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the fat of rams; for behold, the Lord does not desire sacrifice as much as hearkening to him.” And through David He says: “I will not accept calves from your house, nor goats from your flocks; if I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world is mine, and all that is in it. Shall I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Offer to God a sacrifice of praise, and pay your vows to the Most High.” And in all the scriptures likewise He rejects their sacrifices because they sinned against Him. “For the sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination before the Lord, for they offer them unlawfully.” And again: “Their sacrifices are to them like the bread of mourning; all who eat them will be defiled.” If, therefore, even before His coming, He sought a clean heart and a contrite spirit above sacrifice, much more did He, upon coming, put an end to these, we mean those involving blood. But He put an end to them by first fulfilling them; for He was both circumcised and sprinkled, and He offered sacrifices and burnt offerings and observed the other customs, and the lawgiver Himself became the fulfillment of the law, not abolishing the natural law, but putting an end to the additions brought in through the deuterosis, although not all of them. For He did not abolish the natural law, but confirmed it. For He who said in the Law, “The Lord your God is one Lord,” is the same who says in the Gospel, “That they may know you, the only true God,” and He who said, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” says, renewing it in the Gospel, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another.” He who then forbade murder, now forbids even causeless anger; He who forbade adultery, now forbids even unlawful desire. He who forbade robbery, now rather blessed the one who from his own labors provides for those in need, He who forbade hatred, now commands love even for enemies; He who allowed defense, now commands forbearance, not that just defense is unjust, but that forbearance is better. Nor did He legislate to cut off the natural passions, but their lack of moderation. He who commanded to honor parents was Himself subject to them, He who legislated keeping the Sabbath by rest for the study of the laws now commanded us daily, considering the law of creation and providence, to give thanks to God. He put an end to circumcision, having fulfilled it in Himself; for He was the one “for whom the expectation of the nations was reserved.” He who legislated to swear truly and forbade swearing falsely, commanded not to swear at all. Baptism, sacrifice,

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στέαρ κριῶν· ἰδοὺ γὰρ οὐ θέλει Κύριος θυσίαν ὡς τὸ εἰσα κούειν αὐτοῦ.» Καὶ διὰ τοῦ ∆αυὶδ λέγει· «Oὐ δέξομαι ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου σου μόσχους, οὐδὲ ἐκ τῶν ποιμνίων σου χιμά ρους· ἐὰν πεινάσω, οὐ μή σοι εἴπω· ἐμὴ γάρ ἐστιν ἡ οἰκουμένη καὶ τὸ πλήρωμα αὐτῆς· μὴ φάγομαι κρέα ταύρων ἢ αἷμα τράγων πίομαι; θῦσον τῷ Θεῷ θυσίαν αἰνέσεως, καὶ ἀπόδος τῷ Ὑψίστῳ τὰς εὐχάς σου.» Καὶ ἐν πάσαις δὲ ταῖς γραφαῖς ὁμοίως τὰς θυσίας αὐτῶν ἀπαναίνεται διὰ τὸ ἐξαμαρτεῖν αὐτοὺς εἰς αὐτόν· «Θυσίαι γὰρ ἀσεβῶν βδέλυγμα παρὰ Κυρίῳ, καὶ γὰρ παρανόμως προσφέρουσιν αὐτάς.» Καὶ πάλιν· «Aἱ θυσίαι αὐτῶν ὡς ἄρτος πένθους αὐτοῖς, πάντες οἱ ἐσθίοντες αὐτὰς μολυνθήσονται.» Eἰ οὖν καὶ πρὸ τῆς παρουσίας αὐτοῦ ὑπὲρ θυσίας καρδίαν καθαρὰν ἐπεζήτει καὶ πνεῦμα συντετριμμένον, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐλθὼν ἔπαυσεν ταύτας, φαμὲν δὴ τὰς δι' αἱμάτων. Ἔπαυσε δὲ αὐτὰς διὰ τοῦ πρότερον πληρῶσαι· καὶ γὰρ καὶ περιετμήθη καὶ ἐρραντίσθη, θυσίας τε προσήνεγκεν καὶ ὁλοκαυτώσεις καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἐθισμοῖς ἐχρήσατο, καὶ ἐγένετο ὁ νομοθέτης αὐτὸς πλήρωμα τοῦ νόμου, οὐκ ἀνελὼν τὸν φυσικὸν νόμον, ἀλλὰ παύσας τὰ διὰ τῆς δευτερώσεως ἐπείσακτα, εἰ καὶ μὴ πάντα. Τόν τε γὰρ φυσικὸν νόμον οὐκ ἀνεῖλεν, ἀλλ' ἐβε βαίωσεν. Ὁ γὰρ εἰρηκὼς ἐν τῷ Νόμῳ· «Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου Κύριος εἷς ἐστιν», ὁ αὐτὸς ἐν τῷ Eὐαγγελίῳ λέγει· «Ἵνα γινώσκωσίν σε τὸν μόνον ἀληθινὸν Θεόν», καὶ ὁ εἰρηκώς· «Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν», ἐν τῷ Eὐαγγελίῳ λέγει ἀνανεούμενος· «Ἐντολὴν καινὴν δίδωμι ὑμῖν, ἵνα ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους.» Ὁ φόνον τότε ἀπαγο ρεύσας, νῦν καὶ εἰκαίαν ὀργήν, ὁ μοιχείαν, νῦν καὶ ἐπιθυμίαν ἔκνομον· ὁ λῃστείαν, νῦν ἐμακάρισεν μᾶλλον τὸν ἐξ οἰκείων πόνων ἐπιχορηγοῦντα τοῖς δεομένοις, ὁ μῖσος, νῦν καὶ πρὸς ἐχθροὺς ἀγάπην, ὁ ἄμυναν, νῦν ἀνεξικακίαν, οὐκ ἀδίκου τῆς δικαίας ἀμύνης οὔσης, ἀλλὰ κρείττονος τῆς ἀνεξικακίας· οὔτε δὲ τὰ φυσικὰ πάθη ἐκκόπτειν ἐνομοθέτησεν, ἀλλὰ τὴν τούτων ἀμετρίαν. Ὁ γονεῖς προστάξας τιμᾶν αὐτὸς τούτοις ὑπετάγη, ὁ σαββατίζειν δι' ἀργίας νομοθετήσας διὰ τὴν τῶν νόμων μελέτην νῦν καθ' ἡμέραν ἐκέλευσεν ἡμᾶς, ἀναλογιζομένους δημιουργίας καὶ προνοίας νόμον, εὐχαριστεῖν τῷ Θεῷ. Τὴν περιτομὴν ἔπαυσεν, εἰς ἑαυτὸν πληρώσας· αὐτὸς γὰρ ἦν «ᾧ ἀπέκειτο ἡ προσδοκία τῶν ἐθνῶν». Ὁ εὐορκεῖν νομοθετήσας καὶ τὸ ἐπιορκεῖν ἀπαγορεύσας τὸ μηδ' ὀμνῦναι παρήγγειλεν. Τὸ βάπτισμα, τὴν θυσίαν,