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teachers of the more simple teach, saying that the good and the evil come from the same source and introducing one principle, not distinguishing nor dividing the darkness from the light, and the good from the bad and evil, and the outer man from the inner, as we said before, but they do not cease mixing and blending the one with the other. But you, O child, do not, like the multitude of men, irrationally and simply unite both things, as it might happen, nor attribute them to the God of goodness. For they refer the beginning and end and the 3.27 father of these evils to God, "whose end is near to a curse." For neither do they believe the things said in the gospels by our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ himself, that "a good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit." And I am filled with wonder how they dare to say God is the maker and creator of Satan and his evil deeds. And would that their vain labor had reached only this far, and that they did not say the Only-Begotten, Christ who came down from the bosom of the Father, was the son of a certain woman Mary, born of blood and flesh and the other foulness of women. And so that I might not, by writing many things in this letter, for a long time abuse your kindness, not having the proper expressions, I will be content with these things. But you will know the whole thing when I am present with you, if indeed you still care for your own salvation. For I do not cast a noose on anyone, as the more foolish of the many do. Understand what I am saying, most honored child." 7. Having read this letter, the most noteworthy Marcellus, a most God-fearing and illustrious man, was astonished and amazed. For it 3.28 happened that Archelaus, the bishop of the city, was at home with him on that day in which the servant of God had received the letter of the Manichaean into his hands. But Archelaus, understanding the cause and having read the letter, gnashed his teeth, roaring like a lion, and taking up a zeal for God, he tried rather to rush upon him and overpower such a one, as an alien from the barbarians, from whence he also rushed on to the destruction of the sons of men, having risen up against them. But the prudent Marcellus, entreating the bishop, calmed him down, and he urged Turbo to complete the journey to Manes in the fortress of Arabion, where he was waiting for Turbo. This fort is between the Persians and between Mesopotamia. But he refused the arrival to the Manichaean, and without compelling Turbo, he sends one of his own couriers, having written him a letter such as this: Letter of Marcellus to Manichaeus. "Marcellus, a distinguished man, to Manichaeus, who is indicated by the letter, greetings. I have received the letter written by you, and I have welcomed Turbo according to my good will, but I did not at all understand the meaning of the letter, unless you yourself come and explain each point to us in plain speech, as you promised through the letter. Farewell." 8. Having learned these things, Manes considered that the absence of Turbo, being in detention, was not a good thing, and he often deceived himself, reasoning things other than what they were, for the sake of the full conviction of his own mind; nevertheless, taking the pretext from the letter, he came quickly to Marcellus. But the bishop Archelaus, having in himself, along with reason, also the zeal of faith, was considering if it were possible immediately to hunt the man down, like a panther or a wolf or some other of the wild beasts, and to hand him over to death, lest he harm the flocks, perceiving his entry as the assault of such a beast. But Marcellus thought it better to adhere to long-suffering 3.29 and for the dialogue with him to proceed from him with forbearance. For he had already learned the entire hypothesis of the opinion of Manes;

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ἁπλουστέρων καθηγεμόνες διδάσκουσι, λέγοντες τὸ ἀγαθὸν καὶ τὸ κακὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ αὐτοῦ φέρεσθαι καὶ μίαν ἀρχὴν εἰσηγούμενοι, οὔτι διακρίνοντες οὐδὲ διαιροῦντες ἀπὸ τοῦ φωτὸς τὸ σκότος καὶ τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ κακοῦ καὶ φαύλου καὶ τὸν ἔξωθεν ἄνθρωπον ἀπὸ τοῦ ἔνδον, ὡς προείπομεν, ἀλλὰ κιρνῶντες καὶ ἐγκαταμιγνύντες θάτερον θατέρῳ οὐ παύονται. σὺ δέ, ὦ τέκνον, μὴ ἴσα τοῖς πολλοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀλογίστως καὶ ἁπλῶς ἀμφότερα, ὡς ἂν τύχοι, ἑνώσῃς, μηδὲ τῷ τῆς ἀγαθωσύνης θεῷ ἀνατίθεσο. ἀρχὴν γὰρ καὶ τέλος καὶ τὸν τούτων 3.27 πατέρα τῶν κακῶν ἐπὶ τὸν θεὸν ἀναφέρουσιν «ὧν τὸ τέλος κατάρας ἐγγύς». οὔτε γὰρ τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἐν εὐαγγελίοις παρ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν καὶ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ πιστεύουσιν, ὅτι «οὐ δύναται δένδρον καλὸν καρποὺς κακοὺς ποιῆσαι, οὐδὲ μὴν δένδρον κακὸν καλοὺς καρποὺς ποιῆσαι». καὶ πῶς τὸν θεὸν τοῦ σατανᾶ καὶ τῶν κακῶν αὐτοῦ πραγμάτων λέγειν τολμῶσι ποιητὴν καὶ δημιουργόν, θαυμάζειν μοι ἐπέρχεται. καὶ εἴθε μὲν ἄχρι τούτων ἔφθασεν αὐτῶν ἡ ματαιοπονία, καὶ μὴ τὸν Μονογενῆ, τὸν ἐκ τῶν κόλπων τοῦ πατρὸς καταβάντα Χριστόν, Μαρίας τινὸς γυναικὸς ἔλεγον εἶναι υἱόν, ἐξ αἵματος καὶ σαρκὸς καὶ τῆς ἄλλης δυσωδίας τῶν γυναικῶν γεγεννημένον. καὶ ἵνα μὴ τὰ πολλὰ διὰ τῆσδε τῆς ἐπιστολῆς γράφων εἰς μῆκος χρόνου διασύρω σου τὴν ἐπιείκειαν, οὐκ ἔχων τὰς φυσικὰς φράσεις, ἐπὶ τούτοις ἀρκεσθήσομαι. τὸ δ' ὅλον γνώσῃ παρόντος μου πρὸς σέ, εἴ γε τῆς σεαυτοῦ σωτηρίας ἔτι φείδῃ. οὐδὲ γὰρ βρόχον τινὶ ἐπιβάλλω, ὡς οἱ τῶν πολλῶν ἀφρονέστεροι ποιοῦσιν. νόει ἃ λέγω, τέκνον τιμιώτατε». 7. Ταύτην ἀναγνοὺς τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ὁ ἀξιολογώτατος Μάρκελλος καὶ θεοσεβέστατος ἀνὴρ καὶ διαφανὴς ἐθαύμαζε καὶ ἐξεπλήττετο. συμ3.28 βέβηκε γὰρ Ἀρχέλαον τὸν τῆς πόλεως ἐπίσκοπον οἴκαδε ἅμα αὐτῷ συνεῖναι κατ' ἐκείνην τὴν ἡμέραν, ἐν ᾗ τὴν ἐπιστολὴν τοῦ Μανιχαίου μετὰ χεῖρας εἴληφεν ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ δοῦλος. ὁ δὲ Ἀρχέλαος γνοὺς τὴν αἰτίαν καὶ τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἀναγνοὺς ἔβρυχε τοὺς ὀδόντας, ὥσπερ λέων ὠρυόμενος, καὶ ζῆλον θεοῦ ἀναλαβὼν ἐπειρᾶτο ὁρμῆσαι μᾶλλον ἕως αὐτοῦ καὶ χειρώσασθαι τὸν τοιοῦτον, ὡς ἐπήλυτον ἐκ βαρβάρων, ὅθεν καὶ ὡρμᾶτο πρὸς ἀφανισμὸν τῶν υἱῶν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἐπαναστάντα. ὁ δὲ συνετὸς Μάρκελλος τὸν μὲν ἐπίσκοπον ἀξιώσας κατεπράϋνε, Τύρβωνι δὲ παρεκελεύετο διανύειν τὴν ὁδοιπορίαν πρὸς τὸν Μάνην ἐν τῷ καστέλλῳ Ἀραβίωνος, ἔνθα που ἐξεδέχετο τὸν Τύρβωνα ἔστι δὲ τοῦτο τὸ φρούριον ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν Περσῶν καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τῆς Μεσοποταμίας· ὁ δὲ παρῃτήσατο τὴν πρὸς τὸν Μανιχαῖον ἄφιξιν, καὶ μὴ καταναγκάσας τὸν Τύρβωνα ἀποστέλλει τινὰ ταχυδρόμον τῶν ἰδίων, γράψας αὐτῷ ἐπιστολὴν τοιάνδε· Ἐπιστολὴ Μαρκέλλου πρὸς Μανιχαῖον. «Μάρκελλος ἀνὴρ ἐπίσημος Μανιχαίῳ τῷ διὰ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς δηλουμένῳ χαίρειν. Τὴν μὲν ὑπὸ σοῦ γραφεῖσαν ἐπιστολὴν προσηκάμην, τόν τε Τύρβωνα προσεδεξάμην κατὰ φιλοφροσύνην ἐμήν, τῶν δὲ γραμμάτων τὸν νοῦν οὐδαμῶς ἔγνων, εἰ μὴ σὺ παραγενόμενος φράσῃς ἡμῖν καταλογάδην ἕκαστον, ὡς ὑπέσχου διὰ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς. ἔρρωσο». 8. Ταῦτα γνοὺς ὁ Μάνης ἐσκέπτετο οὐκ ἀγαθὴν εἶναι τὴν τοῦ Τύρβωνος ἐν καθέξει γενομένου ἀπουσίαν, πολλάκις δὲ καὶ ἑαυτὸν ἠπάτα, ἄλλα παρὰ τὰ ὄντα λογιζόμενος, πληροφορίας τῆς ἑαυτοῦ διανοίας χάριν· ὅμως διὰ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς λαβόμενος τὴν πρόφασιν δρομαίως ἧκε πρὸς τὸν Μάρκελλον. ὁ δὲ ἐπίσκοπος Ἀρχέλαος. ἔχων ἐν ἑαυτῷ μετὰ τοῦ λόγου καὶ τὸ ζηλωτικὸν τῆς πίστεως, ἐβουλεύετο εἰ ἦν δυνατὸν ἐξ αὐτῆς τὸν ἄνδρα, ὥσπερ πάρδαλιν ἢ λύκον ἤ τι ἕτερον τῶν θηρίων ἀγρεύσας, θανάτῳ παραδοῦναι, ἵνα μὴ λυμανθῇ τὰ θρέμματα τοιούτου θηρὸς ἐφόδῳ τὴν εἴσοδον κατανοῶν. ὁ δὲ Μάρκελλος τῇ μακροθυμίᾳ μᾶλλον προσανέχειν 3.29 ἠξίου καὶ ἀνεξικάκως τὸν πρὸς αὐτὸν διάλογον ἀπ' αὐτοῦ γενέσθαι. ὁ δὲ ἤδη μεμαθηκὼς ἦν τῆς τοῦ Μάνη γνώμης τὴν πᾶσαν ὑπόθεσιν·