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Reply to Faustus the Manichaean

45.

Faustus has an evasive objection, which he no doubt thinks a most ingenious way of eluding the force of the clearest evidence of prophecy, but of which one is unwilling to take any notice, because answering it may give it an appearance of importance which it does not really possess. What could be more irrational than to say that it is weak faith which will not believe in Christ without evidence? Do our adversaries, then, believe in testimony about Christ? Faustus wishes us to believe the voice from heaven as distinguished from human testimony. But did they hear this voice? Has not the knowledge of it come to us through human testimony? The apostle describes the transmission of this knowledge, when he says: "How shall they call on Him on whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe on Him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? and how shall they preach except they be sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of them who publish peace, who bring good tidings!" ¹ Clearly, in the preaching of the apostles there was a reference to prophetic testimony. The apostles quoted the predictions of the prophets, to prove the truth and importance of their doctrines. For although their preaching was accompanied with the power of working miracles, the miracles would have been ascribed to magic, as some even now venture to insinuate, unless the apostles had shown that the authority of the prophets was in their favor. The testimony of prophets who lived so long before could not be ascribed to magical arts. Perhaps the reason why Faustus will not have us believe the Hebrew prophets as witnesses of the true Christ, is because he believes Persian heresies about a false Christ.

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Contra Faustum Manichaeum libri triginta tres

45.

Iam porro aliam Fausti tergiversationem, quam credo cum et ipse (ipsa?) praeclarissima prophetiae luce percuteretur, callidissimam se invenisse arbitratus est, etiam refellere piget, ne propterea putetur aliquid dixisse, quia ei responderi dignum habitum est: Quis enim dementissimus diceret enervis esse fidei de Christo sine teste non credere? p. 374,2 Vellem mihi isti responderent, cuinam de Christo ipsi credidissent; an illam vocem de caelo audierunt: Hic est filius meus? Ei quippe voci potius Faustus nos iubet credere, qui de Christo non vult testibus hominibus credi, quasi ad nos etiam eiusdem vocis notitia sine homine teste pervenerit, cum et manifestum sit sic eam pervenisse, et apostolus dicat: Quomodo autem invocabunt, in quem non crediderunt? Aut quomodo credent ei, quem non audierunt? Quomodo autem audient sine praedicante? Aut quomodo praedicabunt, si non mittantur? Sicut scriptum est: ‛Quam speciosi pedes eorum qui adnuntiant pacem, qui adnuntiant bona!’ Videtis certe, quemadmodum praedicationem doctrinae apostolicae propheticum testimonium comitetur. Ut enim non contemnerentur neque fabulosa ducerentur, quae apostoli adnuntiabant, demonstrabantur haec a prophetis ante fuisse praedicta, quia etsi attestabantur miracula, non defuissent – sicut etiam nunc adhuc quidam mussitant – qui magicae potentiae cuncta illa tribuerent, nisi talis eorum cogitatio contestatione prophetica vinceretur. p. 374,21 Magicis enim artibus longe antequam nascerentur, prophetas sibi constituere, a quibus praenuntiarentur, nemo utique diceret. Sed videlicet vetat nos Faustus de vero Christo Hebraeis prophetis testibus credere, qui de falso Christo Persarum erroribus credidit.