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Contra Faustum Manichaeum libri triginta tres

20.

Discat ergo Faustus vel potius illi, qui eius litteris delectantur, monarchiae opinionem non ex gentibus nos habere, sed gentes non usque adeo ad falsos deos esse delapsas, ut opinionem amitterent unius veri dei, ex quo est omnis qualiscumque natura. Sapientes enim eorum, - quia sicut dicit apostolus invisibilia dei a constitutione mundi per ea, quae facta sunt, intellecta conspiciuntur, sempiterna quoque virtus eius ac divinitas, ut sint inexcusabiles, - p. 560,2 cognoscentes deum non sicut deum honorificaverunt aut gratias egerunt, sed evanuerunt in cogitationibus suis et obscuratum est insipiens cor eorum; dicentes enim se esse sapientes stulti facti sunt et immutaverunt gloriam incorruptibilis dei in similitudinem imaginis corruptibilis hominis et volucrum et quadrupedum et serpentium. Haec sunt enim simulacra gentium, in quibus interpretandis non habent exitum nisi ad creaturam, quam condidit deus, ut in ipsa quoque interpretatione simulacrorum, de qua se peritiores eorum iactare atque inflare consuerunt, hoc in eis fiat, quod paulo post idem apostolus dicit: Coluerunt et servierunt creaturae potius quam creatori, qui est benedictus in saecula. Vos autem et in eo, quod eis dissimiles estis, vani estis, et in eo, quod eis similes estis, peiores estis. p. 560,16 Ad hoc enim non cum ipsis creditis monarchiam, quod illi verum credunt, ut ipsius unius dei substantiam expugnabilem corruptibilemque credatis – quod est impiae vanitatis –, in pluribus autem diis colendis doctrina daemoniorum mendaciloquorum illis persuasit multa idola, vobis multa phantasmata.

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Reply to Faustus the Manichaean

19.

It may be well that Faustus, or at least that those who are charmed with Faustus' writings, should know that the doctrine of a single principle did not come to us from the Gentiles; for the belief in one true God, from whom every kind of nature is derived, is a part of the original truth retained among the Gentiles, notwithstanding their having fallen away to many false gods. For the Gentile philosophers had the knowledge of God, because, as the apostle says, "the invisible things of God, from the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse." But, as the apostle adds, "when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things." ¹ These are the idols of the Gentiles, which they cannot explain except by referring to the creatures made by God; so that this very explanation of their idolatry, on which the more enlightened Gentiles were wont to pride themselves as a proof of their superiority, shows the truth of the following words of the apostle: "They worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever." ² Where you differ from the Gentiles, you are in error; where you resemble them, you are worse than they. You do not believe, as they do, in a single principle; and so you fall into the impiety of believing the substance of the one true God to be liable to subjugation and corruption. As regards the worship of a plurality of gods, the doctrine of lying devils has led the Gentiles to worship many idols, and you to worship many phantasms.