384 NOVATIAN THE ROMAN PRESBYTER CHAPTER IL AEGOMENT. — He firstof allassertsthatthelaw isspiritual; and thence,as man'sfirstfood u-asonlythefruitoftrm, and theuseof fleshwas added,thatthelaw thatfolloicd subsequently— which,distinguishingbetweenmeats,granted certainanimalsas clean,and interdictedcertainothersas not clean— was to be understoodspiritually,especiallyas allanimalswere declared" verygood" and even unclean animals were reservedfor offspringin AToaKs ark,al though theyotherwisemighthave been got rid of,iftiu<j oughttohavebeendestroyedon accountoftlieirunckannea. Therefore, firstof all,we must availourselvesof that passage,"that the law is spiritual;"1and if they denyit to be spiritual,they assuredlyblaspheme; if,avoidingblas phemy, they confess it to be spiritual,let them readit spiritually.For divine things must be divinelyreceived, and must assuredlybe maintained as holy. But a grave faultis branded on those who attach earthlyand human doctrineto sacred and spiritualwords; and thiswe must beware of doing. Moreover, we may beware, if any things enjoined by God be so treatedas if they were assumedto diminish His authority,lest,in callingsome things impure and unclean,theirinstitutionshoulddishonourtheirordainer. For in reprobatingwhat He has made, He willappearto have condemned His own works,which He had approvedas good ; and He will be designatedas seeming capriciousin both cases,as the hereticsindeedwould have it; eitherin having blessedthings which were not clean,or in subse quently reprobatingas not good, creatureswhich He had blessedas both clean and good. And of thisthe enormity and contradictionwillremain foreverifthatJewish doctrine ispersistedin,which must be got ridof with allour ability; so that whatever is irregularlydeliveredby them, may he taken away by us,and a suitablearrangement of His works, 1Rom.vii.14.