For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be rejected that is received with thanksgiving:

“If, then he shows plainly that even wives themselves are so to be had as if they be not had, on account of the straits of the times, what would be his sentiments about these vain appliances of theirs? Why, are there not many, withal, who so do, and seal themselves up to eunuchhood for the sake of the kingdom of God, spontaneously relinquishing a pleasure so honourable, and (as we know) permitted? Are there not some who prohibit to themselves (the use of) the very "creature of God," abstaining from wine and animal food, the enjoyments of which border upon no peril or solicitude; but they sacrifice to God the humility of their soul even in the chastened use of food? Sufficiently, therefore, have you, too, used your riches and your delicacies; sufficiently have you cut down the fruits of your dowries, before (receiving) the knowledge of saving disciplines.”

“This, assuredly, appeared to me to be ridiculous—to vow to abstain from pork. Therefore, teach them to refrain from foolish prayers and promises; nevertheless, allow the use to be a matter of indifference. No creature of God which is received with thanksgiving is to be rejected. Therefore, the vow is ridiculous; the abstinence is not necessary.”

“The whole of creation is in inward harmony, since the bond of concord is nowhere broken by the natural opposition. In the same way the divine wisdom also provides a blending and admixture of the sensible with the intelligible nature, so that all things equally participate in the good and no existing thing is deprived of a share in the higher nature. Now the sphere corresponding to the intelligible nature is a subtle and mobile essence, which by virtue of its special nature and its transcending the world has a great affinity with the intelligible. Yet, for the reason given, a superior wisdom provides a mingling of the intelligible with the sensible creation. In that way, as the apostle says, "no part of creation is to be rejected," and no part fails to share in the divine fellowship. On this account the divine nature produces in man a blending of the intelligible and the sensible, just as the account of creation teaches.”

“"For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving." If it be the creature of God, it is good. For "all things," it is said, "were very good." (Gen. i. 31) By speaking thus of things eatable, he by anticipation impugns the heresy of those who introduce an uncreated matter, and assert that these things proceed from it. But if it is good, why is it "sanctified by the word of God and prayers"? For it must be unclean, if it is to be sanctified? Not so, here he is speaking to those who thought that some of these things were common; therefore he lays down two positions: first, that no creature of God is unclean: secondly, that if it were become so, you have a remedy, seal it, give thanks, and glorify God, and all the uncleanness passes away. Can we then so cleanse that which is offered to an idol? If you know not that it was so offered. But if, knowing this, you partake of it, you will be unclean; not because it was offered to an idol, but because contrary to an express command, you thereby communicate with devils. So that it is not unclean by nature, but becomes so through your wilful disobedience. What then, is not swine's flesh unclean? By no means, when it is received with thanksgiving, and with the seal; nor is anything else. It is your unthankful disposition to God that is unclean.”

“Because sin or iniquity is not a seeking of things evil by nature but an abandonment of the better things, this is found written in Scripture. "Every creature is good." Every tree that God planted in paradise was good. Man, therefore, did not desire anything evil by nature when he touched the forbidden tree. But by departing from what was better he himself committed an act that was evil.”

“The first cause of sin crept in from the enjoyment of food. What more salutary gift of God does our redeemed liberty use than that the will, which once did not know how to restrain itself from forbidden things, now knows how to restrain itself from lawful things? "Every creature of God is good, and nothing ought to be rejected, which is received with the giving of thanks." We were not created to seek out all the riches of the world with a foul and shameless greed. We can restrain voluntarily from what is lawful.”

“And again, when the Apostle Paul is read, and he heareth from him, "Everything which was created by God is holy, and nothing is to be rejected if it be received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified through the word of God and prayer;" or another verse, "The belly for meats, and meats for the belly;" or that also which he spake, "Let not him that eateth not judge him that eateth." And in the other things like unto these which are written in the doctrine of Paul, the fool rejoiceth, and receiveth them gladly, without understanding the reason of the words. And the glutton is not pleased to hear the other things which have been written by Paul upon fortitude and asceticism, either when he recounteth his numerous fastings, or when he crieth out to his disciples, saying, "Ye are dead unto the world," or when he writeth, "It is good for a man not to eat flesh, and not to drink wine," or his exhortation, "Through many tribulations it is meet for a man to enter into the kingdom of God," or his saying, "God shall bring both the belly and the food to nought;" and the reading of these and such like passages the glutton considereth unnecessary, and he is not pleased even to hear them.”

“Above, he instructed Timothy about the things pertaining to the ordering of the Church in spiritual matters; secondly, as to the teaching of the faith, the worship of God, and the disposition of the ministries — here he instructs him about the ordering of the Church as to external things. And first as to foods; secondly as to the states of men and riches, there: whoever are under the yoke. Again, first he treats of the use of foods, secondly of the dispensing of foods, chapter 5, there: honor widows. Again, first he excludes superstitious abstinence; secondly he prefers the piety of lawful abstinence, there: exercise yourself. Again, first he foretells the false doctrine about unlawful abstinence; secondly he instructs him to propose these things to the brothers, there: proposing these things. Again, first he makes the error manifest; secondly he excludes it, there: whom God. Again, first he foretells the error to come on the part of those deceived; secondly on the part of those who deceive, there: in hypocrisy. Again, he sets down the agent of the pronouncement; secondly, the falling-away of faith, there: because in the last; thirdly, the cause of the falling-away, there: giving heed. He says therefore: great is the sacrament of piety, which was justified in the spirit, but beyond this sacrament the Holy Spirit foretells something that is to come. For it belongs to him to reveal mysteries. II Cor. XV, v. 2 and Jn. 16:13: the things that are to come, he will announce to you. The Spirit, therefore, foretells beforehand the future secrets in the heart of the Father. But formerly he spoke in similitudes. Num. 12:6: if there be among you a prophet of the Lord, I will appear to him in a vision, or I will speak to him through a dream. Hos. 12:10: I have multiplied vision, and I have been likened in the hand of the prophets. But in the New Testament the Holy Spirit speaks openly. Jn. 16:25: and openly I will announce to you about my Father. And he foretells the falling-away of faith to come; hence he says in the last times, etc. The last time is called the final age, because we are those upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Yet within this time it is the more the last, the nearer it is to the last day. And just as in the primitive Church, on account of its nearness to Christ and to the sacraments recently instituted, faith was most fervent, so in the last times, in comparison to the time of the apostles, some will depart from the faith, because they will be carnal, but errors will abound the more toward the end. Gen. 49:1: gather together, that I may announce to you the things that are to come to you in the last days, etc. The cause of the falling-away is twofold: one on the part of the Devil who seduces. II Cor. 11:3: I fear lest, as the serpent seduced Eve by his cunning, etc. And therefore he says giving heed to spirits of error, namely to demons, whose office it is to send into error. Jn. 8:44: he is a liar, and the father of it. III Kings, last: I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit, etc. And he says spirits, because the greater demon has many ministers. But how do they give heed to them? Do they see them? No, but they speak within them. And therefore he adds a second cause, namely false doctrine. And according to the Gloss, he here calls the false teachers demons, and not undeservedly. For just as good men are sometimes called angels, so these, on account of their excelling malice, are called demons. Jn. 6:71: have I not chosen you twelve? And one of you is a devil. On the part of those who deceive there is a twofold cause: one, their falsity; the other, the perversity of their conscience. As to the first he says of demons, that is, of men possessed by a demon, and of these, I say, speaking lies. Jer. 23:26: how long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies, and that prophesy the seductions of their own heart? And note that through a bare lie, without a cloak of appearance, no one could deceive anyone. And so these could deceive no one, unless they put forward some cloak, either of good intention, or of pretense, or of false authority. I Cor. 3:18: let no one seduce you, etc. II Tim. 3:5: having indeed the appearance of piety, that is, feigned piety. And of demons, I say, having their conscience cauterized. A cautery is a corruption in the flesh by fire, from which putrefaction continually issues. So from the fire of a perverse will, of anger, of hatred, of concupiscence, the conscience is ulcerated, and from demons false doctrine issues. Tit. 1:15: their minds are defiled. Then he shows what this false doctrine is, and touches on the heresy of the Manichees, who condemn matrimony, against that word of Matt. 19:6: what God has joined together, let man not separate; I Cor. 7:36: a woman does not sin if she marries. Again, the Manichees forbid the use of foods, that is, they command abstaining from foods. Now one may lawfully abstain from foods with the intention of taming the flesh, as Timothy abstained from wine, or on account of scandal, as the Apostle says, I Cor. 8:13: if food scandalizes my brother, I will not eat meat forever. Again, unlawfully: in one way, on account of the precept of the law, as though the legal observances still had to be kept, against which he speaks in Gal. 2. In another way, according to the heresy of the Manichees, not because it is forbidden by the law (which they condemn), but because they say that in meats, eggs, and wine, and things of this kind, that is, in some particle of such things, the divine nature is mingled — which cannot be thought concerning God. But he does not seem to say this about the foods of the law, because he says in the last days, but about those forbidden by the Manichees. And he calls these Manichees demons, because among all heresies they give more honor to the Devil, because they set him up as a principle equal with the good God, positing him as the principle of visible things. Now the Apostle disproves this erroneous doctrine in two ways: namely from the intention of God who creates foods; secondly from the condition of the creature, there: every creature. He says therefore that they forbid, to abstain, and this is against the intention of God, who created them for receiving. Gen. 9:3: as the green herbs I have given you all things, etc. But you say: are not plants for the sake of animals, and animals for the sake of men? I respond. It must be said that yes, according also to the Philosopher in Politics I, because the imperfect is ordered to the more perfect. And therefore just as in generation there is a manifold perfection — first namely of plants, then of animals, and last the human — so it is in the use of things. And therefore for receiving, but with the giving of thanks. I Thess., last: in all things give thanks; namely because they have been granted to you by God. Ps. 21:26: the poor shall eat, etc. And he adds to the faithful, because those who receive with the giving of thanks are faithful. For no one can give thanks to God in that which is unlawful. For he is foolish who gives thanks to God for fornication, because God is not the author of evils. Therefore he gives thanks who has this, that the use of foods is lawful. And this indeed becomes known through faith alone. And for this reason he says to the faithful. Then when he says who have known the truth, because every, etc., he disproves the error from the condition of the creature. And first he proposes that the creature is good in itself; secondly as to its use. He says therefore every creature is good, namely in its nature. Gen. 1:31: God saw all the things that he had made, and they were very good. From a good author also nothing comes but what is good. But since many things are good in themselves, whose use nevertheless is not good, therefore he proves that every creature is good not only in itself but also as to its use. And first he sets down what is intended, secondly he proves it, there: for it is sanctified. He says therefore nothing is to be rejected, namely by the debt of the divine law, although for another cause: as eating poison, insofar as it is food, is not a sin, but it is to be rejected insofar as it is deadly. Likewise other foods too, insofar as they are such things, are not to be rejected, but insofar as they incite to wantonness. Therefore according to the discretion of reason, and the ordering of charity, they are not to be rejected. Matt. 15:11: everything that enters into the mouth does not defile a man, etc. Why then were certain foods forbidden in the old law? Augustine gives the reason against Faustus, that in that state, Christ was prefigured not only through words, but also through deeds. And therefore in foods, garments, and sacrifices there were figures of the state to come. They are not therefore forbidden in themselves, but because they are figures of unclean things, as the pig is a sign of an unclean life. And therefore the prohibition of its flesh is a sign that in the law of Christ all uncleanness is forbidden. And this is Augustine's example: this word "fatuus" can be considered according as it is a sound composed of letters, and thus it is good; or insofar as it is a sign and signifies such a thing, and thus it is bad and forbidden. Therefore the use of every creature is in itself good. The reason for this is, that if it were evil, this could not be except insofar as the Devil, after the sin of man, had received power over them: because from the moment man sinned, he received power over man, and over the things that are his. But through Christ this power has been taken away, and this is called sanctification. Hence whatever things we bless are first exorcised, and therein is a prayer expelling the Devil. And therefore he says for it is sanctified through the word of God, that is, through Christ, who sanctifies all, Jn. 17:9, and through the prayer of the faithful. Jas.: the persistent prayer of a just man avails much.”

“For every creature of God is good,.... For food; and should be taken and used for that purpose, at all times, without distinction; even every creature which is made for food, and which is easy to be discerned by men: and nothing to be refused; or rejected as common and unclean, or to be abstained from at certain times: if it be received with thanksgiving: if not, persons are very ungrateful, and very unworthy of such favours; and it would be just in God to withhold them from them; and this they may expect at his hands, who reject them with contempt, or receive them with unthankfulness, or abstain front them in a religious way he never enjoined.”

“For every creature of God is good - That is: Every creature which God has made for man's nourishment is good for that purpose, and to be thankfully received whenever necessary for the support of human life; and nothing of that sort is at any time to be refused, ουδεν αποβλητον, rejected or despised. We find a saying very similar to this in Lucian's Timon: Ουτοι αποβλητα εισι δωρα τα παρα Διος. The gifts which are from Jove ought not to be Despised. This appears to have been a proverbial saying among the heathens.”

“Translate as Greek, "Because" (expressing a reason resting on an objective fact; or, as here, a Scripture quotation)--"For" (a reason resting on something subjective in the writer's mind). every creature . . . good-- (Gen 1:31; Rom 14:14, Rom 14:20). A refutation by anticipation of the Gnostic opposition to creation: the seeds of which were now lurking latently in the Church. Judaism (Act 10:11-16; Co1 10:25-26) was the starting-point of the error as to meats: Oriental Gnosis added new elements. The old Gnostic heresy is now almost extinct; but its remains in the celibacy of Rome's priesthood, and in its fasts from animal meats, enjoined under the penalty of mortal sin, remain. if . . . with thanksgiving--Meats, though pure in themselves, become impure by being received with an unthankful mind (Rom 14:6; Tit 1:15).”