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Contra Faustum Manichaeum libri triginta tres

7.

Nam sicut te Manichaeus impiam docuit perversitatem, ut ex evangelio, quod haeresim tuam non impedit, hoc accipias, quod autem impedit, non accipias: sic nos apostolus docuit piam provisionem, ut quisquis nobis adnuntiaverit praeter id, quod accepimus, anathema sit. Unde christiani catholici et vos inter zizania numerant, quia dominus exposuit quid sit zizania: non aliqua falsa veris scripturis immissa, sicut tu interpretaris, sed homines filios maligni, id est imitatores diabolicae falsitatis. Nec omnia temere credunt, et ideo Manichaeo ceterisque haereticis non utique credunt. Nec rationem ex hominibus damnant, sed quam vos dicitis esse rationem, errorem esse convincunt. Nec verum falsumque iudicare impium putant; ideo vestram sectam falsissimam, fidem autem catholicam verissimam iudicant. p. 496,1 Nec bonum a contrario separare formidant, sed malum non esse naturam, quia contra naturam est, intellegunt; non gentem nescio quam tenebrarum adversum divina regna a suo principio nascentem et rebellantem, quae vere ampliorem formidinem intulit deo vestro quam infantibus maniae, quippe quem dicitis, ne sua membra illius impetu capta et vastata conspiciat, velum contra se posuisse. Proinde nullas ex hoc capitulo patiuntur angustias, quod quasi legis et prophetarum praecepta non servent, quia et ex gratia Christi habent legitimam caritatem dei et proximi, in quibus duobus praeceptis tota lex pendet et prophetae, et quaecumque ibi vel rebus gestis vel sacramentorum celebrationibus vel locutionum modis figurate prophetata sunt in Christo et ecclesia impleri cognoscunt. p. 496,14 Unde nec vanae superstitioni succumbimus nec illud evangelii capitulum falsum esse dicimus nec Christi discipulos nos negamus, quia ea ratione veritatis, quam pro meis viribus totiens exposui, non aliam legem nec alios prophetas quam eos, quos catholica tenet auctoritas, non venit solvere, sed adimplere.

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Reply to Faustus the Manichaean

7.

If you have learned from Manichaeus the willful impiety of admitting only those parts of the Gospel which do not contradict your errors, while you reject the rest, we have learned from the apostle the pious caution of looking on every one as accursed that preaches to us another gospel than that which we have received. Hence Catholic Christians look upon you as among the tares; for, in the Lord's exposition of the meaning of the tares, they are not falsehood mixed with truth in the Scriptures, but children of the wicked one--that is, people who imitate the deceitfulness of the devil. It is not true that Catholic Christians believe everything; for they do not believe Manichaeus or any of the heretics. Nor do they condemn the use of human reason; but what you call reasoning they prove to be fallacious. Nor do they think it profane to distinguish truth from falsehood; for they distinguish between the truth of the Catholic faith and the falsehood of your doctrines. Nor do they fear to separate good from evil; but they contend that evil, instead of being natural, is unnatural. They know nothing of your race of darkness, which, you say, is produced from a principle of its own, and fights against the kingdom of God, and of which your god seems really to be more frightened than children are of ghosts; for, according to you, he covered himself with a veil, that he might not see his own members taken and plundered by the assault of the enemy. To conclude, Catholic Christians are in no difficulty regarding the words of Christ, though in one sense they may be said not to observe the law and the prophets; for by the grace of Christ they keep the law by their love to God and man; and on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. ¹ Besides, they see in Christ and the Church the fulfillment of all the prophecies of the Old Testament, whether in the form of actions, or of symbolic rites, or of figurative language. So we neither join in superstitious follies, nor declare this verse false; nor deny that we are followers of Christ; for on those principles which I have set forth to the best of my power, the law and the prophets which Christ came not to destroy, but to fulfill, are no other than those recognized by the Church.