Chap. LVIII.—Of the True Worship of God, and Sacrifice.

I have spoken of justice, what was its nature. It follows that I show what is true sacrifice to God, what is the most just manner of worshipping Him, lest any one should think that victims, or odours, or precious gifts, are desired by God, who, if He is not subject to hunger, and thirst, and cold, and desire of all earthly things, does not therefore make use of all these things which are presented in temples and to gods of earth; but as corporeal offerings are necessary for corporeal beings, so manifestly an incorporeal sacrifice is necessary for an incorporeal being. But God has no need of those things which He has given to man for his use, since all the earth is under His power: He needs not a temple, since the world is His dwelling; He needs not an image, since He is incomprehensible both to the eyes and to the mind; He needs not earthly lights, for He was able to kindle the light of the sun, with the other stars, for the use of man. What then does God require from man but worship of the mind, which is pure and holy? For those things which are made by the hands, or are outside of man, are senseless, frail, and displeasing. This is true sacrifice, which is brought forth not from the chest but from the heart; not that which is offered by the hand, but by the mind. This is the acceptable victim, which the mind sacrifices of itself. For what do victims bestow? What does incense? What do garments? What does silver? What gold? What precious stones,—if there is not a pure mind on the part of the worshipper? Therefore it is justice only which God requires. In this is sacrifice; in this the worship of God, respecting which I must now speak, and show in what works justice must necessarily be contained.  

CAPUT LVIII, alias II. (Div. Inst. lib. VI, c. 1 et 2.) De vero cultu Dei et sacrificio.

Dixi de justitia, quid esset. Sequitur ut ostendam, quod sit verum sacrificium Dei, qui sit justissimus ritus colendi, ne quis arbitretur, aut victimas, aut odores, aut dona pretiosa desiderari a Deo, a quo si fames, si sitis, 1066C si algor, si rerum omnium terrenarum cupiditas abest, 1067A non ergo utitur his 1065A 1067A omnibus, quae templis diisque fictilibus inferuntur: sed sicut corporalibus corporalia, sic utique incorporali incorporale sacrificium necessarium est. Illis autem, quae in usum tribuit homini Deus, ipse non indiget, cum omnis terra in ipsius sit potestate: non indiget templo, cujus domicilium mundus est; non indiget simulacro, qui est et oculis, et mente incomprehensibilis; non indiget terrenis luminibus, qui solem cum caeteris astris in usum hominis potuit accendere. Quid igitur ab homine desiderat Deus, nisi cultum mentis, qui est purus et sanctus? Nam illa, quae aut digitis fiunt, aut extra hominem sunt, inepta, fragilia, ingrata sunt. Hoc est sacrificium verum, non quod ex arca, sed quod ex corde profertur, non quod manu, sed quod mente libatur. Haec acceptabilis victima est, quam de seipso animus immolat. Nam quid 1067B hostiae? quid thura? quid vestes? quid argentum? quid aurum? quid pretiosi lapides conferunt, si colentis pura mens non est? Sola ergo justitia est, quam Deus expetit. In hac sacrificium, in hac Dei cultus est, de quo nunc mihi disserendum est, docendumque in quibus operibus justitiam necesse sit contineri.