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On Fasting

Tertullian

Chapter 4

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter IV.—The Objection is Raised, Why, Then, Was the Limit of Lawful Food Extended After the Flood? The Answer to It.

This rationale was constantly kept in the eye of the providence of

‹ Chapter 3 Chapter 5 ›

God

—

modulating

all

things

,

as

He

does

,

to

suit

the

exigencies

of

the

times

—

lest

any

from

the

opposite

side

,

with

the

view

of

demolishing

our

proposition

,

should

say

:

“

Why

,

in

that

case

,

did

not

God

forthwith

institute

some

definite

restriction

upon

food

?

nay

,

rather

,

why

did

He

withal

enlarge

His

permission

?

For

,

at

the

beginning

indeed

,

it

had

only

been

the

food

of

herbs

and

trees

which

He

had

assigned

to

man

:

‘

Behold

,

I

have

given

you

all

grass

fit

for

sowing

,

seeding

seed

,

which

is

upon

the

earth

;

and

every

tree

which

hath

in

itself

the

fruit

of

seed

fit

for

sowing

shall

be

to

you

for

food

.

’

Afterwards

,

however

,

after

enumerating

to

Noah

the

subjection

(

to

him

)

of

‘

all

beasts

of

the

earth

,

and

fowls

of

the

heaven

,

and

things

moving

on

earth

,

and

the

fish

of

the

sea

,

and

every

creeping

thing

,

’

He

says

,

‘

They

shall

be

to

you

for

food

:

just

like

grassy

vegetables

have

I

given

(

them

)

you

universally

:

but

flesh

in

the

blood

of

its

own

soul

shall

ye

not

eat

.

’

For

even

by

this

very

fact

,

that

He

exempts

from

eating

that

flesh

only

the

‘

soul

’

of

which

is

not

out

-

shed

through

‘

blood

,

’

it

is

manifest

that

He

has

conceded

the

use

of

all

other

flesh

.

”

To

this

we

reply

,

that

it

was

not

suitable

for

man

to

be

burdened

with

any

further

special

law

of

abstinence

,

who

so

recently

showed

himself

unable

to

tolerate

so

light

an

interdiction

—

of

one

single

fruit

,

to

wit

;

that

,

accordingly

,

having

had

the

rein

relaxed

,

he

was

to

be

strengthened

by

his

very

liberty

;

that

equally

after

the

deluge

,

in

the

reformation

of

the

human

race

,

(

as

before

it

)

,

one

law

—

of

abstaining

from

blood

—

was

sufficient

,

the

use

of

all

things

else

being

allowed

.

For

the

Lord

had

already

shown

His

judgment

through

the

deluge

;

had

,

moreover

,

likewise

issued

a

comminatory

warning

through

the

“

requisition

of

blood

from

the

hand

of

a

brother

,

and

from

the

hand

of

every

beast

.

”

And

thus

,

preministering

the

justice

of

judgment

,

He

issued

the

materials

of

liberty

;

preparing

through

allowance

an

undergrowth

of

discipline

;

permitting

all

things

,

with

a

view

to

take

some

away

;

meaning

to

“

exact

more

”

if

He

had

“

committed

more

;

”

to

command

abstinence

since

He

had

foresent

indulgence

:

in

order

that

(

as

we

have

said

)

the

primordial

sin

might

be

the

more

expiated

by

the

operation

of

a

greater

abstinence

in

the

(

midst

of

the

)

opportunity

of

a

greater

licence

.

Notes

1
Gen. i. 29.
2
See Gen. ix. 2–5 (in LXX.).
3
See Gen. ix. 5, 6.
4
See Luke xii. 48.