Traduction Masquer
Reply to Faustus the Manichaean

3.

It is not without reason that we bring a critical judgment to the study of Scriptures where there are such discrepancies and contradictions. By thus examining everything, and comparing one passage with another, we determine which contains Christ's actual words, and what may or may not be genuine. For your predecessors have made many interpolations in the words of our Lord, which thus appear under His name, while they disagree with His doctrine. Besides, as we have proved again and again, the writings are not the production of Christ or of His apostles, but a compilation of rumors and beliefs, made, long after their departure, by some obscure semi-Jews, not in harmony even with one another, and published by them under the name of the apostles, or of those considered the followers of the apostles, so as to give the appearance of apostolic authority to all these blunders and falsehoods. But whatever you make of that, as regards this verse, I repeat that I do not insist on rejecting it. It is enough for my position, that, as I said before, and as you are obliged to confess, before the coming of our Lord all the patriarchs and prophets of Israel lay in infernal darkness for their sins. Even though they may have been restored to light and liberty by Christ, that has nothing to do with the hateful character of their lives. We hate and eschew not their persons, but their characters; not as they are now, when they are purified, but as they were, when impure. So, whatever you think of this verse, it does not affect us: for if it is genuine, it only illustrates Christ's goodness and compassion; and if it is spurious, those who wrote it are to blame. Our cause is as safe as it always is.

Edition Masquer
Contra Faustum Manichaeum libri triginta tres

3.

Nec immerito nos ad huiusmodi scripturas, tam inconsonantes et varias, numquam sane sine iudicio ac ratione aures afferimus; sed contemplantes omnia et cum aliis alia conferentes perpendimus, utrum eorum quidque a Christo dici potuerit necne. Multa enim a maioribus vestris eloquiis domini nostri inserta verba sunt, quae nomine signata ipsius cum eius fide non congruant, praesertim quia, ut iam saepe probatum a nobis est, nec ab ipso haec sunt nec ab eius apostolis scripta, sed multo post eorum assumptionem a nescio quibus et ipsis inter se non concordantibus semiiudaeis per famas opinionesque comperta sunt, p. 788,20 qui tamen omnia eadem in apostolorum domini conferentes nomina vel eorum, qui secuti apostolos viderentur, errores ac mendacia sua secundum eos se scripsisse mentiti sunt. Sed videris! De hoc interim, ut inquam, capitulo tecum non nimium ego contenderim, cum mihi illud satis ad praesidium sit, quod ante posui et quod nec ipsis vobis negare licet, ante domini nostri adventum patriarchas omnes Israhel et prophetas tartareis in tenebris iacuisse pro meritis suis, p. 789,2 unde si umquam liberati a Christo ad lumen reducti sunt, quid hoc ad odium attinet vitae ipsorum? Odimus enim nos et respuimus, non quod fuerunt, id est homines, sed quales fuerunt, id est malos, nec quod nunc sunt, id est purgatos, sed quod fuerunt, id est impuros aliquando, ac per hoc nobis interim, utcumque vos id esse vultis, nihil obstat capitulum hoc, cum, sive est verum, Christi hic miseratio commendetur et bonitas, sive falsum, scriptoribus eius crimen inhaereat; nos utrovis modo in tuto sumus ut semper.