Chapter XV.

After mentioning a noble action of the Romans, the writer shows from the deeds of Moses that he had the greatest regard for what is virtuous.

91. It is related as a memorable deed of a Roman general,668    This affair happened in the war which Pyrrhus waged against the Roman people. Caius Fabricius was the general who refused to take advantage of the base offer. that when the physician of a hostile king came to him and promised to give him poison, he sent him back bound to the enemy. In truth, it is a noble thing for a man to refuse to gain the victory by foul acts, after he has entered on the struggle for power. He did not consider virtue to lie in victory, but declared that to be a shameful victory unless it was gained with honour.669    Cic. de Off. III. 22.

92. Let us return to our hero Moses, and to loftier deeds, to show they were both superior as well as earlier. The king of Egypt would not let the people of our fathers go. Then Moses bade the priest Aaron to stretch his rod over all the waters of Egypt. Aaron stretched it out, and the water of the river was turned into blood.670    Ex. vii. 19. None could drink the water, and all the Egyptians were perishing with thirst; but there was pure water flowing in abundance for the fathers. They sprinkled ashes toward heaven, and sores and burning boils came upon man and beast.671    Ex. ix. 10. They brought down hail mingled with flaming fire, and all things were destroyed upon the land.672    Ex. ix. 23. Moses prayed, and all things were restored to their former beauty. The hail ceased, the sores were healed, the rivers gave their wonted draught.673    Ex. ix. 29.

93. Then, again, the land was covered with thick darkness for the space of three days, because Moses had raised his hand and spread out the darkness.674    Ex. x. 22. All the first-born of Egypt died, whilst all the offspring of the Hebrews was left unharmed.675    Ex. xii. 29. Moses was asked to put an end to these horrors, and he prayed and obtained his request. In the one case it was a fact worthy of praise that he checked himself from joining in deceit; in the other it was noteworthy how, by his innate goodness, he turned aside from the foe those divinely ordered punishments. He was indeed, as it is written, gentle and meek.676    Num. xii. 3. He knew that the king would not keep true to his promises, yet he thought it right and good to pray when asked to do so, to bless when wronged, to forgive when besought.

94. He cast down his rod and it became a serpent which devoured the serpents of Egypt;677    Ex. vii. 12. this signifying that the Word should become Flesh to destroy the poison of the dread serpent by the forgiveness and pardon of sins. For the rod stands for the Word that is true—royal—filled with power—and glorious in ruling. The rod became a serpent; so He Who was the Son of God begotten of the Father became the Son of man born of a woman, and lifted, like the serpent, on the cross, poured His healing medicine on the wounds of man. Wherefore the Lord Himself says: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up.”678    S. John iii. 14.

95. Again, another sign which Moses gave points to our Lord Jesus Christ. He put his hand into his bosom, and drew it out again, and his hand was become as snow. A second time he put it in and drew it out, and it was again like the appearance of human flesh.679    Ex. iv. 6, 7. This signified first the original glory of the Godhead of the Lord Jesus, and then the assumption of our flesh, in which truth all nations and peoples must believe. So he put in his hand, for Christ is the right hand of God; and whosoever does not believe in His Godhead and Incarnation is punished as a sinner; like that king who, whilst not believing open and plain signs, yet afterwards, when punished, prayed that he might find mercy. How great, then, Moses’ regard for virtue must have been is shown by these proofs, and especially by the fact that he offered himself on behalf of the people, praying that God would either forgive the people or blot him out of the book of the living.680    Ex. xxxii. 32.

CAPUT XV.

0171A

Relato Romanorum generoso consilio, maximam fuisse Moysi honestatis curam, ex ejus factis declaratur.

91. Memorabile ferunt rhetores, quod dux Romanorum cum ad eum adversarii regis medicus venisset, pollicens daturum se regi venenum, vinctum eum ad hostem remiserit. Et revera praeclarum, ut qui virtutis certamen susceperat nollet fraude vincere. Non enim in victoria honestatem ponebat, sed ipsam, nisi honestate quaesitam, victoriam turpem pronuntiabat.

92. Redeamus ad nostrum Moysen, atque ad superiora revertamur; ut quanto praestantiora, tanto antiquiora promamus. Nolebat Aegypti rex populum dimittere patrum. Dixit Moyses sacerdoti Aaron, ut extenderet virgam suam super omnes aquas Aegypti. 0171B Extendit Aaron, et conversa est aqua fluminis in sanguinem, et nemo poterat bibere aquam, omnesque Aegyptii siti peribant: sincera autem fluenta patribus abundabant (Exod. VII, 20). Jactaverunt favillam in coelum, et facta sunt ulcera, et vesicae candentes in hominibus et quadrupedibus (Exod. IX, 10 et seq.). Deduxerunt grandinem in igne flammeo, contrita erant super terram omnia. Rogavit Moyses, et universa in suam gratiam reverterunt: grando sedata est, sanata ulcera, solitos potus flumina praebuerunt (Ibid. 30).

93. Iterum caligantibus tenebris operta erat terra per triduum, ex quo Moyses manum levaverat, et tenebras infuderat (Exod. X, 22). Moriebatur omne primogenitum Aegypti, cum Hebraeorum omnis esset 0171C inoffensa progenies. Rogatus Moyses, ut his quoque finem exitiis daret, oravit et impetravit (Exod. XII, 29 et seq.). In illo praedicandum, quod a fraudis consortio temperaverit: in hoc mirabile quoniam divinitus intentata supplicia virtute propria etiam ab hoste detorserit, vere nimium, sicut scriptum est, mansuetus et mitis. Sciebat quod fidem rex non servaret promissis; tamen honestum putabat ut rogatus oraret, laesus benediceret, appetitus remitteret (Num. XII, 3).

94. Projecit virgam, et serpens factus est, qui devoravit serpentes Aegyptiorum (Exod. VII, 12): significans quod Verbum caro fieret, quae serpentis diri venena 131 vacuaret per remissionem et indulgentiam peccatorum. Virga est enim Verbum directum, regale, plenum potestatis, insigne imperii. Virga 0171D serpens facta est, quoniam qui erat Filius Dei ex Deo Patre natus, Filius hominis factus est, natus ex Virgine: qui quasi serpens exaltatus in cruce, medicinam vulneribus infudit humanis. Unde et ipse Dominus ait: Sicut Moyses exaltavit serpentem in deserto, ita exaltari oportet Filium hominis (Joan. III, 14).

95. Denique et alterum signum ad Dominum Jesum 0172A pertinet, quod fecit Moyses: Manum suam misit in sinum, et protulit eam, et facta est manus ejus sicut nix. Iterum misit, et protulit eam, et erat sicut carnis humanae species (Exod. IV, 6, 7); significans Domini Jesu primum fulgorem Divinitatis, postea susceptionem carnis, in qua fide credere omnes gentes populosque oporteret. Merito manum misit, quia dextera Dei Christus est, in cujus divinitate et incarnatione si quis non crediderit, quasi reprobus flagellatur: sicut iste rex qui quoniam signis non credidit evidentibus, postea flagellatus orabat, ut veniam mereretur. Quantus igitur honestatis affectus esse debeat, ex his probatur, et eo maxime quod se objiciebat pro populo, dicens ut remitteret populo Deus, aut certe de libro viventium se deleret.