Traduction Masquer
Reply to Faustus the Manichaean

17.

Further, what is said in the promise of the Paraclete shows that it cannot possibly refer to Manichaeus, who came so many years after. For it is distinctly said by John, that the Holy Spirit was to come immediately after the resurrection and ascension of the Lord: "For the Spirit was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified." ¹ Now, if the reason why the Spirit was not given was, that Jesus was not glorified, He would necessarily be given immediately on the glorification of Jesus. In the same way, the Cataphrygians ² said that they had received the promised Paraclete; and so they fell away from the Catholic faith, forbidding what Paul allowed, and condemning second marriages, which he made lawful. They turned to their own use the words spoken of the Spirit, "He shall lead you into all truth," as if, forsooth, Paul and the other apostles had not taught all the truth, but had left room for the Paraclete of the Cataphrygians. The same meaning they forced from the words of Paul: "We know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away;" ³ making out that the apostle knew and prophesied in part, when he said, "Let him do what he will; if he marries, he sinneth not," ⁴ and that this is done away by the perfection of the Phrygian Paraclete. ⁵ And if they are told that they are condemned by the authority of the Church, which is the subject of such ancient promises, and is spread all over the world, they reply that this is in exact fulfillment of what is said of the Paraclete, that the world cannot receive Him. ⁶ And are not those passages, "He shall lead you into all truth," and, "When that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away," and, "The world cannot receive Him," precisely those in which you find a prediction of Manichaeus? And so every heresy arising under the name of the Paraclete will have the boldness to make an equally plausible application to itself of such texts. For there is no heresy but will call itself the truth; and the prouder it is, the more likely it will be to call itself perfect truth: and so it will profess to lead into all truth; and since that which is perfect has come by it, it will try to do away with the doctrine of the apostles, to which its own errors are opposed. And as the Church holds by the earnest admonition of the apostle, that "whoever preaches another gospel to you than that which ye have received, let him be accursed;" ⁷ when the heretical preacher begins to be pronounced accursed by all the world, will he not forthwith exclaim, This is what is written, "The world cannot receive Him"?

Edition Masquer
Contra Faustum Manichaeum libri triginta tres

17.

Huc accedit, quia ea dicta sunt in promissione paracleti, ut Manichaeum post tam multos annos venientem ab ista suspicione prorsus excludant. Quia enim post resurrectionem et ascensionem domini continuo venturus erat spiritus sanctus, apertissime dictum est a Iohanne: Spiritus enim nondum erat datus, quia Iesus nondum fuerat clarificatus. Si haec itaque causa erat, ut non daretur, quia nondum erat clarificatus Iesus, procul dubio clarificato Iesu iam causa erat, ut statim daretur. Nam et Cataphrygae se promissum paracletum suscepisse dixerunt et hinc a fide catholica deviarunt conantes prohibere, quod Paulus concessit, et damnare secundas nuptias, quas ille permisit, sub his verbis insidiantes, quia scriptum est de paracleto: Ipse vos inducet in omnem veritatem, quod videlicet non omnem veritatem Paulus et ceteri apostoli docuissent ac locum Cataphrygarum paracleto reservassent. p.777,22 Ad hoc et illud traxerunt, quod Paulus ait: Ex parte enim scimus et ex parte prophetamus; cum autem venerit quod perfectum est, quod ex parte est, evacuabitur, ut scilicet ex parte sciens et prophetans apostolus dixerit : Quod vult faciat; non peccat, si nubat, et ideo perfectum paracleti Phrygiae hoc evacuaverit. Ad haec cum eis dictum fuerit, quod sint ecclesiae tanto ante promissae et toto orbe diffusae auctoritate damnati, repondent hinc etiam in se illud esse completum, quod de paracleto dictum est, quod mundus eum accipere non potest. Nonne ista sunt, quae etiam vos dicere soletis: Ipse vos inducet in omnem veritatem et: Cum venerit quod perfectum est, quod ex parte est, evacuabitur et: Mundus eum accipere non potest, de vestro Manichaeo esse praedictum? p. 778,12 Et quae tandem poterit haeresis exoriri sub paracleti nomine, quae non haec omnia verisimiliter sibi audeat coaptare ? Numquid enim est haeresis, quae non veritatem se nominet et quanto est superbior, tanto magis se etiam perfectam nominet veritatem, ut et in omnem veritatem se polliceatur inducere et doctrinam apostolorum suo errori contrariam, quasi per illam venerit, quod perfectum est, evacuare conetur ? Et quoniam tenet ecclesia, quod vehementius apostolus commendavit, si quis uobis evangelizaverit praeterquam quod accepistis, anathema sit, cum coeperit aliud adnuntians ab universo orbe anathemari, continuo dicat: hoc est, quod scriptum est: Mundus eum accipere non potest? p. 778,25