Edition Masquer
Contra Faustum Manichaeum libri triginta tres

31.

Denique – quod non temere dixerim – nescio utrum quisquam in illis libris invenit nomen regni caelorum, quod tam crebro nominat dominus. Dicitur quidem ibi: Diligite sapientiam, ut in aeternum regnetis. Et ipsa vita aeterna si non illic in manifesto praedicaretur, non diceret dominus etiam malis Iudaeis: Scrutamini scripturas, in quibus putatis vos vitam aeternam habere; ipsae testimonium perhibent de me. Quo enim nisi ad hoc pertinet, quod ibi scriptum est: Non moriar, sed vivam et narrabo opera domini, et: Illumina oculos meos, ne umquam obdormiam in mortem, et: Iustorum animae in manu dei sunt, et non tanget illos tormentum, et paulo post: Illi autem sunt in pace; et si coram hominibus tormenta passi sunt, spes illorum immortalitate plena est; et in paucis vexati in multis bene disponentur, p. 534,19 et alio loco: Iusti autem in perpetuum vivent et apud dominum est merces eorum et cogitatio eorum apud altissimum; ideo accipient regnum decoris et diadema speciei de manu domini? Haec et alia multa sive apertissima sive subobscura inveniuntur illic testimonia vitae aeternae. Et de ipsa corporum resurrectione non tacuerunt prophetae. Unde pharisaei adversum Sadducaeos eam non credentes acerrime confligebant, quod non solum in actibus apostolorum canonicis, quos isti non accipiunt, ne de adventu veri paracleti, quem promisit dominus, convincantur, evidenter apparet, verum etiam in evangelio, ubi ei proponunt Sadducaei quaestionem de muliere, quae septem fratribus singulatim nupserat, cum in eius conubium alter alteri morienti succederet, cuiusnam eorum in resurrectione uxor esset futura. p. 535,6 Proinde testimoniis vitae aeternae et resurrectionis mortuorum abundat illa scriptura; sed hoc nomen, id est regnum caelorum, de nullo inde loco mihi occurrit. Hoc enim proprie pertinet ad revelationem novi testamenti, quia ea corpora, quae terrena fuerant, mutatione illa, quam Paulus apertius commemorat, in resurrectione fient spiritalia ac per hoc caelestia, in quibus possideamus regnum caelorum. Quod ori eius etiam nominandum servabatur, quem regem ad regendos et sacerdotem ad sanctificandos fideles suos universus ille apparatus veteris instrumenti in generationibus, factis, dictis, sacrificiis, observationibus, festivitatibus omnibusque eloquiorum praeconiis et rebus gestis et rerum figuris parturiebat esse venturum. p. 535,18 Qui plenus gratia et veritate et ad praecepta facienda adiuvando per gratiam et promissa implenda curando per veritatem venit legem non solvere sed adimplere.

Traduction Masquer
Reply to Faustus the Manichaean

31.

I am disposed, after careful examination, to doubt whether the expression so often used by the Lord, "the kingdom of heaven," can be found in these books. It is said, indeed, "Love wisdom, that ye may reign for ever." ¹ And if eternal life had not been clearly made known in the Old Testament, the Lord would not have said, as He did even to the unbelieving Jews: "Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think that ye have eternal life, and they are they that testify of me." ² And to the same effect are the words of the Psalmist: "I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord." ³ And again: "Enlighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death." ⁴ Again, we read, "The souls of the righteous are in the hand of the Lord, and pain shall not touch them;" and immediately following: "They are in peace; and if they have suffered torture from men, their hope is full of immortality; and after a few trouble, they shall enjoy many rewards." ⁵ Again, in another place: "The righteous shall live for ever, and their reward is with the Lord, and their concern with the Highest; therefore shall they receive from the hand of the Lord a kingdom of glory and a crown of beauty." ⁶ These and many similar declarations of eternal life, in more or less explicit terms, are found in these writings. Even the resurrection of the body is spoken of by the prophets. The Pharisees, accordingly, were fierce opponents of the Sadducees, who disbelieved the resurrection. This we learn not only from the canonical Acts of the Apostles, which the Manichaeans reject, because it tells of the advent of the Paraclete promised by the Lord, but also from the Gospel, when the Sadducees question the Lord about the woman who married seven brothers, one dying after the other, whose wife she would be in the resurrection. ⁷ As regards, then, eternal life and the resurrection of the dead, numerous testimonies are to be found in these Scriptures. But I do not find there the expression, "the kingdom of heaven." This expression belongs properly to the revelation of the New Testament, because in the resurrection our earthly bodies shall, by that change which Paul fully describes, become spiritual bodies, and so heavenly, that thus we may possess the kingdom of heaven. And this expression was reserved for Him whose advent as King to govern and Priest to sanctify His believing people, was ushered in by all the symbolism of the old covenant, in its genealogies, its typical acts and words, its sacrifices and ceremonies and feasts, and in all its prophetic utterances and events and figures. He came full of grace and truth, in His grace helping us to obey the precepts, and in His truth securing the accomplishment of the promises. He came not to destroy the law, but to fulfill it.