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Reply to Faustus the Manichaean

4.

Augustin replied: Poor safety, indeed! when you contradict yourself by hating the patriarchs as impure, at the same time that you grieve for your impure god. You allow that, since the advent of the Saviour, the patriarchs have had purity restored, and have enjoyed the rest of the blessed; while your god, even after the Saviour's advent, still lies in darkness, is still sunk in the ocean of iniquity, still wallows in the mire of all uncleanness. These men, therefore, were not only better than your god in their lives, but also happier in their death. Where was the abode of the just who departed from this life before Christ's coming in the flesh, and whether their condition also was improved by the passion of Christ, in whom they had believed as to come, and to suffer, and to rise again, and had, moreover, foretold this in suitable language under the guidance of the Spirit of prophecy, is to be discovered from the Holy Scriptures, if any clear discovery in this matter is possible; we are not called on to adopt the crude notions of all and sundry, still less the heretical opinions of men who have gone astray into such egregious error. There is a vain attempt here on the part of Faustus to introduce by a side-door the idea that we may obtain something after this life besides the due reward of our conduct in this life. It will be better for you to abandon your error while you are still alive, and to embrace and hold the truths of the Catholic faith. Otherwise the expectations of the unrighteous will be sadly disappointed when God begins to fulfill His threatenings to the unrighteous.

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Contra Faustum Manichaeum libri triginta tres

4.

Augustinus respondit: Quomodo in tuto, miser? Quomodo in tuto, qui te patriarchas odisse dicis impuros et deum adhuc plangis impurum? Certe illis patriarchis post adventum salvatoris praestitam purgationem et datam beatam requiem concessisti; deus autem vester et post adventum salvatoris adhuc iacet in tenebris, adhuc flagitiis omnibus mergitur, adhuc in impuris omnibus volutatur. p. 789,18 Ita non solum vita illorum hominum melior erat deo vestro, verum etiam mors ipsa felicior. In quibus autem sedibus erant iusti, qui exierant ex hac vita, priusquam Christus in carne venisset, et utrum etiam ipsos ad aliquid melius passio Christi transtulerit, qui in eum venturum, passurum, resurrecturum non tantum crediderant, verum etiam hoc ipsum, sicut oportebat, prophetico spiritu praenuntiaverant, in scripturis sanctis indagandum est, si quo modo ad liquidum indagari postest, non hinc temeritates opinantium consectandae quorumlibet hominum, nedum tam exsecrabilis haeresis perversitate nimis longe a veritate aberrantium. Frustra sibi sane per hanc obliquitatem pollicetur Faustus aliquid post hanc vitam cuiquam posse praestari, quod sibi praestandum in hac vita non comparaverit. p. 790,2 Bonum est vobis, ut, dum hic vivitis, istum relinquatis errorem et veritatem catholicae fidei cognoscatis atque teneatis. Alioquin longe aberit, quod sibi pollicetur iniustus, cum fieri coeperit, quod iniusto minatus est deus.