Chap. XXVII.—How Little the Precepts of Philosophers Contribute to True Wisdom, Which You Will Find in Religion Only.

What, then? Do they enjoin nothing similar? Yes, indeed, many things; and they frequently approach the truth. But those precepts have no weight, because they are human, and are without a greater, that is, that divine authority. No one therefore believes them, because the hearer imagines himself to be a man, just as he is, who enjoins them. Moreover, there is no certainty with them, nothing which proceeds from knowledge. But since all things are done by conjecture, and many differing and various things are brought forward, it is the part of a most foolish man to be willing to obey their precepts, since it is doubted whether they are true or false; and therefore no one obeys them, because no one wishes to labour for an uncertainty. The Stoics say that it is virtue which can alone produce a happy life. Nothing can be said with greater truth. But what if he shall be tormented, or afflicted with pain? Will it be possible for any one to be happy in the hands of the executioners? But truly pain inflicted upon the body is the material of virtue; therefore he is not wretched even in tortures. Epicurus speaks much more strongly. The wise man, he says, is always happy; and even when shut up in the bull of Phalaris he will utter this speech: “It is pleasant, and I do not care for it.” Who would not laugh at him? Especially, because a man who is devoted to pleasure took upon himself the character of a man of fortitude, and that to an immoderate degree; for it is impossible that any one should esteem tortures of the body as pleasures, since it is sufficient for discharging the office of virtue that one sustains and endures them. What do you, Stoics, say? What do you, Epicurus? The wise man is happy even when be is tortured. If it is on account of the glory of his endurance, he will not enjoy it, for perchance he will die under the tortures. If it is on account of the recollection of the deed, either he will not perceive it if souls shall perish, or, if he shall perceive it, he will gain nothing from it.  

What other advantage is there then in virtue? what happiness of life? Is it that a man may die with equanimity? You present to me the advantage of a single hour, or perhaps moment, for the sake of which it may not be expedient to be worn out by miseries and labours throughout the whole of life. But how much time does death occupy? on the arrival of which it now makes no difference whether you shall have undergone it with equanimity or not. Thus it happens that nothing is sought from virtue but glory. But this is either superfluous and short-lived, or it will not follow from the depraved judgments of men. Therefore there is no fruit from virtue where virtue is subject to death and decay. Therefore they who said these things saw a certain shadow460    A shadow; outline, or resemblance.   of virtue; they did not see virtue itself. For they had their eyes fixed on the earth, nor did they raise their countenances on high that they might behold her  

This is the reason why no one obeys their precepts; inasmuch as they either train men to vices, if they defend pleasure; or if they uphold virtue, they neither threaten sin with any punishment, except that of disgrace only, nor do they promise any reward to virtue, except that of honour and praise only, since they say that virtue is to be sought for its own sake, and not on account of any other object. The wise man therefore is happy under tortures; but when he suffers torture on account of his faith, on account of justice, or on account of God, that endurance of pain will render him most happy. For it is God alone who can honour virtue, the reward of which is immortality alone. And they who do not seek this, nor possess religion, with which eternal life is connected, assuredly do not know the power of virtue, the reward of which they are ignorant; nor look towards heaven, as they themselves imagine that they do, when they inquire into subjects which do not admit of investigation, since there is no other cause for looking towards heaven, unless it be either to undertake religion, or to believe that one’s soul is immortal. For if any one understands that God is to be worshipped, or has the hope of immortality set before him, his mind462    Thus St. Paul, Col. iii. 2, exhorts us to set our affections on things above, not on things of the earth.   is in heaven; and although he may not behold it with his eyes, yet he does behold it with the eye of his soul. But they who do not take up religion are of the earth, for religion is from heaven; and they who think that the soul perishes together with the body, equally look down towards the earth: for beyond the body, which is earth, they see nothing further, which is immortal. It is therefore of no profit that man is so made, that with upright body he looks towards heaven, unless with mind raised aloft he discerns God, and his thoughts are altogether engaged upon the hope of everlasting life.  

CAPUT XXVII. 0433B Quam parum philosophorum praecepta conferant ad veram sapientiam, quam in sola religione invenies.

Quid ergo? nihilne illi simile praecipiunt? Imo permulta; et ad verum frequenter accedunt. Sed nihil ponderis habent illa praecepta, quia sunt humana, et auctoritate majori, id est divina illa, carent. Nemo igitur credit; quia tam se hominem putat esse, qui audit, quam est ille, qui praecipit. Praeterea 0434A nihil apud eos certi est, nihil quod a scientia veniat. Sed cum omnia conjecturis agantur, multa etiam diversa et varia proferantur, stultissimi est hominis, praeceptis eorum velle parere, quae utrum vera sint, an falsa, dubitatur; et ideo nemo paret, quia nemo vult ad incertum laborare. Virtutem esse Stoici aiunt, quae sola efficiat vitam beatam. Nihil potest verius dici. Sed quid, si cruciabitur aut dolore afficietur? Poteritne quisquam inter carnifices beatus esse? Imo vero illatus corpori dolor materia virtutis est: itaque ne in tormentis quidem miser est. Epicurus multo fortius. Sapiens, inquit, semper beatus est; et vel inclusus in Phalaridis tauro hanc vocem emittet: «Suave est, et nihil curo.» Quis eum non irriserit? Maxime, quod homo voluptarius personam 0434B sibi viri fortis imposuit, et quidem supra modum, non enim fieri potest, ut quisquam cruciatus corporis pro voluptatibus ducat, cum satis sit, ad officium virtutis implendum, perferre ac sustinere. Quid dicitis Stoici? Quid tu Epicure? Beatus est sapiens, etiam cum torquetur. Si propter gloriam patientiae; non fruetur; in tormentis enim fortasse morietur. Si propter memoriam; aut non sentiet, si occidunt animae, aut si sentiet, nihil ex ea consequetur.

0435A Quis ergo alius fructus est in virtute? quae beatitudo vitae? ut aequo animo moriatur? Bonum mihi affertis unius horae, aut fortasse momenti, propter quod non expediat in tota vita miseriis et laboribus confici. Quantum autem temporis mors occupat? quae cum veniat 0435A utrum aequo an iniquo animo eam subieris, jam nihil refert. Ita fit, ut nihil aliud ex virtute captetur, nisi gloria. Sed haec aut supervacua et brevis est, aut pravis hominum judiciis non sequetur. Nullus igitur ex virtute fructus est, ubi virtus mortalis est et caduca. Ita qui haec locuti sunt, umbram quamdam virtutis videbant, ipsam virtutem non videbant. Defixi enim fuerunt in terram, nec vultus suos in altum erigebant, ut eam possent intueri, Quae sese a coeli regionibus ostentabat.0435B Haec causa est, cur praeceptis eorum nullus obtemperet: quoniam aut ad vitia erudiunt, si voluptatem defendunt; aut si virtutem asserunt, neque peccato poenam minantur, nisi solius turpitudinis, neque virtuti ullum praemium pollicentur, nisi solius honestatis et laudis, cum dicant, non propter seipsam expetendam esse virtutem.

Beatus est igitur sapiens in tormentis: sed cum torquetur pro fide, pro justitia, pro Deo, illa patientia doloris beatissimum faciet. Est enim Deus, qui solus potest honorare virtutem; cujus merces immortalitas sola est: quam qui non appetunt, nec religionem tenent, cui aeterna subjacet vita, profecto neque virtutis vim sciunt, cujus praemium ignorant; 0435C neque in coelum spectant, quod ipsi se facere putant, 0436A cum res non vestigabiles quaerunt, quia ratio in coelum spectandi nulla alia est, nisi aut religionem suscipere, aut animam suam immortalem esse credere. Quisquis enim aut Deum colendum esse intelligit, aut immortalitatis spem sibi propositam habet, mens ejus in coelo est; et licet id non aspiciat oculis, animae tamen lumine aspicit. Qui autem religionem non suscipiunt, terreni sunt; qui religio de coelo est, et qui animam putant cum corpore interire, aeque in terram spectant, quia ultra corpus quod est terra, nihil amplius vident, quod sit immortale. Nihil igitur prodest hominem ita esse fictum, ut recto corpore spectet in coelum; nisi erecta mente Deum cernat, et cogitatio ejus in spe vitae perpetuae tota versetur.