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Archelaus, Bishop in Mesopotamia. 255
when Cyril of Jerusalem wrote his Catechetical Discourses,
who is the lirst author that has quoted this piece. Nor does
it appear that" St. Eplirom, who was of 31esopotauna, and
died in 'S7o, has any where taken r)otice of this Disputation,
though he often speaks of Mani. Moreover there is a particular
in the book itself, mIucIj leads him to conclude it was
composed between the years 330 and 340. This tiuje, says
Beausobre, is distinctly marked in some words, which the
writer puts into the mouth of Archelaus, for convincing-
Mani that he could not be the promised Paraclete. ' AVhen*^
' you say you are the Paraclete, perhaps you little think that
' you charge Christ with falsehood : who, though he promised
' to send him soon after his resurrection, has not sent him till
' above three hundred years afterwards.' These threehundred
years come out in the year of our Lord 333 or 334. Zacagni
says this" dropped from Archelaus in the heat of dispute: because
from the death of Christ, to the conference at Caschar,
there were not more than 249 years : but, says^ Beausobre, I
think otherwise. Nothing is more common than for impostors,
w ho make another speak, not to remember every thing that
is ag'reeable to the character they have introduced, and to
thrust in themselves without thinking of it. Hegemonius,
who in fact lived more than three hundred years after our
Saviour's resurrection, thought of the time when he himself
lived, not that of Archelaus, who was speaking'. So that
learned author.
I must be here indulged the liberty of making- some
remarks. 1 readily own I am inclined to think with Beausobre
that this work was orig-inally written in Greek, not in
Syriac.
The argument from the silence of Eusebius is specious ;
and yet, possibly, not conclusive. It is indeed strange that
he should never mention the name of Archelaus. Nor do I
pretend to confute this arg'ument of Beausobre; for it is
almost inconceivable, that Eusebius should be ignorant of
Archelaus if these disputes Avere real. However, I would
not omit my thoughts Avhich offer, and may tend to bringtruth
to light; and therefore I observe, that though Arche-
' lb. p. 146. ' dicens se esse paracletum, qui ab Jesu
praesignatus est mitti, in quo mendacem ignorans fortasse asserit Jesum : qui
enim dixerat se non multo post missurum esse paracletum, invenitur post
trecentos, et eo amplius annos misisse hunc. Arch. c. 27. p. 46.
" Contentionis aestu actus videtur hie dixisse Archelaiis, post trecentos ct
amplius annos a Christi morte Manetem emersisse : nam a Christi raorte usque
ad habitae cum Manete disputationis tempus, anni circiter 249 interccdunt.
Zacag. in not. ad Arch. p. 46. " Beaus. ubi supr. p. 153.