The dwindling mockers and the fulfillment of prophecy
Augustine is concluding the treatise, addressing the few remaining pagans who still mock the Christian religion, and showing that their very mockery and decline fulfill the prophecies he has been citing.
Let them go now and still dare to keep defending their old vanities against the Christian religion, against the religion of the true God, so that they may perish with a crash. For this too was foretold about them in the Psalms, where the prophet says: “You sat on the throne, you who judge with equity. You rebuked the nations, and the wicked perished; you blotted out their name forever and ever. The swords of the enemy failed utterly, and you destroyed their cities: their memory perished with a crash. But the Lord remains forever” (Psalm 9:5-8 LXX / 9:4-7 Heb). So all these things must be fulfilled. And we should not be disturbed that the few who remain still dare to display their empty-talking doctrines and mock Christians as most unskilled, while we see being fulfilled in them the very things that were foretold.
For this very thing—the apparent unskillfulness and foolishness of Christians, which to the humble and holy and to those who diligently study Him appears exalted and the only true wisdom—this very thing, I say, this apparent foolishness of Christians, is what reduces them to such a small number. For as the apostle says, “God made foolish the wisdom of this world” (1 Corinthians 1:19). Then he adds something marvelous, if anyone understands it, and continues: “For since in the wisdom of God the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to the nations, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Corinthians 1:21-25).
So let them mock as much as they can, as if at our unskillfulness and foolishness, and let them boast of their doctrine and wisdom. This I know: these mockers of ours are fewer this year than they were last year. For from the time when the nations raged and the peoples plotted vain things against the Lord and against his Christ (Psalm 2:1), when the blood of the saints was being poured out by them and the church was being laid waste, up to this present time and from now on, they are daily diminished.
But against their insults and proud mockeries, the oracles of our God make us most strong—oracles which we see and rejoice are being fulfilled in this very matter as well. For thus speaks the prophet: “Hear me, you who know judgment, my people, in whose heart is my law; do not fear the reproach of men, and do not be overcome by their disparagement, nor consider it a great thing that they despise you. For like a garment they will be consumed in time, and like wool they will be eaten by the moth; but my righteousness remains forever” (Isaiah 51:7-8). Let them read these things of ours, if they deign to. When their objections reach us, we will answer as the Lord helps us.
Latin
Eant nunc isti et adhuc contra christianam religionem, contra uerum dei cultum uanitates pristinas defensitare audeant, ut cum strepitu pereant. nam et hoc de illis praedictum est in Psalmis dicente propheta: sedisti super thronum, qui iudicas aequitatem. increpasti gentes, et periit inpius; nomen eorum delesti in aeternum et in saeculum saeculi. inimici defecerunt frameae in finem, et ciuitates eorum destruxisti: periit memoria eorum cum strepitu. et dominus in aeternum manet. necesse est ergo, ut inpleantur haec omnia; nec quod adhuc audent ipsi pauci, qui remanserunt, uaniloquas suas ostentare doctrinas et christianos tamquam inperitissimos inridere, moueri debemus, dum in eis inpleri ea, quae praedicta sunt, uideamus. ipsa quippe uelut inperitiae stultitia christianorum, quae humilibus et sanctis eiusque diligenter studiosis adparet excelsa et sola uera sapientia, ipsa, inquam, uelut stultitia christianorum eos ad istam paucitatem redigit, quoniam, sicut dicit apostolus, stultam fecit deus sapientiam huius mundi. deinde subiungit rem mirabilem, si quis intellegat, et ita sequitur: nam quoniam in dei sapientia non cognouit mundus per sapientiam deum, placuit deo per stultitiam praedicationis saluos facere credentes; quoniam quidem Iudaei signa petunt et Graeci sapientiam quaerunt, nos autem praedicamus Christum crucifixum, Iudaeis quidem scandalum, gentibus autem stultitiam, ipsis uero uocatis, Iudaeis et Graecis, Christum dei uirtutem et dei sapientiam; quoniam quod stultum est dei, sapientius est hominibus, et quod infirmum est dei, fortius est hominibus. inrideant ergo, quantum possunt, tamquam inperitiam et stultitiam nostram et iactent doctrinam et sapientiam suam. illud scio, quod isti inrisores nostri pauciores sunt hoc anno, quam fuerunt priore anno. ex quo enim fremuerunt gentes, et populi meditati sunt inania aduersus dominum et aduersus Christum eius, quando ab eis fundebatur sanguis sanctorum et uastabatur ecclesia, usque ad hoc tempus et deinceps cotidie minuuntur. nos autem aduersus eorum obprobria et superbas inrisiones fortissimos reddunt oracula dei nostri, quae de hac quoque re uidemus et gaudemus inpleri. sic enim loquitur propheta: audite me, qui scitis iudicium, populus meus, in quorum corde lex mea est; obprobrium hominum nolite metuere, et detractatione eorum ne superemini, nec quod uos spernant, magni duxeritis. sicut enim uestimentum ita per tempus absumentur et sicut lana a tinea comedentur, iustitia autem mea in aeternum manet. legant tamen haec nostra, si dignantur. cum ad nos contradictiones eorum peruenerint, quantum dominus adiuuat, respondebimus.