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Reply to Faustus the Manichaean

46.

Faustus' effrontery appears notably in his accusing Isaac also, the son of Abraham of pretending that his wife Rebecca was his sister. ¹ For as regards the family of Rebecca Scripture is not silent, and it appears that she was his sister in the well-known sense of the word. His concealing that she was his wife is not surprising, nor is it insignificant, if he did it in imitation of his father, so that he can be justified on the same grounds. We need only refer to the answer already given to Faustus' charge against Abraham, as being equally applicable to Isaac. Perhaps, however some inquirer will ask what typical significance there is in the foreign king discovering Rebecca to be the wife of Isaac by seeing him playing with her; for he would not have known, had he not seen Isaac playing with Rebecca as it would have been improper to do with a woman not his wife. When holy men act thus as husbands, they do it not foolishly, but designedly: for they accommodate themselves to the nature of the weaker sex in words and actions of gentle playfulness; not in effeminacy, but in subdued manliness. But such behavior towards any woman except a wife would be disgraceful. This is a question in good manners, which is referred to only in case some stern advocate of insensibility should find fault with the holy man even for playing with his wife. For if these men without humanity see a sedate man chatting playfully with children that he may adapt himself to the childish understanding with kindly sympathy, they think that he is insane; forgetting that they themselves were once children, or unthankful for their maturity. The typical meaning, as regards Christ and His Church, which is to be found in this great patriarch playing with his wife, and in the conjugal relation being thus discovered, will be seen by every one who, to avoid offending the Church by erroneous doctrine, carefully studies in Scripture the secret of the Church's Bridegroom. He will find that the Husband of the Church concealed for a time in the form of a servant the majesty in which He was equal to the Father, as being in the form of God, that feeble humanity might be capable of union with Him, and that so He might accommodate Himself to His spouse. So far from being absurd, it has a symbolic suitableness that the prophet of God should use a playfulness which is of the flesh to meet the affection of his wife, as the Word of God Himself became flesh that He might dwell among us.

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Contra Faustum Manichaeum libri triginta tres

46.

Mirabili sane impudentia Faustus Isaac quoque filium Abrahae criminatus est, quod Rebeccam, quae uxor erat, sororem finxerit. p. 637,21 Genus enim Rebeccae non tacitum est, et eam per notissimam propinquitatem sororem eius fuisse manifestum est. Ut autem taceret uxorem, quid mirum aut quid pravum, si imitatus est patrem, cum eadem iustitia defendatur, qua pater eius de simili obiecto inculpatus inventus estf? Quae igitur pro Abraham, quod ad hanc rem attinet, adversus criminantem Faustum diximus, eadem etiam pro Isaac filio eius valent; quae recensere non est difficile. Nisi forte studiosorum aliquis quaerat, in cuius figurae sacramento accipiendum sit, quod rex alienigena Rebeccam viri sui coniugem tunc esse cognovit, quando eum cum illa ludentem vidit, quod non cognovisset, nisi cum coniuge ille sic luderet, quomodo cum ea, quae coniux non esset, ludere non deceret. Quod cum sancti coniugati faciunt, non inaniter faciunt, sed prudenter; p. 638,9 descendunt enim quodam modo ad feminei sexus infirmitatem, ut aliquid blanda hilaritate vel dicant vel faciant, non enervantes, sed temperantes virilem vigorem; quod tamen ei, quae uxor non est, qui dixerit aut fecerit, turpis est. Verum hoc, quod ad mores humanitatis pertinet, dixerim, ne quisquam durus et sine affectu id ipsum pro crimine obiciat sancto viro, quod cum coniuge sua luserit. Tales enim homines inhumani si aliquem gravem virum ludicrum aliquid garrientem pueris etiam parvulis viderint, quo eorum lacteum sensum affabili et nutritoria facilitate permulceat, tamquam delirantem reprehendunt, obliti unde creverint, aut ingrati, quod creverint. p. 638,20 Quid autem sibi velit in sacramento Christi et ecclesiae, quod tantus patriarcha cum coniuge luserit coniugiumque illud inde sit cognitum, videt profecto, quisquis, ne aliquid errando in ecclesiam peccet, secretum viri eius in scripturis sanctis diligenter intuetur, et invenit eum maiestatem suam, qua in forma dei aequalis est patri, paulisper abscondisse in forma servi, ut eius capax esse humana infirmitas posset eoque modo se coniugi congruenter aptaret. Quid enim absurdum, immo quid non convenienter futurorum praenuntiationi accomodatum, si propheta dei carnale aliquid lusit, ut eum caperet affectus uxoris, cum ipsum verbum dei caro factum sit, ut habitaret in nobis?