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402 Credibility of the Gospel History.
pion, or Titus, or Epiplianius, or Duly miis, must have known
It, and would have taken some notice of" it.
We have therefore Augustine's single testimony alone
against them upon this head ; which can affect only the Manichees
of his time in ^Africa, if it be valid so far,
I do not recollect that Faustus has any thing which can
afford us much light. He has C{uoted'' the tenth of the Acts
but it is not in such a manner as to decide the question.
He may be supposed likewise to refer to' the Hfteenth
chapter.
Upon the whole, 1 somewhat doubt whether the Manichees
were so much offended at this book as Augustine
insinuates.
Jf the reader thinks it may be of any use for finding out
the Manichaean sentiment concerning- the book of the Acts,
he may observe the testimony of the Paulicians to the New
Testament, which will be taken notice of hereafter. They
are commonly reckoned a branch of this sect; and it is said
that some of them did not receive the Acts.
Beausobre, considering- this matter, says: ' Nevertheless,'^
' Augustine has well observed that' the Manichees might
' have received the book of the Acts, and yet avoid the
' difficulties they would then have been urged with, by only
' making" the like exceptions, Avhich they did to evade the
' testimony of the gospels. V/hich.' as that learned author
adds, ' has made me to think that the true reason why the
' Manichees excluded the history of the apostles from their
' canon, was, that it had not in the eastern churches, from
' the beginning, the same authority with the gospels and
' epistles.' After which he refers to a well known passage
of St. Chrysostoni.
But 1 am rather of opinion that this book was not always
rejected by the Manichees : and 1 rely upon the reasons just
fussigned, without adding- any thing farther.
Nor can I allow that the Acts of the Apostles was not of
authority from the beginning in the eastern churches : for
It was received by Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Dionysius
of Alexandria, and other christians in the east, as has
been already shown in this work.
4. I next observe what epistles of apostles they admitted.
•^ r|iiemadmodum et illud, quod de Petro soletis adferre, taaquam
idem viderit aliquando de coelo demissurn vas, in quo essent omnia genera
animalium, et serpentes. Faust. 1. 31. c. 3.
' De mandate vero abstinendi a cibis communibus, visum vobis est et vehe-
menter crerlitum, morticina quidem et immolataesse saneimmunda.1. 32. c. 3.
" B. T. i. p. 293. ' De Util. Cred. cap. 3.
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