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all peoples, tribes, and tongues shall serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom shall not be destroyed.” And elsewhere David, “The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”

10. Concerning the glory of the Church.

David, “The queen stood at your right hand, in clothing of woven gold,

arrayed and adorned.”

11. Concerning circumcision. But all the Jews will say, that If you worship the same God, why not

are you circumcised, or offer animals for sacrifice, or keep the sabbath, since the Scriptures command these things? Let them hear then, that circumcision was not from the beginning, but was given in time, so that it might also cease in time; then, that God, having commanded circumcision to the fathers, Himself said, “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, because they did not continue in my covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord.” And again, accusing the Jews, he says, “All 46.220 the nations are uncircumcised in the flesh, but this people in their heart.” And again, “Circumcise your heart, and not the flesh of your foreskin.” And again, “Break up your fallow ground, and do not sow among thorns; but circumcise the hardness of your heart.” Jeremiah, “And circumcise to God the foreskin of your heart.” That circumcision justifies no one is clear from these things: Abraham, being uncircumcised, pleased God; for first he was found pleasing, and then He gave him circumcision. And those born in the desert during the forty years were uncircumcised; and likewise those from Adam until Abraham pleased God, all being uncircumcised; for because the people were mingling with the nations, circumcision was given, and the cause is clear; for the practice of circumcision began with Abraham, whom God, having loved above all others then, purposed that the Christ would be born from him according to the flesh. Therefore, in order that what He willed might come to pass purely and without admixture, for this reason there was need of circumcision, and of separation from other races, so that the law might separate them from the rest of mankind like a partition. Whence, when He for whom these things came to be was born, these things that were alien to the ancient state were cast out by God as superfluous.

12. Concerning sacrifices.

Likewise God cries out, saying: “As I live, says the Lord, that concerning sacrifices and

burnt offerings I did not command your fathers, from the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt, even until this day.”

Isaiah, “Did I command your fathers, when they came out of the land of Egypt, to offer me burnt offerings and sacrifice?”

And again, “What is the multitude of your sacrifices to me? says the Lord. I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of lambs, and I do not want the blood of bulls and goats. Neither should you come to appear before me. For who has required this from your hands? You shall no longer tread my court. If you bring me fine flour, it is in vain; incense is an abomination to me. Your new moons, and your Sabbaths, and

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πάντες οἱ λαοὶ, φυλαὶ, καὶ γλῶσσαι δουλεύσουσιν αὐτῷ· ἡ ἐξουσία αὐτοῦ, ἐξουσία αἰώνιος, ἥτις οὐ παρελεύσει, καὶ ἡ βασιλεία αὐτοῦ οὐ διαφθαρήσεται.» Καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ ∆αβὶδ, «Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος τῷ Κυρίῳ μου· Κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου, ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν σου.»

Ιʹ. Περὶ τῆς δόξης τῆς Ἐκκλησίας.

∆αβὶδ, «Παρέστη ἡ βασίλισσα ἐκ δεξιῶν σου, ἐν ἱματισμῷ διαχρύσῳ,

περιβεβλημένη, πεποικιλμένη.»

ΙΑʹ. Περὶ τῆς περιτομῆς. Ἐροῦσι δὲ πάντες οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, ὅτι Εἰ τὸν αὐτὸν Θεὸν σέβεσθε, τί μὴ

περιτέμνεσθε, ἢ ζῶα προσφέρετε εἰς θυσίαν, ἢ σαββατίζετε, τῶν Γραφῶν περὶ τούτων διαγορευουσῶν; Ἀκούσονται οὖν, ὅτι ἡ περιτομὴ οὐκ ἦν ἐξ ἀρχῆς, ἀλλ' ἐν χρόνῳ ἐγένετο, ὡς καὶ ἐν χρόνῳ παυσομένη· ἔπειτα, ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς δια ταξάμενος τοῖς πατράσι τὴν περιτομὴν, αὐτὸς εἶπεν, «Ἰδοὺ ἡμέραι ἔρχονται λέγει Κύριος, καὶ διαθήσομαι τῷ οἴκῳ Ἰσραὴλ διαθήκην καινὴν, οὐ κατὰ τὴν διαθήκην, ἣν διεθέμην τοῖς πατράσιν αὐτῶν, ἐπιλαβομένου μου τῆς χειρὸς αὐτῶν, τοῦ ἐξαγαγεῖν αὐτοὺς ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου, ὅτι αὐτοὶ οὐκ ἐνέμειναν τῇ διαθήκῃ μου, κἀγὼ ἠμέλησα αὐτῶν, λέγει Κύριος.» Καὶ πάλιν αἰτιώμενος τοὺς Ἰουδαίους λέγει, «Πάντα 46.220 τὰ ἔθνη ἀπερίτμητα σαρκὶ, ὁ δὲ λαὸς οὗτος τῇ καρ δίᾳ.» Καὶ πάλιν, «Περιτέμνεσθε τὴν καρδίαν ὑμῶν, καὶ μὴ τὴν σάρκα τῆς ἀκροβυστίας ὑμῶν.» Καὶ πάλιν, «Νεώσατε ἑαυτοῖς νεώματα, καὶ μὴ σπείρετε ἐπ' ἀκάνθαις· ἀλλὰ περιτέμνεσθε τὸ σκληρὸν τῆς καρδίας ὑμῶν.» Ἱερεμίας, «Καὶ περιτέμνεσθε τῷ Θεῷ τὴν ἀκροβυστίαν τῆς καρδίας ὑμῶν.» Ὅτι δὲ οὐδένα δικαιοῖ ἡ περιτομὴ, δῆλον ἐκ τούτων· Ἀβραὰμ ἀπερίτμητος εὐηρέ στησε τῷ Θεῷ· πρῶτον γὰρ ὤφθη εὐαρεστῶν, καὶ τότε αὐτῷ τὴν περιτομὴν δίδωσι. Καὶ οἱ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, δὲ γεννηθέντες, ἐν τοῖς τεσσαράκοντα ἔτεσιν ἀπερίτμητοι ἦσαν· καὶ οἱ ἀπὸ Ἀδὰμ ὁμοίως ἕως Ἀβραὰμ εὐηρέστησαν τῷ Θεῷ, πάντες ἀπερίτμητοι ἦσαν· διὰ γὰρ τὸ ἐπιμίγνυσθαι τὸν λαὸν εἰς τὰ ἔθνη, ἐδόθη ἡ περιτομὴ, καὶ ἡ αἰτία δήλη· εἴληφε γὰρ τὴν ἀρχὴν τὰ τῆς περιτομῆς ἐκ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ, ὃν ἀγαπή σας ὑπὲρ πάντας τοὺς τότε ὁ Θεὸς, ἐξ αὐτοῦ γεννη θήσεσθαι καὶ τὸν Χριστὸν κατὰ σάρκα προέθετο. Ἵνα οὖν ὅπερ ἐβουλήθη, καθαρῶς γενέσθαι δυνηθῇ, καὶ ἀνοθεύτως, τούτου χάριν ἐδέησε περιτομῆς, καὶ τῆς περὶ τὰ λοιπὰ γένη ἀμιξίας, ἵνα ὥσπερ τι διάφραγμα, τῶν λοιπῶν αὐτοὺς ἀνθρώπων χωρίζῃ ὁ νόμος. Ὅθεν καὶ τεχθέντος τοῦ δι' ὃν ταῦτα γέγονε, λοιπὸν ὡς περιττὰ τῷ Θεῷ τὰ παρὰ τὴν ἀρχαίαν ξενίζοντα κατάστασιν ἐκβέβληνται.

ΙΒʹ. Περὶ θυσιῶν.

Ὁμοίως ὁ Θεὸς βοᾷ, λέγων· «Ζῶ ἐγὼ, λέγει Κύριος, ὅτι περὶ θυσιῶν, καὶ

ὁλοκαυτωμάτων οὐκ ἐν ετειλάμην πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας ὑμῶν, ἀφ' ἧς ἡμέρας ἀνήγαγον αὐτοὺς ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου, καὶ ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης.» Ἡσαΐας, «Μὴ ἐγὼ ἐνετειλάμην τοῖς πατράσιν ὑμῶν, ἐκπορευομένοις ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύ πτου προσενεγκεῖν μοι ὁλοκαυτώματα καὶ θυ σίαν;» Καὶ πάλιν, «Τί μοι πλῆθος τῶν θυσιῶν ὑμῶν, λέγει Κύριος; πλήρης εἰμὶ ὁλοκαυτωμάτων κριῶν, καὶ στέαρ ἀρνῶν καὶ αἷμα ταύρων, καὶ τρά γων οὐ βούλομαι· οὐδ' ἂν ἔρχησθε ὀφθῆναί μοι. Τίς γὰρ ἐξεζήτησε ταῦτα ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν ὑμῶν; πατεῖν τὴν αὐλήν μου οὐ προσθήσεσθε. Ἐὰν φέρητέ μοι σεμίδαλιν, μάταιον θυμίαμα βδέλυγμά μοι ἐστί. Τὰς νεομηνίας ὑμῶν, καὶ τὰ Σάββατα ὑμῶν, καὶ