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The Manichecs. Sect. I. 289
Paul's: and, if Epiphaniiis be not mistaken, he* likewise
made use of a book entitled, The Anabaticon, or Ascension
of Isaias.
8. Sebastian, a Manichee, then a young- man, was g-eneral
in Egypt in the reign of Constantius, about the year 356,
and afterwards was in high offices under several emperors.
Athanasius' complains of him more than once: he is mentioned
several times by" Zosimus, and'' Ammianus Marcel-
linus. A note^" of Valesius upon the last-mentioned Avriter
contains a brief history and character of Sebastian, and shows
particularly his acquaintance with Libanius.
9. Secundinus, an" auditor among- the Manichees, wrote
a letter to Aug-ustine, which we still have in that ancient
Avriter's works, together with his own answer.
Cave placeth Secundinus at the year 390 : he^ conjectures
that he Mas of Africa, and speaks of his being- an old
friend and intimate acquaintance of Augustine. But herein
that learned and laborious writer has made several mistakes ;
for Secundinus was a perfect stranger. Augustine^ had not
any personal knowledge of him; nor was Secundinus an
African, but" a Roman, as he himself plainly intimates. If
he had been an African he would not have reproached Augustine*'
with the faithlessness of that country in deserting the
' lb. n. 3. p. 712. * Kapo^vvii rov TparriXartiv
2f/3a?-tavov, Mavixaiov ovra. k. X. Ath. Ap. pro Fuga sua. n. 6. p. 323. C.
ExoJTfg dt iiTTspysf tig r-qv Trovrjpiav rov SsKa ^efSaTiavov, Mavixaiov ovra, Kai
aatXyri vnuTtoov. Id. in Histor. Arian. ad Monach. p. 379. f. Vid. eund. ib. p.
381. C. 387. A. B. C. " Zosim. Hist. 1. 3. p. 714. 1. 4. 749.
* Iringinta millia—commisit Procopio, juncto ad parilem potestatem
Sebastiano comite ex duce iEgypti. Amm. Marcell. 1. 23. c. 3. p. 385. Vid.
eund. 1. 31. c. 13. f. et passim.
* Is est igitur Sebastianus dux .Egypti, secta Manichaeus.—Erat -autem filius
Antiphili, a quo in disciplinam traditus Libanio, mox relicto eloquentiae studio
ad militiam se contulit, temetsi excellenti ingenio prseditus : ut docet Libanius
in epistolis duabus ad Antiphilum, quibus et aliam subjungit ad Sebastianum,
exhortans ut redeat. Exstant in editione CracoWeusi Lat. Libanius, 308, 340,
494. epistolasad eum scribit. Vales, not. *•
p. 385.
" Secundinus quidam, non ex eis quos Manichsei electos, sed ex eis quos
auditores vocant, quern nee facie quidem noveram, scripsit ad me velut amicus,
honorifice objurgans, quod oppugnarem Uteris illam haeresim, et admonens ne
facerem. Aug. Retr. 1. 2. c. x.
y Secundinus natione, ni fallo, Afer, secta Manichseus, claruit circa ann.
390, certe post Augustini ad ecclesiam reditum.—Magna illi cum Augustino
intercesserat familiaritas, dum uterque in hseresi Manichaica versaretur.—Objicit
Punicae gentis perfidiam. Cav. Hist. Lit. T. i. p. 286.
* Vid. not. *
* Legit enim aliquanta exile meum, et qualecunque Romani hominis inge-
nium, reverendae tuae dignationis scripta, in quibus sic irasceris veritati, ut
philosophise Hortensius. Secund. ad Aug. n. 3.
'' Muta quEEso scntentiam, depone Punicaj gentis perfidiam, &c. ib. n. 2.
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