The Literal Meaning of Genesis (continued)
1. the mind meanwhile using the senses of the body, or
2. the mind meanwhile being completely independent of the senses. The visions described in IIB are caused by a spirit, either good or evil.
his is explained in the next chapter. °°T read male adfecti: see Taylor "Text" 90-91. °1A man is not necessarily a prophet when he narrates a vision, even though the vision may have a prophetic meaning. But when his mind is illumined so that he can understand and explain the meaning of the vision, then he is truly a prophet.
are endowed with the gift of prophecy for the moment. Aug. distinguishes them from "true prophets" only because the gift of prophecy is not habitual in them.
the meaning of intentio in Aug., see n. 19 supra. For Augustine's physiology of sensation, see 12.16.32 supra.
94 Aug. has a picturesque way of describing sensation. The attention of the soul is "sent forth" or "thrust out" (exeritur) by the soul to the object; or, as he says later in this chapter, it "presses on" (nititur) towards its object.
has already described (12.2.3 supra) his awareness in dreams of the fact that he was dreaming. He also mentions that this awareness did not imply a full realization of the nature of the images seen in the dream.
Joel 2.28 (Vulg.), 3.1 (Hebr.); Acts 2.17. 97Matt. 1.20. 98Matt. 2.13. 29The sense in which the body is a cause has been explained in 12.20.42—43 supra.
100John 11.50-51. 101U/trum duodecim signa dicerentur: lit. '""whether the signs were called the twelve signs" or "whether the twelve signs were discussed" (among the astrologers). The duodecim signa are the twelve signs of the Zodiac: see Aratus, Phaenomena, tr. by Cicero, 317-19 (Poetae latini minores 1.21 Baehrens); cf. Cic., De div. 2.42.89.
102 Aug. was familiar with these pagan festivals, having occa-
312 NOTES sionally witnessed them in his youth. See De civ. Det 2.4, where he describes them and condemns them for the obscene rites performed on such occasions.
103Qn the question of angels reading our thoughts, see n. 81 supra.
104 Aug. here speaks of images stored in memory from previous sense perceptions but not now the subject of thought until they are again summoned up.
105This includes both intellect (intellectus) and reason (ratio): "We are accustomed to reserve the word 'mind' for that which is rational and intellectual in us" (Aug., De anima et eius origine 4.22.36 [CSEL 60.414,13-14 Urba-Zycha; ML 44.545)). 106Cf, Gal. 5.22-23. There is a considerable discrepancy in the NT MSS in this enumeration. The Vulg. text of Wordsworth and White has: caritas, gaudium, pax, longanimitas, bonitas, benignitas, fides, modestia, continentia. The OL text of Cyprian has: agape, gaudium, pax, magnanimitas, bonitas, fides, mansuetudo, continentia, castitas: see H. F. von Soden, Das latetnische Neue Testament in Afrika zur Zeit Cyprians (TU 33, Leipzig 1909) 602.
107To this list of objects of intellectual vision, Aug., De Trin. 12.14.23 (CCL 50.376,54-58; ML 42.1010), adds the intelligible and immutable forms (rationes) of material bodies and even of the motions of bodies. See n. 65 supra. When Aug. includes God
Himself among the objects of intellectual vision, he does not mean that the ordinary way of knowing God in this life is by an intuitive vision of His essence, though he holds that such a vision is possible by a special gift of God even in this life: see chs. 27 and 34 infra.
whom" (in quo) is based on a misreading of the text; it should be "unto whom." See n. 7 to Book 4 supra. But Aug. gives the text a trinitarian interpretation, with in quo referring to the Holy Spirit: see De fide et symbolo 9.19 (CSEL 41.25,16-22 Zycha; ML 40.192).
109See chs. 6-23 of this book. '\0For Augustine's active theory of sensation, see n. 16 to Book 3 supra, and n. $3 to Book 12.
'!lFor the senses as messengers, see n. 35 to Book 7 supra.
BOOK TWELVE 313
'12But Aug. holds that there may be a phantasm concomitant with the intuitive act of the mind: see 4.7.13 supra. ata) (Cnet 5. £41 Cor d4.1 8, 115Eph. 4.23. 28See12-7:18. '17Aug. here gives some stock examples of alleged sense deception. References to examples such as these are found in pagan and Christian writers, including Aristotle, Diogenes, Laertius, Sextus Empiricus, Lucretius, Cicero, Seneca, Tertullian, Jerome, and Augustine, but some of Augustine's examples seem to be based on his own observation. See my article, '"Remus Infractus," Classical Bulletin 28 (1951-52) 25-26.
118The text of z reads duae lucernae species. But duae (apparently a typographical error) should be corrected to duas. See Taylor "Text" 88. The supposition here is that light from the object strikes the eyes, and rays of light are sent out from the eyes towards the object (see 12.16.32 supra); but if these latter rays are not in focus, the object is seen double. Lucretius, 4.447-50, says that this phenomenon can be tested by pressing the finger under one eyeball.
119 Aug. describes his own experience in 12.2.3 supra. 120A poc. 1.10 ff. 121For Augustine's use of these words here, see 12.10.21 supra. 122For this use of the metaphor of a fountain, see Ps. 35.10 and Aug., Conf. 9.10.23.
123Cuthbert Butler, Western Mysticism (London 1922) 87, is of the opinion that Aug. is here describing a personal experience wherein he believed that he had been granted an immediate vision of "the brightness of the Lord."
124Exod. 19.18. a27isar Gek, 126"Through a direct vision": per speciem. Cf. 2 Cor. 5.7 and Aug., Sermo 88.4 (ML 38.541): "Walk by faith (per fidem) so that you may come to vision (ad speciem). There will be no vision to give joy in the fatherland (in patria) unless a man is comforted by faith on the way (in via)."
314 NOTES
127Aug. argues from Num. 12.6-8 that Moses was granted a vision of God's essence in this life. si sod: 19,18, 339.9 129Exod. 33.13. Ostende mihi temet ipsum (Show me Thyself) is from the OL text, based on the LXX.
1S8R xod, 33:11.
134 od) 33-17. ts2XOU) 35:10: 133Exod. 33.20. According to Aug., this text implies two truths: (1) the vision of God properly belongs to the future life (Epist. 147 De videndo Deo 13.32 [CSEL 44.306,10—-11 Goldbacher; ML 33.611]), and (2) God cannot be seen with the eyes of the body (Sermo 6.1 [ML 38.60]}). But he argues below in this chapter that a man can, by a special favor of God, be granted this vision in this life, if his soul is temporarily withdrawn from the life of the senses.
134 xod. 33.21-23. '135Aug. develops his figurative interpretation of this passage in Enarr. in Ps. 138.8 (CCL 40.1994-96; ML 37.1789-90). Moses represents the Jewish people. The passing of God symbolizes the passing of Christ through the world. The hand of God, who was angry with the Jews, was placed over their eyes that they might not see the face of Christ, that is, His divinity. After His ascension, their eyes were opened and they saw Christ in His Church (posteriora mea). See also a brief reference to this exegesis in Epist. 147 De videndo Deo 13.32 (CSEL 44.306,11-17 Goldbacher; ML 33.611).
136Num. 12.6-8. So also in Epist. 147, loc. cit., Aug. argues that this text proves that Moses was granted a vision of God's essence in this life.
'37The same condition is laid down in Epist. 147.13.31. MBE D Catt ase: '39 Aug. argues that the third heaven is the vision of God face to face and that it is to be taken as identical with "paradise" in 2 Cor. 12.2-4. 40Matt. 5.8. reit. Gores. tee '42'The reading found in E and the other MSS which I*have examined, as well as in m, is mundata. Mandata, found in the text of z, is apparently a typographical error.
143Cf. 2 Cor. 5.6-7. 4G he Titus 252) 145Cf. Cant. 4.13.
140 Per formam futuri: cf. Rom. 5.14. 47Vision of peace: see Jerome, Liber de nominibus hebraicis 73 (ML 23.873), and Eusebius, Commentaria in Psalmos, In Ps. 75, v.
3 (MG 23.880C-D). But the original meaning of the word was "foundation of Shalem": see L.-H. Vincent, Dict. bibl., Supp. 4 (1949) s.v. "Jérusalem," 898-99.
148Cf. Gal. 4.26. 149Cf. Rom. 8.2425. 150Gal. 4.27. Hagar, the slave girl, as St. Paul explains, typifies the OT and the synagogue bringing forth children unto bondage. Sarah, the free woman, is a type of the NT and the Church bringing forth children that are free. Many are the children of the desolate (i.e., of the Church which was once sterile). The Church, says Paul, has now far more children than the woman who had a husband (the synagogue). For Augustine's explanation of this allegory, see De civ. Det 15.2.3.
151 ph. 3.10. The MSS of Aug. read: per ecclestam multiformis sapientiae Dei. For a discussion of the textual problem, see n. 62 to Book 5 supra.
152Scripture speaks of three heavens: (1) the atmosphere in which the birds and clouds move, (2) the starry firmament, (3) beyond these, the abode of God and the blessed. See J. Bellamy, Dict. bibl. 2 (1899) s.v. "Ciel," 750-51. Greek astromony, followed by Cic., De republica 6.17, divided the universe into nine spheres: heaven, which contains the fixed stars (and in Stoicism is identified with God), the seven spheres of the seven planets, and the sphere of the earth. Marius Victorinus, Jn Epist. ad Eph. 2.4.10 (p. 178,11-12 Locher; ML 8.1274B), says: "What heavens? Many say there are three; others say there are more; my opinion is that there are three." St. Hilary, Tract. in Psalmum 135 10 (ML 9.77374), advises his readers not to be too tenacious of their opinions in the matter of the number of heavens.
153Aug., De Gen. ad litt. inperfectus liber 8.29 (CSEL