As to the Jewish laws: “The Jews,” says Clement, “had frugality enjoined on them by the Law in the most systematic manner. For the Instructor, by Moses, deprived them of the use of innumerable things, adding reasons--the spiritual ones hidden, the carnal ones apparent--to which latter, indeed, they have trusted”:--
“So that, altogether, but a few [animals] were left proper for their food. And of those which he permitted them to touch, he prohibited such as had died, or were offered to idols, or had been strangled: inasmuch as to touch these was unlawful.... Pleasure has often produced in men harm and pain, and full feeding begets in the soul uneasiness, and forgetfulness, and foolishness. It is said, moreover, that the bodies of children, when shooting up to their height, are made to grow right by abstinence in diet; for then the spirit which pervades the body, in order to its growth, is not checked by abundance of food obstructing the freedom of its course. Whence that truth-seeking philosopher, Plato, fanning the spark of the Hebrew philosophy, when condemning a life of luxury, says: ‘On my coming hither [to Syracuse] the life which is here called happy pleased me not by any means. For not one man under heaven, if brought up from his youth in such practices, will ever turn out a _wise_ man, with however admirable genius he may be endowed.’ For Plato was not unacquainted with David,[69] who placed the sacred ark in his city in the midst of the tabernacle, and bidding all his subjects rejoice ‘before the Lord, divided to the whole host of Israel, men and women, to each a loaf of bread, and baked bread, and a cake from the frying-pan.’[70] This was the _sufficient_ sustenance of the Israelites. But that of the Gentiles was over-abundant, and no one who uses it will ever study to become temperate, burying, as he does, his mind in his belly, very like the fish called _onos_ which, Aristotle says, alone of all creatures has its heart in its stomach. This fish Epicharmus, the comic poet, calls ‘monster-paunch.’ Such are the men who believe in their stomach, ‘whose God is their belly, whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.’ To them the apostle predicted no good when he said ‘whose end is destruction.’”[71]