Saint Augustine (354-430)

Against Faustus

Translated by Richard Stothert

Book XVI

Chapter 27

As to your argument that the doctrine of Moses was unlike that of Christ, and that therefore it was improbable that if they believed Moses, they would believe Christ too; and that it would rather follow that their belief in one would imply of necessity opposition to the other,—you could not have said this if you had turned your mind’s eye for a moment to see men all the world over, when they are not blinded by a contentious spirit, learned and unlearned, Greek and barbarian, wise and unwise, to whom the apostle called himself a debtor, believing in both Christ and Moses. If it was improbable that the Jews would believe both Christ and Moses, it is still more improbable that all the world would do so. But as we see all nations believing both, and in a common and well-grounded faith holding the agreement of the prophecy of the one with the gospel of the other, it was no impossible thing to which this one nation was called, when Christ said to them, “If ye believed Moses, ye would also believe me.” Rather we should be amazed at the guilty obstinacy of the Jews, who refused to do what we see the whole world has done.

Book XVI Chapter 26

Book XVI Chapter 28