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The Manichecs. Sect. IV. 331
saying- that we ought to love God and our neighbour. But
they denied that (his was taught in the Old Testament.
Let me here add the confession of faith made by Fortunatus
at the beginning- oi tlie dispute with Augustine in the
year 392 ; though some expressions there used are not
altogether agreeable to tlie catholic doctrine.
' Our belief,' says'"^ Fortunatus, ' is this, that God is
incorruptible, glorious, inaccessible, incomprehensible,
impassible, dwelling in his own eternal light: that he produceth
nothing- from himself that is corruptible, not darkness,
not dtemons, not Satan : that he has sent a Saviour
like himself, the Word, born before the foundation of the
world ; who after the world M'as made, came among men
to save the souls worthy of his holy favour, sanctified by
his heavenly precepts, through faith and reason endowed
with the knowledge of heavenly things : and that under
his conduct those souls shall again return to the kingdom
of God, according- to his holy promise, M'ho said : " J am
the way, the truth, and the door: and no man cometh unto
the Father but by me," John xiv. 6. These things we
believe, forasmuch as souls cannot otherwise, that is, through
any other mediator, return to the kingdom of God : for he
himself says, " He that hath seen me hath seen the Father
also," ver. 9: and, " He that believeth on me shall not
taste death, but passeth from death to life, and cometh not
into condemnation," chap. V. 24. Thesethings we believe,
and this is the ground of our faith ; as also, that with all
the powers of our mind we are to obey his holy commandments,
holding the doctrine of the Trinity, the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Ghost.'
' Et nostra professio ipsa est, quod incorruptibilis sit Deus, quod lucidus,
quod inadibilis, quod intenibilis, impassibilis setemam lucem et propriam
inhabitet : quod nihil ex sese corruptibile proferat, nee tenebras, nee daemo-
nes, nee Satanam ; nee aliquid adversum in regno ejus reperiri possit : Sui
autem similem Salvatorem direxisse, Verbum natum a constitutione mundi,
cum mundum fabricaret, post mundi fabricam inter homines venisse, dignas
sibi animas elegisse sanctaB suae voluntati, mandatis suis ccelestibus sanctifi-
catas, fide ac ratione imbutas coelestium rerum ; ipso ductore hinc iteruin
easdem animas ad regnum Dei reversuras esse, secundum sanctam ipsius
polhcitationem, qui dixit : Ego sum via, Veritas, et janua ? et nemo potest ad
Patrem pervenire nisi per me. His rebus nos credimus, quia aUas animae, id
est, alio mediante non poterunt ad regnum Dei reverti, nisi ipsum repererint,
viam, veritatem, et januam. Ipse enim dixit : qui me vidit, vidit et patrem
meum ; et, qui in me crediderit, mortem non gustabit in aeternum, sed transitum
facit de morte ad vitam, et in judicium non venit. His rebus credimus;
et haecest ratio fidei nostrae, et pro viribus animi nostri mandatis ejus obtem-
perare, unam fidem sectantes hujus Trinitatis, Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti.
Fortunat. Disp. i. n. 3.