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Contra Faustum Manichaeum libri triginta tres

10.

Nempe conviciata es impudentia sacrilega deo prophetarum, quod ipsis Iudaeis sibi servientibus non exhibuerit, quod promisit, nec sane dixisti, quid promiserit et non exhibuerit, ne ibi convincereris aut iam exhibitum, quod non intellegis, aut adhuc futurum, quod non credis. p. 437,4 Tibi quid promissum est et praesentatum, unde tibi fides fieret te accepturam triumphos novorum saeculorum super terram tenebrarum? Si aliquos prophetas protuleris, in quibus legamus cum laude praedictos futuros Manichaeos, unde iam tibi aliquid exhibitum putes, hoc ipso, quia esse vos videmus, prius probatura es, quod non ipse Manichaeus tibi prophetas finxerit, qui sibi ut crederes voluit. Neque enim putat turpe mendacium, aut vero potest dubitare falsos prophetas ostendere in pellibus ovinis, qui Christum laudans asseverat falsas cicatrices ostendisse in membris suis. p. 437,14 At ego vos plane praedictos lego, non solum a prophetis aliquando obscurius, verum et ab apostolo expressius. Sed videte quemadmodum! Spiritus inquit manifeste dicit, quia in novissimis temporibus recedent quidam a fide, intendentes spiritibus seductoribus et doctrinis daemoniorum in hypocrisi mendaciloquorum cauteriatam habentium conscientiam suam, prohibentes nubere, abstinentes a cibis, quos deus creavit ad percipiendum cum gratiarum actione fidelibus et his, qui cognoverunt veritatem, quia omnis creatura dei bona est, et nihil abiciendum, quod cum gratiarum actione percipitur. Haec quemadmodum in vobis impleta sint, et luce clarius omnium, qui vos noverunt, oculos tangit et supra pro tempore ostendimus.

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Reply to Faustus the Manichaean

10.

Thou hast the impious audacity to accuse the God of the prophets of not fulfilling His promises even to His servants the Jews. Thou dost not mention, however, any promise that is unfulfilled; otherwise it might be shown, either that the promise has been fulfilled, and so that thou dost not understand it, or that it is yet to be fulfilled, and so that thou dost not believe it. What promise has been fulfilled to thee, to make it probable that thou wilt obtain new worlds gained from the region of darkness? If there are prophets who predict the Manichaeans with praise, and if it is said that the existence of the sect is a fulfillment of this prediction, it must first be proved that these predictions were not forged by Manichaeus in order to gain followers. He does not consider falsehood sinful. If he declares in praise of Christ that He showed false marks of wounds in His body, he can have no scruple about showing false predictions in his sheepskin volumes. Assuredly there are predictions of the Manichaeans, less clear in the prophets, and most explicit in the apostle. For example: "The Spirit," he says, "speaketh expressly, that in the last times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and to doctrines of devils, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared, forbidding to marry, abstaining from meats, which God has created to be received with thanksgiving by believers, and those who know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving." ¹ The fulfillment of this in the Manichaeans is as clear as day to all that know them, and has already been proved as fully as time permits.