We have now sufficiently considered the first charge against Cain. The second was as follows. Why does he make his offering of firstlings from the fruits instead of from the first-fruits? Surely for the same reason, namely to give the first honour to created being and render only the second to God. For as there are some who prefer the body to the soul, the slave to the mistress, so there are those who have honoured the created rather than God. And yet the Lawgiver laid down that we should bring “the firstlings of the first-fruits of the land into the house of the Lord God” (Exod. 23:19), and not ascribe them to ourselves. For it is right that we should acknowledge as belonging to God all the movements of the soul that come first either in order or in value. The first in order are those in which we became at once participators, when we came into existence, taking nourishment, growth, sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch, reason, mind, the parts of the soul, the parts of the body, their activities, in general their natural movements and states. The first in worth and value are righteous conduct, virtues, and virtuous actions. Of these then it is right to offer the firstlings, and the firstlings are the word of thanksgiving, sent up out of a true and sincere mind. This thank-offering we should divide into its proper sections, just as the lyre and other musical instruments have their parts. There each of the notes has music in itself and also is fully adapted to make harmony with another. Or again in the alphabet the vocals or vowels are each sounded by themselves and also with the consonants form entire and single sounds. So with ourselves, for nature has framed in us manifold powers of sense-perception and reason and intelligence, each attuned to some function of its own, and also she has so adjusted them all in due proportion, that they work in unity and harmony with each other. Whether we consider each severally or all together, we may justly say that nature has indeed been happy in her work.
On the Sacrifices of Abel and Cain 20
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