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.” Ex. xiv. 31. 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.” 1 Tim. ii. 5. 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,” Gal. iii. 19. namely Moses, in
accordance with the summons of the people, “Speak thou with
us,…but let not God speak with us.” Ex. xx. 19. 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.” John v. 46. 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,
i.e., to mean by “Moses,” the
law. as in the
passage, “They have Moses and the prophets.” Luke xvi. 29. When therefore it is meant to
speak of the baptism of the law, the words are, “They were
baptized unto Moses.” 1 Cor. x. 2. 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,” Heb. iii. 6. and the rich gift of our God and
Saviour, who through regeneration renews our youth like the
eagle’s? cf.
Ps. ciii. 5. Surely it
is altogether childish, and like a babe who must needs be fed on
milk, cf.
Heb. v. 12. 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, cf.
1 Tim. iv. 7. 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
Rom. xi. 33. 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
1 Cor. ii. 7. 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.