51 [A theophany, though a harbinger of the incarnation, differs from it, by not effecting a hypostatical or personal union between God and the creature. When the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of a dove, he did not unite himself with it. The dove did not constitute an integral part of the divine person who employed it. Nor did the illuminated vapor in the theophany of the Shekinah. But when the Logos appeared in the form of a man, he united himself with it, so that it became a constituent part of his person. A theophany, as Augustin notices, is temporary and transient. The incarnation is perpetual.-W.G.T.S.]
57 4 (For an example of the manner in which the patristic writers present the doctrine of the divine invisibility, see Irenaeus, Adv. Haereses, IV. xx.-W.G.T.S.]
75 [The theophanies of the Pentateuch are trinitarian in their implication. They involve distinctions in God-God sending, and God sent; God speaking of God, and God speaking to God. The trinitarianism of the Old Testament has been lost sight of to some extent in the modern construction of the doctrine. The patristic, mediaeval, and reformation theologies worked this vein with thoroughness, and the analysis of Augustin in this reference is worthy of careful study.-W.G.T.S.]
77 This clause is not in the Hebrew.
79 [It is difficult to determine the details of this theophany, beyond all doubt: namely, whether the"Jehovah" who "went his way as soon as he had left communing with Abraham." (Gen. xviii. 33) joins the " two angels" that "came to Sodom at even" (Gen xix. 1); or whether one of these "two angels" is Jehovah himself. One or the other supposition must be made; because a person is addressed by Lot as God (Gen. xix. 18-20), and speaks to Lot as God (Gen. xix. 21, 22), and acts as God (Gen. xix. 24). The Masorite marking of the word "lords" in Gen. xix. 2, as "profane," i.e., to be taken in the human sense, would favor the first supposition. The interchange of the singular and plural, in the whole narrative is very striking. "It came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, escape for thy life. And Lot said unto them. Oh not so, my Lord: behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thysight. And hesaid unto him, see I have accepted thee; I will not overthrow the city of which thou hast spoken." (Gen. xix. 17-21.)-W.G.T.S.]
102 Clift-A.V. Spelunca is one reading in S. Aug., but the Benedictines read specula = watch-tower, which the context proves to be certainly right.