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Lactantius, The Divine Institutes
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preface.—of what great value the knowledge of the truth is and always has been.
Chap. i.— of religion and wisdom.
Chap. II.—That there is a providence in the affairs of men.
Chap. III.—Whether the universe is governed by the power of one god or of many.
Chap. IV.—That the one god was foretold even by the prophets.
Chap. V.—Of the testimonies of poets and philosophers.
Chap. VI.—Of divine testimonies, and of the sibyls and their predictions.
chap. VII.—Concerning the testimonies of apollo and the gods.
Chap. viii.—that god is without a body, nor does he need difference of sex for procreation.
Chap. IX.—Of hercules and his life and death.
Chap. xi.—of the origin, life, reign, name and death of jupiter, and of saturn and uranus.
Chap. xii.—that the stoics transfer the figments of the poets to a philosophical system.
Chap. xiv.—what the sacred history of euhemerus and ennius teaches concerning the gods.
Chap. xv.—how they who were men obtained the name of gods.
Chap. xviii.—on the consecration of gods, on account of the benefits which they conferred upon men.
Chap. xix.—that it is impossible for any one to worship the true god together with false deities.
Chap. xx.—of the gods peculiar to the Romans, and their sacred rites.
Chap. xxiii.—of the ages of vain superstitions, and the times at which they commenced.
Chap. iii.—that cicero and other men of learning erred in not turning away the people from error.
Chap. vI.—that neither the whole universe nor the elements are god, nor are they possessed of life.
Chap. viii.—of the use of reason in religion and of dreams, auguries, oracles, and similar portents.
Chap. ix.—of the devil, the world, god, providence, man, and his wisdom.
Chap. X.—Of the World, and Its Parts, the Elements and Seasons.
Chap. XI.—Of Living Creatures, of Man Prometheus, Deucalion, the ParcÆ.
Chap. XV.—Of the Corruption of Angels, and the Two Kinds of Demons.
Chap. XVI.—That Demons Have No Power Over Those Who are Established in the Faith.
Chap. XVII.—That Astrology, Soothsaying, and Similar Arts are the Invention of Demons.
Chap. XVIII.—Of the Patience and Vengeance of God, the Worship of Demons, and False Religions.
Chap. XIX.—Of the Worship of Images and Earthly Objects.
Chap. XX.—Of Philosophy and the Truth.
Chap. II.—Of Philosophy, and How Vain Was Its Occupation in Setting Forth the Truth.
Chap. III.—Of What Subjects Philosophy Consists, and Who Was the Chief Founder of the Academic Sect.
Chap. IV.—That Knowledge is Taken Away by Socrates, and Conjecture by Zeno.
Chap. V.—That the Knowledge of Many Things is Necessary.
Chap. VI.—Of Wisdom, and the Academics, and Natural Philosophy.
Chap. VII.—Of Moral Philosophy, and the Chief Good.
Chap. VIII.—Of the Chief Good, and the Pleasures of the Soul and Body, and of Virtue.
Chap. IX.—Of the Chief Good, and the Worship of the True God, and a Refutation of Anaxagoras.
Chap. X.—It is the Peculiar Property of Man to Know and Worship God.
Chap. XI.—Of Religion, Wisdom, and the Chief Good.
Chap. XIII.—Of the Immortality of the Soul, and of Wisdom, Philosophy, and Eloquence.
Chap. XIV.—That Lucretius and Others Have Erred, and Cicero Himself, in Fixing the Origin of Wisdom.
Chap. XXI.—Of the System of Plato, Which Would Lead to the Overthrow of States.
Chap. XXII.—Of the Precepts of Plato, and Censures of the Same.
Chap. XXIII.—Of the Errors of Certain Philosophers, and of the Sun and Moon.
Chap. XXIV.—Of the Antipodes, the Heaven, and the Stars.
Chap. XXV.—Of Learning Philosophy, and What Great Qualifications are Necessary for Its Pursuit.
Chap. XXVIII.—Of True Religion and of Nature. Whether Fortune is a Goddess, and of Philosophy.
Chap. XXIX.—Of Fortune Again, and Virtue.
Chap. II.—Where Wisdom is to Be Found Why Pythagoras and Plato Did Not Approach the Jews.
Chapter IV.—Of Wisdom Likewise, and Religion, and of the Right of Father and Lord.
Chap. VII.—Of the Name of Son, and Whence He is Called Jesus and Christ.
Chap. XI.—Of the Cause of the Incarnation of Christ.
Chap. XIII.—Of Jesus, God and Man And the Testimonies of the Prophets Concerning Him.
Chap. XIV.—Of the Priesthood of Jesus Foretold by the Prophets.
Chap. XV.—Of the Life and Miracles of Jesus, and Testimonies Concerning Them.
Chap. XVI.—Of the Passion of Jesus Christ That It Was Foretold.
Chap. XVII.—Of the Superstitions of the Jews, and Their Hatred Against Jesus.
Chap. XVIII.—Of the Lord’s Passion, and that It Was Foretold.
Chap. XIX.—Of the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus And the Predictions of These Events.
Chap. XXII.—Arguments of Unbelievers Against the Incarnation of Jesus.
Chap. XXIII.—Of Giving Precepts, and Acting.
Chap. XXIV.—The Overthrowing of the Arguments Above Urged by Way of Objection.
Chap. XXVI.—Of the Cross, and Other Tortures of Jesus, and of the Figure of the Lamb Under the Law.
Chap. XXVII.—Of the Wonders Effected by the Power of the Cross, and of Demons.
Chap. XXVIII.—Of Hope and True Religion, and of Superstition.
Chap. XXIX.—Of the Christian Religion, and of the Union of Jesus with the Father.
Chap. XXX.—Of Avoiding Heresies and Superstitions, and What is the Only True Catholic Church.
Chap. II.—To What an Extent the Christian Truth Has Been Assailed by Rash Men.
Chap. IV.—Why This Work Was Published, and Again of Tertullian and Cyprian.
Chap. V.—There Was True Justice Under Saturnus, But It Was Banished by Jupiter.
Chap. VII.—Of the Coming of Jesus, and Its Fruit And of the Virtues and Vices of that Age.
Chap. IX.—Of the Crimes of the Wicked, and the Torture Inflicted on the Christians.
Chap. X.—Of False Piety, and of False and True Religion.
Chap XI.—Of the Cruelty of the Heathens Against the Christians.
Chap. XII.—Of True Virtue And of the Estimation of a Good or Bad Citizen.
Chapter XIII.—Of the Increase and the Punishment of the Christians.
Chap. XIV.—Of the Fortitude of the Christians.
Chap. XV.—Of Folly, Wisdom, Piety, Equity, and Justice.
Chap. XVI.—Of the Duties of the Just Man, and the Equity of Christians.
Chap. XVII.—Of the Equity, Wisdom, and Foolishness of Christians.
Chap. XVIII.—Of Justice, Wisdom, and Folly.
Chap. XIX.—Of Virtue and the Tortures of Christians, and of the Right of a Father and Master.
Chap. XX.—Of the Vanity and Crimes, Impious Superstitions, and of the Tortures of the Christians.
Chap. XXII.—Of the Rage of the Demons Against Christians, and the Error of Unbelievers.
Chap. XXIII.—Of the Justice and Patience of the Christians.
Chap. XXIV.—Of the Divine Vengeance Inflicted on the Torturers of the Christians.
Chap. I.—Of the Worship of the True God, and of Innocency, and of the Worship of False Gods.
Chap. II.—Of the Worship of False Gods and the True God.
Chap. IV.—Of the Ways of Life, of Pleasures, Also of the Hardships of Christians.
Chap. V.—Of False and True Virtue And of Knowledge.
Chap. VI.—Of the Chief Good and Virtue, and or Knowledge and Righteousness.
Chap. VIII.—Of the Errors of Philosophers, and the Variableness of Law.
Chap. IX.—Of the Law and Precept of God Of Mercy, and the Error of the Philosophers.
Chap. X.—Of Religion Towards God, and Mercy Towards Men And of the Beginning of the World.
Chap. XI.—Of the Persons Upon Whom a Benefit is to Be Conferred.
Chap. XII.—Of the Kinds of Beneficence, and Works of Mercy.
Chap. XIII.—Of Repentance, of Mercy, and the Forgiveness of Sins.
Chap. XV.—Of the Affections, and the Opinion of the Peripatetics Respecting Them.
Chap. XVII.—Of the Affections and Their Use Of Patience, and the Chief Good of Christians.
Chap. XVIII.—Of Some Commands of God, and of Patience.
Chap. XIX.—Of the Affections and Their Use And of the Three Furies.
Chap. XXI.—Of the Pleasures of the Ears, and of Sacred Literature.
Chap. XXII.—Of the Pleasures of Taste and Smell.
Chap. XXIII. —De Tactus Voluptate Et Libidine, Atque de Matrimonio Et Continentiâ.
Chap. XXIV.—Of Repentance, of Pardon, and the Commands of God.
Chap. XXV.—Of Sacrifice, and of an Offering Worthy of God, and of the Form of Praising God.
Chap. II.—Of the Error of the Philosophers, and of the Divine Wisdom, and of the Golden Age.
Chap. III.—Of Nature, and of the World And a Censure of the Stoics and Epicureans.
Chap. V.—Of the Creation of Man, and of the Arrangement of the World, and of the Chief Good.
Chap. VI.—Why the World and Man Were Created. How Unprofitable is the Worship of False Gods.
Chap. VII.—Of the Variety of Philosophers, and Their Truth.
Chap. VIII.—Of the Immortality of the Soul.
Chap. IX.—Of the Immortality of the Soul, and of Virtue.
Chap. X.—Of Vices and Virtues, and of Life and Death.
Chap. XI.—Of the Last Times, and of the Soul and Body.
Chap. XII.—Of the Soul and the Body, and of Their Union and Separation and Return.
Chap. XIII.—Of the Soul, and the Testimonies Concerning Its Eternity.
Chap. XIV.—Of the First and Last Times of the World.
Chap. XV.—Of the Devastation of the World and Change of the Empires.
CHAP. XVI.—OF THE DEVASTATION of the World, and Its Prophetic Omens.
Chap. XVII.—Of the False Prophet, and the Hardships of the Righteous, and His Destruction.
Chap. XIX.—Of the Advent of Christ to Judgment, and of the Overcoming of the False Prophet.
Chap. XX.—Of the Judgment of Christ, of Christians, and of the Soul.
Chap. XXI.—Of the Torments and Punishments of Souls.
Chap. XXII.—Of the Error of the Poets, and the Return of the Soul from the Lower Regions.
Chap. XXIII.—Of the Resurrection of the Soul, and the Proofs of This Fact.
Chap. XXIV.—Of the Renewed World.
Chap. XXV.—Of the Last Times, and of the City of Rome.
Chap. XXVI.—Of the Loosing of the Devil, and of the Second and Greatest Judgment.
Chap. XXVII.—An Encouragement and Confirmation of the Pious.
The Epitome of the Divine Institutes.
The Preface.—The Plan and Purport of the Whole Epitome, And of the Institutions.
Chap. I.—Of the Divine Providence.
Chap. II.—That There is But One God, and that There Cannot Be More.
Chap. III.—The Testimonies of the Poets Concerning the One God.
Chap. IV.—The Testimonies of the Philosophers to the Unity of God.
Chap. V.—That the Prophetic Women—That Is, the Sibyls—Declare that There is But One God.
Chap. VI.—Since God is Eternal and Immortal, He Does Not Stand in Need of Sex and Succession.
Chap. VII.—Of the Wicked Life and Death of Hercules.
Chap. VIII.—Of Æsculapius, Apollo, Mars, Castor and Pollux, and of Mercurius and Bacchus.
Chap. IX.—Of the Disgraceful Deeds of the Gods.
Chap. X.—Of Jupiter, and His Licentious Life.
Chap. XI.—The Various Emblems Under Which the Poets Veiled the Turpitude of Jupiter.
Chap. XII.—The Poets Do Not Invent All Those Things Which Relate to the Gods.
Chap. XIII.—The Actions of Jupiter are Related from the Historian Euhemerus.
Chap. XIV.—The Actions of Saturnus and Uranus Taken from the Historians.
Chap. XX.—Of the Gods Peculiar to the Romans.
Chap. XXI.—Of the Sacred Rites of the Roman Gods.
Chap. XXII.—Of the Sacred Rites Introduced by Faunus and Numa.
Chap. XXIII.—Of the Gods and Sacred Rites of the Barbarians.
Chap. XXIV.—Of the Origin of Sacred Rites and Superstitions.
Chap. XXV.—Of the Golden Age, of Images, and Prometheus, Who First Fashioned Man.
Chap. XXVI.—Of the Worship of the Elements and Stars.
Chap. XXVII.—Of the Creation, Sin, and Punishment of Man And of Angels, Both Good and Bad.
Chap. XXVIII.—Of the Demons, and Their Evil Practices.
Chap. XXIX.—Of the Patience and Providence of God.
Chap. XXXI.—Of Knowledge and Supposition.
Chap. XXXII.—Of the Sects of Philosophers, and Their Disagreement.
Chap. XXXIII.—What is the Chief Good to Be Sought in Life.
Chap. XXXIV.—That Men are Born to Justice.
Chap. XXXV.—That Immortality is the Chief Good.
Chap. XXXVI.—Of the Philosophers,—Namely, Epicurus and Pythagoras.
Chap. XXXVII.—Of Socrates and His Contradiction.
Chap. XXXVIII.—Of Plato, Whose Doctrine Approaches More Nearly to the Truth.
Chap. XXXIX.—Of Various Philosophers, and of the Antipodes.
Chap. XL.—Of the Foolishness of the Philosophers.
Chap. XLI.—Of True Religion and Wisdom.
Chap. XLII.—Of Religious Wisdom: the Name of Christ Known to None, Except Himself and His Father.
Chap. XLIII.—Of the Name of Jesus Christ, and His Twofold Nativity.
Chap. XLIV.—The Twofold Nativity of Christ is Proved from the Prophets.
Chap. XLV.—The Power and Works of Christ are Proved from the Scriptures.
Chap. XLVI.—It is Proved from the Prophets that the Passion and Death of Christ Had Been Foretold.
Chap. XLVIII.—Of the Disinheriting of the Jews, and the Adoption of the Gentiles.
Chap. XLIX.—That God is One Only.
Chap. L.—Why God Assumed a Mortal Body, and Suffered Death.
Chap. LI.—Of the Death of Christ on the Cross.
Chap. LIII.—The Reasons of the Hatred Against the Christians are Examined and Refuted.
Chap. LIV.—Of the Freedom of Religion in the Worship of God.
Chap. LV.—The Heathens Charge Justice with Impiety in Following God.
Chap. LVI.—Of Justice, Which is the Worship of the True God.
Chap. LVII.—Of Wisdom and Foolishness.
Chap. LVIII.—Of the True Worship of God, and Sacrifice.
Chap. LIX.—Of the Ways of Life, and the First Times of the World.
Chap. LX.—Of the Duties of Justice.
Chap. LXII.—Of Restraining the Pleasures of the Senses.
Chap. LXIII.—That Shows are Most Powerful to Corrupt the Minds.
Chap. LXIV.—The Passions are to Be Subdued, and We Must Abstain from Forbidden Things.
Chap. LXV.—Precepts About Those Things Which are Commanded, and of Pity.
Chap. LXVI.—Of Faith in Religion, and of Fortitude.
Chap. LXVII.—Of Repentance, the Immortality of the Soul, and of Providence.
Chap. LXVIII.—Of the World, Man, and the Providence of God.
Chap. LXIX.—That the World Was Made on Account of Man, and Man on Account of God.
Chap. LXX.—The Immortality of the Soul is Confirmed.
Chap. LXXI.—Of the Last Times.
Chap. LXXII.—Of Christ Descending from Heaven to the General Judgment, and of the Millenarian Reign.
Chap. LXXIII.—The Hope of Safety is in the Religion and Worship of God.
Let us now see what is proposed to the wise man as the chief good.1476 Some editions repeat the words “summum bonum,” but these words appear to obstruct the sense. That men are born to justice is not only taught by the sacred writings, but is sometimes acknowledged even by these same philosophers. Thus Cicero says: “But of all things which fall under the discussion of learned men, nothing assuredly is more excellent than that it should be clearly understood that we are born to justice.” This is most true.1477 [i.e., philosophically; our moral constitution dictating what is just.] For we are not born to wickedness, since we are a social and sociable animal. The wild beasts are produced to exercise their fierceness; for they are unable to live in any other way than by prey and bloodshed. These, however, although pressed by extreme hunger, nevertheless refrain from animals of their own kind. Birds also do the same, which must feed upon the carcases of others. How much more is it befitting, that man, who is united with man both in the interchange of language and in communion of feeling, should spare man, and love him! For this is justice.
But since wisdom has been given to man alone, that he may understand God, and this alone makes the difference between man and the dumb animals, justice itself is bound up in two duties. He owes the one to God as to a father, the other to man as to a brother; for we are produced by the same God. Therefore it has been deservedly and rightly said, that wisdom is the knowledge of divine and human affairs. For it is right that we should know what we owe to God, and what to man; namely, to God religion, to man affection. But the former belongs to wisdom, the latter to virtue; and justice comprises both. If, therefore, it is evident that man is born to justice, it is necessary that the just man should be subject to evils, that he may exercise the virtue with which he is endued. For virtue is the enduring of evils. He will avoid pleasures as an evil: he will despise riches, because they are frail; and if he has them, he will liberally bestow them, to preserve the wretched: he will not be desirous of honours, because they are short and transitory; he will do injury to no one; if he shall suffer, he will not retaliate; and he will not take vengeance upon one who plunders his property. For he will deem it unlawful to injure a man; and if there shall be any one who would compel him to depart from God, he will not refuse tortures nor death. Thus it will come to pass, that he must necessarily live in poverty and lowliness, and in insults, or even tortures.
CAPUT XXXIV. (Div. Inst. lib. III, c. 9.) Quod ad justitiam nati sint homines.
Videamus nunc quid sit summum bonum, quod sit propositum sapienti, summum bonum. Ad justitiam nasci homines, non modo litterae sacrae docent, verum etiam idem ipsi philosophi nonnunquam fatentur. Cicero sic ait: «Sed omnium, quae in doctorum 1042B hominum disputatione versantur, nihil est profecto praestabilius, quam plane intelligi nos ad justitiam esse natos.» Est hoc verissimum. Nec enim ad scelus nascimur, cum simus animal sociale atque commune. Ferae ad saevitiam gignuntur. Aliter enim nequeunt quam praeda et sanguine victitare. Easdem tamen etsi ultima fames urgeat, nihilominus generis sui animalibus parcunt. Idem faciunt et aves, quas aliorum visceribus pasci necesse est. Quanto magis hominem, qui cum homine, et commercio linguae, et communione sensus copulatus est, parcere homini oportet, eumque diligere! Haec est enim justitia.
Sed quoniam soli homini sapientia data est, ut Deum intelligat, et haec sola hominis mutorumque 1042C distantia est, duobus officiis obstricta est ipsa justitia. Unum Deo debet, ut patri, alterum homini, velut fratri. Ab eodem enim Deo geniti sumus. Merito ergo ac recte dictum est, sapientiam esse divinarum et humanarum rerum scientiam. Oportet enim scire nos quid Deo, quid homini debeamus; Deo scilicet religionem, homini charitatem. Sed illud superius sapientiae, hoc posterius virtutis est; et utrumque justitia comprehendit. Si ergo constat ad justitiam nasci hominem, necesse est justum malis esse subjectum, ut virtutem, qua est praeditus, in usu habeat. Virtus enim malorum sustinentia est. Voluptates fugiet, ut malum; opes contemnet, quia 1042D fragiles sunt; et, si habuerit, dilargietur, ut miseros 1043A servet; honores non appetet, quia sunt breves et caduci; injuriam nulli faciet; si fuerit passus, non retribuet; et diripientem sua non persequetur. Nefas enim judicabit 1043a hominem laedere; et si quis extiterit, qui cogat desciscere a Deo, nec cruciatus, nec mortem recusabit. Ita fiet, ut eum necesse sit, et inopem, et humilem, et in contumeliis, aut etiam cruciatibus vivere.