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Contra Faustum Manichaeum libri triginta tres

3.

Augustinus respondit: Tu semichristianos cavendos putas, quod nos esse dicis; nos autem pseudochristianos cavemus, quod vos esse ostendimus.

Nam quod semum est, ex quadam parte imperfectum, ex nulla tamen falsum est. Quid ergo ?

Si aliquid deest fidei eorum quos circumvenire conamini, numquid ideo id quod eis adest destruendum, ac non potius id quod deest astruendum est?

Sicut ad quosdam imperfectos loquens apostolus ait:gaudens et videns vestram conversationem et id quod deest fidei vestrae in Christo. p. 252,22

Cernebat utique quandam fabricam spiritalem, sicut alibi dicit: dei aedificatio estis, et in ea cernebat utrumque: et unde gauderet et unde satageret.

Gaudebat ex eo quod iam aedificatum videbat, satagebat ex eo quod usque ad culmen perfectionis adhuc aedificandum esse sentiebat. Itaque nos revera catholicos nondum perfectos, sed quodam modo, ut dixisti, semichristianos quos fallatis et seducatis vestra perversitate insectamini.

Sed siqui adhuc etiam tales sunt, si vos pseudochristianos esse intellexerint, quamvis captiosis quaestionum vestrarum propositionibus propter id quod eorum fidei deest respondere non possint, non tamen sequendos, sed devitandos vos esse cognoscunt.

Sicut ergo vestra intentio est semichristianos quos decipiatis inquirere, sic nostra intentio est pseudochristianos vos ostendere, ut non solum christiani peritiores vos convincendo prodant, sed et imperitiores vos cavendo proficiant. p. 253,10

Cur autem serpentem patrem nostrum dixisti? An excidit tibi, quemadmodum soleatis vituperare deum qui homini praeceptum in paradiso dedit, et laudare serpentem quod ei per suum consilium oculos aperuit?

Puto iustum esse, ut serpentem illum diabolum a vobis laudatum tu potius agnoscas parentem tuum; nam ille te filium etiam modo vituperatus agnoscit.

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Reply to Faustus the Manichaean

3.

Augustin replies: You warn against semi-Christians, which you say we are; but we warn against pseudo-Christians, which we have shown you to be. Semi-Christianity may be imperfect without being false. So, then, if the faith of those whom you try to mislead is imperfect, would it not be better to supply what is lacking than to rob them of what they have? It was to imperfect Christians that the apostle wrote, "joying and beholding your conversation," and "the deficiency in your faith in Christ." ¹ The apostle had in view a spiritual structure, as he says elsewhere, "Ye are God's building;" ² and in this structure he found both a reason for joy and a reason for exertion. He rejoiced to see part already finished; and the necessity of bringing the edifice to perfection called for exertion. Imperfect Christians as we are, you pursue us with the desire to pervert what you call our semi-Christianity by false doctrine; while even those who are so deficient in faith as to be unable to reply to all your sophisms, are wise enough at least to know that they must not have anything at all to do with you. You look for semi-Christians to deceive: we wish to prove you pseudo-Christians, that Christians may learn something from your refutation, and that the less advanced may learn to avoid you. Do you call us children of the serpent? You have surely forgotten how often you have found fault with the prohibition in Paradise, and have praised the serpent for opening Adam's eyes. You have the better claim to the title which you give us. The serpent owns you as well when you blame him as when you praise him.