書信與論戰集（CSEL） 第 22 章 第 1/4 段

In the sixth consulship of Honorius Augustus, on the seventh day before the Ides of December, Augustine, bishop of the Catholic Church of the districts of Hippo Regius, said: You know that yesterday you said that you could defend the writings of Manichaeus and assert that they possess the truth. If this pleases you, and today you also either undertake or presume that you can do it, say so. Felix the Manichaean said: I do not deny that I said I would defend my law, if the authors of my law are brought forward into the open. And when Bishop Augustine had brought forth the letter of Manichaeus which they call «the Foundation,» he said: If I read from this codex, which you see me carrying, the letter of Manichaeus which you call «the Foundation,» can you recognize whether it is the same one? Felix said: I recognize it. Augustine said: Take it yourself and read.

And when Felix had received the codex, he read: «Manichaeus, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the providence of God the Father. These are the wholesome words from the perennial and living fountain: which whoever shall have heard, and first believed them, then kept what has been intimated, shall never be subject to death, but shall enjoy eternal and glorious life. For assuredly he is to be judged blessed who shall have been instructed by this divine knowledge, by which, set free, he shall remain in everlasting life.» Bishop Augustine said: You have certainly recognized the letter of your Manichaeus? Felix said: I have recognized it. Augustine said: Prove to us, then, in what way this Manichaeus is an apostle of Jesus Christ.

For we nowhere read of him in the Gospel among the apostles; and we know who was ordained in the place of Judas the betrayer — namely, holy Matthias; and who afterward was called by the voice of the Lord from heaven — that is, the Apostle Paul — all men recognize. Prove to us, then, that this Manichaeus is an apostle of Christ, as he has dared to set down at the head of his letter. Felix said: Let your holiness also prove to me what is written in the Gospel, Christ saying: «I go to the Father; and I send to you the Holy Spirit the Paraclete, who will lead you into all truth.» Prove to me, apart from this Scripture, that this is the Scripture of the Holy Spirit which Christ promised, where all truth is to be found;

and if I find the truth in other codices that do not pertain to Manichaeus, and Christ delivered those — for it was so said by Christ, that the Holy Spirit the Paraclete Himself will lead into all truth — then, according to the word of Christ, I reject the Scripture of Manichaeus. Augustine said:

Since, then, you have not been able to prove in what way Manichaeus is an apostle of Christ, and you demand that I prove in what way He sent the Holy Spirit the Paraclete whom He promised — so that you may then reject the writings of Manichaeus, if you find the promise of Christ fulfilled apart from the writings of Manichaeus — although you ought first to have answered my questions, nevertheless, behold, I answer first and show you when the Holy Spirit was sent whom Christ promised. And he goes to the Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. And when he had received the codex of the Gospel, he recited: «But while they were speaking these things, Jesus stood in the midst of them and said to them: Peace be to you; it is I, do not fear.» And as he was reading, he said: This is after the resurrection.

And when he had said this, he read: «But they, troubled and terrified, supposed that they saw a spirit. And He said to them: Why are you troubled, and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? See my hands and feet, that it is I myself; handle me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see me to have. And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and feet. And while they still did not believe, and marvelled for joy, He said: Have you anything here to eat? And they offered Him a piece of broiled fish and a honeycomb. And when He had eaten before them, taking the remains He gave them to them and said to them:»

These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, for it is necessary that all things be fulfilled which are written concerning me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and in the psalms. Then he opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures, and he said to them: Thus it is written, and thus it behooved the Christ to suffer and to rise again from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. And I will send the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high. And when he had handed back the book of the Gospel, he took up the Acts of the Apostles and said:

We have heard in the Gospel that the holy Evangelist recalled the promise of Christ, which is in the Gospel according to John, which Felix here present has recalled. For where the Lord said, 'I send to you the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete,' John the Evangelist wrote it. But this which I have just read, Luke the Evangelist has attested, and it agrees with the truth of the apostle John. Let us see also how what the Lord promised was accomplished, and how it was fulfilled, so that when the fulfillment of the Lord's promise has been set forth from the canonical books of the holy Church, we may not seek another Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, lest we fall into the snares of seducers. And he read from the Acts of the Apostles:

Theophilus, I made my first discourse concerning all the things that Jesus began to do and to teach, on the day when he chose the apostles through the Holy Spirit and commanded them to preach the Gospel; to whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many proofs, being seen by them over forty days and speaking of the kingdom of God and how he conversed with them. And he commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to await the promise of the Father, 'which,' he said, 'you have heard from my mouth; for John indeed baptized with water, but you shall begin to be baptized with the Holy Spirit, whom you shall also receive not many days hence, up until Pentecost.' They therefore, coming together, questioned him, saying, 'Lord.'

If at this time you will restore the kingdom to Israel? But he said: No one can know the time which the Father has placed in his own power; but you shall receive the power of the Holy Spirit coming upon you, and you shall be witnesses to me at Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the whole earth. When he had said these things, a cloud received him and he was taken up from them. And as they were gazing while he went into heaven, behold, two men stood by them in white raiment, who said to them: Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, shall so come as you have seen him going into heaven.

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day's journey away. And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room, where dwelt Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon Zelotes and Jude the brother of James. And they all were persevering with one accord in prayer, together with the women and Mary, who had been the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the hearers and said—now there was a crowd gathered in one place of about a hundred and twenty men—'Brethren, this Scripture must be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of the holy David concerning Judas, who was the guide to those who seized Jesus, for he was numbered among us and had obtained a share of this ministry. This man, therefore, acquired a field from the reward of his iniquity, and bound his neck for himself and fell headlong, and was burst asunder in the middle, and all his bowels gushed out. And this became known to all who dwelt in Jerusalem, so that that field was called in their own tongue Akeldama, that is, the field of blood. For it is written in the book of Psalms:'

'Let his dwelling be desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it,' and 'Let another take his office.' It is fitting, therefore, that of these men who accompanied us during all the time in which the Lord Jesus Christ went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until that day on which he was taken up from us, one should be with us a witness of his resurrection. And they set forth two, Joseph, who was called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. And praying, he said: 'You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two you have chosen to take up the place of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas fell away to go to his own place.'

And they gave forth their lots, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was at once numbered as the twelfth with the eleven apostles. And when he had read this, he said: We have heard who was ordained in the place of Judas the traitor, which I mentioned a little before, lest anyone should creep in by fraud into the number of the apostles and by the name of apostleship deceive the ignorant. Now let us see, as we promised, how the promise of Christ concerning the Holy Spirit was fulfilled. And when he had said this, he read in the passage: In the time when the day of Pentecost was completed, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a violent gust rushing, and it filled the whole house in which they were sitting.

And there appeared to them tongues divided as of fire, which also settled upon each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with various tongues, according as the Spirit gave them to utter. Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, men from every nation that is under heaven. And when this sound was made, the crowd came together and was confounded, because each one heard them speaking in his own speech and in his own tongue. And they were astonished and marveled, saying to one another: Are not all these who speak Galileans by nation? And how do we recognize among them the speech in which we were born?

Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, and those who dwell in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and the Romans who were present, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs, heard them speaking in their own tongues the mighty works of God. And when he had read this, he said: You have now heard of the Holy Spirit and how he was sent. What you required of me I have proved; it remains that you also do what you promised. Since we have found when he sent the Holy Spirit whom he promised, reject that writing which under the name of the Holy Spirit sought to defraud either the reader or the hearer. Felix said:

I do not deny what I said, for when it has been proved to me that the Holy Spirit has taught the truth which I seek, I reject that other writing. For this your Holiness has read to me, where the apostles received the Holy Spirit. And in the apostles themselves I seek one who may teach me concerning the beginning, the middle, and the end. Augustine said: If you read that the Lord said this—'I send you the Holy Spirit, who shall teach you the beginning, the middle, and the end'—you rightly bind me to show what the Holy Spirit taught. Felix said: Since your Holiness says this, that the apostles themselves received the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, I say again:

Of the apostles themselves, whichever you wish, let him teach me what Mani taught me, or let him make void Mani's doctrine—of the twelve, whichever you wish. Augustine said: Far, far be it from the faith of the apostles that they should teach the doctrine of the sacrilegious Mani. But since you say that one of them ought to make void the doctrine of Mani, and yet the holy apostles are now not in the body, I, the least not only of all the apostles but of all bishops—for when could I aspire to the merits of the apostles?—as much as the Lord has deigned to bestow on me of his own Spirit, will make void the doctrine of Mani, when the following portions of that epistle begin to be read, which you yourself do not deny to be Mani's. Felix said: You said that the apostles have departed from the body;

their writings avail even until now. And since your Holiness has said, and since you have given leave to say what we wish without any fear, you said, 'I make void the law of Mani'; and I say: every man is a liar, God alone is truthful; let the Scriptures of God speak. Augustine said: You indeed are both a man and, as the matter itself is about to show, a liar. And since you have spoken what you wished, not from the Scripture of God, it behooves me too to speak what I wish. For if it is the truth of your Mani, it will not be able to be destroyed even by me; but if it is falsehood, what does it matter by whom it is destroyed?

Nevertheless, since you have said concerning the writings of the apostles that although they are not in the body, yet their writings are here—the apostles were taken up before the error of Mani had been born in the world—for that reason the writings of the apostles are not found manifestly disputing against Mani. Yet what the apostle Paul, in that same Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, whom he had received, foresaw would come to pass concerning such men as Mani was, and such as you also are, I will read, that you may recognize it. And having taken the epistle of the apostle Paul to Timothy, he read:

But the Spirit says expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and to doctrines of devils, in the hypocrisy of liars, having their conscience seared, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by the faithful and by those who have known the truth; for every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected which is received with thanksgiving, for it is sanctified by the word of God and by prayer. If you put the brethren in mind of these things, you shall be a good minister of Jesus Christ. And when he had read it, he said:

I say that concerning you and such as you—who say that some creature of God is unclean, and who say that all intercourse, even that which takes place with a wife, is fornication (for this is what he means by 'forbidding to marry')—this was designated and set forth by the Spirit of prophecy. But if you deny that all intercourse is fornication, or if you say that all human food lawful to be eaten is granted to men as clean, then you are not among those whom the apostle proclaimed and prophesied. But if you are found among these things I have said, behold, you have the apostle Paul destroying and making void the doctrine of the Mani that was to come. Therefore answer to what I ask: is all intercourse fornication, or is intercourse with a wife not a sin? Felix.

Said: Let that which the apostle said be read to me again. And it was read again: But the Spirit says expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and to doctrines of devils, in the hypocrisy of liars, having their conscience seared, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by the faithful and by those who have known the truth; for every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected which is received with thanksgiving, for it is sanctified by the word of God and by prayer. If you put the brethren in mind of these things, you shall be a good minister of Jesus Christ. Felix said:

Mani did not depart from the faith, as Paul says, as the others departed from the faith into their own sect, as it were; but Mani departed from no sect, so that it could be said that he departed from the faith. Augustine said: Since I see that you are unwilling to answer what you are asked, lest you be found either not to hold the Holy Spirit, whom we have already proved was sent to the apostles, or not to be in the number of those whom Paul designated as to come, where he also prophesied of you yourselves, I answer briefly: so that I may take according to your understanding what you said, 'They shall depart from the faith, since none depart from the faith except those who were in some faith;'

but Mani was in no faith from which he could depart, but in the one in which he was, in that he remained,"—this I ask you: whether Mani, or rather the doctrine of the lying devils which was in Mani, has seduced no catholic Christians so as to make them depart from the faith. For if many are seduced by you and through you and through that doctrine, so as to depart from the faith and give heed to seducing spirits, such as was in Mani, and begin to say that all intercourse is fornication—whence the apostle says, 'forbidding to marry'—and begin to say that the flesh which men eat is not the creature of God, but the making of devils, and is uncleanness:

it is manifest that the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, who was in the apostle Paul, foretold concerning these that they would depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, such as was in Mani. Now therefore, since I have answered, it is just that you should answer what I asked: whether you do not say that all intercourse is fornication; or, if you are unwilling to answer even this, then answer that which I first asked, so as to prove that Mani is an apostle of Christ; or, if you are unwilling even for this, allow me to make void his doctrine, as I promised, when his epistle which you call 'of the Foundation' was being read. Felix said: And I answer to what your Holiness says, that the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, came in Paul. Augustine said:

Not in him alone. Felix said: I treat of him, because if in him, then in all... And if in him—for Paul in another epistle says: 'We know in part and we prophesy in part; but when that which is perfect has come, those things which are said in part shall be done away'—we, hearing Paul say this, Mani came with his preaching, and we received him according to what Christ said: 'I send you the Holy Spirit.' And Paul came and himself also said that he is to come, and afterward no one came; therefore we received Mani. And because Mani came and through his preaching taught us the beginning, the middle, and the end; he taught us about the fabric of the world, why it was made and from what it was made, and who made it;

he taught us why there is day and why there is night; he taught us about the course of the sun and moon: because we did not hear this in Paul nor in the writings of the other apostles, we believe this, that he himself is the Paraclete. And so I say again what I said above: if I hear in another Scripture, where the Paraclete speaks, that is, the Holy Spirit, concerning that about which I wish to inquire, and you teach me, I believe and renounce. Augustine said: You say that you therefore do not believe the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, was in the apostle Paul, because the apostle Paul said, 'For we know in part and we prophesy in part,' and from this you suppose that the apostle by these words foretold, as it were, that another was to come after him who would preach all the things which this one could not, because he spoke in part;

and this one you believe to be Mani. First, then, from the very reading of the apostle I will show why the apostle said this. Next, since you have said that Mani taught you the beginning, the middle, and the end, and how or why the world was made, about the course of the sun and moon and the other things you mentioned, it is not read in the Gospel that the Lord said: 'I send you the Paraclete, who shall teach you about the course of the sun and moon.' For he wished to make them Christians, not astronomers. It suffices that men should know of these matters, as far as they have learned in school, for human uses. But Christ said that the Paraclete would come, who would lead into all truth; but he did not there say: the beginning, the middle, and the end; he did not say: the course of the sun and moon.

But if you think that this doctrine pertains to that truth which Christ promised through the Holy Spirit, I ask you: how many are the stars? If you have received that Spirit of whom you speak, to whom it pertains to teach these things which I say do not pertain to Christian instruction and doctrine, then you ought to answer and reply to me. For you have made yourself a debtor, so that if I ask anything of such matters, and you do not answer, that Spirit does not appear in you, of whom it was said: 'He shall lead into all truth'—if that is the truth to which these things pertain.

Therefore choose for yourself which you wish, and be prepared to answer me concerning these matters as a man who has received the Spirit that leads into all truth, and who says that it pertains to that very truth to know these worldly things. And so I can tell you the things which pertain to Christian doctrine; but you, who think that it pertains to it how the world was made and what is done in the world, must answer me concerning all things. But plainly, when you have answered, you shall have to prove it. But before you begin to speak, in case perhaps you have something which he whom you followed fabricated, let me first teach what I promised, namely, why the apostle said: 'We know in part and we prophesy in part.'

For he said, as the reading itself will presently show, that while a man is in this life, he cannot attain to all things, but in this life attains in part; but the Holy Spirit himself, who in this life teaches in part, after this life will lead into all truth. And that this may be taught most plainly, hear the apostle. And when he had said this, he read from the apostle: But whether prophecies shall be done away, or tongues shall cease, or knowledge shall be done away; for we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when that which is perfect shall have come, that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away the things that were of a child.

For now we see through a mirror, in an enigma; but then face to face. And when he had read this, he said: Now tell me, if the apostle was foretelling the future times of Mani, whether you now see God face to face. Felix said: I cannot do so much against your power, for the rank of the episcopate is a wondrous power, and next against the laws of the emperor. And above I asked briefly, that you teach me what is truth; and if you teach me what is truth, it will be evident that what I hold is a lie. Augustine said: It has appeared that you could not prove that the apostle of Christ was Mani; and why you could not, I will briefly set forth.

You said that you proved Mani to be an apostle of Christ from this: that Christ promised the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, was to come; and because you could not find, when he came, the one whom Christ promised, hence you believed that Mani himself was he. But when I proved through the holy, ecclesiastical, canonical Scriptures when the Holy Spirit came most manifestly, whom the Lord Christ promised would come, you turned yourself to say that it ought to be shown you what he taught, and whether he made void the doctrine of Mani.

When therefore I had answered that Mani was after the apostles in the flesh, but that their doctrine had been preached by them before Mani was born, I nevertheless said that one of those apostles, Paul, through the Holy Spirit who had come upon all the apostles, prophesied also concerning this doctrine of yours, that it was to come, and called it the doctrine of lying devils. Wherein I showed that the things which Paul said would be in that doctrine pertain to your profession, that is, the forbidding of marriage—since you say that all intercourse, even with a wife, is fornication—and abstinence from foods which God created—since I know that you call certain foods unclean, though he himself goes on and says:

'every creature of God is good'—when here I demanded of you that you answer, you said that Mani taught you the beginning, the middle, and the end, and the course of the sun and moon and other such things; and when I showed that these do not pertain to Christian doctrine, you answered that the apostle Paul himself said that he knows in part and prophesies in part. I said that we cannot know divine things while we are in this life, and that here we see through a mirror and in an enigma, but then face to face; and I asked of you, if you think the apostle Paul said this—that Mani was to come, who would teach what Paul could not—whether it pertains to you, who say that you have received that very Spirit, to see God now face to face. And since you cannot,

it is manifest that the apostle Paul spoke of that of which John also speaks: 'Beloved, we are the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.' When you had heard this, you said that you were not able to prevail against my power. Which is not my power, but if there is any, it was given to me by him for refuting errors—which is the power of all his faithful ones and of those who with full heart presume concerning themselves upon him.

You also said that the authority of the episcopate frightens you, when you see with how much peace we conduct ourselves among us, with how much tranquility we dispute, how the people here present offer you no violence, strike into you no terror, but most tranquilly listen, as befits Christians. You also said that you feared the laws of the emperor. This one whom the Holy Spirit filled would not fear for the true faith; for even Peter the apostle feared in the Lord's passion and thrice denied him; but where the Paraclete, whom Christ had promised, the Holy Spirit, filled him, he was crucified for the faith of the Lord; and he who first had the denial of fear, afterward fulfilled the most glorious passion of confession.

You therefore, from this very fact that you said you fear the laws of the emperor—although also from the other matters it is sufficiently apparent—show that you have not found the Paraclete, the Spirit of truth; for even if you did not fear, you would be convicted by the other matters. Felix said: The apostles also feared. Augustine said: They feared so as to be on their guard, not so as to hesitate to declare their faith when seized. You ought long ago to have feared on this account, so that we should not have found you here; now you are in the midst of it. Why do you fear, unless because you have nothing to say? For if you had feared the emperors, you would have kept silent beforehand.