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Contra Faustum Manichaeum libri triginta tres

39.

Cum autem dicitur de patre esse sororem Christi ecclesiam, non de matre, non terrenae generationis, quae evacuabitur, sed gratiae caelestis, quae in aeternum manebit, cognatio commendatur, secundum quam gratiam genus mortale non erimus accepta potestate, ut filii dei vocemur et simus. Neque enim hanc gratiam de synagoga, matre Christi secundum carnem, sed de deo patre percepimus. Hanc vero cognationem terrenam, quae ad mortem temporaliter generat, vocans in aliam vitam, ubi nullus moritur, negare nos Christus docuit, non fateri, cum discipulis ait: Ne vobis dicatis patrem in terra; unus est enim pater vester, qui in caelis est. p. 633,3 Cuius rei praebuit exemplum, quando et ipse dixit: Quae mihi mater aut qui fratres? Et extendens manum super discipulos ait : hi sunt fratres mei. Et ne quisquam in hoc vocabulo terrenam cognationem cogitaret, adiunxit: Et quicumque fecerit voluntatem patris mei, ipse mihi frater et mater et soror est, tamquam diceret : De deo patre hanc cognationem appello, non de synagoga matre. Ad aeternam quippe vitam nunc voco, ubi immortaliter natus sum, non ad temporalem, unde ut vocarem mortalis effectus sum.

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Reply to Faustus the Manichaean

39.

Again, when it is said that the Church is the sister of Christ, not by the mother but by the father, we learn the excellence of the relation, which is not of the temporary nature of earthly descent, but of divine grace, which is everlasting. By this grace we shall no longer be a race of mortals when we receive power to be called and to become sons of God. This grace we obtain not from the synagogue, which is the mother of Christ after the flesh, but from God the Father. And when Christ calls us into another life where there is no death, He teaches us, instead of acknowledging, to deny the earthly relationship, where death soon follows upon birth; for He says to His disciples, "Call no man your father upon earth; for you have one Father, who is in heaven." ¹ And He set us an example of this when He said, "Who is my mother, and who are my brethren? And stretching forth His hand to His disciples, He said, These are my brethren." And lest any one should think that He referred to an earthly relationship, He added, "Whosoever shall do the will of my Father, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother;" ² as much as to say, I derive this relationship from God my Father, not from the Synagogue my mother; I call you to eternal life, where I have an immortal birth, not to earthly life, for to call you away from this life I have taken mortality.