or Manichæans, Christian heretics, in the third century; followers of Manes, who made his appearance in the time of the emperor Probus. The history of this heresarch is very extraordinary, and is briefly as follows.

One Terebinthus, a disciple of Scythianus a magician, having retired out of Palestine into Persia, and finding his opinions and enterprises opposed by the priests and learned men of that country, was obliged to shelter himself in the house of a widow woman, where he was murdered. This woman being heiress to the money and books of Terebinthus, bought a slave named Cebrius, whom she afterwards adopted, and had him instructed in all the sciences of Persia. This man, after the death of the widow, changed his name, to blot out the memory of his former condition, and took that of Manes, which, in the Persian language, signifies a vessel.

Some time after, from the books of Terebinthus, he began to broach an imposture, pretending to be the Comforter whom our Saviour promised to send into the world. This drew to him many followers, and he became the head of a numerous sect. He taught his disciples, that there are two principles, the one the author of all good, and the other the author of all evil: a doctrine which he borrowed from the Persian Magi.

Manes indulged his disciples in all manner of impurities, and forbade them to give alms to or assist any who were not of their own sect. He gave out, that the souls of his followers passed through the elements to the moon, and from thence to the sun, to be purified; and then went to God, and were re-united with his essence: as for the souls of all other men, they either went to hell, or were sent into other bodies. He alleged, that Christ had his residence in the sun, the Holy Ghost in the air, Wisdom in the moon, and the Father in the abyss of light. He denied the resurrection, and condemned marriage. He forbade the use of eggs, cheese, milk, and wine, as creatures proceeding from the bad principle. He used a different form of baptism from that of the church. He taught, that magistrates were not to be obeyed, and condemned the most lawful wars.

It would be tedious to rehearse all the impious tenets of this heresarch and his followers, of whom pope Leo used to say, that the devil, who reigned in all other heresies, had built a fortress and raised his throne in that of the Manichees, who embraced all the errors and impieties that the spirit of man is capable of.

The death of this heresarch was as dreadful as his life was impious. The king of Persia's son being sick, Manes undertook to cure him; upon which the father dismissed the physicians, and the patient died. Manes was thrown into prison, out of which he made his escape; but was soon after apprehended by the king's servants, who caused him to be flayed alive, and his carcass thrown to the wild beasts.

The Manichees were divided into the hearers and the elect. Out of the latter they chose 12, in imitation of the 12 apostles: these were called masters. There was a 13th, who was a kind of patriarch, or pope, among them. In the fourth century, the emperors made severe laws against these heretics, and a council was held against them at Rome.

Although the Manichees professed to receive the books of the New Testament, yet, in effect, they took only so much of them as suited with their opinions, rejecting the rest as foisted in by later writers. They published several apocryphal books, which they ascribed to the apostles.

The oriental writers tell us, that Manes, being desirous of passing among his followers for something more than human, shut himself up in a grotto, into which he had secretly conveyed provisions for a year; telling his disciples he was going to take a journey to heaven, and that he would return at the end of the year. Accordingly, when the year was expired, he came out of his retirement, bringing with him a book full of extraordinary images and figures, which he pretended to have received in heaven. This book they call