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The works of Nathaniel Lardner - The Christian Researcher - Home

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<strong>The</strong> Munichccs. Sect. I. 283<br />

the Catalogues in Photius and Peter, and the Anathemas just<br />

quoted ; the reasons will be assined hereafter.<br />

5. Philostorgius tells a story <strong>of</strong>" Apthonius at Alexandria,<br />

whom he speaks <strong>of</strong> as a bisho|) <strong>of</strong> the Manichees, and a man<br />

in great reputation for knowledge and eloquence. iEtius,<br />

he says, had a public disputation with Apthonius, and so<br />

entirely overcame him that he died <strong>of</strong> grief seven days after.<br />

In the Catalogues <strong>of</strong> Photius and Peter <strong>of</strong> Sicily, and likewise<br />

in the Form <strong>of</strong> abjuring Manichseism, before referred<br />

to, is the name <strong>of</strong> Apthonius ; and he is spoken <strong>of</strong> as one <strong>of</strong><br />

Mani's commentators.<br />

6. Faustus <strong>of</strong> Milevi,^ in Africa, published a volume in<br />

defence <strong>of</strong> Manichoeism, which St. Augustine answered*! in<br />

a large work <strong>of</strong> three-and-thirty books, always prefixing<br />

at the beginning <strong>of</strong> each book a passage or section <strong>of</strong> Faustus<br />

himself. Beausobre"^ commends this author's manner <strong>of</strong><br />

Avriting, and supposeth that we have his work entire in<br />

Augustine ; so does^ Cave: but I do not perceive that clearly:<br />

we have the' introduction, but I do not see any conclusion,<br />

Augustine did not consider every thing' in the book <strong>of</strong> Adimantus,<br />

but left a part <strong>of</strong> it near the end answered, as he<br />

acknowledges" in a work written long afterwards. Augustine<br />

wrote a book against 3Iani's epistle <strong>of</strong> the Foundation;<br />

but he therein confuted only the beginning <strong>of</strong> that epistle,<br />

as he informs us in his^ Retractations. In like manner he<br />

may have been obliged, by the multitude <strong>of</strong> affairs upon his<br />

hands, to break <strong>of</strong>f his answer to Faustus before he had<br />

confuted the whole <strong>of</strong> his book. It seems to me that Augustine,<br />

having followed Faustus step by step a great way,<br />

until he had produced and confuted"' his furious passages<br />

concerning the gospels, supposed he might then put an end<br />

° AfpOovioq TiQ rriQ Mavixatwv Xvaffijg TrposTiog, Kca fiiya\r]v irapa woXkoiQ<br />

tTTi aoOTi]Ti Xoywv (p^puv tj}v to^av. Philost. 1. 3. c. 15. p. 487, 488.<br />

p Faustus quidam tuit, gente Afer, civitate Milevitanus, eloquio suavis,<br />

ingenio callidus, secta Manichseus, ac per hoc nefando errore perversus. Noveram<br />

ipse hominem. Aug. contr. Faust. 1. i. c. 7.<br />

i Contra Faustuni Manichaeum—scripsi giande opus, verbis ejus propositis<br />

reddens responsiones meas. Triginta et tres disputationes sunt, quas etiam<br />

hbros cur non dixerim ? Retract. 1. 2. c. 7.<br />

""<br />

Hist, de Manich.<br />

T. i. p. 224. ' In quibus Faustuni Kara Trodag sequitur, integrumque<br />

ejus libnim in suum opus transcripsit. Hist. Lit. T. i. p. 344. Oxon.<br />

* Vid. Faust, lib. i. ap. Aug. T. 8.<br />

" Quamvis quaedam sint perpauca in fine ipsius operis Adimanti, quibus<br />

non respondi ; nescio quibus enim, ut fieri solet, incurrentibus, quae magis<br />

videbantur urgere, ilia interrupta sic remanserunt. Contr. Adv. Leg. et Pr. !.<br />

2. c. 12. n. 4L fin. " Liber contra epistolam Manichsei, quam<br />

vocant Fundamenti, principia ejus sola redarguit. Retr. 1. 2. c. 2.<br />

" Vid. Faust. I. 32, et 33. ap. Aug.

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