The works of Nathaniel Lardner - The Christian Researcher - Home

The Manichees. Sect. VI. 411
' saying- tliat the scriptures of the New Testament, by which
' he is confuted, are interpohited.'
He frequently speaks to this purpose :
' Wlien'= any text is
' alleged against them from the gospels M-hich they cannot
' answer, they say it is interpohited.' Again, ' When'' they
* are greatly pressed with the authority of the scrij>tures,
' they cry out : " That passage was inserted in the gospel
' by the corrupters of scripture." ' ' When*^ the words of
' scripture are clearly against them, so that they can find no
' way to pervert them, they betake themselves to their com-
' inon answer, and say the passage is an interpolation.'
In an epistle to Ceretius, having represented their opinion
concerning- the Old Testament, he adds: ' And^ in the
* canonical scriptures of the New Testament, that is, the
' genuine evangelical and apostolical Avritings, they do not
' receive all, but what they like.—In every book they mark
' the places, taking- such as they think favourable to their
' errors, and setting aside the rest as interpolations.'
He somewhere calls this^ a certain privilege of theirs, by
which they endeavoured to defend themselves against arguments
brought from a text of scripture.
In another place he says: 'This'^ is their principle
' Whatever is found in the gospels, or in the epistles, by
' which they imagine their error may be supported, that they
' alloAv and maintain to have been said by Christ and his
' apostles : whatever appears contrary to them in the same
•^ Quod si dicunt, hoc capif ulum falsum esse, et a corruptoribus scripturarum
esse additum ; (nam hoc sclent, quando non inveniunt quid respondeant,
dicere :) Contr. Adiin. cap. 3. n. 2.
^ An forte dicturi sunt, sicut solent dicere, cum scripturarum eos urget
auctoritas, hoc capitulum a corruptoribus scripturarum insertum esse evangelic
? Contr. Adim. c. 15. n. 1. m.
* Hoc est quod paulo ante dixi, quia, ubi sic raanifesta veritate isti prae-
focantur, ut, obsessi dilucidis verbis sanctarum scripturarum, exitum, in eis
fallacise suae reperire non pcssint, id testimonium, quod prolatum est, falsura
esse respondent. Contr. Faust. 1. xi. c. 2.
' Qui etiam in scripturis canonicis Testamenti Novi, hoc est, in veris evan-
gelicis et apcstolicis literis, non accipiunt omnia, sed quod volunt—Sed et in
singulis quibusquc libris Icca distingnunt, quae putant suis erronbus convenire,
caefera in eis pro falsis habent. Ad. Ceret. Ep. 237. al. 253.
8 Sed quoniam priviiegio quodam vos tuenuni, ut de scripturis opprimi
nequeatis, dicendc eas esse falsatas. De M. Manich. c. 17. n. 55.
' An forte, quae de Novo Testamento prolulimus, ipsa qucque audent
dicere falsa esse atque perversa, priviiegio sue diabolico, ut, quidquid est in
evangelic vel epistolis canonicis, quo adjuvari haeresim suam putent. id esse a
Christo et apostolis dictum teneant atque suadeant, quidquid autem ex iisdem
codicibus adversus eos sonuent, immissum ab infalsatoribus, ore impudenti ac
sacrilege non dubitent dicere ? Cui furori eorum, auctoritalem omnium librc-
runi exstinguere atque abolere conanti, jam supra— ncHi pauca respondi. Contr.
Faust. 1. 22. c. 15.
—