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Contra Faustum Manichaeum libri triginta tres

10.

Quid autem fallitis auditores vestros, qui cum suis uxoribus et filiis et familiis et domibus et agris uobis serviunt, si quisquis ista omnia non dimiserit, non accipiet evangelium? Sed quia eis non resurrectionem, sed revolutionem ad istam mortalitatem promittitis, ut rursus nascantur et vita electorum vestrorum vivant, tam vana et inepta et sacrilega, quam vos vivitis, quando valde laudamini, aut si melioris meriti sunt, in melones et cucumeres vel in aliquos alios cibos veniant, quos vos manducaturi estis, ut vestris ructatibus cito purgentur, merito eos a mandatis evangelicis alienatis. Sed et vos ipsos talia sentientes atque suadentes maxime inde separare debetis. Si enim haec vanitas ad fidem evangelicam pertineret, non debuit dicere dominus: Esurivi et dedistis mihi manducare, sed: Esuristis et manducastis me, aut: Esurivi et manducavi vos. . p. 283,14 Neque enim ex illo iam ministrationis merito secundum vestra deliramenta quisquam recipietur in regnum dei, quia manducare sanctis dedit, sed quia vel manducavit, quos anhelaret, vel manducatus est, a quibus anhelaretur in caelum. Nec illi dicerent : Domine, quando te vidimus esurientem, et dedimus tibi manducare? , sed dicerent : Quando te vidimus esurientem et manducasti nos? Quibus ille non responderet: Cum uni ex minimis meis dedistis, mihi dedistis, sed : Cum unus ex minimis meis vos manducavit, ego vos manducavi.

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Reply to Faustus the Manichaean

10.

If it is true that a man cannot receive the gospel without giving up everything, why do you delude your followers, by allowing them to keep in your service their wives, and children, and households, and houses, and fields? Indeed, you may well allow them to disregard the precepts of the gospel: for all you promise them is not a resurrection, but a change to another mortal existence, in which they shall live the silly, childish, impious life of those you call the Elect, the life you live yourself, and are so much praised for; or if they possess greater merit, they shall enter into melons or cucumbers, or some eatables which you will masticate, that they may be quickly purified by your digestion. Least of all should you who teach such doctrines profess any regard for the gospel. For if the faith of the gospel had any connection with such nonsense, the Lord should have said, not, "I was hungry, and ye gave me meat;" but, "Ye were hungry, and ye ate me," or, "I was hungry, and I ate you." For, by your absurdities, a man will not be received into the kingdom of God for the service of giving food to the saints, but, because he has eaten them and belched them out, or has himself been eaten and belched into heaven. Instead of saying, "Lord, when saw we Thee hungry, and fed Thee?" the righteous must say, "When saw we Thee hungry, and were eaten by Thee?" And He must answer, not, "When ye gave food to one of the least of these my brethren, you gave to me;" but, "When you were eaten by one of the least of these my brethren, you were eaten by me."