Theodo Lib. 1. Hær. Fab. Cap. xvi. pag. 213. D. (26) ON Μάνης τὸν γάμον τῆς ὑλῆς ὠνόμασε σύνεργον, καὶ τότε χά DIY maç Devéve éxiλevor, Theod. ibid. Lib. v. Cap. xxiv. pag. 304. D. an. 1642. (27) Maniche opinantur, & prædicant, Diabolum feciffe & junxiffe Mafculum & Fa minam. Lib. xix. Con. Fauftum. Cap. xxix. (28) Nuptias fine dubitatione condemnant ; &, quantum in ipfis eft, prohibent; quando generare prohibent, propter quod con jugia copulanda funt. S. Aug. Hær. xlvi.

Chap. 3.

8. Of the Prifcilianifts S. Auguftin fays, (29) Queft17 This Herefy, when married People are induc'd to it, feparates Hufbands from Wives against their Will, and Wives from Hufbands. For Prifcillianifts attribute the making of all Flesh, not to the good and true God, but to wicked Angels.

S. Leo, writing to S. Turibius, fays of them: (30) They condemn Marriage, and abhor the Begetting of Children, in which (as in most other Points) they agree with the Profaneness of the Manichæans.

And the 2d Council of (31) Braga, an. 563, If any one condemns Marriage, and abbors the Begetting of Children, as Manichæus and Prifcillian have done, let him.be Anathema,

V. All, or most of the Herefies now mention'd, abhorr'd feveral Sorts of Meat and Drink, especially Flefb and Wine, as of their own Nature unlawful. Theodoret fays of these Hereticks in general: (32) They command us to abstain from Wine and Flesh-meat, as from Things deteftable.

And,

(29) Hærefis ifta Conjuges, quibus hoc malum poquerit perfuadere, disjungit, & Viros a nolentibus Fœminis,

Faminas a nolentibus Viris., Opificium quippe omnis carnis non Deo bono & vero, fed malignis Angelis tribuunt. Hær. lxx. (30) Nuptias damnant, & procreationem nafcentium perhorrefcunt : in quo [ficut pene in omnibus] cum Manichæorum profanitate concordant. Epift. xciii, Cap. vii. Tom. 3. Conc. Lab. p. 1413 B. (31) Si quis Conjugia humana damnat,& procreationem nafcentium perhorrefcit, ficut Manichæus & Prifcillianus dixerunt, anathema fit. Can. xi. Tom. v. Conc. Lab. p. 838. CD. Vide etiam Can. xii, and xiii. ibidem. (32) Οι μὲν γὰρ [αιρετικοὶς ὡς βδελυκτῶν τέτων [όινε, καὶ κρε pazias] voμODETAV ATÉXEDA. L. v. Her. Fab. Cap.xxix. pag. 316 D.

And, in particular, of Saturninus, Marcion, Chap. 3. and Tatian, he says: (33) Tatian learn'd, from Queft17 Saturninus and Marcion, to detest Marriage, and the Ufe of Flefb-meat, and of Wine,

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which they abstain, and abominate them as wicked.

S. Auguftin tells the Manichæans: (34) You fay, that when the fenfitive Soul leaves the Flesh, an exceffive Filth infues; and that therefore the Soul of thofe is defil'd, who eat Flefb-meat. The Manichæans held alfo, that (35) Wine is the Gall of the Devil.

Of the Prifcillianifts S. Augustin fays: (36) They abstain from Flefb-meat, thinking it to be

unclean.

And the 2d Council at Braga: (37) If any one thinks Flefb-meats to be unclean, which God T 2

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(33) Ηρανίσατο [τατιανὸς] ἀπὸ Σατορνίλο και Μαρκίω να το τον γάμον βδεθύττεται, καὶ τὴν τῶν ἐμψύχων, και τὴν τε δινα μετάληψιν ἀπέχονται δὲ τέτων ὡς πονηρὸν jvaTToμEvol. Theodor. L. 1. Hær. Fab. Cap. xx. pag. 208. (34) Dicitis, cum anima carnem deferuerit, nimias fordes reliquas fieri,& ideo eorum, qui vefcuntur carnibus,animam coinquinari. L. de Mor. Manich. C. xv. (35) Nam & Vinum non bibant, dicentes, Fel effe Principum tenebrarum, cum vefcantur uvis. S. Aug. Hær. xlvi. Jam vero que tanta perverfitas eft, Vinum putare fel Principum tenebrarum, & uvis comedendis non parcere ? L. de Mor. Manich. Cap. xvi. (36) Carnes tanquam immundas efcas etiam ipfa Prifcillianiftarum Hærefis devitat. Hær. lxx. (37) Si quis immundos putat cibos carnium, quos Deus in ufus hominum dedit; & non propter afflictionem corporis, fed quafi immunditiam putans, ita abftineat ab eis, ut non olera colla cum carnibus præguftet, fuut Manichæus & Prifcillianus dixerunt, Anathema fit. Braccar ii. an. 563. Can. xiv. pag. 838 D E. Tom. 5. Conc. Labb.

Chap. 3. gave for Men's Ufe; and, not by way of MortiQueit17 fication, but for their fuppos'd Uncleanness, abstains from them fo, that he will not even taste Herbs boil'd with Flesh, as Manichæus and Prif cillian have taught, let him be Anathema.

VI. At the fame Time, this Synod fhews us the Difference, betwixt the Doctrine of Catholicks, and that of Manichæans and Priscillianifts. Catholicks abstain'd from Flesh-meat at certain Times, by way of Mortification, propter afflictionem corporis. A Manichæan abstain'd always from it, thinking it to be unclean, quafi immunditiam putans: and therefore he was a Heretick, fuch as S. Paul foretold, 1 Tim. iv. v. 3. But to fuppofe, the Catholick Church ingag'd in the fame Error, is little better than Stupidity. For is he not ftupid, who can perfwade himself, that it is unlawful to abftain from Flesh-meat, by way of Mortification? But it is only for this End, that Catholicks are forbid to eat Flesh at certain Times of the Year: and not because the eating of it is of itself unlawful, Whether then is the harder Tafk? To excufe in this the Catholick Church from Error? Or to excuse those from Error or Stupidity, who accufe her of it? For if fome fenfual Catholicks are fo far Manichæans, as to indulge their Appetite in the Ufe of Meats not abfolutely forbid, either by Intemperance, or by Coft and Delicacy: thefe, as they feel nothing of Mortification, for which alone Abftinence is commanded; fo they act directly against the Intention of the Catholick Church, and against the End of the Precept, whilst they obferve the Letter: and are too nearly ally'd to thofe religious Hypocrites, who, in the Lan

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guage of the Gospel, have receiv'd their Re- Chap. 3. ward.

VII. The Apostle indeed, fays S. (38) Ferom, rejects thofe, who forbid Marriage, and commanded Men to abftain from Meats, which God has created to be us'd with Thanksgiving. But he means Marcion and Tatian, and the other Hereticks, who proclaim a continual Abstinence, to reject, to defpife, and to abominate the Works of the Creator. But we both praife every Creature of God, and think, that it is better to be lean than to be fat, to abstain than to be luxurious, and to fast rather than to be full.

S. Chryfostom fays upon the fame Text: (39) S. Paul fpeaks this of the Manichæans, of the Encratites, of the Marcionites, and of the rest of their Crew, that in the latter Times fome will depart from the Faith. Do not wonder, Lays he, if fome at prefent, apoftatizing from the Faith, are ingag'd in the Jewish Superftition. The T 3

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(38) Reprobat quidem Apoftolus, 1 Tim. iv. v.1. eos qui prohibebant Nuptias, & jubebant cibis abftinere, quos Deus creavit ad utendum cum gratiarum actione: Sed Marcionem defignat, & Tatianum, & cœteros Hæreticos, qui abftinentiam indicunt perpetuam, ad deftruenda, & contemnenda, & abominanda opera Creatoris. Nos autem & Creaturam omnem laudamus Dei ; & maciem fagina, abstinentiam luxuria, jejunia præferimus Saturitati. S. Hieron. Lib. 2. Con. Jovin. Cap. 2. (39) Περὶ μανιχαίων, καὶ ἐγκρατητῶν καὶ τῶν μαρκιαντῶν, καὶ παντὸς αὐτῶν τε εργασηρία τα τοιαυτά φασιν, ὅτι ἐν ὑς έρεις και εις αποςήσονταί τινες της πίσεως—μὴ θαυμάσης. φησὶν, εἰ νῦν ἀπὸ τῆς πίςεως τινες ἀποςάντες ἐπ ἰσδαΐζεσιν. ἔσαι καιρὸς ὅτε χαλεπώτερον αυτοὶ, δι τῆς πίςεως μετεσχηκότες, τέτο ἐργάσονται μέχρι βρωμά των, ἄλλα καὶ μέχρι γάμων, καὶ πάντων τῶν τοιύτων ὀλέ Hely ouμlbany Gods. S. Chryfoft. in 1 Tim. iv. v. 1,

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