Edition Masquer
Contra Faustum Manichaeum libri triginta tres

2.

Sunt autem legum genera tria: unum quidem Hebraeorum, quod peccati et mortis Paulus appellat. Aliud vero gentium, quod naturale vocat; gentes enim inquit naturaliter quae legis sunt faciunt; et eiusmodi legem non habentes ipsi sibi sunt lex, qui ostendunt opus legis scriptum in cordibus suis. Tertium vero genus legis est veritas, quod perinde significans apostolus dicit: Lex enim spiritus vitae in Christo Iesu liberavit me a lege peccati et mortis. p. 497,25 Tribus ergo existentibus legibus et Iesu asseverante nobis, quia non venit solvere legem, sed adimplere, non parva cura ac diligentia opus est, de qua earum dixerit intellegere. Item prophetae alii sunt Iudaeorum, alii gentium, alii veritatis. Sed de Iudaeorum quidem nullus quaesiverit; notum est enim. De gentium vero si quis ambigit, audiat Paulum, qui scribens ad Titum de Cretensibus dicit: Dixit quidam proprius eorum propheta: Cretenses semper mendaces, malae bestiae, ventres pigri. Ac per hoc dubitandum non est et gentes suos habere prophetas. Necnon et veritatem habere prophetas suos tam idem Paulus significat quam etiam Iesus, et Iesus quidem, ubi dicit: Ecce mitto ad vos sapientes et prophetas, et ex ipsis interficietis in singulis locis, Paulus vero, cum dicit: Ipse dominus constituit primo apostolos, deinde prophetas. p. 498,12

Traduction Masquer
Reply to Faustus the Manichaean

2.

There are three laws. One is that of the Hebrews, which the apostle calls the law of sin and death. ¹ The second is that of the Gentiles, which he calls the law of nature. "For the Gentiles," he says, "do by nature the things contained in the law; and, not having the law, they are a law into themselves; who show the work of the law written on their hearts." ² The third law is the truth of which the apostle speaks when he says, "The law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." ³ Since, then, there are three laws, we must carefully inquire which of the three Christ spoke of when He said that He came not to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. In the same way, there are prophets of the Jews, and prophets of the Gentiles, and prophets of truth. With the prophets of the Jews, of course, every one is acquainted. If any one is in doubt about the prophets of the Gentiles, let him hear what Paul says when writing of the Cretans to Titus: "A prophet of their own has said, The Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, slow bellies." ⁴ This proves that the Gentiles also had their prophets. The truth also has its prophets, as we learn from Jesus as well as from Paul. Jesus says: "Behold, I send unto you wise men and prophets, and some of them ye shall kill in divers places." ⁵ And Paul says: "The Lord Himself appointed first apostles, and then prophets." ⁶