Ante-Nicene Christian Library; Translations Of The Writings Of The Fathers Down To A.D. 325, Volume 21: The Works Of Lactantius, Volume 1

발행: 1871년

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THE DIUINE INSTITUTES. 317 exerciso missi violenco against the righteous the samo impie Whicli they shoπ in other things. Αnd not Without reason arethey spolien ot by the propheta as beasti. Theresors it is excellently said by Marcus Tullius: μ For it there is no one Whowould not preser to die than to be changed into tho figura os abeast, although ho is about to havo the mind of a man, hoWmuch moro wretched is it to bs of a brutaligod mind in tho

figure os a man i To me, indeed, it seems as much Worse asthe mind is more excellent than tho body.' There oro theyvio. With disdain tho bodies of beasis, though they ars them-selves more cruel than these; and they prido themselves on this account, that they Wers bom men, though they have nothingbelonging to man except the features and the eminent figure. For What Caucasus, What India, What Hyrcania ever nourished beasta in savage and w bloodthirsty For the suo of Hl wildbeasta reges untii their appetite is satisfied; and whon theirhunger is appeased, immediately is pacified. That is truly aberat by Whose command alono

No one can befittingly describo the crueity of this beast, Whieli reclines in one place, and yet rages With iron treth throughout the worid, and not only tears in pieces tho limbs of men, but

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318 LACTANTIUS.

feroci of mind; somo through a desim in plerae, and thatis this service they might prepare the way to higher ossices: somo mere sWilt to flaughter, as an individual in Phrygia, Whoburni a Whole assembly of people, together With their place of

meeting. But the mors cruei he Was, so much the more me

cutore Whom a salse appearance of clemency fialtera; he is tho more severe, ho tho more cruei torturer, Who determines in putno ono to deast. Theratore it cannot M told what great an dWhat grievous modes of tortures judges of this hind devised, that thv might arrius at the accomptishment os their purpose. But they do these things not only on this account, that theymay bo able to boast that they havs flain nono of tho innocent,for I myself have heard somo boasting that their administration has been in this respect Without bloodshed,-but also for thosahe os enu, test either they themselves aliould be overcome, ortho othera inould obtain ths glory duo to their virtuo. Andthus, in devising modes of punishment, they thinh os nothingelse besides victory. For they hnon that this is a contest anda batilo. I san in Bithynia the praefeci mondersutly elated With jori as though hs had subdued somo nation os barbarians,

cause ono Who had resisted for tWo years mitti great spiritappeared at lennii to yield. They contend, steretore, stat theymay conquer and inflict exquisite' pains On thela hodies, and avoid nothing elso but that the victims may not die under thotortum: as though, in truth, death alone could mahe them happy, and as though tortures also in proportion to their severi ould not produce greater glory of virtve. But they Min obstinate folly gius ordera that diligent caro stiali M oven to tho to turia, stat their limbs may be renovated tor other tortures, and Dein blood bo supplied sor punishment. What can M so pio , so beneficent, so humane i They Would not have bestowed inch

The more aevere tortum, as causing immediate Math, may bo regardaeaa mercisul, in comparison With a Moπ and lingering punishment. Exquisitia,'' inresully aindlad.

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anrious care on any whom they loved. This is res discipline of the gods: to theso deeds they train their Worinippers; theseare tho sacred rites Whicli they require. Moreover, most Wichedm derors have invented implous laWs against tho pio . Forboth sacrilegious ordinances and unjust disputations of jurisisare read. Domitius, in his seventh book, concerning the ossice

of the proconsul, has collected Wiched rescripta os princes, that he might shon by What punishmenta they ought to be visited

Na morte quidem simplici dignum putetis.

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320 LACTANTIUS.

eviis mero about to happen to us, and in What manner, onaccount of righteoumess ; for our peopte suffer ali them thingsthrough the perverseness of those in error. Behold, the state, or rather the wholo Worid itself, is in such error, that ityerseeutes, tortures, condemns, and puis to death good and righteous men, as though they Were Miched and impious. Foras to What he says, that no Ono is so infatuated as in doubtwhicli of tho two ho mouid prefer to be, he indeed, as the ons ho mas contending against justice, thought this, that the wiso

man would prefer to bo bad it he had a good reputation, thanto be good With a bad reputation.

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CHAP. XIII.-Og the inereaas and tha punishment of the Christiam. But since our number is continualty iners ad iram themorshippers of gods, but is never tessened, not even in perse

and so blind as not to see on Which side Wisdom is But theyaro blinded by malice and sum, that they cannot see; and theythinh that thoso are sistish Who, When they have it in theirpo er to avoid punishmenis, nevertheless prefer in be torturedand to be put to death; Whereas they might seo iram this very circumstance, that it is not folly to Which so many thousandsthroughout the world agres With one and the same mind. Foris momen tali into error inrough the weanem of their sex forthese persons somelimes cali it a Womanish and anilo superstition , men doubilem ars mise. Is boys, it youths aro improvident through their age, tho mature and aged doubti s havsa fixed judgment. Is ons city is unwise, it is evident that thoother innumerable cities cannot bo ioolish. It one provinco orone nation is Without prudence, the rest must havo underatand-ing of that Whicli is right. But since tho divino la. has been received hom the rising even to the setting ol the sun, and every seX, eVery age, and nation, and counto, With ono and the samomind Asys God ince there is everyWhers the fame patientendurance, thε fame contempt of death-they ought is havsnnderatood that there is somo reason in that matter, that it is not mithout a causo that it is defended even to death, stat thero is somo foundation and solidi , which not only Dees that religion from injuries and molestation, but almys increases and mahes it stronger. For in this respect also the malico otthoin is brought in light, Who thinh that they have utierly ove thrown the religion os God is thv have corrupted men, Whenit is permitted them is mas satisfaction also in God; and

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322 LACTANTIUS.

peace is given Imm heaven, those Who mere estrangedy sromus return, and a laesh croWd os othera are added, on account of tho wonderses naturo' of tho virtuo displayed. For mlientho peopis seo that men are lacerated by various hinds of tortures, and that they retain their patiencs unsubdued Whilotho executionera are mearied, they thinh, as is reatly the case, that neither ilis agreement of so many nor the constancy of the dying is Without meaning, and that patience itfelt could not sumount aucti great tortures Without tho aid os God. Robbers and men os robust frame are unable to endum lacerations of this End: they ulter exclamations, and wndsorth groans; sor they are overcome by pain, b ause they ars destituto of patience infused' into them. But in Our case notis speah os men), Mys and delicate Women in silence ove pomer stela torturere, and even the fire is unable to extori homthem a groan. Let ths Romans M and boast in their Mutius

Et qui fuerint aversi, redeant.' Tho common reading is, et qui fugerunt, univerat redeant. Alius novus populus.' η Propter miraculum virtutis. ε μDsast illis inspirata patientia.'Dj0jtjgod by

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3 Tanti est . . . ne.

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324 LACTANTIUS.

highest virtve appears to them to consist in greatness ot spirit; and yet the samo persons regard him Who despises death as amadman, Whicli is plainly a mark of the greatest perversenem. But those folloWers of vain religions urge this With tho fame

recognise their errore. Justico by iis own natura has a certain appearance of folly, and Ι am able to confirm this both bydivino and human testimontes. But perhaps me should notauc ed Mith them, unlem Wo fhould teach them frem theirown authorities that no ono can bo iust, a matter Whicli is united With truo visdom, uniess ho also appears to be Dolisti. Carneades Was a philosopher of the Academic feci; and onewho knows not What poWer he had in discussion, What eloquence, What sagaci , mill nevertheless undorstand tho character of

tho man himself hom tho praises of Cicero or of Lucilius, in Whose Writings Neptune, disconrsing on a subject of thogreatest dissicut , shows that it cannot be explained, even itorens aliould restore Carneades himself to lila. This Carneades, when he had been sent by the Athenians as ambassadorto Rome, disputed copiousty on tho subject of justice, in thehearing of Galba and Cato, Who had been censor, Who Wereat that timo the greatest os oratore. But on the neri day thosamo man MerthreW his Οὐ argument by a disputation to tho

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sopher, Whose prudencs ought to be firm and his opinion setiled, but as it wero by an oratorical hind of exerciso os disputing onboth fides. d lis Was accustomed to do this, that ho might be able in refute othera who asserted mything. L. Furius, in Cicero, maes mention of that discussion in .hich justico is overthrown. I bolisve, in much as hs was discussing the su ject of the stato, ho did it that lio might introduco tho defenco and presso of that without which ho thought stat a state could not be govemed. But Carneades, stat he might relato Mi tolle and Plato, the advocates of justico, in that firet disput tion collected est tho arguments whicli mera allegod in behias of justice, that ho might be able to overthrow them, as he did. Forit Was Very easy to shalis justice, haring no roois, in much asthere Was then nono on tho earili, that ita naturo or qualities

might be perceived by philosophers. And I could wish that men,

so many and of such a character, had possessed knowledgo also, in proportion to their eloquence and spirit, for completing thodelance of this greatest viriue, Which has iis origin in religion, iis principio in equi l But thoso who wero ignorant of that firat part could not possem the second. But Ι Wisti fidit to alio summarily and concisely, What it is, that it may be underetood that the philosophera mere ignorant of justice, and were unabloto defend that with Whicli they were unacquainted. Althoughjustice embraces ali the Virtum together, yet there aro tWo, thochiet os ali, which cannot be torn Munder and separated sromit te and equi . For fideli , temperance, uprighiness, innocence, integri , and the other things of this End, either naturalty or through the training of parendi, may exist in thosemen Who are ignorant of justice, as they have alWays existed; for the ancient Romans, Who mere accustomed is glory in

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326 LICTANTIUS

no Ono is rich, but ho Rho is fuit of Virtum; no one, in stior is excellent, but he who has been good and innocent; no one ismost reno-ed, but he who has abundantly performed Woris of mercy; no one is most persect, but ho who has filled ali tho siepsos virtus. Theretore netther tho Romans nor the Greeis could possess justico, because they had men differing hom ono another

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