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Contra Faustum Manichaeum libri triginta tres

7.

Testamento autem veteri, ubi quidam cibi carnium prohibentur, cur non sit contraria ista sententia, qua dicit apostolus: Omnia munda mundis et: Omnis creatura dei bona est, si possunt, intellegant hoc apostolum de ipsis dixisse naturis, illas autem litteras propter quasdam praefigurationes tempori congruentes animalia quaedam non natura, sed significatione immunda dixisse. p. 294,21 Itaque verbi gratia, si de porco et agno requiratur, utrumque natura mundum est, quia omnis creatura dei bona est; quadam vero significatione agnus mundus, porcus immundus est. Tamquam si stultum et sapientem diceres, utrumque hoc verbum natura vocis et litterarum et syllabarum, quibus constat, utique mundum est; significatione autem unum horum verbum, quod dicitur stultus, immundum dici potest, non natura sui, sed quoniam quiddam immundum significat. p. 294,29 Et fortasse quod est in rerum figuris porcus, hoc est in rerum genere stultus, et tam illud animal quam istae duae syllabae, quod dicitur stultus, quiddam unum idemque significat. Immundum quippe illud animal in lege positum est eo, quod non ruminet; non autem hoc eius vitium, sed natura est. Sunt autem homines, qui per hoc animal significantur, immundi proprio vitio, non natura; qui cum libenter audiant verba sapientiae, postea de his omnino non cogitant. Quod enim utile audieris, velut ab intestino memoriae tamquam ad os cogitationis recordandi dulcedine revocare quid est aliud quam spiritaliter quodam modo ruminare, quod qui non faciunt, illorum animalium genere figurantur? Unde et ipsa a talibus carnibus abstinentia tale vitium nos cavere praemonuit. p. 295,13 Cum enim thesaurus desiderabilis sit ipsa sapientia, de hac munditia ruminandi et immunditia non ruminandi alio loco scriptum est: Thesaurus desiderabilis requiescit in ore sapientis, vir autem stultus gluttit illum. Hae autem similitudines rerum in locutionibus et observationibus figuratis propter quaerendi et comparandi exercitationem rationales mentes utiliter et suaviter movent. Sed priori populo multa talia non tantum audienda, verum etiam observanda praecepta sunt. Tempus enim erat, quo non tantum dictis, sed etiam factis prophetari oporteret ea, quae posteriore tempore fuerant revelanda. Quibus per Christum atque in Christo revelatis fidei gentium onera observationum non sunt imposita, prophetiae tamen auctoritas commendata. Ecce nos diximus, qua causa, cum secundum domini apostolique sententiam nullas animalium carnes immundas habeamus, veteri tamen testamento, ubi quaedam immundae dictae sunt, non adversemur; vos iam dicite, quare immundas carnes existimetis! p. 296,3

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Reply to Faustus the Manichaean

7.

The saying of the apostle, that "to the pure all things are pure," and that "every creature of God is good," is not opposed to the prohibitions of the Old Testament; and the explanation, if they can understand it, is this. The apostle speaks of the natures of the things, while the Old Testament calls some animals unclean, not in their nature, but symbolically, on account of the prefigurative character of that dispensation. For instance, a pig and a lamb are both clean in their nature, for every creature of God is good; but symbolically, a lamb is clean, and a pig unclean. So the words wise and fool are both clean in their nature, as words composed of letters but fool may be called symbolically unclean, because it means an unclean thing. Perhaps a pig is the same among symbols as a fool is among real things. The animal, and the four letters which compose the word, may mean the same thing. No doubt the animal is pronounced unclean by the law, because it does not chew the cud; which is not a fault but its nature. But the men of whom this animal is a symbol are unclean, not by nature, but from their own fault; because, though they gladly hear the words of wisdom, they never reflect on them afterwards. For to recall, in quiet repose, some useful instruction from the stomach of memory to the mouth of reflection, is a kind of spiritual rumination. The animals above mentioned are a symbol of those people who do not do this. And the prohibition of the flesh of these animals is a warning against this fault. Another passage of Scripture speaks of the precious treasure of wisdom, and describes ruminating as clean, and not ruminating as unclean: "A precious treasure resteth in the mouth of a wise man; but a foolish man swallows it up." ¹ Symbols of this kind, either in words or in things, give useful and pleasant exercise to intelligent minds in the way of inquiry and comparison. But formerly people were required not only to hear, but to practise many such things. For at that time it was necessary that, by deeds as well as by words, those things should be foreshadowed which were in after times to be revealed. After the revelation by Christ and in Christ, the community of believers is not burdened with the practice of the observances, but is admonished to give heed to the prophecy. This is our reason for accounting no animals unclean, in accordance with the saying of the Lord and of the apostle, while we are not opposed to the Old Testament, where some animals are pronounced unclean. Now let us hear why you consider all animal food unclean.