Edition Masquer
Contra Faustum Manichaeum libri triginta tres

2.

Igitur nos patris quidem dei omnipotentis et Christi filii eius et spiritus sancti unum idemque sub triplici appellatione colimus numen; sed patrem quidem ipsum lucem incolere credimus summam ac principalem, quam Paulus alias inaccessibilem vocat, p. 536,13 filium vero in hac secunda ac visibili luce consistere. Qui quoniam sit et ipse geminus, ut eum apostolus novit, Christum dicens esse dei virtutem et dei sapientiam, virtutem quidem eius in sole habitare credimus, sapientiam vero in luna. Necnon et spiritus sancti, qui est maiestas tertia, aeris hunc omnem ambitum sedem fatemur ac diversorium; cuius ex viribus ac spiritali profusione terram quoque concipientem gignere patibilem Iesum, qui est vita ac salus hominum, omni suspensus ex ligno. Quapropter et nobis circa universa et vobis similiter erga panem et calicem par religio est, quamvis eorum acerrime oderitis auctores. Haec nostra fides est; de qua si quaerendum alias putaveris, audies, quamvis nec illud ad praesens minus firmum sit argumentum, p. 536,26 quod vel tu vel quilibet alius rogatus, ubinam deum suum credat habitare, respondere non dubitabit: in lumine, ex quo cultus hic meus omnium paene testimonio confirmatur.

Traduction Masquer
Reply to Faustus the Manichaean

2.

We worship, then, one deity under the threefold appellation of the Almighty God the Father, and his son Christ, and the Holy Spirit. While these are one and the same, we believe also that the Father properly dwells in the highest or principal light, which Paul calls "light inaccessible," ¹ and the Son in his second or visible light. And as the Son is himself twofold, according to the apostle, who speaks of Christ as the power of God and the wisdom of God, ² we believe that His power dwells in the sun, and His wisdom in the moon. We also believe that the Holy Spirit, the third majesty, has His seat and His home in the whole circle of the atmosphere. By His influence and spiritual infusion, the earth conceives and brings forth the mortal Jesus, who, as hanging from every tree, is the life and salvation of men. ³ Though you oppose these doctrines so violently, your religion resembles ours in attaching the same sacredness to the bread and wine that we do to everything. This is our belief, which you will have an opportunity of hearing more of, if you wish to do so. Meanwhile there is some force in the consideration that you or any one that is asked where his God dwells, will say that he dwells in light; so that the testimony in favor of my worship is almost universal.