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Contra Faustum Manichaeum libri triginta tres
86.
Iam Thamar habitum mutet: nam et commutans interpretatur Thamar. Sed in ea prorsus nomen amaritudinis maneat, non illius amaritudinis, in qua domino fel ministravit, sed illius, in qua Petrus amare flevit. p. 690,9 Nam et Iuda latine confessio est: Confessioni ergo amaritudo misceatur, ut vera paenitentia praesignetur. Hac paenitentia fecundatur ecclesia in omnibus gentibus constituta. Oportebat enim Christum pati et resurgere tertia die et praedicari in nomine eius paenitentiam et remissionem peccatorum per omnes gentes incipientibus ab Hierusalem. Nam et ipse habitus meretricius confessio peccatorum est. Typum quippe iam ecclesiae gerit Thamar ex gentibus evocatae, sedens cum hoc habitu ad portam Aenan vel Enaim, quod interpretatur fontes: Cucurrit enim velut cervus ad fontes aquarum pervenire ad semen Abrahae: illic a non agnoscente fetatur, quia de illa praedictum est: Populus, quem non cognovi, servivit mihi. p. 690,22 Accepit in occulto anulum, monile et virgam: vocatione signatur, iustificatione decoratur, glorificatione exaltatur. Quos enim praedestinavit, illos et vocavit; quos autem vocavit, illos et iustificavit; et quos iustificavit, illos et glorificavit. Sed haec, ut dixi, adhuc in occulto, ubi fit et conceptio sanctae ubertatis. Mittitur autem promissus haedus tamquam meretrici, - haedus exprobratio peccati -, per eundem Odollamitam tamquam increpantem et dicentem: Generatio viperarum*. Sed non eam invenit peccati exprobratio, quam mutavit confessionis amaritudo. p. 691,7 Post vero iam publicis signis anuli, monilis et virgae vicit temere iudicantes Iudaeos, quorum iam personam Iudas ipse gestabat, qui hodieque dicunt non hunc esse populum Christi nec habere nos semen Abrahae. Sed prolatis certissimis documentis nostrae vocationis, iustificationis, glorificationis sine dubio confundentur et nos magis quam se iustificatos esse fatebuntur. Enucleatius haec et membratim quodam modo articulatimque scrutarer atque dissererem, quantum intentionem meam dominus adiuvaret, nisi me ab hac laboriosiore diligentia finiendi huius operis, quod plus quam vellem iam prolixum est, cura prohiberet.
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Reply to Faustus the Manichaean
86.
Next, we have Tamar changing her dress; for Tamar also means changing. Still, the name of bitterness must be retained--not that bitterness in which gall was given to the Lord, but that in which Peter wept bitterly. 1 For Judah means confession; and bitterness is mingled with confession as a type of true repentance. It is this repentance which gives fruitfulness to the Church established among all nations. For "it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead, and that repentance and the remission of sins be preached among all nations in His name, beginning at Jerusalem." 2 In the dress Tamar put on there is a confession of sins; and Tamar sitting in this dress at the gate of AEnan or AEnaim, which means fountain, is a type of the Church called from among the nations. She ran as a hart to the springs of water, to meet with the seed of Abraham; and there she is made fruitful by one who knows her not, as it is foretold, "A people whom I have not known shall serve me." 3 Tamar received under her disguise a ring, a bracelet, a staff; she is sealed in her calling, adorned in her justification, raised in her glorification. For "whom He predestinated, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified." 4 This was while she was still disguised, as I have said; and in the same state she conceives, and becomes fruitful in holiness. Also the kid promised is sent to her as to a harlot. The kid represents rebuke for sin, and it is sent by the Adullamite already mentioned, who, as it were, uses the reproachful words, "O generation of vipers!" 5 But this rebuke for sin does not reach her, for she has been changed by the bitterness of confession. Afterwards, by exhibiting the pledges of the ring and bracelet and staff, she prevails over the Jews, in their hasty judgment of her, who are now represented by Judah himself; as at this day we hear the Jews saying that we are not the people of Christ, and have not the seed of Abraham. But when we exhibit the sure tokens of our calling and justification and glorification, they will immediately be confounded, and will acknowledge that we are justified rather than they. I should enter into this more particularly, taking, as it were, each limb and joint separately, as the Lord might enable me, were it not that such minute inquiry is prevented by the necessity of bringing this work to a close, for it is already longer than is desirable.