23. Nor, in that the Law orders a man to be purified even after intercourse with a wife, doth it show it to be sin: unless it be that which is allowed by way of pardon, which also, being in excess, hinders prayers. But, as the Law sets66    Infirmitas many things in sacraments and shadows of things to come; a certain as it were material formless state of the seed, which having received form will hereafter produce the body of man, is set to signify a life formless, and untaught: from which formless state, forasmuch as it behoves that man be cleansed by form and teaching of learning; as a sign of this, that purification was ordered after the emission of seed. For neither in sleep also doth it take place through sin. And yet there also a purification was commanded. Or, if any think this also to be sin, thinking that it comes not to pass save from some lust of this kind, which without doubt is false; what? are the ordinary menses also of women sins? And yet from these the same old Law commanded that they should be cleansed by expiation; for no other cause, save the material formless state itself, in that which, when conception hath taken place, is added as it were to build up the body, and for this reason, when it flows without form, the Law would have signified by it a soul without form of discipline, flowing and loose in an unseemly manner. And that this ought to receive form, it signifies, when it commands such flow of the body to be purified. Lastly, what? to die, is that also a sin? or, to bury a dead person, is it not also a good work of humanity? and yet a purification was commanded even on occasion of this also; because also a dead body, life abandoning it, is not sin, but signifies the sin of a soul abandoned by righteousness.67    Numb. xix. 11

CAPUT XX.

23. Ex lege purificationis post concubitum, non ostendi illum esse peccatum. An continentes nunc aliqui conferri possint antiquis Patribus conjugatis. Nec quod purificari Lex hominem et post conjugalem concubitum jubet, peccatum esse declarat; si non est ille qui secundum veniam conceditur, qui etiam nimius impedit orationes. Sed sicut multa Lex ponit in sacramentis et umbris futurorum; quaedam in semine quasi materialis informitas, quae formata corpus hominis redditura est, in significatione posita est vitae informis et ineruditae: a qua informitate quoniam oportet hominem doctrinae forma et eruditione mundari, in hujus rei signum illa purificatio praecepta est post seminis emissionem. Neque enim et in somnis peccato fit ; et tamen etiam ibi praecepta est purificatio. Aut si et hoc peccatum quisquam putat, non arbitrans accidere nisi ex aliquo hujusmodi desiderio, quod procul dubio falsum est; numquid et solita menstrua peccata sunt feminarum? a quibus tamen eas eadem Legis vetustas praecepit expiari (Levit. XV); non nisi propter ipsam materialem informitatem, quae facto conceptu tanquam in aedificationem corporis additur: ac per hoc cum informiter fluit, significari per illam lex voluit animum sine disciplinae forma indecenter fluidum ac dissolutum; quem formari oportere significat, cum talem fluxum corporis jubet purificari. Postremo numquid et mori peccatum est, aut mortuum sepelire non etiam bonum opus humanitatis est? et tamen purificatio etiam inde mandata est (Num. XIX, 11); quia et mortuum corpus vita deserente, peccatum non est, sed peccatum significat animae desertae a justitia.