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The City of God

Chapter 26.--Of the Sacrifices Offered to God by the Saints, Which are to Be Pleasing to Him, as in the Primitive Days and Former Years.

And it was with the design of showing that His city shall not then follow this custom, that God said that the sons of Levi should offer sacrifices in righteousness,--not therefore in sin, and consequently not for sin. And hence we see how vainly the Jews promise themselves a return of the old times of sacrificing according to the law of the old testament, grounding on the words which follow, "And the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem shall be pleasing to the Lord, as in the primitive days, and as in former years." For in the times of the law they offered sacrifices not in righteousness but in sins, offering especially and primarily for sins, so much so that even the priest himself, whom we must suppose to have been their most righteous man, was accustomed to offer, according to God's commandments, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. And therefore we must explain how we are to understand the words, "as in the primitive days, and as in former years;" for perhaps he alludes to the time in which our first parents were in paradise. Then, indeed, intact and pure from all stain and blemish of sin, they offered themselves to God as the purest sacrifices. But since they were banished thence on account of their transgression, and human nature was condemned in them, with the exception of the one Mediator and those who have been baptized, and are as yet infants, "there is none clean from stain, not even the babe whose life has been but for a day upon the earth." ¹ But if it be replied that those who offer in faith may be said to offer in righteousness, because the righteous lives by faith, ² --he deceives himself, however, if he says that he has no sin, and therefore he does not say so, because he lives by faith,--will any man say this time of faith can be placed on an equal footing with that consummation when they who offer sacrifices in righteousness shall be purified by the fire of the last judgment? And consequently, since it must be believed that after such a cleansing the righteous shall retain no sin, assuredly that time, so far as regards its freedom from sin, can be compared to no other period, unless to that during which our first parents lived in paradise in the most innocent happiness before their transgression. It is this period, then, which is properly understood when it is said, "as in the primitive days, and as in former years." For in Isaiah, too, after the new heavens and the new earth have been promised, among other elements in the blessedness of the saints which are there depicted by allegories and figures, from giving an adequate explanation of which I am prevented by a desire to avoid prolixity, it is said, "According to the days of the tree of life shall be the days of my people." ³ And who that has looked at Scripture does not know where God planted the tree of life, from whose fruit He excluded our first parents when their own iniquity ejected them from paradise, and round which a terrible and fiery fence was set?

But if any one contends that those days of the tree of life mentioned by the prophet Isaiah are the present times of the Church of Christ, and that Christ Himself is prophetically called the Tree of Life, because He is Wisdom, and of wisdom Solomon says, "It is a tree of life to all who embrace it;" ⁴ and if they maintain that our first parents did not pass years in paradise, but were driven from it so soon that none of their children were begotten there, and that therefore that time cannot be alluded to in words which run, "as in the primitive days, and as in former years," I forbear entering on this question, lest by discussing everything I become prolix, and leave the whole subject in uncertainty. For I see another meaning, which should keep us from believing that a restoration of the primitive days and former years of the legal sacrifices could have been promised to us by the prophet as a great boon. For the animals selected as victims under the old law were required to be immaculate, and free from all blemish whatever, and symbolized holy men free from all sin, the only instance of which character was found in Christ. As, therefore, after the judgment those who are worthy of such purification shall be purified even by fire, and shall be rendered thoroughly sinless, and shall offer themselves to God in righteousness, and be indeed victims immaculate and free from all blemish whatever, they shall then certainly be, "as in the primitive days, and as in former years," when the purest victims were offered, the shadow of this future reality. For there shall then be in the body and soul of the saints the purity which was symbolized in the bodies of these victims.

Then, with reference to those who are worthy not of cleansing but of damnation, He says, "And I will draw near to you to judgment, and I will be a swift witness against evildoers and against adulterers;" and after enumerating other damnable crimes, He adds, "For I am the Lord your God, and I am not changed." It is as if He said, Though your fault has changed you for the worse, and my grace has changed you for the better, I am not changed. And he says that He Himself will be a witness, because in His judgment He needs no witnesses; and that He will be "swift," either because He is to come suddenly, and the judgment which seemed to lag shall be very swift by His unexpected arrival, or because He will convince the consciences of men directly and without any prolix harangue. "For," as it is written, "in the thoughts of the wicked His examination shall be conducted." ⁵ And the apostle says, "The thoughts accusing or else excusing, in the day in which God shall judge the hidden things of men, according to my gospel in Jesus Christ." ⁶ Thus, then, shall the Lord be a swift witness, when He shall suddenly bring back into the memory that which shall convince and punish the conscience.

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De civitate Dei (CCSL)

Caput XXVI: De sacrificiis, quae sancti offerent deo sic placitura, quomodo in diebus pristinis et annis prioribus placuerunt.

Volens autem deus ostendere ciuitatem suam tunc in ista consuetudine non futuram dixit filios Leui oblaturos hostias in iustitia; non ergo in peccato ac per hoc non pro peccato. unde intellegi potest in eo quod secutus adiunxit atque ait: et placebit domino sacrificium Iudae et Hierusalem, sicut diebus pristinis et sicut annis prioribus, frustra sibi Iudaeos secundum legem ueteris testamenti sacrificiorum suorum praeterita tempora polliceri. non enim tunc in iustitia, sed in peccatis hostias offerebant, quando pro peccatis praecipue ac primitus offerebant, usque adeo ut sacerdos ipse, quem debemus utique credere ceteris fuisse iustiorem, secundum dei mandatum soleret pro suis primum offerre peccatis, deinde pro populi. quapropter exponere nos oportet, quomodo sit accipiendum quod dictum est: sicut diebus pristinis et sicut annis prioribus. fortassis enim tempus illud commemorat, quo primi homines in paradiso fuerunt, tunc enim puri atque integri ab omni sorde ac labe peccati se ipsos deo mundissimas hostias offerebant; ceterum ex quo commissae praeuaricationis causa inde dimissi sunt atque humana in eis natura damnata est, excepto uno mediatore et post lauacrum regenerationis quibusque adhuc paruulis nemo mundus a sorde, sicut scriptum est, nec infans, cuius est unius diei uita super terram. quodsi respondetur etiam eos merito dici posse offerre hostias in iustitia, qui offerunt in fide - iustus enim ex fide uiuit, quamuis se ipsum seducat, si dixerit se non habere peccatum , et ideo non dicat, quia ex fide uiuit - , numquid dicturus est quispiam hoc fidei tempus illi fini esse coaequandum, quando igne iudicii nouissimi mundabuntur, qui offerant hostias in iustitia? ac per hoc quoniam post talem mundationem nullum peccatum iustos habituros esse credendum est, profecto illud tempus, quantum adtinet ad non habere peccatum, nulli tempori conparandum est, nisi quando primi homines in paradiso ante praeuaricationem innocentissima felicitate uixerunt. recte itaque intellegitur hoc significatum esse, cum dictum est: sicut diebus pristinis et sicut annis prioribus. nam et per Esaiam posteaquam caelum nouum et terra noua promissa est, inter cetera, quae ibi de sanctorum beatitudine per allegorias et aenigmata exsequitur, quibus expositionem congruam reddere nos prohibuit uitandae longitudinis cura, secundum dies, inquit, ligni uitae erunt dies populi mei. quis autem sacras litteras adtigit et ignorat ubi deus plantauerit lignum uitae, a cuius cibo separatis illis hominibus, quando eos sua de paradiso eiecit iniquitas, eidem ligno circumposita est ignea terribilisque custodia ? quodsi quisquam illos dies ligni uitae, quos commemorauit propheta Esaias, istos qui nunc aguntur ecclesiae Christi dies esse contendit ipsumque Christum lignum uitae prophetice dictum, quia ipse est sapientia dei, de qua Salomon ait: lignum uitae est omnibus amplectentibus eam, nec annos egisse aliquos in paradiso illos primos homines, unde tam cito eiecti sunt, ut nullum ibi gignerent filium, et ideo non posse illud tempus intellegi in eo quod dictum est: sicut diebus pristinis et sicut annis prioribus: istam praetereo quaestionem, ne cogar, quod prolixum est, cuncta discutere, ut aliquid horum ueritas manifesta confirmet. uideo quippe alterum sensum, ne dies pristinos et annos priores carnalium sacrificiorum nobis pro magno munere per prophetam promissos fuisse credamus. hostiae namque illae ueteris legis in quibusque pecoribus inmaculatae ac sine ullo prorsus uitio iubebantur offerri, et significabant homines sanctos, qualis solus inuentus est Christus, sine ullo omnino peccato. proinde quia post iudicium, cum fuerint etiam igne mundati, qui eiusmodi mundatione sunt digni, in omnibus sanctis nullum inuenietur omnino peccatum, atque ita se ipsos offerent in iustitia, ut tales hostiae omni modo inmaculatae ac sine ullo uitio sint futurae, erunt profecto sicut pristinis diebus et sicut annis prioribus, quando in umbra huius rei futurae mundissimae offerebantur hostiae. haec erit namque munditia tunc in inmortali carne ac mente sanctorum, quae figurabatur in illarum corporibus hostiarum. deinde propter eos, qui non mundatione, sed damnatione sunt digni: et accedam, inquit, ad uos in iudicium, et ero testis uelox super maleficos et super adulteros, et cetera, quibus damnabilibus enumeratis criminibus addidit: quoniam ego dominus deus uester, et non mutor; tamquam diceret: cum uos mutauerit et in deterius culpa uestra et in melius gratia mea, ego non mutor. testem uero se dicit futurum, quia in iudicio suo non indiget testibus, eumque uelocem, siue quia repente uenturus est eritque iudicium ipso inopinato eius aduentu celerrimum, quod tardissimum uidebatur, siue quia ipsas conuincet sine ulla sermonis prolixitate conscientias. in cogitationibus enim, sicut scriptum est, inpii interrogatio erit; et apostolus: cogitationibus, inquit, accusantibus uel etiam excusantibus in die, qua iudicabit deus occulta hominum secundum euangelium meum per Iesum Christum. etiam sic ergo dominus futurus testis intellegendus est uelox, cum sine mora reuocaturus est in memoriam, unde conuincat puniatque conscientiam.