Traduction Masquer
Reply to Faustus the Manichaean

3.

Be sure, then, whenever you discover anything else in Scripture to assail our faith with, to see, in the first place, that it is not against you, before you commence your attack on us. For instance, there is the passage you continually quote about Peter, that he once saw a vessel let down from heaven in which were all kinds of animals and serpents, and that, when he was surprised and astonished, a voice was heard, saying to him, Peter, kill and eat whatsoever thou seest in the vessel, and that he replied, Lord I will not touch what is common or unclean. On this the voice spoke again, What I have cleansed, call not unclean. ¹ This, indeed, seems to have an allegorical meaning, and not to refer to the absence of distinction in food. But as you choose to give it this meaning, you are bound to feed upon all wild animals, and scorpions, and snakes, and reptiles in general, in compliance with this vision of Peter's. In this way, you will show that you are really obedient to the voice which Peter is said to have heard. But you must never forget that you at the same time condemn Moses and the prophets, who considered many things polluted which, according to this utterance, God has sanctified.

Edition Masquer
Contra Faustum Manichaeum libri triginta tres

3.

Quapropter si quid de cetero in laesionem nostrae fidei de scripturis quaerentes inveneritis, tunc demum id nobis opponere mementote, cum vobis pervideritis non esse contrarium! Quemadmodum et illud, quod de Petro soletis afferre, tamquam idem viderit aliquando de caelo demissum vas, in quo essent omnia genera animalium et serpentes atque eo attonito et admirante vox audita sit dicens ad eum: Petre, quicquid in vase vides, macta et manduca! p. 758,21 Cui idem respondens: Domine, commune inquit et immundum non contingam. Et iterum vox ad eum: quod ego sanctificavi, immundum ne vocaveris. Quod quidem ipsum licet et per allegoriam aliud quiddam et non indifferentiam videatur significare ciborum, tamen, quia vobis et hoc ita intellegere placet, vescamini igitur necesse est passim beluis omnibus et echidnis et colubris ac reliquo omni genere serpentino iuxta orama Petri. Hactenus enim vere dicto audientes vos esse probabitis voci, quam fertur audisse. Et tamen huius quoque memineritis semper, quia Moyses hinc et prophetae damnati sunt, qui de his, quae sanctificaverit deus iuxta vocis huius sententiam, multa putaverint esse polluta.