Joseph Rickaby

THE MANICHEES AS SAINT AUGUSTINE SAW THEM

INTRODUCTION

AURELIUS AUGUSTINUS was born at Thagaste in
North Africa, November 13, A.D. 354, and died at
Hippo, where he was bishop, August 28, 430. A
voluminous writer, his works fill ten folios in the
Benedictine edition (Venice, 1733): but he was
eminently a fighter and controversialist: chiefly in
that capacity he has ruled the thought of succeeding
generations." The great enigma of human life-
theoretical and practical, theological, show more philosophical,
social-is the widespread presence of Evil. What is
Evil? whence comes it? how is it consistent with
God and Goodness? how to repair it? how to reduce
it? what will it end in? In Augustine's time three
schools dealt with this problem-the Manichees, the
Donatists, the Pelagians. He devoted himself to
refuting each in succession. His earliest polemics
were with the Manichees. The Donatists took up
his chief attention for twelve years, A.D. 400-4I1.
About A. D. 412 he had his first encounter with the
Pelagians; against them he fought with the utmost
energy and industry for eighteen years up to...

* For some general notion of St Augustine apart from
controversy I may recommend two Anglican works: The
Letters of St Augustine, by Dr. Sparrow Sin
1919); and Studies in the Confessions of St Augustine,
by Canon Ottley (Robert Scott, London, 1919). show less