Letter 119

To the Same Person. Do not be astonished that long ago God ordained the keeping of the Sabbath, but now sets aside such an observance. For you see that the decrees of earthly kings are both old and new: at one time they enjoin a certain matter, and at another they abolish the former enactment. Reckon for me that the wisdom of God is a kind of mother, who now gives the breast to the infant and cries out, "Good, good is this!"; and then afterward drives the child on toward solid food, smears the breast with gall, and shouts continually, "Foul, foul is this!"

Μὴ ξενισθῇς, πῶς πάλαι μὲν ὁ Θεὸς τὸ Σάββατον τηρεῖν διετάξατο, νῦν δὲ τὴν τοιαύτην ἀθετεῖ παρατήρησιν. Ὁρᾷς γὰρ παλαιάς τε καὶ νεαρὰς διατάξεις βασιλέων γηΐνων, πρώην μὲν τόδε τὸ πρᾶγμα ἐπισάντων, νῦν δὲ καταλυόντων τὸ πρλαθὸν νομοθέτημα. Νόμιζε μοι τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ σοφίαν μητέρα τινὰ εἶναι, καὶ νῦν μὲν τῇ νηπίῳ τὸν μαστὸν ἐπιδιδοῦσαν, καὶ βοῶσαν, Καλόν, καλὸν τοῦτό γε, εἶθ’ ὕστερον πρὸς τὴν στερεὰν τροφὴν τὸν παῖδα ἐλαύνουσαν, καὶ χολῇ τὸν μαστὸν περιχριούσαν, καὶ κράζουσαν συνεχῶς, Σαπρόν, σαπρὸν τοῦτό γε.