Chap. VI.—Why the World and Man Were Created. How Unprofitable is the Worship of False Gods.

Now let us mark the whole argument by a brief definition.1317    Circumscriptione.   The world has been created for this purpose, that we may be born; we are born for this end, that we may acknowledge the Maker of the world and of ourselves—God; we acknowledge Him for this end, that we may worship Him; we worship Him for this end, that we may receive immortality as the reward of our labours, since the worship of God consists of the greatest labours; for this end we are rewarded with immortality, that being made like to the angels, we may serve the Supreme Father and Lord for ever, and may be to all eternity a kingdom to God. This is the sum of all things, this the secret of God, this the mystery of the world, from which they are estranged, who, following present gratification, have devoted themselves to the pursuit of earthly and frail goods, and by means of deadly enjoyments have sunk as it were in mire and mud their souls, which were born for heavenly pursuits.  

Let us now, in the next place, inquire whether there is anything reasonable in the worship of these gods; for if they are many, if they are worshipped only on this account by men, that they may afford them riches, victories, honours, and all things, which are of no avail except for the present; if we are produced without cause—if no providence is employed in the production of men—if we are brought forth by chance for ourselves, and for the sake of our own pleasure—if we are nothing after death,—what can be so superfluous, so empty, so vain, as the affairs of man, and the world itself? which, though it is of incredible magnitude, and constructed with such wonderful arrangement, is nevertheless occupied with trifling subjects. For why should the breathings of the winds put the clouds in motion? Why should lightnings shine forth, thunders roar, or showers fall, that the earth may bring forth its increase, and nourish its various productions? Why, in short, should all nature labour that nothing may be wanting of those things by which the life of man is sustained, if it is vain, if we utterly perish, if there is in us nothing of greater advantage to God? But if it is unlawful to be spoken, and is not to be thought possible, that that which you see to be most in accordance with reason was not established on account of some reason of importance, what reason can there be in these errors of depraved religions, and in this persuasion of philosophers, by which they imagine that souls perish? Assuredly there is none; for what have they to say why the gods so regularly supply to men everything in its season? Is it that we may present to them corn and wine, and the odour of incense, and the blood of cattle? Which things cannot be acceptable to the immortals, because they are perishable; nor can they be of use to beings destitute of bodies, because these things have been given for the use of those possessed of bodies; and yet if they required these things, they could bestow them upon themselves when they wished. Whether, therefore, souls perish or exist for ever, what principle is involved in the worship of the gods, or by whom was the world established? Why, or when, or how long, or how far were men produced, or on what account? Why do they arise, die, succeed one another, are renewed? What do the gods obtain from the worship of those who after death are about to have no existence? What do they perform, what do they promise, what do they threaten, which is worthy of men or of gods? Or if souls remain after death, what do they do or are they about to do respecting them? What need is there to them of a treasure-house of souls? From what source do they themselves arise? How, or why, or whence are they so many? Thus it comes to pass, that if you depart from that sum of things which we comprised above, all system is destroyed, and all things return1318    Revolvantur. Others read “resolvantur.”   to nothing.  

CAPUT VI. Quare mundus et homo creati sunt; quam sit inanis cultus deorum.

Nunc totam rationem brevi circumscriptione signemus. Idcirco mundus factus est, ut nascamur: ideo nascimur, ut agnoscamus factorem mundi ac nostri Deum: ideo agnoscimus, ut colamus: ideo colimus, ut immortalitatem pro mercede laborum capiamus, quoniam maximis laboribus cultus Dei constat: ideo praemio immortalitatis afficimur, ut similes angelis 0757C effecti, summo patri ac Domino in perpetuum serviamus, et simus aeternum Deo regnum. 0757C Haec summa rerum est, hoc arcanum Dei, hoc mysterium mundi: a quo sunt alieni, qui sequentes praesentem voluptatem, terrestribus et fragilibus se bonis addixerunt, et animas ad coelestia genitas suavitatibus mortiferis tanquam luto coenove demerserunt.

Quaeramus nunc vicissim, an in cultu deorum ratio ulla subsistat: qui si multi sunt, si ideo tantum ab hominibus coluntur, ut praestent illis opes, victorias, honores, et quaeque alia quae non nisi ad praesens valent; si sine causa gignimur; si in hominibus procreandis providentia nulla versatur; si casu nobismetipsis, 0758A ac voluptatis nostrae gratia nascimur; si nihil post mortem sumus: quid potest esse tam supervacaneum, tam inane, tam vanum, quam humana res, et quam mundus ipse? qui cum sit incredibili magnitudine, tam mirabili ratione constructus, tamen rebus ineptis vacet. Cur enim ventorum spiritus citent nubes? Cur emicent fulgura? tonitrua mugiant? imbres cadant, ut fruges terra producat, ut varios foetus alat? Cur denique omnis natura rerum laboret, ne quid desit earum rerum, quibus vita hominis sustinetur, si est inanis, si ad nihilum interimus, si nihil est in nobis majoris emolumenti Deo? Quod si est dictu nefas, nec putandum est fieri posse, ut non ob aliquam maximam rationem fuerit constitutum, quod videas maxima ratione constare; quae 0758B potest esse ratio in his erroribus pravarum religionum, et in hac persuasione philosophorum, qua putant animas interire? Profecto nulla. Quid enim habent dicere, cur dii hominibus tam diligenter suis quaeque temporibus exhibeant? An ut illis far et merum demus, et odorem thuris, et sanguinem pecudum? quae neque immortalibus grata esse possunt, quia sunt fragilia; neque usui esse expertibus corporum, quia haec ad usum corporalium data sunt. Et tamen si ea desiderarent, sibi ipsi possent exhibere cum vellent. Sive igitur intereunt animae, sive in aeternum manent, quam rationem continet cultus deorum, aut a quo mundus constitutus est? cur, aut quando, aut quousque, quatenus homines, aut quamobrem procreati? cur nascuntur, intereunt, succedunt, 0758C renovantur? Quid dii ex cultibus eorum assequuntur, qui post mortem nihil futuri sunt? quid praestant? quid pollicentur? quid minantur aut hominibus, aut diis dignum? Vel si manent animae post obitum, quid de his faciunt, facturive sunt? quid illis opus est thesauro animarum? ipsi illi ex quo fonte oriuntur? quomodo, aut quare, aut unde multi sunt? Ita fit, ut si ab illa rerum summa, quam superius comprehendimus, aberraveris, omnis ratio intereat, et ad nihilum omnia revolvantur.