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374 Credibility of the Gospel History.
Manichees should allow but very few, if any, soulss to be
lost and perish for ever. That could not be reckoned
honourable to the Deity, considering- how souls M'ere sent
into matter. The doctrine of transmigration may have been
contrived for this purpose. The Manichees M^ere very generous
in this respect ; they allowed souls no less than five*
bodies for trial.
XIX. The Manichees believed that after a certain period
this'' visible world would be consumed by fire. But, as*"
Turbo says in the Acts of Archelaus, he had not been
informed how long it would be before that happened. However,
Ebed-Jesu, quoted by*^ Beausobre, says, thaf^ according
to the Manichees the world would come to an end when
it had subsisted nine thousand years.
XX. The Manichees were christians, as was particularly*^
shown above. But they rejected the Old Testament, and
pretended they" could there see no prophecies about Christ,
neither in Moses, nor in the other prophets. They therefore
wanted that argument of faith in Jesus. As ''Faustus says,
' being Gentiles by nature, and not .Jews, they came directly
' to Christ, excited by the fame of his virtues and wisdom.'
He farther says, that ' they' were induced to believe in Jesus
' for the sake of the voice of God, not speaking by a prophet
' or interpreter, but saying himself, when he sent his Son from
' heaven : " This is my beloved Son, hear him." ' ' We^
' also believe his own word, Avho said : " I came forth from
* the Father, and came into the world :" and much more to
* Epu) St vfiiv (cat mro, ttcoq inrayyiZirai ij i/'V^JJ «f
Arch. n. 9. in. Vid. et Epiph. H. 66. c. 28. in.
Trtvre (Twjuara. Ap.
'' Vid. supr. not. \
'^
ayptC ctv TO TTvp KaTcivaXdicry tov Koafiov okov, tv iroooiq Trors
iTiaiv, cjv sK cfiaOov ti]v TrpoffoTijra. Ap. Arch. c. xi. p. 22.
'' T. 2. p. 580. '^ IManichaei, resurrectionem abnegantes,
conti-a christianos jejunium luctumquein die dominico faciunt, alentes, in ipso
die fore ut hoc seculum subeat interitum dissokitionemque omnem post circulum
novem milhuni annorum. Ap. Assem. Bib. Or. Gr. T. 3. P. 2. p. 361.
' See p. 328. ^ Ahoquin nihil eos de Christo prophelasse,
abunde jam parentum hbris ostensum est. Faust. 1. 12. Conf. 1. 13. in.
Quia omnem, ut dixi, Moyseos scripturam scrutatus, nullas ibi de Christo
prophetias inveni. Id. 1. 16. c. 3.
^ Quomodo Christum colitis, prophetas repudiantes, quorum ex presagiis
accipitur fuisse venturura ?—Porro autem nos natura Gentiles sumus—non
ante effecti Judaei, ut merito Hebi-aeorum sequeremur fidem, euntes ad christianismum
; scd sola exciti fama, et virtutum opmione, atque sapientia libera-
toris nostri Christi Jesu. Id. 1. 13.
' quis fidelior vobis esse testis debet, quam Deus ipse de Filio suo,
qui non per vatem, nee per interpretem, sed ultro coelitus erupta voce, cum eum
mitteret ad terram, dixit: Hie est Filius meus delectissimus: credite illi. Id.
1. 12. ^ Nee non et ipse de se : A
in hunc mundum ; atque multa alia hujusmodi. lb.
Patre raeo process!, et veni