Lactantius, The Divine Institutes

But since our number is continually increased from the worshippers of gods, but is never lessened, not even in persecution itself,—since men may commit sin, and be defiled by sacrifice, but they cannot be turned away from God, for the truth prevails by its own power,—who is there, I pray, so foolish and so blind as not to see on which side wisdom is? But they are blinded by malice and fury, that they cannot see; and they think that those are foolish who, when they have it in their power to avoid punishments, nevertheless prefer to be tortured and to be put to death; whereas they might see from this very circumstance, that it is not folly to which so many thousands throughout the world agree with one and the same mind. For if women fall into error through the weakness of their sex (for these persons sometimes call it a womanish and anile superstition), men doubtless are wise. If boys, if youths are improvident through their age, the mature and aged doubtless have a fixed judgment. If one city is unwise, it is evident that the other innumerable cities cannot be foolish. If one province or one nation is without prudence, the rest must have understanding of that which is right. But since the divine law has been received from the rising even to the setting of the sun, and each sex, every age, and nation, and country, with one and the same mind obeys God—since there is everywhere the same patient endurance, the same contempt of death—they ought to have understood that there is some reason in that matter, that it is not without a cause that it is defended even to death, that there is some foundation and solidity, which not only frees that religion from injuries and molestation, but always increases and makes it stronger. For in this respect also the malice of those is brought to light, who think that they have utterly overthrown the religion of God if they have corrupted men, when it is permitted them to make satisfaction also to God; and there is no worshipper of God so evil who does not, when the opportunity is given him, return to appease God, and that, too, with greater devotedness. For the consciousness of sin and the fear of punishment make a man more religious, and the faith is always much stronger which is replaced through repentance. If, therefore, they themselves, when they think that the gods are angry with them, nevertheless believe that they are appeased by gifts, and sacrifices, and incense, what reason is there why they should imagine our God to be so unmerciful and implacable, that it should appear impossible for him to be a Christian, who by compulsion and against his will has poured a libation to their gods? Unless by chance they think that those who are once contaminated are about to change their mind, so that they may now begin of their own accord to do that which they have done under the influence of torture. Who would willingly undertake that duty which began with injury? Who, when he sees the scars on his own sides, would not the more hate the gods, on account of whom he bears the traces of lasting punishment, and the marks imprinted upon his flesh? Thus it comes to pass, that when peace is given from heaven, those who were estranged995 Et qui fuerint aversi, redeant. The common reading is, “et qui fugerunt, universi redeant.” from us return, and a fresh crowd996 Alius novas populus. of others are added on account of the wonderful nature997 Propter miraculum virtutis. of the virtue displayed. For when the people see that men are lacerated by various kinds of tortures, and that they retain their patience unsubdued while the executioners are wearied, they think, as is really the case, that neither the agreement of so many nor the constancy of the dying is without meaning, and that patience itself could not surmount such great tortures without the aid of God. Robbers and men of robust frame are unable to endure lacerations of this kind: they utter exclamations, and send forth groans; for they are overcome by pain, because they are destitute of patience infused998 Deest illis inspirata patientia. into them. But in our case (not to speak of men), boys and delicate women in silence overpower their torturers, and even the fire is unable to extort from them a groan. Let the Romans go and boast in their Mutius or Regulus,—the one of whom gave himself up to be slain by the enemy, because he was ashamed to live as a captive; the other being taken by the enemy, when he saw that he could not escape death, laid his hand upon the burning hearth, that he might make atonement for his crime to the enemy whom he wished to kill, and by that punishment received the pardon which he had not deserved. Behold, the weak sex and fragile age endure to be lacerated in the whole body, and to be burned: not of necessity, for it is permitted them to escape if they wished to do so; but of their own will, because they put their trust in God.999 [Vol. iii. p. 700, this series.]

CAPUT XIII. De Christianorum incrementis et suppliciis.

Cum autem noster numerus semper de deorum cultoribus 0589B augeatur, nunquam vero, ne in ipsa quidem persecutione minuatur (quoniam peccare homines, et inquinari sacrificio possunt, averti autem non possunt a Deo; valet enim vi sua veritas); quis est tandem 0590A tam excors tamque caecus, qui non videat in utra sit parte sapientia? Sed illi malitia et furore caecantur, ne videant; stultosque arbitrantur esse, qui cum habeant in sua potestate supplicia vitare, cruciari tamen et emori malunt; cum possint ex eo ipso pervidere non esse stultitiam, in quam tanta hominum millia per orbem totum una et pari mente consentiant. Si enim foeminae sexus infirmitate labuntur (nam interdum isti muliebrem aut anilem superstitionem vocant), viri certe sapiunt. Si pueri, si adolescentes improvidi sunt per aetatem, maturi certe ac senes habent stabile judicium. Si una civitas desipit, caeterae utique innumerabiles stultae esse non possunt. Si una provincia, una natio prudentia caret, caeteras omnes habere intelligentiam recti necesse est. Cum 0590B vero ab ortu solis usque ad occasum lex divina suscepta sit, et omnis sexus, omnis aetas et gens, et regio unis ac paribus animis Deo serviant, eadem sit ubique patientia, idem contemptus mortis; intelligere 0591A debuerant aliquid in ea re esse rationis, quod non sine causa usque ad mortem defendatur; aliquid fundamenti ac solidatatis, quod eam religionem non tantum injuriis ac vexatione non solvat, sed augeat semper, et faciat firmiorem. Nam et in hoc quoque malitia illorum convincitur, qui evertisse se funditus religionem Dei opinantur, si homines inquinaverint; cum et Deo satisfacere liceat, et nullus sit tam malus Dei cultor, quin data facultate, ad placandum Deum revertatur; 0591A et quidem devotione majori. Peccati enim conscientia et metus poenae religiosiorem facit; et semper multo firmior est fides quam reponit poenitentia.

Si ergo ipsi, cum deos sibi arbitrantur iratos, tamen donis, et sacrificiis, et odoribus placari eos credunt: 0591B quid est tandem, cur Deum nostrum tam immitem, tam implacabilem putent, ut videatur is jam christianus esse non posse, qui diis eorum coactus invitusque libaverit? nisi forte contaminatos semel putant animum translaturos, ut sua sponte jam facere 0592A incipiant quod per tormenta fecerunt. Quis id officium libens obeat, quod ab injuria coepit? Quis cum videat laterum suorum cicatrices, non magis oderit deos, propter quos aeterna poenarum insignia, et impressas visceribus suis notas gestet? Ita fit ut, data divinitus pace, et qui fuerint aversi, redeant, et alius propter miraculum virtutis novus populus accedat. Nam cum videat vulgus dilacerari homines variis tormentorum generibus, et inter fatigatos carnifices invictam tenere patientiam, existimant, id quod res est, nec consensum tam multorum, nec perseverantiam morientium vanam esse, nec ipsam patientiam sine Deo cruciatus tantos posse superare. Latrones et robusti corporis viri ejusmodi lacerationes perferre nequeunt: exclamant, et gemitus edunt; 0592B vincuntur enim dolore, quia deest illis inspirata patientia. Nostri autem (ut de viris taceam) pueri, et mulierculae, tortores suos taciti vincunt; et exprimere illis gemitum nec ignis potest. Eant Romani, et Mutio glorientur, aut Regulo: quorum alter necandum 0593A se hostibus tradidit, quod captivum puduit vivere; alter ab hostibus deprehensus, cum videret se mortem vitare non posse, manum foco injecit, ut pro facinore suo satisfaceret hosti, quem voluit occidere, eaque poena veniam, quam non meruerat, accepit. 0593A Ecce sexus infirmus, et fragilis aetas dilacerari se toto corpore urique perpetitur, non necessitate, quia licet vitare, si vellent, sed voluntate, quia confidunt Deo.