MANICHE'ANS, a religious sect, founded by 3Iani (q.v.), which, although it utterly disclaimed being denominated Christian, yet was reckoned arnong the heretical bodies of the church. It was intended to blend the chief dogmas of Parsism, or rather Magism, as reformed by Zoroaster, with a certain number of Buddhistic views, under the out ward garb of biblical, more especially New Testament history, which, explained allegori cally aud symbolically, was made to represent an entire new religious system, and one entirely at variance with Christianity and its fundamental teachings. The Manichmans assumed, above all, two chief principles, whence had sprung all visible and invisible creation, and which—totally antagonistic iu their natures—were respectively styled the Light, the Good, or God, and the Darkness, the Bad, Matter, or Archon. They each inhabited a region akin to their natures, and excluding each other to such a degree that the region of darkness and its leader never knew of the axistence of that of the light. Twelve seons—corresponding to the twelve signs of the zodiac and the twelve stages of the world—had sprung (emanated) from the primeval light; while " darkness," filled with the eternal fire, which burned but shone not, was peopled by " demons," who were constantly fighting among themselves. In one of these contests, pressing towards the outer edge, as it were, of their region, they became aware of the neighbor ing region, and forthwith united, attacked it, and succeeded in carrying the ray of light that was sent against them at the head of the hosts of light, and which was the embodi ment of the ideal or primeval man (Christ), captive. A stronger mon, however (the Holy Ghost), hurried to the rescue, and redeemed the greater and better part of the captive light (Jesus impatibilis). The smaller and fainter portion, however (Jesus passibilis), remained in the hands of the powers of darkness, and out of this they formed, after the ideal of The Nan of Light, mortal man, But even the small fraction of light left in him (broken in two souls) would have prevailed against them, had they not found means to further divide and subdivide it by the propagation of this man (Eve—sin). Not yet satisfied, they still more dimined it by burying it under dark " forms of belief and faith, such as paganism and Judaism." Once more, however, the original light came to save the light buried in man, in the person of Christ, descending from the sun, with which he is one. The demons s-acceeded, however, in cutting his career of salvation short by seducing man to crucify him. His sufferings and death were naturally only fictitious, since he could not in reality die; lie only allowed himself to become an example of endurance and passive pain for his own, the souls of light. Since, however, even his immediate adherents, the apostles, were not strong enough to suffer as lie had bid them, he promised them a paradete, who should complete his own work. This paraclete was Mani, who surrounded himself, like Christ, with twelve apostles, and sent them into the world to teach and to preach his doctrine of salvation. The end of the " world" will be fire, in which. the region of darkness will be consumed and utterly annihilated. To attain to the region of eternal light, it is necessary that passion, or rather the body, should be utterly subdued; hence rigorous abstinence from all sensual pleasures, ascet icism, in fact, to the utmost degree, is to be exercised. The believers are divided into
two clasqes, the elect and the auditors. The elect have to adhere to the Signaculum, Oris, .3fanus, and Sinus, that is, they have to take the oath of abstinence from evil and profane speech (including "religious terms such as Christians use respecting the God head and religion"), further, from flesh, eggs, milk, fish, wine, and all intoxicating drinks (cf. Manu, Instit. vv. 51, 52, 53: " He who makes the flesh of an animal his food . . . not a mortal exists more sinful . . . he who . . . desires to enlarge his own flesh with the flesh of another creature," etc.); further, from the possession of riches, or, indeed, any property whatsoever; from hurting any being—animal or vegetable; from heeding their own family, or showing any pity to him who is not of the Manichman creed; and finally, from breaking their chastity by rnarriage or otherwise. The auditors were comparatively free to partake of the good things of this world, but they had to provide for the subsistence of the elect, and their highest aim also was the attainment of the state of their superior brethren. In this Manichsean worship, the visible representa tives of the light (sun and moon) were revered, but only as representatives of the ideal, of the good or supreme God. Neither altar nor sacrifice was to be found in their places of religious assemblies, nor did they erect sumptuous temples. Fasts, prayers, occa sional readings in the supposed writings of. 3Iani, chiefly ft certain Fundamental Epistle. were all their outer worship. The Old Testament they rejected unconditionally: of the New Testament they retained certain portions, revised and redacted by the paraclete. (August. c. Faust., book xviii. ; cf. book ix.). Sunday, as the day on which the visible universe was to be consumed, the day consecrated to the sun, was kept as a great fes tival ; and the most solemn day in their year was the anniversary of the death of Mani.
413aptism and the Lord's supper were celebrated as mysteries of the elect. Of this mode
The outward history of the sect is one of almost continuous persecution. Diocletian, as early as 296 A.D., issued rigorous laws against them, which were reiterated by Val .entinian, Theodosius I., and successive monarchs. Notwithstanding this, they gained numerous adherents; and very many mediseval sects, as the Priscillians, Katharenes, -Josephinians, etc., were suspected to be secretly Manichteans. Italy, the south of France, Spain, and even Germany, were the successive seats of this sect, which did not disappear lentirely until the time of the reformation.