Lactantius, The Divine Institutes

Now let us speak briefly concerning sacrifice itself. “Ivory,” says Plato, “is not a pure offering to God.” What then? Are embroidered and costly textures? Nay, rather nothing is a pure offering to God which can be corrupted or taken away secretly. But as he saw this, that nothing which was taken from a dead body ought to be offered to a living being, why did he not see that a corporeal offering ought not to be presented to an incorporeal being? How much better and more truly does Seneca speak: “Will you think of God as great and placid, and a friend to be reverenced with gentle majesty, and always at hand? not to be worshipped with the immolation of victims and with much blood—for what pleasure arises from the slaughter of innocent animals?—but with a pure mind and with a good and honourable purpose. Temples are not to be built to Him with stones piled up on high; He is to be consecrated by each man in his own breast.” Therefore, if any one thinks that garments, and jewels, and other things which are esteemed precious, are valued by God, he is altogether ignorant of what God is, since he thinks that those things are pleasing to Him which even a man would be justly praised for despising. What, then, is pure, what is worthy of God, but that which He Himself has demanded in that divine law of His?

There are two things which ought to be offered, the gift1250 Donum, a free-will offering or gift. See Ex. xxv. 2. and the sacrifice; the gift as a perpetual offering, the sacrifice for a time. But with those who by no means understand the nature of the Divine Being, a gift is anything which is wrought of gold or silver; likewise anything which is woven of purple and silk: a sacrifice is a victim, and as many things as are burnt upon the altar. But God does not make use either of the one or the other, because He is free from corruption, and that is altogether corruptible. Therefore, in each case, that which is incorporeal must be offered to God, for He accepts this. His offering is innocency of soul; His sacrifice praise and a hymn.1251 [i.e., “the Eucharist” as a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. And mark what follows, note 3, infra.] For if God is not seen, He ought therefore to be worshipped with things which are not seen. Therefore no other religion is true but that which consists of virtue and justice. But in what manner God deals with the justice of man is easily understood. For if man shall be just, having received immortality, he will serve God for ever. But that men are not born except for justice, both the ancient philosophers and even Cicero suspects. For, discussing the Laws,1252 [Nos ad justitiam esse natos.] he says: “But of all things which are discussed by learned men, nothing assuredly is of greater importance than that it should be entirely understood that we are born to justice.” We ought therefore to hold forth and offer to God that alone for the receiving of which He Himself produced us. But how true this twofold kind of sacrifice is, Trismegistus Hermes is a befitting witness, who agrees with us, that is, with the prophets, whom we follow, as much in fact as in words. He thus spoke concerning justice: “Adore and worship this word, O son.” But the worship of God consists of one thing, not to be wicked. Also in that perfect discourse, when he heard Asclepius inquiring from his son whether it pleased him that incense and other odours for divine sacrifice were offered to his father, exclaimed: “Speak words of good omen, O Asclepius. For it is the greatest impiety to entertain any such thought concerning that being of pre-eminent goodness. For these things, and things resembling these, are not adapted to Him. For He is full of all things, as many as exist, and He has need of nothing at all. But let us give Him thanks, and adore Him. For His sacrifice consists only of blessing.” And he spoke rightly.1253 [Ps. l. 23.]

For we ought to sacrifice to God in word; inasmuch as God is the Word, as He Himself confessed. Therefore the chief ceremonial in the worship of God is praise from the mouth of a just man directed towards God.1254 [Ps. l. 23.] That this, however, may be accepted by God, there is need of humility, and fear, and devotion in the greatest degree, lest any one should chance to place confidence in his integrity and innocence, and thus incur the charge of pride and arrogance, and by this deed lose the recompense of his virtue. But that he may obtain the favour of God, and be free from every stain, let him always implore the mercy of God, and pray for nothing else but pardon for his sins, even though he has none.1255 i.e., no known sins. Thus the Psalmist prays: “Cleanse thou me from my secret faults.” [So St. Paul, 1 Cor. iv. 4, where the archaic “by” = adversus.] If he desires anything else, there is no need of expressing it in word to one who knows what we wish; if anything good shall happen to him, let him give thanks; if any evil, let him make amends,1256 Satisfaciat, “let him make satisfaction by fruits worthy of repentance.” and let him confess that the evil has happened to him on account of his faults; and even in evils let him nothing less give thanks, and make amends in good things, that he may be the same at all times, and be firm, and unchangeable, and unshaken. And let him not suppose that this is to be done by him only in the temple, but at home, and even in his very bed. In short, let him always have God with himself, consecrated in his heart, inasmuch as he himself is a temple of God. But if he has served God, his Father and Lord, with this assiduity, obedience, and devotion, justice is complete and perfect; and he who shall keep this, as we before testified, has obeyed God, and has satisfied the obligations of religion and his own duty.

CAPUT XXV. De sacrificio, et de dono Dei digno; atque de forma laudandi Deum.

Nunc de sacrificio ipso pauca dicemus. «Ebur, inquit Plato, non castum donum Deo.» Quid ergo? Picta scilicet ex texta pretiosa? Immo vero non castum donum Deo, quidquid surripi, quidquid corrumpi potest. Sed sicut hoc vidit, non oportere viventi offerre aliquid, quod sit ex mortuo corpore; cur illud non vidit, non debere incorporali corporale munus offerri? Quanto melius Seneca, et verius? «Vultisne vos, inquit, Deum cogitare magnum et placidum, et majestate leni verendum amicum, et 0728B semper in proximo? Non immolationibus et sanguine multo colendum (quae enim ex trucidatione immerentium voluptas est?): sed mente pura, bono 0729A honestoque proposito. Non templa illi congestis in altitudinem saxis extruenda sunt: in suo cuique consecrandus est pectore.» 0729A Vestes igitur, gemmas, et caetera, quae habentur in praetio, si quis putet Deo chara, is plane, quid sit Deus, nescit, cui putat voluptati esse eas res, quas etiam homo si contempserit, jure laudabitur. Quid ergo castum, quid Deo dignum, nisi quod ipse in illa divina lege sua poposcit?

Duo sunt, quae offerri debeant, donum, et sacrificium: donum in perpetuum, sacrificium ad tempus. Verum apud istos, qui nullo modo rationem divinitatis intelligunt, donum est, quidquid auro argentoque fabricatur; item quidquid purpura et serico texitur. Sacrificium est victima, et quaecumque in 0729B ara cremantur. Sed utroque non utitur Deus; quia et ipse incorruptus est, et illud totum corruptibile. Itaque Deo utrumque incorporale offerendum est, quo utitur. Donum est integritas animi; sacrificium, laus, et hymnus. Si enim Deus non videtur, ergo his rebus coli debet, quae non videntur. Nulla igitur alia religio est vera, nisi quae virtute ac justitia constat. Quomodo autem Deus justitia hominis utatur, intellectu facile est. Si enim justus fuerit homo, accepta immortalitate, in aeternum Deo serviet. Homines autem non nisi ad justitiam nasci, cum philosophi veteres, tum etiam Cicero suspicatur. Disserens enim de legibus: «Sed omnium, inquit, quae in 0730A hominum doctorum disputatione versantur, nihil est profecto praestabilius, quam plane intelligi nos ad justitiam esse natos.» Id ergo solum Deo exhibere atque offerre debemus, ad quod capiendum nos ipse generavit. Hoc autem duplex sacrificii genus quam sit verissimum, Trismegistus Hermes idoneus testis est; qui nobiscum, id est, cum prophetis, quos sequimur, tam verbis quam re congruit; sicque de justitia locutus est: «Hoc verbum, o fili, adora et cole.» Cultus autem Dei unus est, malum non esse. Item in illo sermone perfecto, cum exaudisset Asclepium quaerentem a filio suo, utrum placeret patri ejus offerri thus, et alios odores ad sacrificium Dei, exclamavit: «Bene, bene ominare, o Asclepi. Est enim maxima impietas, tale quid de uno illo ac singulari bono in animum 0730B inducere. Haec et his similia huic non conveniunt. Omnium enim quaecumque sunt, plenus est, et omnium minime indigens. Nos vero gratias agentes adoremus. Hujus enim sacrificium, sola benedictio.» Et recte.

Verbo enim sacrificari oportet Deo; siquidem Deus verbum est, ut ipse confessus est. Summus igitur colendi Dei ritus est, ex ore justi hominis ad Deum directa laudatio: quae tamen ipsa ut Deo sit accepta, et humilitate, et timore, et devotione maxima opus est; ne quis forte integritatis et innocentiae fiduciam gerens, tumoris et arrogantiae crimen incurrat, eoque facto gratiam virtutis amittat. Sed ut sit Deo carus, 0731A omnique macula careat, misericordiam Dei semper imploret, nihilque aliud precetur, nisi peccatis suis veniam, licet nulla sint. 0731A Si quid aliud desideraverit, non est opus dicto scienti quid velimus. Si quid ei boni evenerit, gratias agat; si quid mali, satisfaciat, et id sibi ob peccata sua evenisse fateatur; et nihilominus etiam in malis gratias agat, et in bonis satisfaciat: ut idem sit semper, et stabilis, et immutabilis et inconcussus. Nec tantum hoc in templo putet sibi 0732A esse faciendum, sed et domi, et in ipso etiam cubili suo. Secum denique habeat Deum semper in corde suo consecratum; quoniam ipse est Dei templum. Quod si Deo, patri ac domino, hac assiduitate, hoc obsequio, hac devotione servierit, consummata et perfecta justitia est; quam qui tenuerit, hic (ut ante testati sumus) Deo paruit, hic religioni atque suo officio satisfecit.