The writer's opinion on the eating of blood.

The Forty-fourth Letter.

The writer's opinion on the eating of blood.

Beloved brother!

That I may briefly answer your welcome letter, this serves for the question about the eating of blood: that, just as in various other opinions, so in this one too I have no divine certainty, and accordingly can determine nothing absolute in it, much less judge another who is otherwise minded and goes to work otherwise than I might do. As for myself, I abstain from the eating of blood entirely, for the following reasons:

1. Because I doubt whether it pleases God, and so would rather choose the safer course, especially since one has other foods enough.

2. Because it was forbidden not only to Moses, but already to Noah and his seed, and in the New Testament once more through the Holy Spirit; and therefore does not seem to be merely ceremonial.

3. Because it is harmful and unwholesome to body and soul. To the body, according to the principles of medicine or natural philosophy: for, by the economy of nature, the power of the food is changed in the stomach into chyle, and from chyle elsewhere into blood, and so the food thereby reaches its highest goal. Now since in nature no going-back is to be found, blood can no longer serve for nourishment, strengthening, and so forth, but hastens to putrefaction — although those who, among other foods, take a little of it do not so noticeably become aware of the harm.

4. It is harmful to the soul; for although the coarse matter of the blood of animals may not exactly be led back again into our veins, yet the life or soul of the animals is nevertheless, according to Leviticus 17:11 to 14, in its blood, and thereby many animal properties, lusts, and desires are easily communicated — as is to be seen in those who deal much with the slaughtering of animals, that they are for the most part quite uncouth people, and must, willingly or unwillingly, feel many animal stirrings in themselves.

"God has (says Jacob Boehme, Three Principles, ch. 16, §14) forbidden the eating of blood for this reason: because the life is in it, and yet the animal life does not belong in man — N.B. that his spirit be not infected therewith, or (as he says in another place) made monstrous."

5. So the weighty words of Acts 15:28 bind me especially: "It seemed good to the Holy Ghost"; so that I too gladly let it so please me.

6. To which is added, further, the constant practice of the early Church, which surely understood the manner of the New Covenant well.

So it appears to me at present. If God gives me, mediately or immediately, weightier counter-reasons, I am ready to change my opinion. Yet I do not make myself such a conscience over it that, if I should perhaps unknowingly have eaten blood-sausages, I should then think I had committed a sin — because I believe that the sin lies not in this mere eating, but in the disobedience and in the harmfulness of its effects. The peace of God keep our hearts and thoughts in Christ Jesus, Amen! I remain

Your

Mülheim, 25 January 1731.

devoted to you in all love.

German

Der 44te Brief.

Des Schreibers Meinung von dem Blutessen.

Geliebter Bruder!

Damit ich dein Angenehmes kürzlich beantworte, so dienet auf die Frage vom Blut-Essen: Daß, gleichwie ich in verschiedenen anderen Meinungen, also auch in dieser keine göttliche Gewißheit habe, und demnach nichts Absolutes darin determiniren kann, vielweniger einen andern richten darf, der anderst gesinnet ist und zu Werk gehet als ich thun möchte.

— Opening lines of the original German. The complete transcription of all 605 letters appears in the forthcoming Encounter Press critical edition; Brief 1 is shown in full as a sample.

German text: public domain (1773–75 first edition / 1845 Gesammelte Schriften).