On the Sacrifices of Abel and Cain 38

¹And here we may turn to another matter, which deserves more than a passing consideration. Why did he throw open the cities of the Levites to the fugitives from vengeance and deem fit that there the holiest should live side by side with men reckoned unholy, namely those who had committed involuntary homicide? The first answer is one that follows from what has been already said. We showed that the good are a ransom for the bad, and therefore it is with good reason that the sinners come to the consecrated to get purification. ²Secondly, as they whom the Levites receive are exiles, so too the Levites themselves are virtually exiles. ³For as the homicides are expelled from the home of their nativity, so too the Levites have left children, parents, brothers, their nearest and dearest, to win an undying portion in place of that which perishes. The two differ in that the flight of these is not of their own desire, but for an involuntary deed, while those have fled of their own free will in loving quest of the highest. Again, the homicides find their refuge in the Levites, the Levites in Him who is ruler of all. The former in their imperfection think to have for their allotted province the holy word, the latter to have the God to whom they have been consecrated. ⁴And, once more, they who slew involuntarily were granted the right of living in the same cities as the Levites, because these too were privileged as a reward for slaying in a righteous cause. We find that when the soul fell and honoured the god of Egypt, the body, as gold, with an honour which was not its due, the holy thoughts with one accord of their own motion rushed to the defence in arms. These arms were the proofs and arguments which knowledge gives. And they set before them as their captain and leader the high priest and prophet and friend of God, Moses. They waged war to the death for true religion, and held not their hands till they had made an end of all the false doctrines of their enemies (Exod. 32:26–28). And thus it is natural that Levite and homicide should dwell together, for their deeds though not the same are alike.