Chapter IV.—The Objection is Raised, Why, Then, Was the Limit of Lawful Food Extended After the Flood?  The Answer to It.

This rationale was constantly kept in the eye of the providence of God—modulating all things, as He does, to suit the exigencies of the times—lest any from the opposite side, with the view of demolishing our proposition, should say:  “Why, in that case, did not God forthwith institute some definite restriction upon food? nay, rather, why did He withal enlarge His permission?  For, at the beginning indeed, it had only been the food of herbs and trees which He had assigned to man:  ‘Behold, I have given you all grass fit for sowing, seeding seed, which is upon the earth; and every tree which hath in itself the fruit of seed fit for sowing shall be to you for food.’21    Gen. i. 29.  Afterwards, however, after enumerating to Noah the subjection (to him) of ‘all beasts of the earth, and fowls of the heaven, and things moving on earth, and the fish of the sea, and every creeping thing,’ He says, ‘They shall be to you for food:  just like grassy vegetables have I given (them) you universally:  but flesh in the blood of its own soul shall ye not eat.’22    See Gen. ix. 2–5 (in LXX.).  For even by this very fact, that He exempts from eating that flesh only the ‘soul’ of which is not out-shed through ‘blood,’ it is manifest that He has conceded the use of all other flesh.”  To this we reply, that it was not suitable for man to be burdened with any further special law of abstinence, who so recently showed himself unable to tolerate so light an interdiction—of one single fruit, to wit; that, accordingly, having had the rein relaxed, he was to be strengthened by his very liberty; that equally after the deluge, in the reformation of the human race, (as before it), one law—of abstaining from blood—was sufficient, the use of all things else being allowed.  For the Lord had already shown His judgment through the deluge; had, moreover, likewise issued a comminatory warning through the “requisition of blood from the hand of a brother, and from the hand of every beast.”23    See Gen. ix. 5, 6.  And thus, preministering the justice of judgment, He issued the materials of liberty; preparing through allowance an undergrowth of discipline; permitting all things, with a view to take some away; meaning to “exact more” if He had “committed more;”24    See Luke xii. 48. to command abstinence since He had foresent indulgence:  in order that (as we have said) the primordial sin might be the more expiated by the operation of a greater abstinence in the (midst of the) opportunity of a greater licence.

CAPUT IV.

Haec ratio servabatur apud Providentiam Dei, pro temporibus omnia modulantis , ne quis ex diverso ad dejiciendam propositionem nostram, Cur ergo, dicat, non statim Deus aliquam victus constituit castigationem, quinimo et auxit permissionem? Nam in primordio quidem herbidum solummodo et arboreum 0959A homini pabulum addixerat: Ecce dedi vobis omne foenum sementivum seminans semen quod est super terram; et omne lignum quod habet in semetipso fructum seminis sementivi vobis erit in escam (Gen. IX, 29). Postea vero ad Noe enumerata subjectione omnium bestiarum terrae, et volatilium coeli, et moventium in terra, et piscium maris, et omnis viventis ; Erunt, inquit, vobis in escam, velut olera foeni dedi vobis universa; verum carnem in sanguine animae suae non editis; (Gen. IX, 2) nam et hoc ipso quod eam solam carnem esui eximit, cujus anima non per sanguinem effunditur, omnis reliquae carnis usum concessisse manifestum est. Ad haec respondemus, non competisse onerari hominem aliqua adhuc abstinentiae lege, qui cum maxime tam levem interdictionem, unius 0959B scilicet pomi, tolerare non potuit; remissum itaque illum libertate ipsa corroborandum. Aeque post diluvium in reformatione generis humani, suffecisse unam interim legem a sanguine abstinendi, permisso usu caeterorum. Jam enim judicium Dominus ostenderat per diluvium; adhuc etiam comminatus fuerat per exquisitionem sanguinis de manu fratris, et de manu bestiae. (Gen. IX, 5) Omnis itaque justitiam judicii praeministrans, materiam libertatis emisit, per veniam supparans disciplinam; permittens omnia, ut demeret quidam; plus exacturus, si plus commisisset; abstinentiam imperaturus, cum indulgentiam praemisisset ; quo magis, ut diximus, primordiale delictum expiaretur majoris abstinentiae operatione, in majoris licentiae occasione.