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Contra Faustum Manichaeum libri triginta tres

26.

Quapropter ne in quaeque laudanda vel vituperanda, accusanda vel defendenda, coercenda vel relaxanda, damnanda vel absolvenda, appetenda vel vitanda temere irruamus, in quibus omnibus peccata seu recte facta versantur, prius quid sit peccatum considerare debemus, tunc deinde inspicere facta sanctorum libris conscripta divinis, ut si qua et ipsorum peccata invenerimus, ob quam utilitatem sint etiam ipsa condita litteris memoriaeque mandata diligenti, quantum possumus, ratione videamus, quae autem reppererimus stultis seu malivolis videri peccata esse, quae non sunt, nec tamen in eis eminent aliqua exempla virtutum, p. 620,27 haec quoque intueamur, quam ob causam illis inserta sint litteris, quas ad utilitatem vitae praesentis regendae et futurae adipiscendae conditas salubriter credimus. Porro autem quaecumque in factis sanctorum elucent documenta iustitiae, nullus vel imperitorum dubitat debuisse conscribi. De illis ergo potest esse quaestio, quae vel inaniter scripta videri possunt, si nec recte facta apparent nec peccata sunt, vel etiam perniciose, si peccata esse convincuntur, ne valeant ad imitationem, sive in ipsis libris reprehensa non sint et ideo putari etiam possint non esse peccata, sive illic quoque reprehensa sint, sed sub facili spe veniae committantur, quia et in sanctis inventa sunt. p. 621,12

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Reply to Faustus the Manichaean

26.

Instead of entering on the distinctions between the praiseworthy and the blameworthy, the criminal and the innocent, the dangerous and the harmless, the guilty and the guiltless, the desirable and the undesirable, which are all illustrations of the distinction between sin and righteousness, we must first consider what sin is, and then examine the actions of the saints as recorded in the holy books, that, if we find these saints described as sinning, we may if possible discover the true reason for keeping these sins in memory by putting them on record. Again, if we find things recorded which, though they are not sins, appear so to the foolish and the malevolent, and in fact do not exhibit any virtues, here also we have to see why these things are put into the Scriptures which we believe to contain wholesome doctrine as a guide in the present life, and a title to the inheritance of the future. As regards the examples of righteousness found among the acts of the saints, the propriety of recording these must be plain even to the ignorant. The question is about those actions the mention of which may seem useless if they are neither righteous nor sinful, or even dangerous if the actions are really sinful, as leading people to imitate them, because they are not condemned in these books, and so may be supposed not to be sinful, or because, though they are condemned, men may copy them from the idea that they must be venial if saints did them.