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The Manichees. Sect. VI. 425
flesh," says, ' thc^ clause is in all copies ancient and
' modern. All cluuches and languages agree with one
' consent in owning- if.'
(10) liy all which we perceive how solidly and rationally
Augustine defended the authority of the scriptures; and
how weak are all the objections M'hich the JManichccs brousht
aganist the antiquity, genuineness, or purity, of
the New Testament.
the books of
VIII. Augustine, in the passage of his Summary above
cited, said that ' the JManichees made use of apocryphal
' books.' We shall have full proof of it presently.
But let us first of all examine a charge or two brought
against these people.
1. There is a passage in' Augustine, which might load
some persons to suspect that the JManichees pretended to
have some letter of Christ. Mr. Jones," in his table of
apocryphal ])ieces not extant, reckons this as one :
' An
' Epistle of Christ produced by the Manichees.' ' But,'
says^ Beausobre, ' no ancient author having ever accused
' them of forging' such a letter, and no man having ever
' seen this pretended letter, it is reasonable to consider what
' Augustine says only as a supposition, which makes a part
' of an argument, otherwise also perplexed enough.' Fabricius"
speaks to the like purpose. Moreover Faustus acknowledgeth
thaf Christ did not write the New Testament. If
the sect had any letter ascribed to our Saviour, Faustus
would have mentioned it: and Augustine in his answer
would not only have made a supposition of such a thing, but
would have taken particular notice of it.
2. The Manichees are sometimes charged with interpolating",
or endeavouring to interpolate and alter, the books of
the New Testament, in order to render the words of it agreeable
to their sentiments.
" Hoc autem quod adversus impiefatem vestram ex apostoli Pauli epistola
profertur, Filium Dei ex semine David esse secundum carnem, omnes codices
et novi et veteres habent, omnes ecclesiae legnnl, omnes linguae consentiunt.
Contr. Faust. 1. xi. c. 3.
' Si enim prolatse fuerint aliquae literse, quae nullo alio narrante ipsius pro-
prie Christi esse dicantur ; unde fieri poterat, ut, si vera ipsius assent, non lega-
rentur, non acciperentur, non praecipuo culmine auctoritatis eminerent in ejus
ecclesia ? Quis ergo tam demens, qui hodie credat esse epistolam Christi,
quam protulerit ManicheEus, et non credat facta, vel dicta esse Christi, quae
scripsit MatlhiEUs? Aug. Contr. F. 1. 28. c. 4.
" Jones's Can. of the N. T. Vol. i. p. 145, 146.
" Hist. Manich. T. i. p. 338, 339. " Ex hoc loco non
satis firmiter probatur, Manichaeos revera epistolam quandam singularem
sub nomine Christi jactasse, &c. Fabr. Cod. Ps. N. T. T. i. p. 306. note '.
" Preesertim quod nee ab ipso scriptum constat. Faust. 1. 32. cap. 2.