Nicaea Library › Library

Augustine: Writings against the Manichaeans and the Donatists

Augustine of Hippo · 1887

Augustine against the Manichees, on the goodness of God's creation, and against the Donatists, on the church and the sacraments.

Edition: Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 4 · www.ccel.org

Free to read, with no account needed. Public domain or openly licensed, with every source named.

Read it free online Download for Windows (free)

From the opening: Introductory Essay on the Manichæan Heresy

By Albert H. Newman, D.D., LL.D.

Chapter I — Literature

I. Sources.

The following bibliography of Manichæism is taken from Schaff's History of the Christian Church, vol. II. pp. 498-500 (new edition). Additions are indicated by brackets.

1. Oriental Sources: The most important, though of comparatively late date.

(a) Mohammedan (Arabic): Kitâb al Fihrist. A history of Arabic literature to 987, by an Arab of Bagdad, usually called Ibn Abi Jakub An-Nadîm; brought to light by Flügel, and published after his death by Rödiger and Müller, in 2 vols. Leipz. 1871-'72. Book IX. section first, treats of Manichæism. Flügel's translation, see below. Kessler calls the Fihrist a "Fündstätte allerersten Ranges." Next to it comes the relation of the Mohammedan philosopher, Al-Shahrastani (d. 1153), in his History of Religious Parties and Philosophical Sects, Ed. Cureton, Lond. 1842, 2 vols. (I. 188-192); German translation by Haarbrücker, Halle, 1851. On other Mohammedan sources, see Kessler in Herzog, IX., 225 sq.

(b) Persian Sources: relating to the life of Mani, the Shâhnâmeh (the King's Book) of Firdausi; ed. by Jul. Mohl, Paris, 1866 (V. 472-475). See Kessler, ibid. 225.

[Albiruni's Chronology of Ancient Nations, tr. by E. Sachau, and published by the Oriental Translation Fund, Lond. 1879. Albîrunî lived 973-1048, and is said to have possessed vast literary resources no longer available to us. His work seems to be based on early Manichæan sources, and strikingly confirms the narrative preserved by the Fihrist. See also articles by West and Thomas in Journal of the Asiatic Society, 1868, 1870, 1871.]

(c) Christian Sources: In Arabic, the Alexandrian Patriarch Eutychius (d. 916). Annales, ed. Pococke, Oxon. 1628; Barhebræus (d. 1286), in his Historia Dynastiarum, ed. Pococke. In Syriac: Ephraem Syrus (d. 393), in various writings. Esnig or Esnik, an Armenian bishop of the 5th Century, who wrote against Marcion and Mani (German translation from the Armenian by C. Fr. Neumann, in Illgen's Zeitschrift für die Hist. Theologie, 1834, pp.77-78).

2. Greek Sources: [Alexander of Lycopolis: The Tenets of the Manichæans (first published by Combefis, with a Latin version, in the Auctararium Novissimum, Bibl. S. S. Patrum; again by Gallandi, in his Bibl. Patrum, vol. IV. p. 73 sq. An English translation by Rev. James B.H. Hawkins, M .A ., appeared in Clark's Ante-Nicene Library, Vol. XIV. p. 236 sq.; Am. ed. vol.…

Keep reading in the library →

Contents (151 sections)

  1. About this edition
  2. Title page
  3. Grand Rapids, Michigan
  4. I. the Anti-Manichæan Writings
  5. Introductory essay on the Manichæan heresy
  6. Introductory to the Anti-Donatist Writings
  7. Introductory Essay on the Manichæan Heresy
  8. Chapter II — Philosophical Basis, and Antecedents of Manichæism
  9. Chapter III — The Manichæan System
  10. Chapter IV — Relation of Manichæism to Zoroastrianism
  11. Chapters V–VI
  12. Chapters VII–VIII
  13. Chapter IX — Augustin and the Manichæans
  14. Chapter X — Outline of Manichæan History
  15. Preface to the Anti-Manichæan Writings
  16. Chapters 1–4
  17. Chapters 5–7
  18. Chapters 8–10
  19. Chapters 11–13
  20. Chapters 14–16
  21. Chapters 17–19
  22. Chapters 20–23
  23. Chapters 24–26
  24. Chapters 27–28
  25. Chapters 29–30
  26. Chapters 31–33
  27. Chapters 34–35
  28. Chapters 1–4
  29. Chapters 5–8
  30. Chapters 9–10
  31. Chapters 11–12
  32. Chapters 13–14
  33. Chapters 15–16
  34. Chapter 17 — Description of the Symbol of the Hands Among the Manichæans
  35. Chapters 18–19
  36. Chapters 20–2
  37. Chapters 3–5
  38. Chapter 7 — How Evil Men are of God, and Not of God
  39. Chapters 10–11
  40. Chapter 15 — He Prays for His Friends Whom He Has Had as Associates in Error
  41. Chapter 15 — He Prays for His Friends Whom He Has Had as Associates in Error (continued)
  42. Chapters 1–4
  43. Chapters 5–7
  44. Chapters 8–10
  45. Chapters 11–14
  46. Chapters 16–19
  47. Chapters 20–23
  48. Chapter 24 — Of the Number of Natures in the Manichæan Fiction
  49. Chapters 28–30
  50. Chapters 31–33
  51. Chapters 34–36
  52. Chapters 37–39
  53. Chapters 40–43
  54. Book I
  55. Book II
  56. Book III
  57. Book IV
  58. Book V
  59. Book VI
  60. Book VII
  61. Book VIII
  62. Book IX
  63. Book X
  64. Book XI
  65. Book XII
  66. Book XII (continued)
  67. Book XIII
  68. Book XIV
  69. Book XV
  70. Book XVI
  71. Book XVI (continued)
  72. Book XVII
  73. Book XVIII
  74. Book XIX
  75. Book XIX (continued)
  76. Book XX
  77. Book XX (continued)
  78. Book XXI
  79. Book XXII
  80. Book XXII (continued)
  81. Book XXII (continued)
  82. Book XXII (continued)
  83. Book XXII (continued)
  84. Book XXIII
  85. Book XXIV
  86. Book XXV
  87. Book XXVI
  88. Book XXVII
  89. Book XXVIII
  90. Book XXIX
  91. Book XXX
  92. Book XXXI
  93. Book XXXII
  94. Book XXXIII
  95. Chapters 1–9
  96. Chapters 10–19
  97. Chapters 20–25
  98. Chapters 26–33
  99. Chapters 34–41
  100. Chapters 42–43
  101. Chapters 44–46
  102. Chapters 47–48
  103. Introductory Essay
  104. Chapter II — An Analysis of Augustin's Writings Against the Donatists
  105. Chapter II — An Analysis of Augustin's Writings Against the Donatists (continued)
  106. Chapter II — An Analysis of Augustin's Writings Against the Donatists (continued)
  107. Chapter II — An Analysis of Augustin's Writings Against the Donatists (continued)
  108. Preface
  109. [De Baptisimo Contra Donatistas.]
  110. Book I
  111. Book I (continued)
  112. Book II
  113. Book II (continued)
  114. Book III
  115. Book III (continued)
  116. Book IV
  117. Book IV (continued)
  118. Book V
  119. Book V (continued)
  120. Book VI
  121. Book VI (continued)
  122. Chapter 27 — 51. Privatus of Sufes said: "What can be said of the man who approves the…
  123. Chapter 32 — 61. Victoricus of Thabraca said: "If heretics may baptize, and give…
  124. Chapter 39 — 75. Eugenius of Ammedera said: "I too pronounce this same judgment, that…
  125. Book VII
  126. Chapters 24–31
  127. Book I
  128. Book I (continued)
  129. Book II
  130. Chapters 9–12
  131. Chapter 9 — 21. Petilianus said: "Hemmed in, therefore, by these offenses, you cannot be… (continued)
  132. Chapter 25 — 58. Petilianus said: "For when you in your guilt perform what is false, I do…
  133. Chapter 25 — 58. Petilianus said: "For when you in your guilt perform what is false, I do… (continued)
  134. Chapter 25 — 58. Petilianus said: "For when you in your guilt perform what is false, I do… (continued)
  135. Chapters 60–64
  136. Chapter 71 — 157. Petilianus said: "To you the prophet says, Peace, peace; and where is…
  137. Chapter 82 — 179. Petilianus said: "But the holy apostle said this: In any way…
  138. Chapter 82 — 179. Petilianus said: "But the holy apostle said this: In any way… (continued)
  139. Chapter 82 — 179. Petilianus said: "But the holy apostle said this: In any way… (continued)
  140. Book III
  141. Book III (continued)
  142. Book III (continued)
  143. Book III (continued)
  144. Book III (continued)
  145. Book III (continued)
  146. Book III (continued)
  147. Index of Subjects
  148. Index of Subjects
  149. Canon, as to holy orders of penitents, 649
  150. Council
  151. Synod, African, 563

How to cite it

Chicago
Augustine of Hippo. Augustine: Writings against the Manichaeans and the Donatists. Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 4, 1887. https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf104
MLA
Augustine of Hippo. Augustine: Writings against the Manichaeans and the Donatists. Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 4, 1887. https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf104
APA
Augustine of Hippo (1887). Augustine: Writings against the Manichaeans and the Donatists. Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 4. https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf104

More from Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers