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Reply to Faustus the Manichaean

7.

Augustin replied: If you allow, in consideration of the authority of the Gospel, that Christ said that He came not to destroy the law and the prophets, but to fulfill them, you should show the same consideration to the authority of the apostle, when he says, "All these things were our examples;" and again of Christ, "He was not yea and nay, but in Him was yea; for all the promises of God are in Him yea;" ¹ that is, they are set forth and fulfilled in Him. In this way you will see in the clearest light both what law Christ fulfilled, and how He fulfilled it. It is a vain attempt that you make to escape by your three kinds of law and your three kinds of prophets. It is quite plain, and the New Testament leaves no doubt on the matter, what law and what prophets Christ came not to destroy, but to fulfill. The law given by Moses is that which by Jesus Christ became grace and truth. ² The law given by Moses is that of which Christ says, "He wrote of me." ³ For undoubtedly this is the law which entered that the offence might abound; ⁴ words which you often ignorantly quote as a reproach to the law. Read what is there said of this law: "The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, wrought death in me by that which is good." ⁵ The entrance of the law made the offense abound, not because the law required what was wrong, but because the proud and self-confident incurred additional guilt as transgressors after their acquaintance with the holy, and just, and good commandments of the law; so that, being thus humbled, they might learn that only by grace through faith could they be freed from subjection to the law as transgressors, and be reconciled to the law as righteous. So the same apostle says: "For before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which was afterwards revealed. Therefore the law was our schoolmaster in Christ Jesus; but after faith came, we are no longer under a schoolmaster." ⁶ That is, we are no longer subject to the penalty of the law, because we are set free by grace. Before we received in humility the grace of the Spirit, the letter was only death to us, for it required obedience which we could not render. Thus Paul also says: "The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life." ⁷ Again, he says: "For if a law had been given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law; but the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe." ⁸ And once more: "What the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sent His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, that by sin He might condemn sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." ⁹ Here we see Christ coming not to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. As the law brought the proud under the guilt of transgression, increasing their sin by commandments which they could not obey, so the righteousness of the same law is fulfilled by the grace of the Spirit in those who learn from Christ to be meek and lowly in heart; for Christ came not to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. Moreover, because even for those who are under grace it is difficult in this mortal life perfectly to keep what is written in the law, Thou shall not covet, Christ, by the sacrifice of His flesh, as our Priest obtains pardon for us. And in this also He fulfills the law; for what we fail in through weakness is supplied by His perfection, who is the Head, while we are His members. Thus John says: "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not; and if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: He is the propitiation for our sins." ¹⁰

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Contra Faustum Manichaeum libri triginta tres

7.

Augustinus respondit: Quia iam consentis dixisse Christum: Non veni legem solvere vel prophetas, sed adimplere –durum enim tibi videtur adversus evangelicam auctoritatem venire – durum etiam tibi videatur venire adversus apostolum dicentem: Omnia haec figurae nostrae fuerunt, item dicentem de Christo: Quia non fuit Etiam et Non, sed Etiam in illo erat: quotquot enim promissiones dei, in illo Etiam, id est in illo exhibitae, in illo adimpletae sunt et sine caligine videbis, et quam legem adimplere venerit et eam quo pacto adimpleverit. Nec perges extendi per tria genera legis et tria genera prophetarum quaerens, qua exeas, et non inveniens. p. 503,21 Manifestum est enim, et luce clarius hoc etiam novi testamenti scriptura saepe testatur, quam legem et quos prophetas Christus non venerit solvere sed adimplere. Ipsa enim lex, quae per Moysen data est, gratia et veritas per Iesum Christum facta est, ipsa est, inquam, lex per Moysen data, de quo Christus ait: De me enim ille scripsit. Certe enim ipsa est lex, quae subintravit, ut abundaret delictum, quod ad eius reprehensionem nihil intellegentes in ore habere consuestis. Ibi ergo lege et vide, quia ipsa est, de qua dicitur: Itaque lex quidem sancta et mandatum sanctum et iustum et bonum. Quod ergo bonum est, mihi factum est mors?Absit. Sed peccatum ut appareat peccatum, per bonum mihi operatum est mortem. p. 504,9 Neque enim lex iubebat delictum, ut illa subintrante abundaret delictum, sed superbos multum sibi tribuentes mandati sancti et iusti et boni adiectio reos etiam praevaricationis effecerat, ut eo modo humiliati discerent ad gratiam pertinere per fidem, ut iam non essent legi subditi per reatum, sed legi sociati per iustitiam. Idem quippe apostolus dicit, quia priusquam veniret fides, sub lege custodiebamur conclusi in eam fidem, quae postea revelata est. Itaque lex inquit paedagogus noster erat in Christo Iesu; sed posteaquam venit fides, iam non sumus sub paedagogo, quia nos reatus legis non obligat, iam per gratiam liberatos. p. 504,20 Namque antequam spiritalem gratiam humiliati reciperemus, nihil nisi mortificabat nos littera iubens, quod non possemus implere. Unde idem dicit: Littera occidit, spiritus autem vivificat. Rursus eiusdem apostoli verba sunt: Si enim data esset lex, quae posset vivificare, omnino ex lege esset iustitia; sed conclusit scriptura omnia sub peccato, ut promissio ex fide Iesu Christi daretur credentibus. Item ipsius verba sunt: Quod enim impossibile erat legis, in quo infirmabatur per carnem, deus filium suum misit in similitudinem carnis peccati, ut de peccato damnaret peccatum in carne, ut iustitia legis impleretur in nobis, qui non secundum carnem ambulamus, sed secundum spiritum. Ecce quod est: Non veni legem solvere, sed adimplere. p. 505,7 Quae lex enim superbos etiam praevaricationis reatu devinxit augendo peccatum, cum iubet, quod implere non possunt, ipsius legis impletur iustitia per gratiam spiritus in eis, qui discunt a Christo mites esse atque humiles corde, qui venit non legem solvere, sed adimplere. Deinde, quia etiam sub gratia positis in hac mortali vita difficile est omni modo implere, quod in lege scriptum est: Non concupisces, ille per carnis suae sacrificium sacerdos effectus impetrat nobis indulgentiam etiam hinc adimplens legem, ut, quod per nostram infirmitatem minus possumus, per illius perfectionem recuretur, cuius capitis membra effecti sumus. p. 505,18 Unde Iohannes dicit: Filioli, haec scribo vobis, ut non peccetis; et si quis peccaverit, advocatum habemus apud patrem Iesum Christum iustum; ipse est exoratio pro peccatis nostris.