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De Trinitate

XVI.

[XVI 27] Est etiam quo plerique moveri solent quia scriptum est: Et locutus est dominus ad Moysen facie ad faciem sicut quis loquitur ad amicum suum, cum paulo post dicat idem Moyses: Si ergo inveni gratiam ante te, ostende mihi temet ipsum manifeste ut videam te, ut sim inveniens gratiam ante te et ut sciam quia populus tuus est gens haec, et paulo post iterum: Dixitque Moyses ad dominum: Ostende mihi maiestatem tuam. Quid est hoc quod in omnibus quae supra fiebant deus videri per suam substantiam putabatur, unde a miseris creditus est non per creaturam sed per se ipsum visibilis filius dei, et quod intraverat in nebulam Moyses ad hoc intrasse videbatur ut oculis quidem populi ostenderetur caligo nebulosa, ille autem intus verba dei tamquam eius faciem contemplatus audiret? Et quomodo dictum est: Locutus est dominus ad Moysen facie ad faciem sicut quis loquitur ad amicum suum? Ecce idem dicit: Si inveni gratiam in conspectu tuo, ostende mihi temet ipsum manifeste.

Noverat utique quod corporaliter videbat, et veram visionem dei spiritaliter requirebat. Locutio quippe illa quae fiebat in vocibus sic modificabatur tamquam esset amici loquentis ad amicum. Sed deum patrem quis corporeis oculis videt? Et quod in principio erat verbum et verbum erat apud deum et deus erat verbum per quod facta sunt omnia, quis corporeis oculis videt? Et spiritum sapientiae quis corporeis oculis videt? Quid est autem: Ostende mihi temet ipsum manifeste ut videam te, nisi ostende mihi substantiam tuam? Hoc autem si non dixisset Moyses, utcumque ferendi essent stulti qui putant per ea quae supra gesta vel dicta sunt substantiam dei oculis eius fuisse conspicuam; cum vero hic apertissime demonstretur nec desideranti hoc fuisse concessum, quis audeat dicere per similes formas quae huic quoque visibiliter apparuerant non creaturam deo servientem sed hoc ipsum quod deus est cuiusquam oculis apparuisse mortalium?

[28] Et hic quidem quod postea dominus dicit ad Moysen: Non poteris videre faciem meam et vivere; non enim videbit homo faciem meam et vivet. Et ait dominus: Ecce locus penes me, et stabis super petram statim ut transiet mea maiestas, et ponam te in spelunca petrae. Et tegam manu mea super te donec transeam, et auferam manum, et tunc videbis posteriora mea; nam facies mea non apparebit tibi.

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The Fifteen Books of Aurelius Augustinus, Bishop of Hippo, on the Trinity

Chapter 16.--In What Manner Moses Saw God.

26. There is yet another difficulty which troubles most people, viz. that it is written, "And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend;" whereas a little after, the same Moses says, "Now therefore, I pray Thee, if I have found grace in Thy sight, show me now Thyself plainly, that I may see Thee, that I may find grace in Thy sight, and that I may consider that this nation is Thy people;" and a little after Moses again said to the Lord, "Show me Thy glory." What means this then, that in everything which was done, as above said, God was thought to have appeared by His own substance; whence the Son of God has been believed by these miserable people to be visible not by the creature, but by Himself; and that Moses, entering into the cloud, appeared to have had this very object in entering, that a cloudy darkness indeed might be shown to the eyes of the people, but that Moses within might hear the words of God, as though he beheld His face; and, as it is said, "And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend;" and yet, behold, the same Moses says, "If I have found grace in Thy sight, show me Thyself plainly?" Assuredly he knew that he saw corporeally, and he sought the true sight of God spiritually. And that mode of speech accordingly which was wrought in words, was so modified, as if it were of a friend speaking to a friend. Yet who sees God the Father with the eyes of the body? And that Word, which was in the beginning, the Word which was with God, the Word which was God, by which all things were made, ¹ --who sees Him with the eyes of the body? And the spirit of wisdom, again, who sees with the eyes of the body? Yet what is, "Show me now Thyself plainly, that I may see Thee," unless, Show me Thy substance? But if Moses had not said this, we must indeed have borne with those foolish people as we could, who think that the substance of God was made visible to his eyes through those things which, as above mentioned, were said or done. But when it is here demonstrated most evidently that this was not granted to him, even though he desired it; who will dare to say, that by the like forms which had appeared visibly to him also, not the creature serving God, but that itself which is God, appeared to the eyes of a mortal man?

28. Add, too, that which the Lord afterward said to Moses, "Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see my face, and live. And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shall stand upon a rock: and it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee into a watch-tower ² of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: and I will take away my hand, and thou shalt see my back parts; but my face shall not be seen." ³