Jeremias 17:21

17. In the passages containing the commandments also, similar things are found. For in the law Moses is commanded to destroy every male that is not cir­cumcised on the eighth day, which is exceedingly incongruous; since it would be necessary, if it were related that the law was executed according to the history, to command those parents to be punished who did not circumcise their children, and also those who were the nurses of little children. The declara­tion of Scripture now is, “The uncircumcised male, i.e., who shall not have been circumcised, shall be cut off from his people.” And if we are to inquire regarding the impossibilities of the law, we find an animal called the goat-stag, which cannot possibly exist, but which, as being in the number of clean beasts, Moses commands to be eaten; and a griffin, which no one ever remembers or heard of as yielding to human power, but which the …

Again, in First Chronicles, the psalm which is put in the hands of Asaph and his brethren to praise the Lord, beginning, “Give thanks unto the Lord , call upon His name,” is in the beginning almost identical with Psalm cv. , down to “and do my prophets no harm;” and after that it is the same as Psalm xcvi ., from the beginning of that psalm, which is something like this, “Praise the Lord all the earth,” down to “For He cometh to judge the earth.” (It would have taken up too much time to quote more fully; so I have given these short references, which are sufficient for the matter before us.) And you will find the law about not bearing a burden on the Sabbath-day in Jeremias, as well as in Moses. And the rules about the passover, and the rules for the priests, are not only in Moses, but also at the end of Ezekiel. …

For Holy Scripture supports the freedom of the will where it says: “Keep thy heart with all diligence,” but the Apostle indicates its weakness by saying “The Lord keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” David asserts the power of free will, where he says “I have inclined my heart to do Thy righteous acts,” but the same man in like manner teaches us its weakness, by praying and saying, “Incline my heart unto Thy testimonies and not to covetousness:” Solomon also: “The Lord incline our hearts unto Himself that we may walk in all His ways and keep His commandments, and ordinances and judgments.” The Psalmist denotes the power of our will, where he says: “Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips that they speak no guile,” our prayer testifies to its weakness, when we say: “O Lord, set a watch before my mouth, and keep the door of my lips.” The importance of our will is maintained by the …