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Contra Faustum Manichaeum libri triginta tres
43.
Quid ad haec respondetis, insani? Nempe ista manifesta sunt, nempe omnes, non dico calumnias contradictionis sed etiam nebulas dubitationis expellunt! Talia quaerite primo in illis libris, talibus primo credite, quae nunc a me nec omnia commemorari possunt, quia nimium est, nec multa, quia longum est, nec pauca vellem, ne sola existimentur ab eis, qui illa non legunt, et ne fidelis ac diligens lector me reprehendat, cum plura evidentiora reppererit, quod ista potissimum posuerim, quae mihi occurrere in praesentia potuerunt; p. 370,22 invenietis enim multa, quae omnino nec tali saltem indigeant admonitione, quali modo usus sum in verbis Iacob. Quis enim iam quaerat expositorem, dum legit: Velut ovis ad victimam ductus est, et omnia, quae illic multipliciter et evidenter dicuntur: quia livore eius sanati sumus, quia peccata nostra ipse portavit? Quis non quasi evangelium cantari arbitretur: Foderunt manus meas et pedes, dinumeraverunt omnia ossa mea; ipsi vero consideraverunt et conspexerunt me; diviserunt sibi vestimenta mea et super vestimenta mea miserunt sortem? p. 371,5 Quis nisi nimium caecus iam impleri non cernat: commemorabuntur et convertentur ad dominum universi fines terrae et adorabunt in conspectu eius universae patriae gentium? Quid illud in evangelio: Tristis est anima mea usque ad mortem et: Nunc anima mea turbata est? Nonne prius in psalmo sonuit: Dormivi conturbatus? Et unde factum est, ut dormiret, quorum vocibus acclamatum est: Crucifige, crucifige! , nonne et in psalmo secutus praenuntiat: Filii hominum, dentes eorum arma et sagittae et lingua eorum gladius acutus? Quid autem fecerunt, quid nocuerunt resurrecturo et super caelos ascensuro et totum orbem terrarum gloria sui nominis possessuro, vide, utrum hoc psalmus ante tacuerit! Sequitur enim: Exaltare super caelos, deus, et super omnem terram gloria tua. p. 371,19 Quis umquam de Christo dictum dubitavit: Dominus dixit ad me, filius meus es tu, ego hodie genui te; postula a me, et dabo tibi gentes hereditatem tuam, et possessionem tuam terminos terrae? Quis alium intellegere permissus est, ubi Hieremias dicit nimirum de sapientia: Tradidit illam Iacob puero suo et Israhel electo suo; post haec in terris visus est, et cum hominibus conversatus est ?
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Reply to Faustus the Manichaean
43.
What can our deluded adversaries say to such plain examples, which leave no room for perverse denial, or even for sceptical uncertainty? I call on the Manichaeans to begin to inquire into these subjects, and to admit the force of these evidences, on which I have no time to dwell; nor do I wish to make a selection, in case the ignorant reader should think there are no others, while the Christian student might blame me for the omission of many points more striking than those which occur to me at the moment. You will find many passages which require no such explanation as has been given here of Jacob's prophecy. For instance, every reader can understand the words, "He was led as a lamb to the slaughter," and the whole of that plain prophecy, "With His stripes we are healed"--"He bore our sins." 1 We have a poetical gospel in the words: "They pierced my hands and feet. They have told all my bones. They look and stare upon me. They divided my garments among them, and cast lots on my vesture." 2 The blind even may now see the fulfillment of the words: "All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn unto the Lord, and all kingdoms of the nations shall worship before Him." The words in the Gospel, "My soul is sorrowful, even unto death," "My soul is troubled," are a repetition of the words in the Psalm, "I slept in trouble." 3 And who made Him sleep? Whose voices cried, Crucify him, crucify him? The Psalm tells us: "The sons of men, their teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword." 4 But they could not prevent His resurrection, or His ascension above the heavens, or His filling the earth with the glory of His name; for the Psalm says: "Be Thou exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let Thy glory be above all the earth." Every one must apply these words to Christ: "The Lord said unto me, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten Thee. Ask of me, and I will give Thee the heathen for Thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession." 5 And what Jeremiah says of wisdom plainly applies to Christ: "Jacob delivered it to his son, and Israel to his chosen one. Afterwards He appeared on earth, and conversed with men." 6