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

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418 LACTANTIUS.

one has his vesight clear, ali his limbs persect, and his entirebody in the most vigorous health, novertheless Ι should not callhim found is lis is carried aWay by anger, sWollen and pussedup With pride, the flave of lust, and burning mitti destres; but Ι

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Februis, ' a mora med in tho Sabino langvago sor purgationa. Ostem rein ria,' antrassa, insed in incrifice. Thero is an allusion to tho altar of Herculea, callod am maxima. R Quae summum saatigium imponerent.' The phram properly meansio completo a bullaing by rataing the pediment oe gabis. Benos ita

figurative um.

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420 LACTANNUS.

There Me two things Which ought to bo offered, the gistyand the sacrifico; tho gist as a perpetuat offering, the sacrifice

for a time. But With thoso who is no means underatand the

and aith: a sacrifico is a victim, and as many things as areburni upon the altar. But God does not maho use either os the one or the other, cause Ηe is tres from corruption, and

that is altogether corruptibie. Therefore, in each case, that whicli is ineorporeal must be offered is God, for He accepisthis. His offering is innocency of soul; His sacrifice preisoand a hymn. For is God is not seen, Hs ought theretore to be orshipped with things Whicli aro not Men. There oro noother religion is true but that Whicli consista os virtus and justice. Bul in What manner God deals with the justice of man is eastly underet d. For is man stiali bo just, havingreceived immortalitri ho mill serve God for ever. But thalmen are not bom except for justice, both the ancient philos phers and even Cicero suspecta. For, discussing the LaWs, hesus : μ But os ali things whicli ars discussed by leamod men, nothing assuredly is ot greater importanco than stat it shouldbe entirely understood that κε aro born to justice. Ws ought thorosors to hold sorin and offer to God that Hono for tho receiving of Which ΗΟ Ηimself produced us. But hoW true this twosold kind of sacrifico is, Trismegistus Hermes is abefitting Witness, Who agrees With us, that is, Mith the propheis, whom κε solio , as much in faci as in Mords. He thus spolio concereing justice: Adore and Worship this Word, o son.' But the worship of God consista os one thing, not to bo Wiched.

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Also in that perfeci discourse, When ho heard Asclepius inqui ing hom his son Whether it pleased him that incense and otherodours for divino sacrifice wero offered to his sather, exclaimed r Speah Words of good omen, o Asclepius. For it is thogreatest impiety to enteriain any such thought concerning that being of pr eminent goodness. For these things, and things resembling these, ars not ad ted to him. For hs is fuit ofiat things, as many as exist, and hs has need of nothing atall. But let us give him thanks, and adore him. For his sacrifico consista only of blessing. And he spolio rightly. For κε ought to sacrifico is God in Word; in much as Godis tho Word, as He Himself confessed. Therelare tho chiesceremonial in the Worship os God is pratas from tho mouth ofa iust man directed toWards God. That this, hoWever, maybo aecepted by God thero is need of humili , and fear, and dsvotion in the greatest degree, test any one should chance toplace confidence in his integriu and innocence, and thus incurine chargo Os pride and arrogance, and by this deed lose therecompense ot his virtve. But that he may obtain the favouros God, and be free from every atain, let him almus imploro the mero os God, and Way sor nothing else biit pardon forhis sins, even though hs has notae. Is hs destres anythingelse, there is no need os expressing it in mord to Ono whohnows what ws Wish; ii anything good shali happen to him, let him give thanks; ii any evit, let him mari amends, and lethim consess that ths evit has happened to him on account of his lautis; and even in eviis let him nothing lem give thanhs, and mahe amenda in good things, that he may be the samo at alltimes, and bo firm, and unchangeabie, and unshahen. And lethim nes suppose that this is to bo dono by him onj in thotemple, but at home, and even in his very bed. In shori, lethim always have God with himself, consecrated in his heari,inasmuch as ho himself is a templo os God. But is lis has served God, his Father and Lord, With this assidui , obedience, and devotion, justice is complete and perfeci; and he who shallheep this, as Ws besore testified, has ob ed God, and has satis- sed the obligations os religion and his o u du .

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both by tho testimonios of the sacred writings and also is probabie argumenta, that it may be equally manifest that future

are eternat.

that it was created for eternity. Whereas the casis is far different, sincs Whateuer is of a solid and heau body, as it received a beginning at somo time, so it must needs have anend. For Aristolle, When hs did not seo hoW so great a magnitude of things could peristi, and wished to escape this objection, said that the worid alWays had existed, and alWays Would erist. Ηo did not at ali see, that Whatever exista must at Some time have had a beginning, and that nothing can exist at ali unlessit had a beginning. For When κε see that earth, and Water, and fire peristi, are consumed, and extinguished, Which areclearly paris of tho Worid, it is understood that that is ali gether mortat tho members of whicli are mortal. Thus it comes to pass, that Whateuer is liabis to destruction must havo been produced. But everything which comes mithin tho sightot tho eyes must os necessity be materiai, and capable ot di solution. Theresore Epicurus alone, solio ing the authori os Democritus, spolis truly in this matter, who said that it hada beginning at some time, and that it Would at somo time peristi. Nor, ho ever, Was he able to assign any reason, either throughWhat causes or at what time this Work of such magnitudeshould bo destroyod. But since God has revealed this to us, and wo do not arrivo at it by conjectures, but is instruction

be evident to those Who ars destrous of the truth, that thephilosophors did not ses nor comprehend the truth; but that

Praescriptionem. Ita leviter odorat .

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BOOK VII.

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I Impedimentia.' Ad eonfundendos.' Oinera read consolandos.

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426 LACTANTI S

mere devoted in eternat punishment by that very one on Whomthoy laid miched hands. But me stiali havo a separate subjectagainst ino Jems, in Which me ahali convici them os error and gulit. CHAP. II.-of the error of the philosophera, and of the diuine inadom, and of the solden age. NoW let us instruct thoso Who ars ignorant of tho truth. Ithas been in determined by the arrangement of the Most Hi God, that this unrighteous age, having mn the coursok of iis appotnted times, aliould come to an end; and ali michedness ing immediately extinguished, and the fouis of tha righteous being recalled to a happy li se, a quiet, tranquil, Macesul, in Shori, goiden age, as the poeta cali it, should flourish, under thorulo os God Himself. This Was especialty tho cause of ali theerrore of tho philosophera, that they did not comprehend thosystem of the worid, Which comprises tho Whole os misdom. Butit cannot be comprehended by our οὐ perception and innato

I havo osten said at ready, cannot exist in a man unless it is

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