Face (usually ti'"^^,paniin', Trpoff^ffor), whatever of a thing is most exposed to view; hence the face of the country, ground, waters, sky, etc. In Scripture, this term is often used to denote presence in the general sense; and, when applied to the Almighty, denotes such a complete manifestation- of the divine presence, by sound or sight, as was equivalent, in the vividness of the impression, to the seeing of a fellow-creature " fiice to face." The "face of God," therefore, de- notes in Scripture anything or manner by v.hich God is wont to manifest himself to man. Thus, when it is said that Adam and Eve hid themselves from "the face of Jehovah," we understand that they hid them- selves from his presence, however manifested; for the term there used is tlie only proper word to denote presence in the Hebrew language. It was a very common and ancient opinion that our mortal frame could not survive the more sensible manifestations of the divine presence, or " see God face to face and live" (Gen. xxxii, 30). Hence, in this passage, the gratitude and astonishment of Jacob that he still lived after God had manifested himself to liim more sensibly than by dreams and visions. This impression was confirmed
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FACUNDUS
to Moses, -who was told, " Thou canst not see nij' {ace : no man can see my face and live" (Exod. xxxiii, 20), •Nvhicli clearly signifies that no one can in tliis present state of being endure the view of tliat glory which Ije- longs to him (1 Cor. xiii, 12; 1 Jolm iii, 2; Kev. xxii, -i). The ancient heathen entertained the same no- tion, which is remarkably' expressed in tlie celebrated mythological story of Semelc, who, having prevailed on the reluctant Jove to appear to her in liis heaven- ly splendor, was struck dead by the lightnings of his presence. It is to be home in mind that God is usually represented to ns in Scripture under a human form ; and it is indeed difficult for even more spiritualized niinds tlian those of the Hebrews to conceive of him apart from the form and attributes of the highest na- ture actually known to us. The Scriptures sanction this concession to the weakness of our intellect, and hence arise the anthropomorphous phrases which speak of the foce, the eyes, the arm of God. The appear- ances of the angcis in the Old-Testament times were generally in the human form (Judg. xiii, G, etc.), and from this cause alone it would have been natural, in the imagination, to transfer the form of the messen- gers to him by whom they were sent. — Kitto, s. v. See Anthropomorphism. The presence of Jehovah (Exod. xxxiii, 14, 15) and the "angel" (Exod. xxiii, 20, 21) is Jehovah himself; but in Isa. Ixiii, 0, the an- gel of his presence is opposed to Jehovah himself. The light of God's countenance is a token of his fivvor, and is therefore put sj'nonymously with favor (Psa. xliv, 3 ; Dan. ix, 17). Thus, as in men, if the coun- tenance be serene, it is a mark of good-will ; if fierj' or piercing, of anger or displeasure. " Face" also signi- fies anger, justice, and severity (Gen. xvi, G, 8 ; Exod. ii, 15; Psa. Ixviii, 1 ; Rev. vi, 16). (See Wemyss, S>/mbol. Diet. s. V.)
The Jews praj'cd with their faces turned towards the Temple (1 Kings viii, 38, 44, 48), and those resid- ing out of Jerusalem turned it towards that point of the heavens in which Jerusalem lay (Dan. vi, 10) ; thus the Mohammedans, when praying, alwaj's turn their faces towards Mecca. To bow down the face in the dust (Isa. xlix, 23) is a mark of the lowest humiliation and submission. See Attitudes.
The "bread effaces" is the show-bread which was always in the presence of God. See Show-bread.
Faculties, a term of the Roman Catholic Church law, designating certain rights as to ecclesiastical func- tions which an ecclesiastical superior confers upon sub- ordinates. The most important faculties are those conferred by the popes upon bishops, especiall}' with regard to dispensations. The first instances of such dispensations being given to foreign missionaries oc- cur in the 13th century. Subsequently, especially since the IGth centurj', yery extensive faculties were granted to the papal nuncios. As the Council of Trent reserved many dispensations which in former times had been granted by the bishops to the pope, and as many bishops regarded the jurisdiction exer- cised by the nuncios as injurious to their anthoritj', the}' apjilied to the pope for special faculties with re- gard to a nmnber of dispensations. These faculties were generally granted for a term of five years (ftic- ullates qitinqucnnah's). An cfi'ort made in the 18th century by some of the German archbishops to reas- sert their own authority in the cases covered by the papal faculties was unsuccessful [see Ems, Congress ofJ, and the faculUites quinqtiennaks are still con- ferri'd upon the bishops by the pope. Besides this general class of faculties, which ccmtains twenty dif- ferent jirovisions, many special faculties are conferred upon liishops in particular cases. The bishops, in their turn, confer faculties upon the vicars-general, deans, and common priests of their dioceses, eitlier dele"gating to tliem rights which properly belong to bishops, or subdelegaf ing papal rights which thcj' have been spe- cially authorized to subdclegate. — Ilerzog, Eeal-Ency-