28.  Guard thy soul safely, lest at any time thou eat of things offered to idols:  for concerning meats of this kind, not only I at this time, but ere now Apostles also, and James the bishop of this Church, have had earnest care:  and the Apostles and Elders write a Catholic epistle to all the Gentiles, that they should abstain first from things offered to idols, and then from blood also and from things strangled Acts xv. 20, 29.  The prohibition of blood and things strangled has continued to the present day in the Eastern Church, though already disregarded by the Latins in the time of S. Augustine (c. Faustum. xxxii. 13)..  For many men being of savage nature, and living like dogs, both lap up blood Tertullian (Apologeticus, c. 9) speaks of those “who at the gladiator shows, for the cure of epilepsy, quaff with greedy thirst the blood of criminals slain in the arena,” and of others “who make meals on the flesh of wild beasts at the place of combat:”  and contrasts the habits of Christians, who abstain from things strangled, to avoid pollution by the blood., in imitation of the manner of the fiercest beasts, and greedily devour things strangled.  But do thou, the servant of Christ, in eating observe to eat with reverence.  And so enough concerning meats.