Chapter II.
Ambrose joins in the discussion of the nature of animals: he teaches that Scripture should be taken at face value: he establishes a comparison between himself and a poor guest: he warns against searching for curious questions; and he confirms this point with the example of Moses.
Now then, let us discuss the nature of animals and the generation of man. For I have heard some whispering for quite some time now, saying: How long will we learn about others and not know ourselves? How long will we be taught about the knowledge of other creatures and remain ignorant of ourselves? Let him speak what is profitable for me, so that I may know myself. And the complaint is just: but the order must be preserved which Scripture has woven together; at the same time, because we cannot know ourselves fully unless we first know the nature of all living beings.
And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living soul according to its kind, quadrupeds, and serpents, and beasts of the earth, according to their kinds, and all creeping things. And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds, and cattle, and everything that creepeth on the earth, according to its kind. And God saw that it was good, and he said: Let us make man (Gen. I, 24, 25, 26). In this place, I am not unaware that some have attributed certain species of beasts, cattle, and serpents of the earth to other things; so that they may refer to the enormities of crimes, the foolishness of sins, and the wickedness of thoughts: but I take the simple natures of each kind.
Nor am I afraid that anyone may consider me presumptuous in inviting many guests of low position, for I invite them out of a love of humanity, and I serve them nothing but cheap and ordinary food. I am more likely to incur disapproval from my guests for the simplicity of my table than to receive thanks for my hospitality. For the friends of Elisha did not reject him as a bad dinner guest when he served them rustic vegetables (2 Kings 4:39). This simile of empty relationships is a careful and accurate feast, in which the appearance of pheasants or turtledoves is presented, and inside, a chicken is eaten or a chicken is brought in, and it is stuffed with oysters or mussels; or a drink is consumed that changes in color and smell to different tastes: sea creatures are mixed with land creatures, and land creatures are stuffed with sea creatures. This is a criticism of the providence of the Creator, who has given us everything for sustenance, but has not mixed them together: but these things seem sweet at first, and then they become bitter. For the more excessive luxury there is, the more harmful intemperance becomes. However, Elisha added bitterness, but afterwards sweetness followed. Finally, those who had considered death in that food, afterwards obtained the pleasantness and grace of life in it.
6. Nor is there any fear, lest it should appear that I have invited more guests than I can feed, and that my words should fail you; for even Elisha, though truly deserving to be imitated by us with unhesitating faith, did not consider how many loaves he had, but was willing to divide what he had among all, and thought it sufficient for all. (Ibid., 42). Therefore, he commanded his servant to divide ten barley loaves among the people. And the servant said, 'What, shall I give this before the sight of a hundred men?' And he answered, Give them food yourselves, for thus says the Lord: They shall eat and have some left (same reference). So your faith will make a banquet for the poor of speech abundant. I am not afraid that your fasting will make you more gluttonous; rather, that when you are filled and hungry and empty, you will return, for it is written: The Lord strengthens the righteous, and they shall be satisfied in the days of famine (Psalm XXXVI, 17 and 79). It is much more beautiful to not be ashamed of barley bread and to offer what you have, than to deny. Elisaeus, who left nothing for himself, abounded with people. Elisaeus, therefore, did not hesitate to offer barley bread; we are ashamed to understand simple creatures, which are declared by simple and their own words! We read the sky, let us accept the sky; we read the earth, let us understand the fruitful earth.
7. What good is it for me to seek what is the measure of its circumference, which mathematicians have estimated to be 180,000 stadia? I willingly admit that I do not know what I do not know, and indeed that knowing it would be of no benefit. It is better to know the types of lands than the spaces that, with the sea surrounding them, the Barbarian regions in between, and the difficult-to-traverse swamps covering them, how can we comprehend? The Scripture demonstrates that this is impossible for humans, with God saying: 'Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens, or enclosed the whole earth in his hand?' Who determined the mountains in a balance and the hills in a scales, and the forests in a yoke? (Isaiah, 40:12). And below: Who stretches out the earth like a curtain and its inhabitants like locusts? Who established the heavens as a canopy? (Ibid., 22). Therefore, who dares to claim equal power and knowledge with God, and presume to have the understanding of what God, in His majesty, has revealed as His own?
Certainly Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians: but because he received the Spirit of God, he disregarded that empty and usurping philosophy of truth and wrote down for me the things he deemed fitting for our hope, namely that God made the earth, that the earth produced plants according to the command of the almighty God, and the work of the Lord Jesus, and every living creature according to its kind. But he did not think it necessary to discuss how much space the shadow of the earth occupies in the air when the sun recedes from us and takes away the day, illuminating the lower parts of the axis; and how when the globe of the moon falls into the region of the shadow of this world, it causes an eclipse; because what passes by, having no profit for us, is as good as nothing. For he saw in the Holy Spirit that some fading vanities of wisdom should be followed, which occupy our minds with inexplicable things and waste our effort, but rather those things should be described which pertain to the progress of virtue.