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Contra Faustum Manichaeum libri triginta tres

8.

Rursus idem apostolus cum de spiritalibus diversis muneribus et tamen ad unitatem consonis rem plane magnam et divinam et abditam nos doceret, de ista ipsa carne nostra similitudinem dedit, cuius artificem deum, cum haec loqueretur, omnino non tacuit. Quod etsi longum est, tamen, quia valde necessarium, totum ipsum locum ex eius ad Corinthios epistula huic operi me inserere non pigebit. De spiritalibus autem nolo vos ignorare, fratres. Scitis, quando gentes eratis, ad simulacra sine voce quomodo ascendebatis inducti. p. 576,20 Propter quod notum facio vobis, quia nemo in spiritu dei loquens dicit ‘anathema Iesu’, et nemo potest dicere ‘dominus Iesus’ nisi in spiritu sancto. Divisiones autem donationum sunt, idem autem spiritus; et divisiones ministrationum sunt, idem ipse dominus; et divisiones operationum sunt, idem vero deus, qui omnia operatur in omnibus. Unicuique autem datur manifestatio spiritus ad utilitatem: alii quidem datur per spiritum sermo sapientiae, alii sermo scientiae secundum eundem spiritum, alteri autem fides in eodem spiritu, alii donatio curationum in uno spiritu, alii operationes virtutum; alii prophetia, alii diiudicatio spirituum, alii genera linguarum, alii interpretatio linguarum. Omnia autem haec operatur unus atque idem spiritus dividens propria unicuique prout vult. Sicut enim corpus unum est et membra habet multa, omnia autem membra corporis cum sint multa, unum est corpus, ita et Christus. p. 577,9 Etenim in uno spiritu nos omnes in unum corpus baptizati sumus, sive Iudaei sive Graeci sive servi sive liberi; et omnes unum spiritum potavimus. Etenim corpus non est unum membrum, sed multa. Si dixerit pes: ‘quia non sum manus, non sum de corpore’, num ideo non est de corpore? Vel si dixerit auricula: ‘quia non sum oculus, non sum de corpore’, num ideo non est de corpore? Et si totum corpus oculus, ubi auditus? Si totum auditus, ubi odoratus? Nunc autem posuit deus membra singula, unum quodque eorum in corpore prout voluit. Si autem fuissent omnia unum membrum, ubi corpus? Nunc autem multa membra, unum autem corpus. Non potest autem dicere oculus manui: ‘opus te non habeo’, aut iterum caput pedibus: ‘opus vobis non habeo’, sed multo magis, quae videntur membra corporis infirmiora esse, necessaria sunt; p. 577,25 et quae videntur viliora esse corporis, his abundantiorem honorem circumponimus; et quae inhonesta sunt nostra, abundantiorem honestatem habent; quae autem honesta sunt nostra, non opus habent. Sed deus temperavit corpus ei, cui deerat, maiorem honorem dans, ut non esset scissura in corpore, sed idem ipsum ut pro invicem sollicita sint membra. Et sive patitur unum membrum, compatiuntur omnia membra; sive glorificatur unum membrum, congaudent omnia membra. Si ulla non dico fides christiana, ut credatis apostolo, sed ullus sensus humanus in vobis est, ut manifesta cernatis, unusquisque in semet ipso ista videat atque consideret, quam vera, quam certa sint, quam in parvo magna et in extremo quam bona, quandoquidem ista in laude ponit apostolus, ut per haec infirma corporalia, quae videntur, possint facilius illa sublimia spiritalia, quae non videntur, intellegi. p. 578,12

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Reply to Faustus the Manichaean

8.

The same apostle again, when speaking of spiritual gifts as diverse, and yet tending to harmonious action, to illustrate a matter so great, and divine, and mysterious, makes a comparison with the human body,--thus plainly intimating that this flesh is the handiwork of God. The whole passage, as found in the Epistle to the Corinthians, is so much to the point, that though it is long, I think it not amiss to insert it all: "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed; and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are diversities of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: but all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased Him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee; nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary; and those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need; but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked: that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it." ¹ Apart altogether from Christian faith, which would lead you to believe the apostle, if you have common sense to perceive what is self-evident, let each examine and see for himself the plain truth regarding those things of which the apostle speaks,--what greatness belongs to the least, and what goodness to the lowest; for these are the things which the apostle extols, in order to illustrate by means of these common and visible bodily objects, unseen spiritual realities of the most exalted nature.