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Translated by Bl. Jackson.
St Basil the Great Resources Online and in Print
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88 Pages
Page 37
33. But belief in Moses not only does not show our belief in the Spirit to be worthless, but, if we adopt our opponents' line of argument, it rather weakens our confession in the God of the universe. "The people," it is written, "believed the Lord and his servant Moses." [990] Moses then is joined with God, not with the Spirit; and he was a type not of the Spirit, but of Christ. For at that time in the ministry of the law, he by means of himself typified "the Mediator between God and men." [991] Moses, when mediating for the people in things pertaining to God, was not a minister of the Spirit; for the law was given, "ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator," [992] namely Moses, in accordance with the summons of the people, "Speak thou with us,...but let not God speak with us." [993] Thus faith in Moses is referred to the Lord, the Mediator between God and men, who said, "Had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me." [994] Is then our faith in the Lord a trifle, because it was signified beforehand through Moses? So then, even if men were baptized unto Moses, it does not follow that the grace given of the Spirit in baptism is small. I may point out, too, that it is usual in Scripture to say Moses and the law, [995] as in the passage, "They have Moses and the prophets." [996] When therefore it is meant to speak of the baptism of the law, the words are, "They were baptized unto Moses." [997] Why then do these calumniators of the truth, by means of the shadow and the types, endeavour to bring contempt and ridicule on the "rejoicing" of our "hope," [998] and the rich gift of our God and Saviour, who through regeneration renews our youth like the eagle's? [999] Surely it is altogether childish, and like a babe who must needs be fed on milk, [1000] to be ignorant of the great mystery of our salvation; inasmuch as, in accordance with the gradual progress of our education, while being brought to perfection in our training for godliness, [1001] we were first taught elementary and easier lessons, suited to our intelligence, while the Dispenser of our lots was ever leading us up, by gradually accustoming us, like eyes brought up in the dark, to the great light of truth. For He spares our weakness, and in the depth of the riches [1002] of His wisdom, and the inscrutable judgments of His intelligence, used this gentle treatment, fitted for our needs, gradually accustoming us to see first the shadows of objects, and to look at the sun in water, to save us from dashing against the spectacle of pure unadulterated light, and being blinded. Just so the Law, having a shadow of things to come, and the typical teaching of the prophets, which is a dark utterance of the truth, have been devised means to train the eyes of the heart, in that hence the transition to the wisdom hidden in mystery [1003] will be made easy. Enough so far concerning types; nor indeed would it be possible to linger longer on this topic, or the incidental discussion would become many times bulkier than the main argument.
[990] Ex. xiv. 31.
[991] 1 Tim. ii. 5.
[992] Gal. iii. 19.
[993] Ex. xx. 19.
[994] John v. 46.
[995] i.e., to mean by "Moses," the law.
[996] Luke xvi. 29.
[997] 1 Cor. x. 2.
[998] Heb. iii. 6.
[999] cf. Ps. ciii. 5.
[1000] cf. Heb. v. 12.
[1001] cf. 1 Tim. iv. 7.
[1002] Rom. xi. 33.
[1003] 1 Cor. ii. 7.
Reference address : https://elpenor.org/basil/holy-spirit.asp?pg=37
