A Treatise Concerning the Ten Commandments, Which Are the Heads of the Law.

 I. (1) I have in my former treatises set forth the lives of Moses and the other wise men down to his time, whom the sacred scriptures point out as the

 II. (5) Pride is also the cause of many other evils, such as insolence, arrogance, and impiety. And these are the beginnings of foreign and civil wars

 III. (13) Very naturally therefore, having led his people from the injurious associations prevailing in the cities, into the desert, that he might pur

 IV. (15) And some persons say that there is also a fourth cause which is not inconsistent with, but as near as possible to the truth for that, as it

 V. (18) These are the causes which may be advanced by probable conjecture, to explain the question which is raised on this point for the true causes

 VI. And first of all, I will speak of those which rather resemble heads of laws, of which in the first place one must at once admire the number, inasm

 VII. (24) Moreover, at all events, in addition to what has been already said, any one may reasonably admire the decade for the following reason, that

 VIII. (29) But what is the use now of enumerating the excellencies of the decade, which are infinite in number treating our most important task as on

 IX. (32) This, then, may be enough to say on these subjects but it is necessary now to connect with these things what I am about to say, namely, that

 X. (36) This, then, may be enough to say about the divine voice. But a person may very reasonably raise the question on what account it happened, when

 XI. (44) And, moreover, as was natural, he filled the whole place with miraculous signs and works, with noises of thunder too great for the hearing to

 XII. (50) These, then, were the things which it was necessary to explain beforehand. But now we must turn to the commands themselves, and investigate

 XIII. (59) But some persons indulge in such foolish notions respecting their judgments on these points, that they not only look upon the things which

 XIV. (64) Let us, therefore, reject all such impious dishonesty, and not worship those who are our brothers by nature, even though they may have recei

 XV. (73) And yet it is well for us, speaking with all proper freedom, to say to those who have shown themselves so devoid of sense My good men, the

 XVI. (76) Let no one therefore of those beings who are endowed with souls, worship any thing that is devoid of a soul for it would be one of the most

 XVII. (82) Having now spoken of the second commandment to the best of our ability, let us proceed to investigate the one which follows with accuracy,

 XVIII. (88) What sayest thou? I should say to the perjured man, will you dare to go to any one of your own acquaintances and say, My friend, come a

 XIX. (92) But there are also some people who, without any idea of acquiring gain, do from a bad habit incessantly and inconsiderately swear upon every

 XX. (96) The fourth commandment has reference to the sacred seventh day, that it may be passed in a sacred and holy manner. Now some states keep the h

 XXI. (102) Now, those who have applied themselves to mathematical studies, fully explain the precedence and pre-eminence to which the number seven is

 XXII. (106) And after this commandment relating to the seventh day he gives the fifth, which concerns the honour to be paid to parents, giving it a po

 XXIII. (111) Let them, then, not be ignorant that they are convicted before the two tribunals which are the only ones which exist in nature, of impiet

 XXIV. (121) Having then now philosophized in this manner about the honour to be paid to parents, he closes the one and more divine table of the first

 XXV. (132) The second commandment of this second table is to do no murder. For nature, having produced man as a gregarious and sociable creature, and

 XXVI. (135) The third commandment of the second table of five is not to steal. For he who keeps continually gaping after the property of others is the

 XXVII. (138) And after he has forbidden stealing he proceeds in regular order to prohibit bearing false witness, knowing that those who bear false wit

 XXVIII. (142) Last of all, the divine legislator prohibits covetousness, knowing that desire is a thing fond of revolution and of plotting against oth

 XXIX. (154) However, enough of these matters. Still we must not be ignorant of this fact either, that the ten commandments are the heads of all the pa

 XXX. (158) And the fourth commandment, the one about the seventh day, we must not look upon in any other light than as a summary of all the laws relat

 XXXI. (165) And the fifth commandment, that about the honour due to parents, conceals under its brief expression, many very important and necessary la

 XXXII. (168) The first table of five, then, is completed in these commandments, exhibiting a comprehensive character but of the special and particula

 XXXIII. (175) I have now spoken in this manner, at sufficient length, concerning the second table of five commandments, which make up the whole number

XXXII. (168) The first table of five, then, is completed in these commandments, exhibiting a comprehensive character; but of the special and particular laws the number is very great. Of the second table, the first commandment is that against adulterers, under which many other commands are conveyed by implication, such as that against seducers, that against practisers of unnatural crimes, that against all who live in debauchery, that against all men who indulge in illicit and incontinent connections; (169) but the lawgiver has set down all the different species of such intemperance, not for the sake of exhibiting its manifold, and diverse, and ever-changing varieties, but in order to cause those who live in an unseemly manner to show most evident signs of depression and shame, drinking in with their ears all the reproaches heaped together which they incur, and which may well make them blush. (170) The second brief commandment, the prohibition of slaying men, is that under which are implied all those necessary and most universally advantageous laws, relating to acts of violence, to insults, to assaults, to wounds, to mutilation. (171) The third, that which forbids stealing, is the one under cover of which are enacted all the regulations which have been laid down, respecting the repudiation of debts, and those who deny what has been deposited with them, and who form unhallowed partnerships, and indulge in shameless acts of rapine, and, in short, in any kind of covetousness by which some person are induced, either openly or secretly to appropriate the possessions of others. (172) The fourth, that which is concerning the duty of not bearing false witness, is one under which many other prohibitions are conveyed, such as that of not deceiving, of not bringing false accusations, of not co-operating with those who are committing sin, of not making a pretence of good faith a cloak for faithlessness; for all which objects suitable laws have been enacted. (173) The fifth is that which cuts off desire, the fountain of all iniquity, from which flow all the most unlawful actions, whether of individuals or of states, whether important or trivial, whether sacred or profane, whether they relate to one's life and soul, or to what are called external things; for, as I have said before, nothing ever escapes desire, but, like a fire in a wood, it proceeds onward, consuming and destroying everything; (174) and there are a great many subordinate sins, which are prohibited likewise under this commandment, for the sake of correcting those persons who cheerfully receive admonitions, and of chastising those stubborn people who devote their whole lives to the indulgence of passion.