6. Against the Manicheans.

We have spoken at length about the Son of God according to divinity, and we have not spared our opponents as much as we could resist them: now I wish to approach His incarnation, and the impure Manichean opposes. Why? Because he does not want the Son of God to be called also the son of man. And where is it written, Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness; let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation; and let righteousness spring up together; I the Lord have created it ¹? Do you hear that the Gospel would not be presented by the Apostles unless it was promised beforehand by the Prophets? Do you hear that the Son of God according to divinity was made the son of man from the seed of David according to the flesh? What is it, then, in which the Prophets are contrary to the Gospel? The Prophet said: Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let an angel come, preach the word. Let the earth open; let Mary hear: and bring forth salvation; let her bear Jesus. The Prophet said, Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son; and his name shall be called Emmanuel. The evangelist, when he said this, followed and explained, saying, God with us ². In vain, Manichean, do you try to oppose the Prophets. Behold, the Apostle says, Concerning his Son, who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh ³. What the Prophets foresaw and foretold, the Apostles saw and preached. He who was, was made. What was he? What was he made? He was the Word, he was made flesh. He was God, he was made man: He was the Son of God, he was made the Son of man. He assumed humanity, he did not lose divinity: he was made humble, he remained sublime: he was born a man, he did not cease to be God: he was born a child, hidden as great: whoever willingly embraces God born, does not shudder at the birth from a virgin. God, the creator of man, says to you, son of man: What is it that moves you in my birth? I was not conceived by the desire of lust. I made the mother from whom I was to be born; I prepared and cleansed the way for my journey. This one whom you despise, Manichean, is my mother; but she was made by my hand. If I could be defiled when I made her, I could be defiled when I was born of her. Just as her virginity was not corrupted by my passage, so my majesty was not stained there. If the ray of the sun knows how to dry up the filth of sewers, it does not know how to be defiled by them; how much more can the splendor of eternal light, in which no defilement occurs, cleanse wherever it shines, and it cannot be polluted? Fool, whence is there filth in the virgin mother, where there is no intercourse with a human father? Whence is there filth in her, who neither in conceiving experienced lust, nor in giving birth suffered pain? Whence is there filth in the house to which no inhabitant approached? Only the maker and lord of it came to her, put on the garment he did not have; and left it closed as he found it. Just as he was born alone among the dead free ⁴; so the chastity of the mother from whom he was born is alone intact. Eve, by disobedience, deserved punishment; Mary, by obeying, obtained grace: she, by tasting the forbidden, was cursed; this one, by believing the angel, is blessed: she brought us death, this one brought us life. What are you doing, Manichean? You oppress the Christian, you do not defend Christ. Let impure vanity be silent, for pure truth is born.