. . . and you shall
offer . . . your holocausts and victims."

Now it was not meet for that place to be pointed out by the building
of the temple before the aforesaid time; for three reasons assigned
by Rabbi Moses. First, lest the Gentiles might seize hold of that
place. Secondly, lest the Gentiles might destroy it. The third reason
is lest each tribe might wish that place to fall to their lot, and
strifes and quarrels be the result. Hence the temple was not built
until they had a king who would be able to quell such quarrels. Until
that time a portable tabernacle was employed for divine worship, no
place being as yet fixed for the worship of God. This is the literal
reason for the distinction between the tabernacle and the temple.

The figurative reason may be assigned to the fact that they signify a
twofold state. For the tabernacle, which was changeable, signifies
the state of the present changeable life: whereas the temple, which
was fixed and stable, signifies the state of future life which is
altogether unchangeable. For this reason it is said that in the
building of the temple no sound was heard of hammer or saw, to
signify that all movements of disturbance will be far removed from
the future state. Or else the tabernacle signifies the state of the
Old Law; while the temple built by Solomon betokens the state of the
New Law. Hence the Jews alone worked at the building of the
tabernacle; whereas the temple was built with the cooperation of the
Gentiles, viz. the Tyrians and Sidonians.

Reply Obj. 3: The reason for the unity of the temple or tabernacle
may be either literal or figurative. The literal reason was the
exclusion of idolatry. For the Gentiles put up various temples to
various gods: and so, to strengthen in the minds of men their belief
in the unity of the Godhead, God wished sacrifices to be offered to
Him in one place only. Another reason was in order to show that
bodily worship is not acceptable of itself: and so they restrained
from offering sacrifices anywhere and everywhere. But the worship of
the New Law, in the sacrifice whereof spiritual grace is contained,
is of itself acceptable to God; and consequently the multiplication
of altars and temples is permitted in the New Law.

As to those matters that regarded the spiritual worship of God,
consisting in the teaching of the Law and the Prophets, there were,
even under the Old Law, various places, called synagogues, appointed
for the people to