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TJte Manichees. Sect. \'I. 427
' tares he endeavoured to find in them his doctrine of the
' two principles: and that when he disputed with liini, he
' strove to support his opinions by the same ; censuring" some
' things, and changing- others :
' that is, I think, perverting"
them. In a word, Mani perverted some texts of scripture ;
and some others, that were too hard for him, he censured, as
additions, but did not alter the text of the New Testament
himself.
Aug'ustine may be reckoned a g-ood witness for them here
' For,' says'^ he, ' if any one should charge you with having"
' interpolated some texts alleged by you, as favourable to
' your cause, what would you say? Would you not imme-
' diately answer that it is impossible for you to do such a
' thing- in books read by all christians 1 And that if any
' such attempt had been made by you, it would have been
' presently discerned and defeated by comparing" the ancient
' copies? Well then,' says Augustine, ' for the same reason
' that the scriptures cannot be corrupted by you, neither
' could they be corrupted by any other people.'
The scriptures therefore were not corrupted ; for it was
impossible: nor had the Manichees attempted it.
Nor has Augustine, that I remember, any where charged
them with such an attempt : though, if there had been reason
for it, there were many occasions to mention it. He often
speaks of their charge against the catholics. Certainly
therefore he Mould have returned it, if there had been any
ground for it.
Moreover, it is evident from Augustine that the Manichees
had no copies of the books of the New Testament, different
from those used by the catholics : they often said, that the
catholic copies were corrupted : but*^ when called upon to
fecit, assertionem suam proferre, qusedam in his accusans, quaedam permutans.
Arch. cap. 54. p. 99.
^ Tamen cum ea de iis codicibus proferritis, quos dicitis falsatos, hoc ipsum
illic immissum esse diceremus, quod illic de Manichaeo sic dictum legeretur,
ut de alio intelligere non possemus : quid faceretis, dicite mihi, nisi clamaretis,
nullo modo vos potuisse falsare codices, qui jam in manibus essent omnium
christianorum ? quia mox ut facere ccepissetis, vetustiorum exemplarium ventate
convinceremini. Qua igitur causa a vobis corrumpi non possent, hac causa
a nemine
note
potuenint. Aug. contr. F. 1. 32. c. 16. Vid. et supra, p. 373.
''.
^ Proferendus est namque tibi alius codex eadem continens, sed tamen
incorruptus et verior, ubi sola desint ea quee hie immissa esse criminaris. Ut
si, verbi causa, Pauli epistolam, quae ad Romanes scripta est, corruptam esse
contendis, aliam proferas incorruptam, vel alium codicem potius, in quo ejusdem
apostoli eadem epistola sincera et incorrupta conscripta sit. Non faciam,
inquis. ne ipse corrupisse crcdar : hoc eiiim soletis dicere. De Mor. Ec.
Cath. cap. 29. n. 61.
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