The City of God by Saint Augustine of Hippo (vegetarian): The True Mediator - Selection from Book IX and X, Part 1 of 2

Saint Augustine of Hippo was an esteemed late 4th and early 5th century Christian bishop in present-day Algeria. Known as one of the greatest Christian philosophers, St. Augustine was a prolific writer, with about 100 books, 300 letters and 500 sermons still preserved. Among his most significant writings are “The City of God,” “De Doctrina Christiana” and “Confessions.” The respected bishop was also a compassionate vegetarian, and drew attention to the lifestyle of those who “not only abstain from flesh and wine, but also from other viands. …which flatter taste.” Today, we’ll read excerpts from Saint Augustine of Hippo’s book “The City of God.” “We need a Mediator Who, being united to us here below by the mortality of His body, should at the same time be able to afford us truly Divine help in cleansing and liberating us by means of the immortal righteousness of His Spirit, whereby He remained Heavenly even while here upon earth. Far be it from the in contaminable God to fear pollution from the man He assumed, or from the men among whom He lived in the form of a man. For, though His incarnation showed us nothing else, these two wholesome facts were enough, that true Divinity cannot be polluted by flesh, and that demons are not to be considered better than ourselves because they have not flesh. This, then, as Scripture says, is the ‘Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus,’ of whose Divinity, whereby He is equal to the Father, and humanity, whereby He has become like us.”