Most fruitful [and] learned co[m]mentaries of Doctor Peter Martyr Vermil Florentine, professor of divinity,…Most fruitfull [and] learned co[m]mentaries of Doctor Peter Martir Vermil Florentine, professor of deuinitie,…

¹But thou wilt ask, what then saw the Patriarchs and Prophets, to whom we read in the holy Scriptures that God many times appeared? I answer, that as touching the outward senses, they saw only certain images, similitudes and forms, which were offered sometimes unto them by god and by his angels, whereby it was showed both that he was present with those fathers, & also spake unto them, heard them and admonished them of things healthful. But these things, namely the presence of god or of the angels, also the words and significations, the sense it self understand not, but by reason, and in mind they were gathered by those things, which the judgement of the senses received. Wherefore the Chaldee Paraphrast, when in Exodus it is written, that god came to mount Sina, affirmeth, that god himself came not simply, but translateth it, that the glory of god came: as though he should have said, certain noble and wonderful signs were there seen, by which god testified that he himself was there present: which selfsame thing he doth in Isaiah the 6. chap: where he writeth.² I saw the Lord sitting upon his throne which was high and lifted up. But what manner of similitudes and images they were, which offered them selves as tokens of the presence either of an angel or of god, it is easy to be gathered out of the holy Scriptures. The burning bush appeared unto Moses, the cloud, the pillar of fire, the smokes, voices, thunderings lamps, lightnings, the propitiatory, the ark of the covenant, Urim and Thummim, and sundry forms even of men, which either did, or spake, or in some manner of sort showed themselves either to Prophets or to other men. All these things I say, were signs and tokens of the presence both of God and of the angels. And the same things were seen of the fathers, either when they were sleeping or else when they were waking: & sometimes by the spirit of god or industry of the angels at the commandment of god,³ the fantasy or imagination of men received form by such similitudes and figures. Whereby those things which god would show, were no less expressed in the minds of the understanders, than if they had ben perceived by the outward senses.

¹But thou wilt aske, what then sawe the Patriarches and Prophetes, to whō we read in the holy Scriptures that God many tymes appeared? I aunswere, that as touching the outward senses, they saw onely certaine images, similitudes and formes, whiche were offred sometymes vnto them by god and by hys aungels, whereby it was shewed both that he was present with those fathers, & also spake vnto them, heard them and admonished them of thinges healthfull. But these things, namely the presence of god or of the aungels, also the wordes and significations, the sense it selfe vnderstand not, but by reason, and in minde they were gathered by those thinges, whiche the iudgement of the senses receaued. Wherfore the Chaldey Paraphrast, when in Exodus it is writtē, that god came to mount Syna, affirmeth, that god himselfe came not simply, but translateth it, that the glory of god came: as thoughe he should haue sayd, certaine noble and wonderfull signes were there sene, by whiche god testified that he hymselfe was there present: whiche selfsame thing he doth in Esay the 6. chap: where he writeth.