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Contra Faustum Manichaeum libri triginta tres

93.

Sed quid sibi velit, quod prius fecit, ut ipsum vitulum igne combureret, minutatim concideret et in aquam spargeret et potum populo daret, maiorem intentionem perscrutandae significationis inquirit. Si enim tabulas, quas digito dei, hoc est operatione spiritus sancti, scriptas acceperat, ideo fregit, quia indignos eos, quibus eas legeret, iudicavit, si denique, ut ab eis ille vitulus penitus aboleretur, incendit eum, contrivit, in aqua sparsit atque submersit, ut quid et potum hoc populo dedit? p. 699,17 Quem non excitet factum hoc ad inquirendam et intellegendam propheticam significationem? Occurrat ergo iam intentis mentibus tamquam diaboli corpus in vitulo, id est homines in omnibus gentibus, quibus ad haec sacrilegia caput, hoc est auctor, est diabolus, aureum propterea, quia videntur idolatriae ritus velut a sapientibus instituti, de quibus dicit apostolus: Quoniam cognoscentes deum non sicut deum glorificaverunt aut gratias egerunt, sed evanuerunt in cogitationibus suis, et obscuratum est insipiens cor eorum, dicentes esse se sapientes stulti facti sunt et immutaverunt gloriam incorruptibilis dei in similitudinem imaginis corruptibilis hominis et volucrum et quadrupedum et serpentium. p. 700,2 Ex hac quasi sapientia iste vitulus aureus, qualia solebant Aegyptiorum etiam ipsi primates et tamquam docti homines adorare figmenta. Hoc ergo vitulo significatum est omne corpus, id est omnis societas gentilium idolatriae deditorum. Hanc sacrilegam societatem dominus Christus illo igne comburit, de quo in evangelio dicit: Ignem veni mittere in terram, ut, quoniam non est, qui se abscondat a calore eius, dum in eum credunt gentes, igne virtutis eius diabolica in eis forma solvatur. Totum deinde corpus illud comminuitur, id est ab illa malae conspirationis conflatione discissum verbo veritatis humiliatur et comminutum in aquam mittitur, ut eos Israhelitae, id est evangelii praedicatores, ex baptismo in sua membra, hoc est in corpus dominicum, transferant. p. 700,15 Quorum Israhelitarum Petro de ipsis gentibus dictum est: Macta et manduca. Si macta et manduca, quare non etiam: Concide et bibe ? Ita ille vitulus per ignem zeli et aciem verbi et aquam baptismi ab eis potius, quos absorbere conabatur, absorptus est.

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Reply to Faustus the Manichaean

93.

It requires closer examination to see the meaning of the first action of Moses in burning the calf in fire, and grinding it to powder, and sprinkling it in the water for the people to drink. The tables given to him, written with the finger of God, that is, by the agency of the Holy Spirit, he may have broken, because he judged the people unworthy of having them read to them; and he may have burned the calf, and ground it, and scattered it so as to be carried away by the water, in order to let nothing of it remain among the people. But why should he have made them drink it? Every one must feel anxious to discover the typical significance of this action. Pursuing the inquiry, we may find that in the calf there was an embodiment of the devil, as there is in men of all nations who have the devil as their head or leader in their impious rites. The calf is gold, because there is a semblance of wisdom in the institution of idolatrous worship. Of this the apostle says, "Knowing God, they glorified Him not as God, nor were thankful; but they became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise they became foolish, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of corruptible man, and of birds, and of four-footed beasts, and of creeping things." ¹ From this so-called wisdom came the golden calf, which was one of the forms of idolatry among the chief men and professed sages of Egypt. The calf, then, represents every body or society of Gentile idolaters. This impious society the Lord Christ burns with that fire of which He says in the Gospel, "I am come to send fire on the earth;" ² for, as there is nothing hid from His heat, ³ when the Gentiles believe in Him they lose the form of the devil in the fire of divine influence. Then all the body is ground, that is, after the dissolution of the combination in the membership of iniquity comes humiliation under the word of truth. Then the dust is sprinkled in the water, that the Israelites, that is, the preachers of the gospel, may in baptism admit those formerly idolaters into their own body, that is, the body of Christ. To Peter, who was one of those Israelites, it was said of the Gentiles, "Kill, and eat." ⁴ To kill and eat is much the same as to grind and drink. So this calf, by the fire of zeal, and the keen penetration of the word, and the water of baptism, was swallowed up by the people, instead of their being swallowed up by it.