Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume VI/Archelaus/Acts of Disputation/Chapter XXXIX

by Archelaus

39. On hearing these matters, those who were present gave great glory to God, and ascribed to Him such praise as it is meet for Him to receive. And on Archelaus himself they bestowed many tokens of honour. Then Marcellus rose up; and casting off his cloak,^[1] he threw his arms round Archelaus, and kissed him, and embraced him, and clung to him. Then, too, the children who had chanced to gather about the place began and set the example of pelting Manes and driving him off;^[2] and the rest of the crowd followed them, and moved excitedly about, with the intention of compelling Manes to take to flight. But when Archelaus observed this, he raised his voice like a trumpet above the din, in his anxiety to restrain the multitude, and addressed them thus: “Stop, my beloved brethren, lest mayhap we be found to have the guilt of blood on us at the day of judgment; for it is written of men like this, that ‘there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.’”^[3] And when he had uttered these words, the crowds of people were quieted again.^[4]—Now, because it was the pleasure of Marcellus that this disputation should have a place given it,^[5] and that it should also be described, I could not gainsay his wish, but trusted to the kind consideration of the readers, believing that they would pardon me if my discourse should sound somewhat inartistic or boorish: for the great thing which we have had in view has been, that the means of knowing what took place on this occasion should not fail to be brought within the reach of all who desired to understand the subject. Thereafter, it must be added, when Manes had once taken to flight, he made his appearance nowhere there again. His attendant Turbo, however, was handed over by Marcellus to Archelaus; and on Archelaus ordaining him as a deacon, he remained in the suite of Marcellus. But Manes in his flight came to a certain village which was at a considerable distance from the city, and bore the name of Diodorus. Now in that place there was also a presbyter whose name likewise was Diodorus,^[6] a man of quiet and gentle disposition, and well reputed both for his faith and for the excellence of his general character. Now when, on a certain day, Manes had gathered a crowd of auditors around him, and was haranguing^[7] them, and putting before the people who were present certain outlandish assertions altogether foreign to the tradition of the fathers, and in no way apprehending any opposition that might be made to him on the part of any of these, Diodorus perceived that he was producing some effect by his wickedness, and resolved then to send to Archelaus a letter couched in the following terms:—

Diodorus sends greeting to Bishop Archelaus,^[8]

Footnotes

1. The text gives the plural form stolas, perhaps for stolam.
2. The text gives fugere, apparently in the sense of fugare.
3. 1 Cor. xi. 19.
4. [Note the testimony against the persecution of heretics,—a characteristic of early Christians which too soon began to disappear, notably in Alexandria under Cyril.]
5. Excipi.
6. This Diodorus appears to be called Trypho by Epiphanius, on this Manichæan heresy, n. 11.
7. Reading concionaretur for continuaretur.
8. This epistle is also mentioned, and its argument noticed, by Epiphanius, Hæres., 11.