tranflating Auguftin, and may be foon perceived by those who look into him. But though I do not here, nor any where else, translate that article of Auguftin entire; I fhall make good ufe of it, and frequently quote it.

7

In this paffage of Socrates we see a proof of the truth of Beaufobre's obfervation, that (n) from the book, called the Acts of Archelaus, the ancient Chriftian writers took the historie of Mani, and of the origin of Manicheism, which they have given us. Cyril of Jerufalem, Epiphanius, Socrates, the Greeks in general, have all drawn from this fource, as is acknowledged too by (0) Petavius, and (p) Tillemont.

We have feen 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 Perfia, having heard of the frange things faid to

be

Sec. I.

(n) Beauf. Hift. de Manich. p. 6. T. i.

(0) Ex hac Archelai relatione ceteri deinceps hauferunt omnes, qui haeretici iftius hiftoriam et dogmata fcriptis tradiderunt. Petav. Animadv. ad. Epiph. p. 289.

(p) Les petites differences, qui fe rencontrent entre eux, (favoir Epiphane, Cyrille, Socrate;) n'empêchent pas qu' on ne voye, qu'ils ont tous puifé dans la même fource. Tillem. Mem. Ec. T. 4. P. 2. Art. 12. p. 794.

Sect. I.

be done by
be done by Mani, and believing them to be
true, fent for him as an Apostle. There is
nothing like this in Archelaus, whofe (q)
words I transcribe at the bottom of the
page.

That Mani was put to death, needs not to be contested. It is mentioned by (r) Alexander of Lycopolis. The memorie of it was celebrated (s) by his followers in an annual festivity, observed by them with a good deal of pomp and fplendour. And, as (t) Beaufobre fays, "it is not impoffible, 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 afcribe this difgrace to his opinions

(1) Cum ergo illi effent profecti, regis filius aegritudine quadam arreptus eft, quem rex curari defiderans, edictum propofuit in vita, [f. invitans ;] fi quis eum curare poffit, accipere praemium, multo propofito. Tum ifte praefentiam fuam Manes exhibet, dicens fe effe puerum curaturum, quae cum audiffet rex, fufcepit eum cum obfequio, ac libenter habuit. Verum mortuus eft puer in manibus ejus, vel potius extinctus. Arch. c. 53. p. 98.

(r)

2

συςρατευσάι τε σαπώρῳ τῷ πέρσῃ· προσκρέσαντα

δέ τι τέτῳ ἀπολωλέναι. Alex. Lyc. p. 4. in.

(s) -cum veftrum bema, id eft, diem quo Manichaeus occifus eft, quinque gradibus inftructo tribunali et pretiofis linteis adornato, magnis honoribus profequamini. Aug. contr. Ep. Fund. c. 8.

(t) B. ib. p. 82. 85.86.

opinions in religion: and, if I may fay "it, to his Christianity, which seems to be "better proved."

Indeed, the author of the Dispute seems himself to have been aware of fomething of this kind. For he says, that (u) Mani, whilst in prifon, fent out his difciples to spread abroad his opinions. The King being informed of this fends orders for putting him to death: but, as he says, Mani bribing his keepers with a large fum of money, got out of prison, and thus escaped for the present.

Beaufobre has a large number of exceptions to the hiftorie of Mani in the Acts of Ar

chelaus's Difpute, to whom I refer the reader. I shall put down here fome obfervations, which I have myself made in reading those Acts.

Mani was a Perfian. But the writer of the Dispute feems little acquainted with Perfan affairs. He supposeth, that Probus was the Roman Emperour at the time in which he

(u) His ergo tam fcelerate compofitis, mittit et difcipulos fuos praedicaturos intrepide fictos fimulatofque errores, et novas, falfafque voces annuntiaturos per loca fingula. Quod cum rex Perfarum cognoviffet, dignis eum fuppliciis fubdere parat. Quo Manes agnito, admonitus in fomnis, elapfus de carcere, in fugam verfus eft, auro plurimo cuftodibus.corrup tis, et manfit in castello Arabionis. Arch. c. 59. p. 69.

Sect. I.

he placeth the Conference. But the King of Perfia, fo often mentioned by that title, is never named. Some may be apt to fufpect, he did not certainly know, who was King of Perfia, when Probus was Emperour: and therefore feared to put down any name, left it should be a mistake, which might afterwards be detected and expofed. Then the hiftorie 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 (x) those tranfactions were in the time of three or four reigns of several Kings of Perfia. Moreover, this writer fuppofeth, that Mani, or his teachers and predeceffors, learned the doctrine of

two

(x) Shariftaui 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. Perf. cap. 21. p. 282. Conf. Horbelot Bib. Orient. V. Mani.

Mais voici une ignorance, une erreur, qu'on ne fauroit excufer. C'eft d'avoir mis fous un même regne le cours entier d'une affaire, qui commença fous l'ayeul, ou le bifayeul, et qui ne s'acheva que fous le petit-fils, ou l'arrier-petit-fils. Beauf. T. i. p. 128.

Car Sapor, qui regnoit depuis 240. ou 241. mourut vets 271. Hormifdas fon fils en 272. et Vararane fils d'Hormifdas en 276. Ainfi ce fera Vararane II. fils de celuici, qui aura fait mourir Manichée en 277. ou 278. Till. Mem. Ec. Les Manichéens Art. vii, in fin.

two natures, or two principles, from Empe- Sect. I. docles, and other Greeks: whereas it is much more likely, that he had it from the (y) Perfians.

There are many improbabilities in the historical part of that Difpute. Mani is faid to have been imprisoned. But if the King of Perfia had been displeased with him, on account of the death of his fon; I think he would not have fent him to prifon, but would have put him to death presently.

Suppofing, Mani to have been imprisoned by the King of Perfia, it is not eafie to conceive, how he could efcape, and get to Cafchar, or Carchar, faid to be a city in the Roman Mefopotamia.

The writer of the Difpute fays, in that city lived a Chriftian, of great note for wealth and liberality. Mani in Perfia heard of his fame, and was very defirous, as (z) is related, to make a convert of him, hoping he might

by

(y) Graecis Budda Empedoclis opinionem amplexus dicitur, duo rerum pugnantia inter fe principia Aatuentis. Verum rectius a Perfarum magis accepiffe videtur. Hyde ib. p. 285. -Verum rectius a Perfis, feu Perfarum magis id accepiffe videtur, qui ἀγαθὸν δαιμονα, καὶ κακὸν δαιμονα,

ftatuebant, ut eft apud Laertium in Proaemio, &c. Toll. Infign. Ital. p. 126. in not.

(x) Arch. c. 4. p. 5.

1