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（depending on God neither more nor less than ourselves）； 〃I am the Lord。〃
（31） If God contorted the lips of Moses； or； I will not say Moses； but some
beast； till they pronounced the words； 〃I am the Lord；〃 should we
apprehend the Lord's existence therefrom？
（32） Scripture seems clearly to point to the belief that God spoke
Himself； having descended from heaven to Mount Sinai for the purpose …
and not only that the Israelites heard Him speaking； but that their chief
men beheld Him （Ex：xxiv。） （33） Further the law of Moses； which might
neither be added to nor curtailed； and which was set up as a national
standard of right； nowhere prescribed the belief that God is without body；
or even without form or figure； but only ordained that the Jews should
believe in His existence and worship Him alone： it forbade them to invent
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or fashion any likeness of the Deity； but this was to insure purity of service；
because； never having seen God； they could not by means of images recall
the likeness of God； but only the likeness of some created thing which
might thus gradually take the place of God as the object of their adoration。
（34） Nevertheless； the Bible clearly implies that God has a form； and that
Moses when he heard God speaking was permitted to behold it； or at least
its hinder parts。
（35） Doubtless some mystery lurks in this question which we will
discuss more fully below。 （36） For the present I will call attention to the
passages in Scripture indicating the means by which God has revealed His
laws to man。
（37） Revelation may be through figures only； as in I Chron：xxii。；
where God displays his anger to David by means of an angel bearing a
sword； and also in the story of Balaam。
（38） Maimonides and others do indeed maintain that these and every
other instance of angelic apparitions （e。g。 to Manoah and to Abraham
offering up Isaac） occurred during sleep； for that no one with his eyes
open ever could see an angel； but this is mere nonsense。 （39） The sole
object of such commentators seems to be to extort from Scripture
confirmations of Aristotelian quibbles and their own inventions； a
proceeding which I regard as the acme of absurdity。
（40） In figures； not real but existing only in the prophet's imagination；
God revealed to Joseph his future lordship； and in words and figures He
revealed to Joshua that He would fight for the Hebrews； causing to appear
an angel； as it were the Captain of the Lord's host； bearing a sword； and by
this means communicating verbally。 （41） The forsaking of Israel by
Providence was portrayed to Isaiah by a vision of the Lord； the thrice Holy；
sitting on a very lofty throne； and the Hebrews； stained with the mire of
their sins； sunk as it were in uncleanness； and thus as far as possible
distant from God。 （42） The wretchedness of the people at the time was
thus revealed； while future calamities were foretold in words。 I could cite
from Holy Writ many similar examples； but I think they are sufficiently
well known already。
（43） However； we get a still more clear confirmation of our position in
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Num xii：6；7； as follows： 〃If there be any prophet among you； I the Lord
will make myself known unto him in a vision〃 （i。e。 by appearances and
signs； for God says of the prophecy of Moses that it was a vision without
signs）； 〃and will speak unto him in a dream 〃 （i。e。 not with actual words
and an actual voice）。 （44） 〃My servant Moses is not so； with him will I
speak mouth to mouth； even apparently； and not in dark speeches； and the
similitude of the Lord he shall behold；〃 i。e。 looking on me as a friend and
not afraid； he speaks with me （cf。 Ex xxxiii：17）。
（45） This makes it indisputable that the other prophets did not hear a
real voice； and we gather as much from Deut。 xxiv：10： 〃And there arose
not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses whom the Lord knew face to
face；〃 which must mean that the Lord spoke with none other； for not even
Moses saw the Lord's face。 （46） These are the only media of
communication between God and man which I find mentioned in Scripture；
and therefore the only ones which may be supposed or invented。 （47） We
may be able quite to comprehend that God can communicate immediately
with man； for without the intervention of bodily means He communicates
to our minds His essence； still； a man who can by pure intuition
comprehend ideas which are neither contained in nor deducible from the
foundations of our natural knowledge； must necessarily possess a mind far
superior to those of his fellow men； nor do I believe that any have been so
endowed save Christ。 （48） To Him the ordinances of God leading men to
salvation were revealed directly without words or visions； so that God
manifested Himself to the Apostles through the mind of Christ as He
formerly did to Moses through the supernatural voice。 （49） In this sense
the voice of Christ； like the voice which Moses heard； may be called the
voice of God； and it may be said that the wisdom of God （；i。e。 wisdom
more than human） took upon itself in Christ human nature； and that Christ
was the way of salvation。 （50） I must at this juncture declare that those
doctrines which certain churches put forward concerning Christ； I neither
affirm nor deny； for I freely confess that I do not understand them。 （51）
What I have just stated I gather from Scripture； where I never read that
God appeared to Christ； or spoke to Christ； but that God was revealed to
the Apostles through Christ； that Christ was the Way of Life； and that the
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old law was given through an angel； and not immediately by God； whence
it follows that if Moses spoke with God face to face as a man speaks with
his friend （i。e。 by means of their two bodies） Christ communed with God
mind to mind。
（52） Thus we may conclude that no one except Christ received the
revelations of God without the