17. О том, что Один и Тот же дал и Ветхий и Новый Завет

We know the one Establisher of both the Old and New Testaments, and He clearly teaches us this through the mouth of the prophet Jeremiah. For he says: “I make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not according to the covenant which their father commanded in the day in which I took their hand, that I might bring it out of the land of Egypt.” But I bequeath to them the New Testament, “giving My laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts” (Jer. 31:31-33). With these words he made it clear that He who gave the Old Testament also gives the New Testament, for he said: “I bequeath... not according to the covenant that I have bequeathed.” And through the mouth of the prophet Isaiah he said: “And I bequeath” to them “an everlasting covenant, O holy saint of David” (Is. 55:3). And the prophet David also cries out: “Rise up, Lord, so that man may not be strong, and the nations may be judged before You. Set, O Lord, a lawgiver over them” (Ps. 9:20-21). If they do not believe the prophecies, then let them hear how the Lawgiver Himself does not destroy the old laws, but gives them greater severity. For the one who destroys should have said: “It was said to the ancients: Thou shalt not commit adultery,” but I say to you: Thou shalt commit adultery; “and it was said to the ancients: Thou shalt not kill”; but I tell you: kill. This is exactly what antitacts akin to Marcion do. The Lord, by His laws, clearly teaches that He does not destroy the Old Testament, but introduces the strictest way of life. And just as one who teaches literacy to those beginning to learn explains the difference in the outline of letters, but to those who have learned this he offers the addition of words, and, teaching rules to some for adding words, and to others for harmonious reading, does not introduce the opposite laws of teaching, but teaches lessons in proportion to age, so the Lord Christ gave laws in accordance with each generation. He inscribed the necessary and first in human nature itself, because everyone has the ability to distinguish between good and evil; and by doing what we ourselves do not want to tolerate, we proclaim that what we are doing is bad. Therefore, whoever kills or commits adultery knows that what he is doing is evil. For not only does he not want to be killed, but he even uses every means to prevent this from happening to him. And if the wife has fallen into adultery, she accuses the one who took her bed; and if he himself has been slandered, he brings a complaint for the insult. And having examined everything else in this way, we will find every person knowing that bad is bad. So, God, who created us, laid down these laws in nature itself, but gave others in each generation differently. For he gave the law about the tree to Adam, to Noah about eating meat, to the patriarch he legalized circumcision, and he wrote other laws by the hand of the great prophet Moses, but in the Divine Gospel, leaving laws about unimportant things like the study of some letters, he gave the most perfect laws. Just as mothers give newborn babies nipples and, after a few years, chewed food, and when they become adolescents and young men, they offer solid food, so God offers the most perfect lessons to those who are trained in it. However, we also respect the Old Testament, like a mother’s breasts, although we do not accept milk, because the milk of the one who nursed becomes superfluous for those who are fully grown, but they honor the nurse, as if raised by her. Likewise, we do not agree to preserve circumcision, the Sabbath, sacrifices, sprinklings, but we derive other benefits from the Old Testament, because it teaches us precise lessons about piety, about faith in God, about love for one’s neighbor, truth and courage, and presents examples of the Old Testament saints for imitation. You might be interested in: