Chapter IV.  Argument.—To These Things Also Was Added Another Reason for Prohibiting Many Kinds of Meats to the Jews; To Wit, for the Restraint of the Intemperance of the People, and that They Might Serve the One God.

To these considerations, then, thus enumerated, were added also other reasons for which many kinds of meats were withheld from the Jews; and that this might be so, many things were called unclean, not as being condemned in themselves, but that the Jews might be restrained to the service of one God; because frugality and moderation in appetite were becoming to those who were chosen for this purpose. And such moderation is always found to be approximate to religion, nay, so to speak, rather related and akin to it; for luxury is inimical to holiness. For how shall religion be spared by it, when modesty is not spared? Luxury does not entertain the fear of God; since while pleasures hurry it on, it is carried forward to the sole daring of its desires: for the reins being loosened, it increases in the application of expense without measure, as if it were its food, exceeding its patrimony with its modesty; or as a torrent rushing from the mountain-peaks not only overleaps what is opposed to it, but carries with it those very hindrances for the destruction of other things. Therefore these remedies were sought for to restrain the intemperance of the people, that in proportion as luxury was diminished, virtuous manners might be increased. For what else did they deserve, than that they should be restrained from using all the pictures of divers meats, who dared to prefer the vilest meats of the Egyptians to the divine banquets of manna, preferring the juicy meats of their enemies and masters to their liberty? They were truly worthy that the slavery which they had coveted should pamper them, if the food that was more desirable and free was so ill pleasing to them.

CAPUT IV. His accessisse et aliam causam, cur multa a Judaeis ciborum genera tollerentur; ad coercendam nimirum intemperantiam populi, uni Deo servituri.

His igitur ita se habentibus accesserunt et aliae causae, quibus multa a Judaeis ciborum genera tollerentur: quod ut fieret, immunda multa sunt dicta, non ut illa damnarentur, sed ut isti coercerentur servituri uni Deo: quia ad hoc assumptos frugalitas decebat et gulae temperantia, quae semper religioni deprehenditur esse vicina, immo (ut ita 0959B dixerim) consanguinea potius atque cognata: sanctitati enim inimica luxuria est. Quomodo enim per illam parcetur religioni, cum non parcatur pudori? Non recipit luxuria Dei timorem, dum praecipitantibus illam voluptatibus, in solam fertur cupiditatum temeritatem: effusis enim habenis, sine more admotis sumptibus quasi pabulis crescit excedens patrimonium cum pudore; aut ut torrens aliquis; e montium jugis cadens, non tantum opposita transcendit, sed illa ipsa in aliorum ruinam secum rapit. Ad coercendam ergo intemperantiam populi, remedia sunt ista quaesita; ut quantum luxuriae demeretur, tantum bonis moribus adderetur. Nam quid aliud merebantur, quam ut ne omnibus escarum voluptatibus uterentur, qui divinis mannae epulis vilissimos 0959C Aegyptiorum cibos praeferre ausi sunt, carnes jurulentas inimicorum atque dominorum ante libertatem ponentes? Digni sane quos optata servitus saginaret, quibus male displicuerit et melior et liber cibus.