Chapter 23 [XVI.]—Figurative Speech Must Not Be Taken Literally.

“In short,” you say, “members are in this parable ascribed to the soul, as if it were really a body.” You will have it, that “by the eye the whole head is understood,” because it is said, that “he lifted up his eyes.” Again you say, that “by tongues are meant jaws, and by finger the hand,” because it is said, “Send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue.”147    Luke xvi. 24. And yet to save yourself from the inconsistency of ascribing corporeal qualities to God, you say that “by these terms must be understood incorporeal functions and powers;” because with the greatest propriety you insist on it, that God is not corporeal. What is the reason, therefore, that the names of these limbs do not argue corporeity in God, although they do in the case of the soul? Is it that these terms must be understood literally when spoken of the creature, and only metaphorically and figuratively when predicated of the Creator? Then you will have to give us wings of literal bodily substance, since it is not the Creator, but only a human creature, who said, “If I should take my wings like a dove.”148    Augustin’s reading of Ps. cxxxix. 9. Moreover, if the rich man of the parable had a bodily tongue, on the ground of his exclaiming, “Let him cool my tongue,” it would look very much as if our tongue, even while we are in the flesh, itself possessed material hands, because it is written, “Death and life are in the hands of the tongue.”149    In manibus linguæ= the Hebrew phrase בְּיַד לָשֹׁון, Prov. xviii. 21. I suppose it is even to yourself self-evident, that sin is neither a creature nor a bodily substance; why, then, has it a face? For do you not hear the psalmist say, “There is no peace in my bones, in the face of my sins”?150    Ps. xxxviii. 3, מִפְּנֵי חַטָּאתִי.

CAPUT XVI.

23. «Denique,» inquis, «membra illic animae describuntur, ut vere sit corpus:» et vis, «per oculum totum caput intelligi,» quia dictus est levasse oculos suos; «per linguam fauces, per digitum manum,» quia dictum est, Mitte Lazarum, ut intinguat extremum digiti sui in aquam, et refrigeret linguam meam. Tamen ne per membrorum nomina de Deo tibi corporeo praescribatur, dicis «per haec incorporeas intelligendas esse virtutes:» quia Deum rectissime defendis non esse corporeum. Quid igitur causae est, cur nomina ista membrorum in Deo tibi corpus non faciant, in anima faciant? An vero quando de creatura haec dicuntur, proprie accipienda sunt; quando autem de Creatore, tropice atque translate? Pennas itaque corporeas daturus es nobis, quoniam non Creator, sed creatura, id est, homo dicit, Si assumpsero pennas meas sicut columba (Psal. CXXXVIII, 9). Porro autem, si propterea linguam habebat dives ille corpoream quoniam dixit, Refrigeret linguam meam: in nobis quoque adhuc in carne viventibus, manus habet ipsa lingua corporeas, quia scriptum est, Mors et vita in manibus linguae (Prov. XVIII, 21). Puto etiam non tibi videri, vel esse creaturam , vel corpus esse peccatum: cur ergo habet faciem? An non audis in Psalmo, Non est pax ossibus meis, a facie peccatorum meorum (Psal. XXXVII, 4)?