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280 Credibdiiy of (he Gospd History.
Adimantus is niiicli admired by "^
FausUis
; he is next in
liis esteem to JMani himself, which Augustine* fails not to
observe: Beausobre therefore concludes that' Adimantus
was the apostle of Mani, who planted Manichi^eism in Africa :
but to me this appears a conjecture without foundation.
Augustine has" often mentioned this man, but says nothing
of that kind of him. He says he^ was a disciple of Mani,
and much extolled, as having been an eminent teacher of
that sect; and" that it was commonly said he Avas a follower
of Mani in his lifetime; but he nowhere intimates that they
gave out that Africa was indebted to Adimantus for his presence
or personal instructions.
If Adimantus and Addas be two names of one and the
same person, as Augustine supposed, it may be reckoned
very probable that he was a disciple of Mani in his lifetime,
or however, one of the most early abettors of his principles
afterwards : for according to the Dispute ascribed to Archelaus,
the three chief disciples of Mani were'' Thomas, Addas,
and Hermas : in Cyrils their names are Thomas, Baddas,
and Hermas; in Epiphanius' Thomas, Hermias, Addas; in
Thcodoref Aldas, (by mistake of transcribers probably for
Addas,) Thomas, and Hermas. I need not add any more
authors.
Whether Adimantus be the same person as Addas or not,
it is fit I should take notice of what Photius writes in his
extracts out of p[eraclean. ' That'' author said that Diodorus
of Tarsus, in his first seven books, really argued against
a work of Addas, called Modion, whilst he thought he had
been overthrowing the living gospel of Manichee himself.'
That title is supposed to have been taken from Mark iv. 21.
Here then is a book of Addas ; was it the same Avith that
of Adimantus, confuted by Augustine? We cannot be ab-
"
a doctispimo scilicet, et solo nobis post beatum patrem nostrum
Manichaeum studendo [al. stupendo] Adimanto. Faust. 1. i. c. 2. ap. August.
T. 8. * Faustus sic niiratur Adimantum, ut ei solum piaeferat
Manichaeum. Contr. Faust. 1. C. c. 6. ' Beaus. ib. T. i. p. 433.
" Confr. Adimanf. c. 12. n. 2. c. 13. n. 1, et 4, et passim.
^ Quid (juod etiam iiisultare ausus est populo Israel Adimantus, unus ex
discipulis Manichaei, quern magnum doctorem illius sectse fuisse commemorant.
Conlr. Adim, c. 12. n. 2. " Si autem recenseatis quae
contra Faustum Manicha-um scripsimus, et contra Adimantum, qui Manichaei
sectator cum ille viveret fuisse jactatur. Contr. Adv. Leg. et Pr. c. 12.
" Acquisivit etiam discipulos tres, quorum nomina sunt \\xc, Thomas,
Addas, et Hermas. Arch. Disp. c. 53. p. 98. ^ Cat. vi. c. 31. p. 107.
'• Hder. G.5. c. v. et xii. * Haer. Fab. 1. i. c. 2G. p. 214. C.
''
'Of Sia fiiv rwv irpwroiV /3i/3\twv tVTa to th M«v(x«'« ^wv ivayyiKwv
iivnTptnti' H Tvy)(uvii St ekhvh, aWa avuTpntu to vno ASSa yiypaft^evot', 6
ticikuTca Moliov. Cod. 85. p. 204.