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Contra Faustum Manichaeum libri triginta tres

2.

Augustinus respondit: Absit, ut hoc vos quisquam interroget, qui vos novit, aut de hac omnino re cum talibus disputet. p. 727,5 Prius enim estis a figmento carnalium corporaliumque cogitationum pia fide et quantulacumque veritatis ratione mundandi, ut spiritalia quoquo modo et ex quantacumque parte cogitare possitis. Quod quamdiu non potestis – haeresis quippe vestra nihil aliud novit quam et corpus et animam et deum per locorum spatia vel finita vel infinita distendere, cum solum corpus talia occupet spatia vel spatiis talibus occupetur – consultius feceritis, si vos huic quaestioni non commiscueritis, ubi nec docere potestis aliquid veri – sicut nec in ceteris – nec discere estis idonei, quod fortasse potestis in ceteris, si superbi litigiosique non sitis. Cum enim quaeri coeperit, quomodo sit deus finitus, quem nullus locus capit, quomodo infinitus, quem totum filius novit, quomodo finitus immensus, quomodo infinitus perfectus, quomodo finitus nullum habens modum, quomodo infinitus modus omnium, omnis cogitatio carnalis evanescit, p. 727,20 et si vult se fieri, quod nondum est, prius ex eo, quod est, erubescit. Quapropter hoc, quod vobis proponitis de deo finito et infinito, melius tacendo finitis, donec a fine legis, quod est Christus, tam longe aberrare desinatis. De deo autem Abraham et Isaac et Iacob, cum ipse sit omnis creaturae verus deus, cur illo nomine se populo suo insinuare voluerit, iam, quantum sat erat, diximus. De circumcisione etiam in superioribus huius operis partibus contra calumnias imperitas saepe respondimus. Isti autem signum in parte corporis congrua divinitus datum, quo carnis exspoliatio figurata est, si quemadmodum dictum est: Omnia munda mundis, christiana, non haeretica mente cogitarent, nullo modo irriderent. Sed quia verum est et quod sequitur: Immundis autem et infidelibus nihil est mundum, sed polluta sunt eorum et mens et conscientia, ridentes eos et dicaciter insultantes leniter admonemus, si secundum ipsos circumcisio turpis est, non eos habere, quod ibi rideant, sed quod lugeant, quia deus eorum et illi particulae, quae praedicitur, et illi sanguini, qui destillat, illigatus et inquinatus admixtus est.

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Reply to Faustus the Manichaean

2.

Augustin replied: No one that knows you would dream of asking you about the infinitude of God, or of discussing the matter with you. For, before there can be any degree of spirituality in any of your conceptions, you must first have your minds cleared by simple faith, and by some elementary knowledge, from the illusions of carnal and material ideas. This your heresy prevents you from doing, for it invariably represents the body and the soul and God as extended in space, either finite or infinite, while the idea of space is applicable only to the body. As long as this is the case, it will be better for you to leave this matter alone; for you can teach no truth regarding it, any more than in other matters; and in this you are unfit for learning, as you might do in other things, if you were not proud and quarrelsome. For in such questions as how God can be finite, when no space can contain Him; how He can be infinite, when the Son knows Him perfectly; how He can be finite, and yet unbounded; how He can be infinite, and yet perfect; how He can be finite, who is without measure; how He can be infinite, who is the measure of all things--all carnal ideas go for nothing; and if the carnality is to be removed, it must first become ashamed of itself. Accordingly, your best way of ending the matter you have brought forward of God as finite or infinite, is to say no more about it till you cease going so far astray from Christ, who is the end of the law. Of the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob we have already said enough to show why He who is the true God of all creatures wished to be familiarly known by His people under this name. On circumcision, too, we have already spoken in several places in answer to ignorant reproaches. The Manichaeans would find nothing to ridicule in this sign if they would view it as appointed by God, to be an appropriate symbol of the putting off of the flesh. They ought thus to consider the rite with a Christian instead of a heretical mind; as it is written, "To the pure all things are pure." But, considering the truth of the following words, "To the unclean and unbelieving nothing is pure, but even their mind and conscience are defiled," ¹ we must remind our witty opponents, that if circumcision is indecent, as they say it is, they should rather weep than laugh at it; for their god is exposed to restraint and contamination in conjunction both with the skin which is cut and with the blood which is shed.