a the appearance of Mani is placed in the reign of Probus, agreeably to these Acts. Indeed I do not lay much stress upon this last particular, because I think the article concerning Mani, in the Chronicle, may be entirely Jerom's, and not Eusebius's: but with Beausobre it should have some weight, because he allows that whole paragraph to be Eusebius's. b As for the space of three hundred years, mentioned in the Acts, it deserves little consideration. Arguments from numbers are oftentimes of small moment. Some mistakes are made by transcribers. Writers themselves are not seldom mistaken in their computations. St. Chrysostom reckoned it to have been five hundred years from the destruction of Jerusalem to his own time, though it was not much above three hundred years. It was to the purpose of the person, who managed the supposed dispute against Mani, to enhance the time. Moreover people delight in round numbers. And just before the time is said to be almost three hundred years. It is the less likely that the writer should forget himself, and put his own time instead of that of the speaker's, because he presently afterwards mentions the reign of Probus. d e Having given these sentiments of others, and made remarks upon them, I now proceed to observe, that the antiquity of this piece is manifest from the use made of it by Cyril and Epiphanius in the fourth century, and from the notice taken of it by Jerom in his Catalogue, before the end of the same century. There are other arguments of its early age: I shall mention several things, though not all of equal importance. i h Archelaus, or whoever is the writer, naming several heretics, mentions none below Sabellius: nor do there any where appear in this book any traces of that remarkable period in the church, the council of Nice. Moreover, the author allots but one year to Christ's ministry, or at least to the most public part of it, after he had called his disciples to attend him. He allows that men might attain to virtue by the light of nature, though a few only. He does not extol affected voluntary poverty, as some have done; but allows him, who well useth a good estate, to be equally virtuous with him who gives away all he has. Tillemont says: In this work we meet with some opinions more common in the primitive times than they have been since the history and the doctrine of the church have been cleared up. The author seems not to under• stand the union of the two natures in Christ.' Beausobre has an observation of the like kind, and says, that the author speaks more like an unitarian than a catholic.' I add, that he seems to have condemned all war as unlawful; for, "relating that some Roman soldiers, charmed with the piety and generosity of Marcellus were induced to embrace the Christian religion, he says that they immediately forsook the profession of arms. These particulars may be reckoned evidences of great antiquity: but when the book was composed, I cannot certainly say; whether near the end of the third or at the beginning of the fourth century: nor am I able to determine who is the author. II. My extracts out of it will contain chiefly the author's testimony to the books of the New Testament. 1. But I would just observe that he speaks of divers of our Lord's miracles, and other historical facts, recorded in the gospels. 2. We do not find all the books of the New Testament quoted in this piece: it is likely that there was no particular occasion for it. 3. He mentions the New Testament, the gospels, and the apostle Paul's epistle: for which not only he, but Mani likewise, had a great regard. justitiæ atque misericordiæ parem gratiam tribuit, [Jesus] ac si universis pariter renuntietur. c. 42, p. 75. k Mem. Ec. T. 4. P. 2. Les Manichéens. Art. 12. p. 796. 'Beaus. ib. p. 116. m At illi [milites] admirati, et amplexi tam immensam viri pietatem, munificentiamque, commoventur, ut plurimi ex ipsis adderentur ad fidem domini nostri Jesu Christi, derelicto militiæ cingulo. Arch. cap. 1. p. 2. Vid. ib. Zacagn. not, [3.] et Conf. Beaus. Hist. Manich. T. 2. p. 797. "Vid. cap. 34, p. 58, c. 36, P. 63. Sunt etiam alia multa, quæ dici possent et de apostolo Paulo, et de Evangeliis, ex quibus ostendere possumus, veterem legem non esse alterius, quam Domini, cujus est novun Testamentum. Arch. c. 45. p. 82. Vid. etiam cap. 40, p. 69, m. 4. Quoting St. Matthew's gospel, he calls him an evangelist of the Spirit. 5. A passage of St. Mark's gospel is cited as the word of God. с 6. Quoting John. i. 16, he calls him Saint John the greatest of the evangelists; if that is not the style of the Latin translator. d 7. Here is mention made of the book of the gospels. 8. The book of the Acts is quoted and called scripture. f 9. Divers of St. Paul's epistles are expressly quoted. That to the Romans is called his first epistle, because, as I suppose, it was placed first in the collection. 10. There seems to be an expression, borrowed from the epistle to the Hebrews, in Mani's letter to Marcellus, inserted in these Acts: and there appears to be a reference to Heb. iii. 3, 5, 6, in some words of Archelaus. 11. I do not see any of the Catholic epistles quoted, except the first epistle of St. John. Mani himself is here brought in arguing from 1 John v. 19: "The whole world lies in wickedness," or in the wicked one, as he understands it. 12. Antichrist is here often spoken of: but there is scarce any clear reference to the book of the Revelation. However, it should be observed by us, that in the Revelation, ch. xii. 9, Satan is represented by the character of the great dragon.' And in this dispute he is spoken of as the dragon, our perpetual enemy." 13. The writer's respect for the scriptures now commonly received, is manifest from his very numerous and frequent quotations of them as decisive, and of authority in all disputed points of religion. CHAP. LXIII. MANI, AND HIS FOLLOWERS. SECT. I. A general history of the Manichees. 1. Passages of ancient writers concerning them. 1. Eusebius of Cæsarea; 2. Socrates; 3. Libanius. II. Authors who wrote against them; 1. Heraclean; 2. Alexander of Lycopolis; 3. Augustine; 4. Serapion; 5. Titus of Bostra; 6. Didymus; 7. Authors omitted by Fabricius; 8. Syrian authors against them. III. Though they were in many places, they were no where numerous. IV. Eminent men among the Manichees; 1. Alexander of Lycopolis; 2. Augustine. 3. Adimantus; 4. Agapius; 5. Apthonius; 6. Faustus; 7. Hierax; 8. Sebastian; 9. Secundinus. V. Their ecclesiastical constitution. VI. Their manners vindicated from aspersions. VII. A brief account of the persecutions which they suffered. I CHOOSE to begin this chapter with a general history of Mani, and the sect called after his name. 1. In the first place I would allege some passages of ancient writers who have mentioned them. 1. Eusebius's article concerning them in his Ecclesiastical History is to this purpose: AboutTM Β. Αρχην γαρ, και τέλος, και τον τότων πατερα των κακων επί το Θεόν αναφερεσιν, ὧν το τέλος καταρας εγγυς. ib. c. 5. p. 7. Vid. Hebr. vi. 8. Ita et si Dominus meus Jesus Christus præcellit in gloriâ Möysen, tamquam Dominus famulum, non propterea respuenda est gloria Möysi. Arch. c. 43, p. 77. i Malum vero esse tam mundum hunc, quam omnia quæ in eo sunt,- -sicut ait Joannes, Totus mundus in maligno est positus, et non in Deo. cap. 14, p. 26. *Vid. c. 36, p. 62, 63. 1 Credo, quod habeat adjutorem draconem illum, qui nobis semper inimicus est. c. 40, p. 69. m Εν τετῳ καὶ ὁ μανεις τας φρένας, επώνυμος τε της δαιμο νίωσης αἱρέσεως. -Eus. H. E. 1. 7, c. 31. b the same time that madman, fitly named Manes, formed the wild heresy called after his name, being set up for the ruin of many by Satan the adversary of God. This person was a barbarian in every respect, both in his speech, and in his manners. As for his disposition, it was 'diabolical and furious; for he made an appearance of being Christ himself. Sometimes he gave ' out that he was the Comforter, and the Holy Ghost himself. To madness he added excessive pride; and, as if he had been Christ, he chose twelve to be companions with him in his innovation. His scheme was patched up of many false and impious heresies, long since extinct. This venemous principle was brought into our world, the Roman empire, from Persia. From that time the impious doctrine of the Manichees has infected many. Such was the rise of that ⚫ science falsely so called.' In this place Eusebius appears much out of humour: he is scarce master of himself: whether his expressions are just may perhaps be considered hereafter. In his, or Jerom's Chronicle, the rise of this sect is with much particularity distinctly fixed at the second year of the emperor Probus, which is the year of Christ 277. This would be a proper place for me to consider the time of the rise of Manichæism: but being unwilling to render this article, the general history of Manichæism, too prolix, I shall defer it until I come to give a succinct history of Mani himself. However I would here observe, that I do not remember the Manichees to be any where else mentioned by Eusebius; which may be reckoned somewhat strange, if in his time they were numerous in any parts of the Roman empire: in his Commentaries upon the Psalms and Isaiah, and elsewhere, he might have had frequent occasions to confute them. A great number of heresies of various kinds, some resembling the Manichæan principle, are censured in the Apology for Origen, written jointly by Pamphilus and Eusebius. If the Manichees had been well known in the Roman empire, at the beginning of the fourth century, we might have expected to see them there particularly named, which they are not. d с Since writing this, I have observed these words in Tillemont, whom nothing escapes. The article concerning the Manichees in the Chronicle he considers as Jerom's: it is only the passage in the History which he reckons Eusebius's; whereupon he says: Eusebius, who speaks little of this heresy, does not precisely mark the time of it: he seems willing however to have it thought that it began in the time of pope Felix, who governed the church according to him, 'from 276 to 281.' 2. In the next place I intend to transcribe a long passage of Socrates, the ecclesiastical historian, who flourished about the year of Christ 440. But it is an usual thing for cockle to grow up among good grain. It is agreeable to envy to lay snares for the righteous. Not long before the reign of Constantine there sprang up a kind of heathenish Christianity, which mingled itself with the true Christian religion: as heretofore false prophets arose together with the prophets, and false apostles with the apostles. For in those days the doctrine of Empedocles, a heathen philosopher, was clandestinely introduced into Christianity: of this Eusebius Pamphilus has made mention in the seventh book of his Ecclesiastical History, but without any particularity; for which reason I have judged it not improper to supply his omissions; thereby it may be known who this Manichee was, and whence he came, who made this audacious attempt. One Scythian, a Saracen, married a captive woman, native of the Upper Thebais; upon her account he lived in Egypt. Having been instructed in the learning of the Egyptians, he introduced the doctrine of Empedocles and Pythagoras into Christianity; asserting two natures, one good, the other evil, as Empedocles did; and calling the evil nature Discord, the good nature Friendship. Buddas, formerly a h Βαρβαρος δητα τον βίον αυτῷ λόγῳ και τρόπῳ, την τε φυσ σιν δαιμονικός τις ων και μανιωδης. Ακολεθα τέτοις εγχειρων, Χρισον αυτόν μορφάζεσθαι επειρατο, τότε μεν τον παρακλήτον, και αυτό το πνεύμα το άγιον αυτος εαυτόν ανακηρυττων· κ. λ. ib. ⚫ Beausobre thinks that here Eusebius has done wrong to Mani, and that his picture of Mani has little resemblance. Hist. de Manich. T. i. p. 108. • Secundo anno Probi, juxta Antiochenos cccxxv. anno juxta Tyrios cccc11, insana Manichæorum hæresis in commune humani generis malum exorta. Euseb. Chron. P. 177. d vel secundum cos, qui Deum quidem fatentur, non tamen hominem assumsisse, id est, animam corpusque terre- • Note v. sur les Manich. T. iv. P. 2, p. 936. * Δυο φύσεις ειπων, αγαθήν τε και πονηραν, ως και Εμπεδοκλης, νεικός ονομάζων την πονηραν, φιλίαν δε την αγαθήν. ib. p. 55. C. ● b a с "named Terebinthus, became a disciple of that Scythian: he travelled into the country of Baby-⚫lonia, which is inhabited by the Persians, where he told a great many strange stories of himself;⚫as that he was born of a virgin, and brought up in the mountains: afterwards he wrote four books, ⚫ one of which was entitled, Of Mysteries, another The Gospel, a third The Treasure, and the fourth Heads, [or Chapters.] While he was performing some of his pretended sacred rites he' was thrown down by a spirit and died. The woman at whose house he dwelled buried him: she, coming to the possession of his money, bought a boy seven years of age, named Cubricus; this boy she made free, and gave him a good education. Some time after this she died, leaving the boy all the estate she had by Terebinthus, and the books he had written, according to the instructions received from Scythian. Cubricus now free, and thus enriched, went into • Persia; where he changed his name, calling himself Manes; there he distributed among his 'seduced followers the books of Buddas, or Terebinthus, as his own. The contents of these books are in expression Christian, in sentiment heathenish; for the impious Manichee directs the worship of many gods, and teaches that the sun ought to be adored: he likewise introduces fate, and destroys man's free-will. He openly teaches transmigration; following herein the ⚫ sentiment of Empedocles, Pythagoras, and the Egyptians. He denies that Christ had real flesh, making him a mere phantom. He rejects the law and the prophets, and calls himself the Paraclete: all which things are contrary to the sense of the orthodox church. Moreover, in ehis epistles he had the presumption to style himself apostle: at length he met with the deserved punishment of such an impostor upon this occasion. The son of the king of Persia happened to fall sick; the father, as the saying is, left no stone unturned, being extremely desirous to "save his son's life: having heard of Manichee, and supposing the strange things he had heard ⚫ of him to be true, he sends for him as an apostle, hoping that by him he might save his son: when he was come he pretended to undertake the cure of the king's son. But when the king' ⚫ saw that his son died in his hands, he shut him up in prison, intending to put him to death; but he made his escape and came into Mesopotamia. The king of Persia hearing that he was in those parts, sent after him, got him apprehended, and flayed him alive: after which his skin was filled with chaff and hung up at the gate of the city. This account is no forgery of ours; it is collected out of the book of Archelaus, bishop of Caschar, a city in Mesopotamia, which we have met with and read: for Archelaus himself says he had disputed with him in person; • and he there relates the several particulars which I have just written concerning him.' f Thus I have given the history of Mani, and his principles in the words of this ancient writer, which will serve for a text to be commented upon. Once I was somewhat desirous to set before my readers in this place St. Augustine's article of the Manichees in his book Of Heresies; but it is too abstruse and dogmatical; therefore I thought this historical account preferable. There is: another reason which discouraged the design of translating Augustine, and may be soon perceived. by those who look into him: but though. I do not here, nor any where else, translate that article of Augustine entire, I shall make good use of it, and frequently quote it.. In this passage of Socrates we see a proof of the truth of Beausobre's observation, that from the book called The Acts of Archelaus, the ancient Christian writers took the history of Mani,. and of the origin of Manichæism, which they have given us. Cyril of Jerusalem, Epiphanius, Named Cubricus.] He is generally so called. Cyril and Epiphanius write the name Kepixos, as well as Socrates. But in the Acts of Archelaüs his name is written Corbicius. Quæ cum sola esset, habere aliquem ad ministerium voluit, et comparavit sibi puerum annorum ferme septem, Corbicium nomine, quem statim manumisit, ac literis erudivit. Act. Arch. c. 53, p. 97. In the Historia Haereseos Manichæorum, published by Pfaff, at the end of Lactantii Epitome, p. 183, the name is a little different.-Puerum sibi pro senectutis solatio comparavit, nomine Curbitius, quem et literis non mediocribus erudivit. In former editions of Augustine, Mani's frst name is said to have been Urbicus. But in the Benedictine edition that paragraph, at the beginning of Augustine's article of the Manichees, [De Hær.c.46] is left out upon the authority of manuscripts. Beausobre says, none of these names have an Oriental air. And he suspects that the right name is Carcu-bius. See Beaus. T. i. p. 67. b When that widow died; Cubricus is said to have been twelve years of age. Quique cum duodecim annorum esset effectus, anus illa diem obiit, &c. ap Arch. c. 53, p. 97. • Και ειμαρμένην εισαγεί, και το εφ' ήμιν αναιρεί. Socr. ib. p. 56, A. 4 Και τον Χρισον εν σαρκι γεγονεναι ου βέλεται, φαντασμα αυτον λεγων είναι και νόμον και προφητας αθετει· καὶ ἑαυτον ονομάζει παρακλητον. ib. p. 56, Β. • Εν δε ταις επιςολαις και απόςολον ἑαυτον ονομαζειν ετολο μησεν. ibid. * μαθων τε περι το Μανιχαιε, και τας τερατείας αυτε νόμισας ειναι αληθείς, ως απότολον μεταπέμπεται, πιςευσας δι' αυτόν σωθησεσθαι τον υἱον· ὁ δε παραγενόμενος μετα το επιπλασθ σχήματος εγχειριζεται τον τε βασιλεως υἱον· ὁ δε βασιλευς, ἑωρακως ὅτι ὁ παις εν ταις χερσιν ετεθνηκει, κ. λ. ib. p. 56, C.. 8 Beaus. Hist. de Manich. p. 6. T. i. Socrates, the Greeks in general, have all drawn from this source; as is acknowledged too by Petavius and Tillemont. b We have seen the account which Socrates gives of the death of Mani, taken from the forementioned book: but Socrates flourishes when he says that the king of Persia having heard of the strange things said to be done by Mani, and believing them to be true, sent for him as an apostle. There is nothing like this in Archelaus, whose words I transcribe at the bottom of the page. с f C That Mani was put to death needs not to be contested. It is mentioned by Alexander of Lycopolis: the memory of it was celebrated by his followers in an annual festivity, observed by them with a good deal of pomp and splendour: and, as Beausobre says, it is not impossible ⚫ but the death of the young prince may have brought upon him the displeasure of the king: but • it is certain that the eastern writers do ascribe this disgrace to his opinions in religion; and, if I may say it, to his Christianity, which seems to be better proved.' g Indeed the author of the dispute seems himself to have been aware of something of this kind; for he says that Mani, whilst in prison, sent out his disciples to spread abroad his opinions. The king being informed of this, sends orders for putting him to death; but as he says, Mani bribing his keepers with a large sum of money, got out of prison, and thus escaped for the present. Beausobre has a large number of exceptions to the history of Mani in the Acts of Archelaus's' Dispute, to whom I refer the reader. I shall put down here some observations which I have myself made in reading those Acts. Mani was a Persian: but the writer of the dispute seems little acquainted with Persian' affairs. He supposeth that Probus was the Roman emperor at the time in which he placeth the conference; but the king of Persia, so often mentioned by that title, is never named. Some' may be apt to suspect he did not certainly know who was king of Persia when Probus was emperor, and therefore feared to put down any name, lest it would be a mistake, which might afterwards be detected and exposed: then the history of Mani is here related, as if the whole course of his affairs happened under one prince only; whereas learned moderns are now clearly of opinion that those transactions were in the time of three or four reigns of several kings of Persia. Moreover, this writer supposeth, that Mani, or his teachers and predecessors, learned the doctrine of two natures, or two principles, from Empedocles, and other Greeks; whereas it' is much more likely that he had it from the Persians. h i There are many improbabilities in the historical part of that dispute. Mani is said to have been imprisoned; but, if the king of Persia had been displeased with him on account of the death of his son, I think he would not have put him to prison, but would have put him to death presently. Ex hac Archelai relatione cæteri deinceps hauserunt omnes, qui hæretici istius historiam et dogmata scriptis tradiderunt. Petav. Animadv. ad Epiph. p. 289. Les petites différences, qui se recontrent entr' eux, (savoir Epiphane, Cyrille, Socrate) n'empêchent pas qu' on ne voye qu'ils ont tous puisé dans la même source. Tillem. Mem. Ec. T. 4, p. 2, Art. 12, p. 794. Cum ergo illi essent profecti, regis filius ægritudine quâdam arreptus est, quem rex curari desiderans, edictum proposuit in vità, [f. invitans] si quis eum curare possit, accipere præmium, multo proposito. Tum iste-præsentiam suam Manes exhibet, dicens se esse puerum curaturum, quæ cum audîsset rex, suscepit eum cum obsequio, ac libenter habuit. Verum- mortuus est puer in manibus ejus,vel potius extinctus. Arch.c. 53, p. 98. d συςρατευσαί τε Σαπώρῳ τω Περση· προσκρέσαντα δε TI THTW AWOÀWλevai, Alex. Lyc. p. 4. in. e -cum vestrum bema, id est, diem quo Manichæus occisus est, quinque gradibus instructo tribunali et pretiosis linteis adornato, -magnis honoribus prosequamini. Aug. contr. Ep. Fund. c. 8. f B. ib. p. 82, 85, 86. His ergo tam scelerate compositis, mittit et discipulos suos prædicaturos intrepide fictos simulatosque errores, et novas, falsasque voces annuntiaturos per loca singula. Quod cum rex Persarum cognovisset, dignis eum suppliciis subdere parat. Quo Manes agnito, admonitus in somnis, elapsus de carcere, in fugam versus est, auro plurimo custodibus corruptis,' et mansit in castello Arabionis. Arch. c. 59, p. 69. ' Sharistani in libro de Religionibus Orientis de eo refert:: Mani apparuit tempore Shabur filii Ardeshir, et occidit eum, Behram filius Hormuz, Filii Shabur. Hyde de Relig. V. Pers. cap. 21, p. 282, Conf. Herbelot Bib. Orient V. Mani. Mais voici une ignorance, une erreur, qu'on ne sauroit excuser. C'est d'avoir mis sous un même règne le cours entier d'une affaire, qui commença sous l'ayeul, ou le bisayeul, et qui ne s'acheva que sous le petit-fils, ou l'arriere-petit-fils. Beaus. T. i. p. 128. Car Sapor, qui régnoit depuis 240, ou 241, mourut vers 271. Hormisdas son fils en 272, et Vararane fils d'Hormisdasen 276. Ainsi ce sera Vararane II. fils de celuici, qui aura fait mourir Manichée en 277, ou 278. Till: Mem. Ec. les Manichéens Art. vii. in fin. i Græcis Budda Empedoclis opinionem amplexus dicitur, duo rerum pugnantia inter se principia statuentis.-Verum rectius a Persarum magis accepisse videtur. Hyde ib. p. 285. -Verum rectius a Persis, seu Persarum magis, id accepisse videtur, qui αγαθον δαίμονα, και κακον δαίμονα, statuebant, ut est apud Laërtium in Prooemio, &c. Toll. Insign. Ital. p. 126, in not. |