A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

114 A Source Book for Ancient Church History[099]law requiring vengeance and requital of injuries upon those whohave first injured us, commanding the smiting out of an eye foran eye and a tooth for a tooth and revenging bloodshed withbloodshed. For one who is second in doing unrighteousness actsno less unrighteously, when the difference is only one of order,doing the self-same work. But such a precept was, and is, inother respects just, because of the infirmity of those to whom thelaw was given, and it was given in violation of the pure law, andwas not consonant with the nature and goodness of the Father ofall; it was to a degree appropriate, but yet given under a certaincompulsion. For he who forbids the commission of a singlemurder in that he says, Thou shalt not kill, but commands thathe who kills shall in requital be killed, gives a second law andcommands a second slaying, when he has forbidden one, andhas been compelled to do this by necessity. And therefore theSon, sent by Him, abolishes this portion of the Law, He himselfconfessing that it is from God, and this, among other things,is to be attributed to an ancient heresy, among which, also, isthat God, speaking, says: He that curseth father or mother, lethim die the death. But there is that part of the Law which istypical, laying down that which is an image of things spiritualand excellent, which gives laws concerning such matters as offerings,I mean, and circumcision, the Sabbath and fasting, thepassover and the unleavened bread, and such like. For all thesethings, being images and symbols of the truth which had beenmanifested, have been changed. They were abrogated so far asthey were external, visible acts of bodily performance, but theywere retained so far as they were spiritual, the names remaining,but the things being changed. For the Saviour commands us topresent offerings, though not of irrational animals or of incense,but spiritual offerings—praise, glory, and thanksgiving, and alsoliberality and good deeds toward the neighbor. He would haveus circumcised with a circumcision not of the flesh, but spiritualand of the heart; and have us observe the Sabbath, for he wishes