Chap. vii.—of god, and the religious rites of the foolish; of avarice, and the authority of ancestors.

The foolish, therefore, err in a twofold manner: first, in preferring the elements, that is, the works of God, to God Himself; secondly, in worshipping the figures of the elements themselves under human form. For they form the images of the sun and moon after the fashion of men; also those of fire, and earth, and sea, which they call Vulcan, Vesta, and Neptune. Nor do they openly sacrifice to the elements themselves. Men are possessed with so great a fondness for representations,156    Imaginum.   that those things which are true are now esteemed of less value: they are delighted, in fact, with gold, and jewels, and ivory. The beauty and brilliancy of these things dazzle their eyes, and they think that there is no religion where these do not shine. And thus, under pretence of worshipping the gods, avarice and desire are worshipped. For they believe that the gods love whatever they themselves desire, whatever it is, on account of which thefts and robberies and murders daily rage, on account of which wars overthrow nations and cities throughout the whole world. Therefore they consecrate their spoils and plunder to the gods, who must undoubtedly be weak, and destitute of the highest excellence, if they are subject to desires. For why should we think them celestial if they long for anything from the earth, or happy if they are in want of anything, or uncorrupted if they take pleasure in those things in the pursuit of which the desire of men is not unreservedly condemned? They approach the gods, therefore not so much on account of religion, which can have no place in badly acquired and corruptible things, as that they may gaze upon157    Ut oculis hauriant.   the gold, and view the brilliancy of polished marble or ivory, that they may survey with unwearied contemplation garments adorned with precious stones and colours, or cups studded with glittering jewels. And the more ornamented are the temples, and the more beautiful the images, so much the greater majesty are they believed to have: so entirely is their religion confined158    Nihil aliud est.   to that which the desire of men admires.  

These are the religious institutions handed down to them by their ancestors, which they persist in maintaining and defending with the greatest obstinacy. Nor do they consider of what character they are; but they feel assured of their excellence and truth on this account, because the ancients have handed them down; and so great is the authority of antiquity, that it is said to be a crime to inquire into it. And thus it is everywhere believed as ascertained truth. In short, in Cicero,159    Cicero, De Nat. Deor., iii. 2.  Cotta thus speaks to Lucilius: “You know, Balbus, what is the opinion of Cotta, what the opinion of the pontiff. Now let me understand what are your sentiments: for since you are a philosopher, I ought to receive from you a reason for your religion; but in the case of our ancestors it is reasonable to believe them, though no reason is alleged by them.” If you believe, why then do you require a reason, which may have the effect of causing you not to believe? But if you require a reason, and think that the subject demands inquiry, then you do not believe; for you make inquiry with this view, that you may follow it when you have ascertained it. Behold, reason teaches you that the religious institutions of the gods are not true: what will you do? Will you prefer to follow antiquity or reason? And this, indeed, was not imparted160    Insinuata.   to you by another, but was found out and chosen by yourself, since you have entirely uprooted all religious systems. If you prefer reason, you must abandon the institutions and authority of our ancestors, since nothing is right but that which reason prescribes. But if piety advises you to follow your ancestors, then admit that they were foolish, who complied with religious institutions invented contrary to reason; and that you are senseless, since you worship that which you have proved to be false. But since the name of ancestors is so greatly objected to us, let us see, I pray, who those ancestors were from whose authority it is said to be impious to depart.161    [See Clement, vol. ii. cap. 10, p. 197, this series.]    

Romulus, when he was about to found the city, called together the shepherds among whom he had grown up; and since their number appeared inadequate to the founding of the city, he established an asylum. To this all the most abandoned men flocked together indiscriminately from the neighbouring places, without any distinction of condition. Thus he brought together the people from all these; and he chose into the senate those who were oldest, and called them Fathers, by whose advice he might direct all things. And concerning this senate, Propertius the elegiac poet thus speaks:—  

These are the Fathers whose decrees learned and sagacious men obey with the greatest devotion; and all posterity must judge that to be true and unchangeable which an hundred old men clothed in skins established at their will; who, however, as has been mentioned in the first book,163    Twenty-second chapter.   were enticed by Pompilius to believe the truth of those sacred rites which he himself delivered. Is there any reason why their authority should be so highly esteemed by posterity, since during their life no one either high or low judged them worthy of affinity?164    Relationship by marriage. The allusion is to the well-known story, that all the neighbouring towns refused to intermarry with the Romans.    

CAPUT VII. De Deo, et religionibus insipientium; de avaritia et majorum auctoritate.

Duplici ergo ratione peccatur ab insipientibus: primum, quod elementa, id est Dei opera Deo praeferunt; deinde, quod elementorum ipsorum figuras humana specie comprehensas colunt. Nam solis lunaeque simulacra humanum in modum formant; item ignis, et terrae, et maris, quae illi Vulcanum, Vestam, 0284B Neptunum vocant; nec elementis ipsis in aperto litant. Tanta homines imaginum cupiditas tenet, ut jam viliora ducantur illa quae vera sunt: auro scilicet, gemmis, et ebore delectantur. Horum pulchritudo ac nitor praestringit oculos: nec ullam religionem putant ubicumque illa non fulserint. Itaque sub obtentu deorum avaritia et cupiditas colitur. Credunt enim deos amare quidquid ipsi concupiscunt; quiquid est, propter quod furta, et latrocinia, et homicidia quotidie saeviunt; propter quod bella per totum orbem populos urbesque subvertunt. Consecrant ergo diis manubias et rapinas suas, quos certe necesse est imbecilles esse, ac summae virtutis expertes, si subjecti sunt cupiditatibus. Cur enim coelestes eos 0284C putemus, si desiderant aliquid de terra? vel beatos, 0285A si aliqua re indigent? vel incorruptos, si voluptati habent ea in quibus appetendis cupiditas hominum non immerito damnatur? Veniunt igitur ad deos, non tam religionis gratia, quae nulla potest esse in rebus male partis et corruptibilibus, quam ut aurum oculis hauriant, nitorem levigati marmoris, 0285A aut eboris aspiciant; ut insignes lapillis et coloribus vestes, vel distincta gemmis fulgentibus pocula insatiabili contemplatione contrectent. Et quanto fuerint ornatiora templa, et pulchriora simulacra, tanto plus majestatis habere creduntur: adeo religio eorum nihil aliud est, quam quod cupiditas humana miratur.

Hae sunt religiones, quas sibi a majoribus suis traditas pertinacissime tueri ac defendere perseverant: nec considerant quales sint; sed ex hoc probatas atque 0285B veras esse confidunt, quod eas veteres tradiderunt, tantaque est auctoritas vetustatis, ut inquirere in eam scelus esse dicatur. Itaque creditur ei passim, tamquam cognitae veritati. Denique apud Ciceronem sic dicit Cotta Lucilio: «Habes, Balbe, quid Cotta, quid pontifex sentiat. Fac nunc ego intelligam, quid tu sentias; a te enim philosopho rationem religionis accipere debeo, majoribus autem nostris, etiam nulla ratione reddita, rationis est credere.» Si credis, cur ergo rationem requiris, quae potest efficere ne credas? Si vero rationem requiris, et quaerendam 0286A putas, ergo non credis. Ideo enim quaeris, ut eam sequaris, cum inveneris. Docet ecce te ratio non esse veras religiones deorum. Quid facies? majoresne potius, an rationem sequeris? quae quidem tibi non ab alio insinuata, sed a te ipso inventa et electa est, cum omnes religiones radicitus eruisti. Si rationem mavis, discedere te necesse est ab institutis et auctoritate majorum; quoniam id solum rectum est quod ratio praescribit. Sin autem pietas majores sequi suadet, fatere igitur, et stultos illos fuisse, qui excogitatis contra rationem religionibus servierunt, et te ineptum qui id colas, quod falsum esse convinceris. Sed tamen quoniam nobis tantopere majorum nomen opponitur, videamus tandem qui fuerint majores illi, a quorum auctoritate discedi nefas ducitur.

0286B Romulus urbem conditurus, pastores inter quos adoleverat convocavit, cumque is numerus condendae urbi parum idoneus videretur, constituit asylum. Eo passim confugerunt ex finitimis locis pessimi quique, sine ullo conditionis discrimine. Ita conflavit ex his omnibus populum; legitque in senatum, eos qui aetate anteibant, et Patres appellavit, quorum consilio gereret omnia. De quo senatu Propertius Elegiarum scriptor haec loquitur: Buccina cogebat priscos ad verba Quirites: Centum illi in prato saepe Senatus erat. 0287A Curia, praetexto quae nunc nitet alta Senatu, Pellitos habuit rustica corda Patres.Hi sunt Patres, quorum decretis eruditi ac prudentes viri devotissime serviunt, idque verum ac immutabile omnis posteritas judicet, quod centum pelliti senes statutum esse voluerunt, quos tamen, ut in primo libro dictum est, cap. 22, Pompilius illexit, ut vera crederent esse sacra quae ipse tradebat. Est vero, cur illorum auctoritas tanti habeatur a posteris, quos nemo, cum viverent, neque summus, neque infimus affinitate dignos judicavit?