Edition Masquer
Contra Faustum Manichaeum libri triginta tres

1.

Faustus dixit: De vobis iam dudum Paulus scripsit, quia discedent quidam a fide intendentes spiritibus seductoriis, doctrinis daemoniorum, in hypocrisi loquentes mendacium, cauteriatam habentes conscientiam suam, prohibentes nubere, abstinentes a cibis, quos deus creavit ad percipiendum cum gratiarum actione fidelibus. p.748,5 Numquam plane tibi ego haec ab apostolo dicta esse consenserim, nisi antea confitearis ipse Moysen et prophetas doctrinas attulisse daemoniorum et seductorii spiritus ac maligni fuisse interpretes, qui a porcina et ceteris carnibus, quas immundas vocant, sollicite doceant abstinendum. De his ergo primo deliberandum vobis est et diu multumque cogitandum, haec quid debeant accipi, in deone ipsi haec, an in daemonio locuti videantur. p. 748,12 Hac enim tenus aut et Moyses et prophetae nobiscum damnati erunt aut et nos cum illis absoluti. Neque enim iusta haec nunc vestra sententia est, ut nos quidem, qui solum in plebe sacerdotale hominum genus censeamus a carnibus abstinere debere, daemoniorum doctrinae videamur vobis assectatores, vestros vero prophetas atque ipsum adeo Moysen, qui primus non antistitibus solum, sed omni confuse hominum generi suilla interdixerit et leporina et hericina carne et sepiis ac lolliginibus ceterisque generibus piscium carentibus squama, non in spiritu seductorio hoc nec in doctrina daemoniorum, sed in deo potius et in sancto spiritu locutos esse arbitremini. Igitur ut hoc tibi interim Paulum dixisse concedam, victus tamen abs te non ante fuero, quam tu Moysen damnaveris et prophetas, ut quod ratione convictus et veritate numquam fortasse fecisses, id nunc ventris causa facere videaris, blasphemare Moysen. p. 748,28

Traduction Masquer
Reply to Faustus the Manichaean

1.

Faustus said: You apply to us the words of Paul: "Some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to lying spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their consciences seared as with a hot iron; forbidding to marry, abstaining from meats, which God has created to be received with thanksgiving by believers." ¹ I refuse to admit that the apostle said this, unless you first acknowledge that Moses and the prophets taught doctrines of devils, and were the interpreters of a lying and malignant spirit; since they enjoin with great emphasis abstinence from swine's flesh and other meats, which they call unclean. This case must first be settled; and you must consider long and carefully how their teaching is to be viewed: whether they said these things from God, or from the devil. As regards these matters, either Moses and the prophets must be condemned along with us; or we must be acquitted along with them. You are unjust in condemning us, as you do now, as followers of the doctrine of devils, because we require the priestly class to abstain from animal food; for we limit the prohibition to the priesthood, while you hold that your prophets, and Moses himself, who forbade all classes of men to eat the flesh of swine, and hares, and conies, besides all varieties of cuttle-fish, and all fish wanting scales, said this not in a lying spirit, nor in the doctrine of devils, but from God, and in the Holy Spirit. Even supposing, then, that Paul said these words, you can convince me only by condemning Moses and the prophets; and so, though you will not do it for reason or truth, you will contradict Moses for the sake of your belly.