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The Munichees. Sect. IV. 335
' he aimed to pass for the prophet of the Comforter ; or a
' man extraordinarily sent to reveal to the christian church
' some truths which Jesus Christ had not made known to
' his disciples. The Manichees themselves had this opinion
* of their patriarch.' So Beausobre.
I beg' leave to consider this point distinctly. I have not
had the advantage of seeing Arnold's work. 1 can only
represent the case as it appears to me.
IV, In the first place 1 shall mention divers reasons and
arguments for thinking' that Mani was an impostor, and
examine them. After which I shall mention some additional
observations.
The reasons and arguments are such as these: 1. The
ancient Greek and Roman christian authors represent his
pretensions as very extraordinary ; 2. As do likewise the
eastern writers. 3. Mani imitated Christ in choosing- and
sending" out twelve apostles. 4. He called himself apostle.
5. Divers other of his expressions show him to have pretended
to a divine commission. 6. His followers conceived
of him as an apostle, or an inspired teacher. 7. They
rejected the book of the Acts, because of the evidence it
afforded, that the promise of sending the Spirit had been fulfilled
in the apostles, and therefore could not belong to Mani.
1. The ancient Greek and Roman christian writers represent
Mani's pretensions as very extraordinary.
1 answer, that we have shown them to be mistaken in
several things. In particular, divers of them say that Mani
called himself the Comforter, which is not true. We must
therefore look for some other evidence of his imposture
beside their word. Mani published several new notions as
doctrines of religion : some might ' therefore say : A man that
does this had need to be inspired.' And thence some might
be led to conclude, that he actually pretended to be inspired
in an extraordinary manner, and sent by Christ to reveal
new truths. Some might speak of him to this purpose;
and others might take up this account without much examination.
2. The eastern writers, whether Persians or Arabians,
whose account was formerly^ taken, speak of him in the like
manner.
I answer, that those writers are not very ancient. Their
account of Mani's imposture, particularly his journey to
heaven, is taken from the history of Mahomet, who is much
later than the person whose aflfairs we are examining. Therefore
probably that story is a fiction, without any real foun-
» Seep. 311.