Dialogue against the Jews

Eighth Titulus

EIGHTH TITULUS OSES: UP TO THIS point, you have treated the generation of the child from authority, and the explanation [ratio] allows well enough that it could have happened in this way. But more amazing than all of these things is how the deity, which is simple, could have been joined and united to a human body, which is composite. Therefore, I beg you to explain fully by reason, as you promised, how that could be done. petrus: Certainly, what was accomplished by the goodness and solely by the will of God did not have to occur for any necessary reason. For had he not himself willed it, he would not have united himself to a human nature. Nevertheless, no reason prevents it from having had to occur. For just as the soul, which is simple, is joined to a composite body, and these two become one human being (and this without any contradiction of reason), so, too, God could unite himself to the human, reason notwithstanding. moses: If it please you, I also want to hear something else from you. For although you say and believe that the Father and Son and Holy Spirit are one, I would like you to explain why you believe that the Son alone is incarnate, and not the Father or Holy Spirit. petrus: I think that what we do not believe to be astonishing, certainly is astonishing and is impossible to you. For although this cannot be shown in the deity because it is something subtle and spiritual, nevertheless we can find an analogy in corporeal things by which you can know this, just as in fire (which is a substance ) brightness is always present with heat. Indeed, you will not find the substance of fire without brightness and heat, nor will you find brightness and heat together without the substance of fire. Sometimes, however, heat comes to us without brightness , and sometimes even brightness without heat. 185 moses: Certainly it is true that sometimes brightness comes to us without heat. We can perceive this from a candle, whose brightness we see even when we do not sense the heat. But I do not see how heat may come to us without brightness. petrus: I can show this very easily. Certainly, if you take something metal and heat it in such a way that you could heat another body from it, then if you touch it, surely you will sense the heat, but you will not see the brightness. moses: On the basis of your words, you seem to believe, then, that just as sometimes brightness occurs without heat, and heat without brightness, although nevertheless they are not separated from fire, so in this way the Son received flesh without the Father and the Holy Spirit, yet did not separate from them on account of this. petrus: Certainly I believe it in this way, and if you would believe this, then you have understood well.1 For Truth itself said: “I am in the Father, and the Father is in me.”2 And again, “I and the Father are one.”3 moses: I fully concede that the deity could unite itself to a man; nevertheless, since it was not necessary for this to happen, why should we believe that it has happened? petrus: Clearly we, who do not believe that the prophets were deceived, should believe that they spoke truthfully when they foretold that in the future Christ would be God and man. moses: I would like you to show to me where the prophets proclaim this about him. For I certainly desire to hear that from you beyond anything else. petrus: We read correctly in Genesis that the Lord said: “Let us create man to our image and likeness.”4 And elsewhere: “God created man to his image and likeness.”5 Tell me now, I beg you, what is this image or likeness of God? In what respect are the image of God and the image of man alike? moses: Certainly it is good to know the truth, and truthfully I say that they are alike in no respect. For this was even shown above by reason as well as by authority, and we conceded that God bears a likeness to nothing.6 1. Reading bene (A) for vene (B). 2. Jn 14.10. 3. Jn 10.30; 17.11. 4. Gn 1.26. 5. Gn 1.27. 6. Supra, p. 73. 186 ALFONSI [18.217.67.16] Project MUSE (2024-04...