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302 Crcdibiliiy of the Gospel History.
one of them is, that there is no mention of this hiw in Eusebius,
Cyril, or Augustine : he has many other reasons wliich
are very considerable, and may be seen in his own work.
Indeed it seems to me altogether unlikely that Maniclijeism
should so soon have gained footing-, and made such progress
in Africa, as is here supposed, so as to cause disturbances
to divers people and^" cities, and" be received by men of
high rank as well as others.
It appears to me also very probable that, if Dioclesian
had made such a law as this, the Manichees would have
been expressly named in Constantino's edicts against heretics
; whereas, it does not appear from'Eusebius, that^ they
were so named in any such laws of that christian emperor.
It must be owned AmmianusMarcellinus says that ' Con-
' stantine,^ desirous to get exact information concerning- the
' opinions of divers sects, the Manichees and the like, em-
' ployed Strategius for that purpose ; who acquitted himself
' so well in the office assigned him, that the emperor order-
' ed he should for the future be called Mjisonianus.' But
perhaps Ammianus accommodates his way of speaking- to
the state of things in his own time, when the Manichees were
well known, as well as greatly disliked. Ammianus mentions
no other sect distinctly beside the Manichees, as if they
which can hardly be
were the principal subject of inquiry ;
allowed, when we perceive from our ecclesiastical historians
that there were other sects at that time which made much
more noise in the Roman empire : however, the inquiry here
spoken of is no proof that the Manichees were named in any
of Constantino's laws against heretics.
Beausobre'' admits the genuineness of this law: but then
he says Dioclesian'' and his ministers must have been very
little acquainted with the true principles of the Manichees;
which I think shoidd have led him to suspect the reputed
orig-inal of this rescript, and ascribe it
rant and designing- impostor.
rather to some igno-
* et multa facinora ibi committere : populos namque quietos per-
turbare, nee non civitatibus maxima detrimenta inferre. ap. Baron, ib. n. 3.
" Si qui sane eliam honorati, aut cujuslibet dignitatis, vel majoris personae,
ad banc inauditam, turpemque sectani,—se transtulerunt. ib. n. 4.
y Vid. Eus. de Vit. Constant. 1. .3. cap. 63, G4.
^ Constantinns enim cum limatius superstitionum qusereret sectas, Manichaeorum
et similium, nee interpres inveniretur iJoneus, hunc sibi commendatUhi
ut sufficientem elegit ; quem, officio t'unctnm perite, Musonianum voluit
appellari, ante Stratogium dictitatum. Amm. M. 1. 15. c. 13.
^ See B. Hist, de Man. T. i. p. 183. T. 2. p. 799.
*> Diocletien et ses ministies connoissoient fort mal ces heretiques, s'ils les
croyoient capablcs d'approuver les incestes, eux qui toleroient a peine le
manage, ib. T. i. p. 284.