NPNF2-08. Basil: Letters and Select Works - Holy Bible Institute

The creation of terrestrial animals.done by those who, gravely occupied in demonstrating theories, trace lines upon the dustand reject two propositions to show that the third is the true one? 1714Does not the gratitude of the dog shame all who are ungrateful to their benefactors?Many are said to have fallen dead by their murdered masters in lonely places. 1715 Others,when a crime has just been committed, have led those who were searching for the murderers,and have caused the criminals to be brought to justice. What will those say who, not contentwith not loving the Master who has created them and nourished them, have for their friendsmen whose mouth attacks the Lord, sitting at the same table with them, and, whilst partakingof their food, blaspheme Him who has given it to them?5. But let us return to the spectacle of creation. The easiest animals to catch are themost productive. It is on account of this that hares and wild goats produce many little ones,and that wild sheep have twins, for fear lest these species should disappear, consumed bycarnivorous animals. Beasts of prey, on the contrary, produce only a few and a lioness withdifficulty gives birth to one lion; 1716 because, if they say truly, the cub issues from itsmother by tearing her with its claws; and vipers are only born by gnawing through the womb,inflicting a proper punishment on their mother. 1717 Thus in nature all has been foreseen,all is the object of continual care. If you examine the members even of animals, you willfind that the Creator has given them nothing superfluous, that He has omitted nothing thatis necessary. To carnivorous animals He has given pointed teeth which their nature requiresfor their support. Those that are only half furnished with teeth have received several distinctreceptacles for their food. As it is not broken up enough in the first, they are gifted with thepower of returning it after it has been swallowed, and it does not assimilate until it has beencrushed by rumination. The first, second, third, and fourth stomachs of ruminating animalsdo not remain idle; each one of them fulfils a necessary function. 1718 The neck of the camel1051714 cf. Plutarch (ποτ. των ζ.φρ. κ.τ.λ 726). οἱ δὲ διαλεκτικοί φασι τὸν κύνα τῷ διὰ πλειόνων διεζευγμένῳχρώμενον ἐν τοῖς πολυσχιδέσιν ἀτραποῖς συλλογίζεσθαι πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἤτοι τήνδε τὸ θηρίον ὥρμηκεν ἢ τήνδεἢ τήνδε· ἀλλὰ μὴν οὔτε τήνδε οὔτε τήνδε, τήνδε λοιπὸν ἄρα. But the dog is said to smell the first, the second,and the third. If he started off on the third without smelling, he would reason. As it is, there is no “syllogism.”1715 Also taken from Plutarch (πότερα τῶν ζ 726), who tells stories of a dog found by King Pyrrhus on ajourney, and of Hesiod’s dog.1716 cf. Herod. iii. 108. Aristotle (Hist. An. vi. 31) refutes this.1717 cf. Pliny (x. 72): “Tertia die intra uterum catulos excludit, deinde singulos singulis diebus parit, vigintifere numero. Itaque ceteræ, tarditatis impatientes, perrumpunt latera, occisa parente. cf. Herod. iii. 109. SoPrudentius (Hamartigenia 583): “Sic vipera, ut aiunt, Dentibus emoritur fusæ per viscera prolis.” See Sir T.Browne’s Vulgur Errors, iii. 16.1718 Pliny (xi. 78) says ruminantibus geminus, but this is supposed to be a misreading for quadrigeminus, ora mistaken interpretation of Aristotle (H.A. ii. 19), whom Basil is no doubt following.351