The history of the church from our Lords incarnation, to the twelth year of the Emperour Maricius Tiberius, or the Year of Christ 594 / as it was written in Greek, by Eusebius Pamphilius ..., Socrates Scholasticus, and Evagrius Scholasticus ... ; made English from that edition of these historians, which Valesius published at Paris in the years 1659, 1668, and 1673 ; also, The life of Constantine in four books, written by Eusibius Pamphilus, with Constantine's Oration to the convention of the saints, and Eusebius's Speech in praise of Constantine, spoken at his tricennalia ; Valesius's annotations on these authors, are done into English, and set at their proper places in the margin, as likewise a translation of his account of their lives and writings ; with two index's, the one, of the principal matters that occur in the text, the other, of those contained in the notes.

CHAP. XXII. Concerning Manes the Author of the Heresie of the Maniche••s, and whence he had his ori∣ginal.

BUt it is usuall for cockle to grow up amongst the good corn, for the envy [of the Devil] loves to lay snares for the righteous. Not long before Constantines reign, there sprung up a kind of heathenish Christianity, together with the true Christian Religion, as heretofore false-Prophets arose up together with the Prophets, and Pseudo-Apostles amongst the Apostles. For in those days one Manichaeus attempted clandestinely to intro∣duce the opinion of Empedocles the Heathen Philo∣sopher, into Christianity. This man Eusebius Pamphilus indeed has mentioned, in the * 1.1 seventh book of his Ecclesiastick History, but has not ac∣curately

explained all things concerning him. Wherefore I judge it requisite to supply what he has omitted. For thereby it will be manifested, who this Manichaeus was, whence he came, and how he arived at so high a degree of audaciousness. One Scythianus a Saracen, married a captive wo∣man a native of the Upper Thebaïs. Upon her account he lived in Aegypt, and having been instructed in the Literature of the Aegyptians, he introduced the opinion of Empedocles and Py∣thagoras into the Christian Religion: asserting that there were two natures, the one Good, the other Evil; (as Empedocles also did) the evil nature he termed Discord; the good he called Friendship. One Buddas, heretofore named Tere∣binthus, was this Scythianus's Schollar. This man travelling into the Countrey of Babylonia, which is inhabited by the Persians, told many strange and prodigious things of himself, saying, that he was born of a Virgin, and educated in the moun∣tains. Afterwards he wrote four books, one he entitled [the book] of Mysteries; another, the Gospel; the third he called the Thesaurus, and the fourth Heads. But as he was counter∣fiting the performance of some mysterious sacred Rites, he was thrown down headlong by the Devil, and so died. The woman, at whose house he sojourned, buried him. She having possessed her self of his money, bought a boy, about seven years old, by name Cubricus: this boy she made free; and when she had bred him a Schol∣lar, she died soon after, and le••t him all Terebin∣thus's estate, and the books also which he had written, being instructed by Scythianus. Cubricus, now a free-man, takes these goods along with him, and travelling into Persia, changes his name, calling himself Manes. Where he distributed Buddas's, or Terebinthus's books, as his own ge∣nuine works, amongst his seduced followers. Now these are the Subjects of those books, in the words they seemingly assert the Christian Religion, but [if] the opinions [contained in them be attentively considered] they are [neer a kin to] Gentilism. For Manichaeus, being an impious person, does incite [his disciples] to worship a plurality of Gods. He also teaches, that the a 1.2 Sun is to be a∣dored. Besides, he intro∣duces Fate, and destroys mans free-will. He appa∣rently asserts a transmuta∣tion of Bodies, following herein the opinions of Em∣pedocles, Pythagoras, and the Aegyptians. He denies that Christ existed in the flesh, saying, that he was a meer * 1.3 Phantasm. He does also reject the Law and the Pro∣phets: and calls himself the Paraclete. All which Tenets, tis manifest, are wholly disa∣greeable to the orthodox [doctrine of the] Church. Moreover, in his Letters he has been so audacious as to stile himself an Apostle. But he met with a condign pu∣nishment for this impudent lie of his, [which befell him] upon this occasion. The son of the King of Per∣sia happened to fall sick; his Father, desirous to save the life of his son, left no stone unturn'd, as the common saying is. Having heard of Manichaeus, and supposing the wonders he did to be real and true, he sends for him as if he had been an Apostle, hoping that he might preserve his Sons life. When he was come, in a fictitious and pretended manner he takes in hand to cure the Kings son. But the King, seeing that his son died under his hands, clap't him in Prison, with a designe forthwith to put him to death. He made his escape [out of Prison] into Mesopotamia, and saved himself: But when the King of Persia had intelligence of his abode in those parts, he [caused him] to be brought from thence by force, and flead him alive: and having stuffed his skin with chaff, he hanged it up before the City gates. These things, which we relate, are no forgeries of our own, b 1.4 but we collected them out of a book we read over, [intitled] the disputation of Archelaus, Bishop of Cascharum, one of the Cities of Mesopotamia. For this Archelaus says, that he disputed with Mani∣chaeus face to face, and what we have written above concerning Manichaeus's Life, Archelaus himself does relate. Thus therefore does the envy [of the Devil,] as we said before, delight to entrap good affairs when in their most flourishing posture. But, for what reason the goodness of God should permit this to be done, (whether it be that he is desirous to have the true opinion of the Church brought to the test and examined, and wholly to extirpate arrogancy which usually grows up together with faith, or for what o∣ther reason) is a question that cannot be solved without great difficulty and tediousness: nor can it now be opportunely discust by us. For, it is not our design to examin [the truth] of opi∣nions, or to make researches into the abstruse ac∣counts of providence and the judgment of God; but, according to our ability, to compose a nar∣rative of the affairs that have been transacted in the Churches. After what manner therefore the superstition of the Manichaeans c 1.5 sprang up a little before the times of Constantine, it has been sufficiently declared. Let us now return to [the series of] those times, that are the proper sub∣ject of the History we designe.

Notes

• * 1.1

  See Eu∣sebius Ec∣cles. Hist. book 7. chap. 31.
• a 1.2

  It is most apparent that the Manichaeans adored the Sun. Li∣banius relates the same concer∣ning them, in book 4. Epist. 140. wherein he commends the Mani∣chaeans that were in Palestine (but suppresses their name) to Priscianus the President of Pale∣stine: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c. i. e. Those men that worship the Sun without bloud, and honour God with the second appellation, who chastize their belly, and account the day of their death to be gain; are found to be in many places, but are every where few in number. They injure no man, but are mo∣lested by some. I doubt not but by these words Libanius means the Manichaeans; for they cannot be agreeably attributed to any other persons besides them. But he designedly omitted the men∣tion of their name, because the name of the Manichaeans was odi∣ous. Concerning the feigned fasts of the Manichaeans, see Cyrill, in his sixth Cateches. Vales.
• * 1.3

  That is, he had only the form or figure of a man; was ima∣ginatily, not really such.
• b 1.4

  The rea∣ding here must be [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, out of Ar∣chelaus's Dialogue, or disputa∣tion:] which ap∣pears from the term [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, we read.] This Archelaus, Bishop, of Mesopota∣mia, wrote the dis∣pute which he main∣tained a∣gainst Ma∣nichaeus, i•• Syriack: which be∣ing after∣wards tran∣slated into Greek, was in the pos∣session of many per∣sons, as Jerome at∣tests, in his book de scriptor. Ecclesiast. Cyrill of Jerusalem has men∣tioned this dispute, in his sixth Catechism. A fragment of this work is in my hands, wherein is contained the History of the impious and perfidious Manichaeus. But his disputation with Archelaus the Bishop, which was annexed to the close of this History, is wanting. In the room whereof is added Archelaus's Epistle to Diodorus the Presbyter. I am beholding to the eminent Emericus Bigotius for this monument▪ as also for many others. Vales. Valesius has published this dis∣putation of Archelaus's in Latine, at the close of his Annotations upon Sozomen, pag. 197, &c.
• c 1.5

  In the Allat. M. S. the reading is [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉▪ sprang up;] which is better than [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, sprang up before.] After the same man∣ner Socrates exp••esses himself in the beginning of this chapter. 'Tis a metaphor taken from Cockle, which is wont to grow up with the Corn. Vales.