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326 Credibility of the Gospel History.
' before men, and by lying secures himself", I will receive
' with joy as if he had not denied me; and his lie and
' apostasy 1 will consider as a service to my interest."
This saying-, with some difference, and not quite so absurd
and impudent, is in The Form of abjuring Manichoeism, as
we have it in° Cotelerius, and? Tollius. 1 think thati
Beausobre is in the right to dispute the genuineness of this
passage found only in late authors, without naming the work
^^ hence it is taken. I am sure it is contrary to the noble
saying of 3iani, to be alleged by and by"^ from The Acts
of Archelaus, m here he professes willingness to suffer, and
to fear God more than men : it is also contrary to the practice
of his followers, who are generally ifi suffering circumstances
for their principles, and yet persevered, and showed
as much constancy as the men of any other sect. Beausobre*
has fjuoted a passage of Secundinus, showing that the
Manichees did not approve of dissimulation, nor of denying
the Lord Jesus. Augustine assures us, that" the Manichees
alleged as genuine Mords of Christ what is recorded Luke
xviii. 29, 30; " There is no man that has left house, or
parents, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake,
who shall not receive manifold."
Perhaps this impudent saying was in The Memoirs, or
Memorable Acts and Sayings, of Mani : if so, Beausobre had
no reason to set any great value upon that piece. Indeed
T suspect the collection with that name to have been a late
thing; and I apprehend it not unlikely to have been made
by Mani's enemies, and to have been injurious to him in
some respects, though there may have been in it some of his
genuine sayings and observations.
12. Titus of Bostra intimates that^ Mani's books, at
least the book he answered, was written in Syriac. Augustine
however supposeth that" they had books Mritten
in Persic.
° Ubi supra. p Toll, ubi supr. p. 148.
1 T. ii. p. 796. ' See next section, near the beginning.
' lb. p. 796, 797. ' Ipse enim non ignoras, quam pessimus
sit, (juanique malignus, quique etiam lanta calliditate adversus fideles et
summos viros miiitat, ut et Petrum coegerit sub una nocte tertio Dominum
uegare. Secundm. ad August, c. 4.
" quid si alius dicat illud esse immissum, et falsum, quod ipsi proferunt
dicente Domino : Omnis qui reliquerit domum, aut u.xorera, aut parentes, aut
filios propter regnuni coelorum, &c. Aug. contr. Adimant. c. 3. n. 2.
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