Ante-Nicene Christian library; translations of the writings of the Fathers down to A.D. 325

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Boo vi. 'E DIVINE INSTITUTES. 361swet with ambitious destres Theso ars they who direct the whol occupatio an cars of thoi lis to tho oldingo magistractes that the ma set a mar upo the annais, an ove a nam to the eam. The desim of thera mounts hi er, o that the ma rulo provinces it the temporals ord, ut it boundies an perpetua poWer may linto bo calle lotas of the whole human race. Mormor, inose Whomae has seen to bessiousas involves in various superstitions that ho may ma them implous But to those Who seehior isdom, he dashes philosophy e re thei ves, that hema blin them illi the appearance of ight, est an oneshould ras and holytast the truth. Thusa hasilochedispali the approaches against men, an has occupie the Way, rejoicinii public errors; ut that, might o abierio dispelthes errors, and to overcome the auctoris viis himself, God has enlightene us, and has arme us Wit trus and heavenlyViriue, respecting hic I mustio speah. CHAP. V.-Offalse and true virtve and of knowle e. But be ore Lbegi to se forti tho separate viriues, I mustinar out the characteris virtu itself, whicli the philosophers have no rightly defined acto ita nature, o in ha things it consisted and I must describo ita operation and ossice Forthemoni retaine the name, ut lost iis pomer, an nature, and effect But whalaver the are accustomeda sani their definitionis viriue, Lucilius ut together and expresses in af- Verses, hicli I preferrio introduce, test, hilo I refuto thoopinions of many I shouldae longe than is necessary It is Viriue, o Albinus, o pay the proper rice, to atten to thomatters in hicli, aro engaged, and in hich, livo. It is Virtuo foris man to kno the natur of verything. t is virtve so a man to know hat is right and useful an honou abie, What things are good, and What are evil What is seleas,

It ma customary in many of the ancient intecto connec the earmit tho nam of the hie magistrate ho a then in ossice Thua at Athena the liue es the chie magistrate Waa Archon Eponymus, oring nameto the year; and a Rome theaeam a rectaned by the names of the con- aula then in ossim. Varia. other readinita vania.

Philosophiam in oculo impingit.'

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virtus tot ablorio assim thela valus to riches. It is virtus togivo that whic is reali ducto hono to e the enem and the lae of bad me and mannera, bu in the otheriand the defender of good me and mannem to esteem theseaighly, is vis them veli, toclive in mentilii mit them mor ver inconsider the interest of one' countryssiret, theminose of parent' to put ou own interest in the thies and las place. romtheso definitions, hic the poet Hev put together, Marcus Tullius derived the offices of living, fossoWing Panaetius the Stoic, and included them in three books. But, shali presenti seo ho falso thes things are that it ma appea hommuta the divine condescensio has estowedonos in opening torus the truth. II says that it is virtus toknow whaci good an evit, hacis base, What is hono able, What is usesul, hacis seless. o might hau shortene histreatis is he had oni spori of that whic is Mod and erit; for nothing canae Mesul or honourabis hicli is not also good, and nothing useles and base hic is not also ovit. An thisalso appearcto e thus to philosophera, and Cicero ho scit likowis in tho hir book of the bou mentione treasse. But knowledge cannot o virtve, ecauserit is not Withinos, but it comes in us rem ithout But that whic is ablo topas homone to another is not virtus, emus virtuo is the properi os ac individual. nowledgo thereiore consist in benefit derived hom another; for it dependsopon hearing. Viriue is altogetheriuriwn forci depenti upo tho mill ofdoin that hic is mod As, themtore, in underi in aiournen it is otio profit to know the way unles me also haveth essor an strenn for Walhinnis trulfhnowle ocis of no vatici ou virtve fatis. For, in generat, even the Whosin perceivo What i good an erit, though no perfectly andas osten a the ac improperly themiso that inersis, and therelam endeavourno conceat thei actions. ut though thonature o good an evit oes no escape thei notice, invare verpo ered by an erit desim in sin, ecauae the aromantincta virtve, that is, the desim o Min right and

latia a private euemy.

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and vi is ne hing, and virtus another, appears hom his, because knowledge an exist Without virtus, ascit has been in the caseis many of the philosophera in Whicli, since no tohave done hat ou knewto e right is justi censurabie, a depraved ill an a victo , d, hic ignorance cannot

fore requires definition because the natur of the case is suchthalisaeli mustae undereisod o no underato .

But letis do that whic ho ought is have dono It is a

Virtuo to restrat anger, o contro destre, to cur iust forthicis to fleerimm vice. For almost ali ining Whicli are dono uniusti an dis nesti aris Dom these affections. For is tho fore of this emotion hic is called anger e lunted est theerit contentions of men illae luiled is rest no ne mill plot, no ne mill rus fori in injure anotheri Also, is destro borestrained, no ne illisse violenc is lan or is se in onomii lata an amnis care o an lay Wasto the propert ofothera Also, insto ardourii lust be represseri every age and sex mill retain iis sanctitynno one mill suffer, o do anythingdisgracesul Therelam ali crimes and disgracesul actions illbe ahenowaydrom tho life and character of men, it theso emotion are appeased an calmed is virtus Anythis calmingo in emotions and affections has this meaning that me do allinium hic ars right. The wholo dut o virine then is notio sin And assuressistis cannot dischargo inis,lio is ignoranto God sinco ignorance of in hom hom good hings pr

me must thrust a man una area into Vices Therelare, that

ma moro Hev and significantly fix tho ossices of ach

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mas, the necessarii erre in the case of the other good indeviis hic are no the chiel; for no ne an eigh these

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Boox L THE DIVINE INSTITUTES. 365

to tho is man forcit is not virtus to see riches, of whichnoither the finding nor the possession is inmur po er: heresors the are more eas toto gaine and toae retainod by tholad than by the good. Viriue, then, cannot consist in the Mehingo thos things in tho despisingil Whicli the fore andiu orto virtus appears nor,ill it have recourse to those very thingswhicli, wit ita great an lost mind, it destres to trample uponand ruis unde laot nor is it lawsul foris foui hicli is earnestly fixe on heavenly good to e calle a a iram ita immorta purauita, that it ma acquire forcitiet thes hallthings. ut tho ourse of virtus speciali consist in the acquisitio of thos things hic neithe any man, nor deathitself, an take Waydrom us. Since thes things are so that whicli sollowscis true: It is virtve to bo abi in assign thela valueri riches: ' hic verse is early of the fame meaningas the firstri o. ut neithe lis no any of the philosopheramas ablo to kno the rice iself, either of hat nature orwhat it is for the poet, an ali thois hom ho follo ed, thought that it meant in ah a right use of riches, hacis,

whicli solio are is no means trus for o proclaim enmi against the wiched, o to undorlaho tho defence of the good, may be common to it illi the evit. For some, is a retenceoi goodneas, prepare the way so themselvecto pomer, an domany things Whicli the good ars accustomed to do, and that thomor readilyaecauso thendo them for the ah o deceiving; and P is that it ero as eas in caro ut goodnes in actionas it is to pretenda it But When they have beguit attain

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366 LACTANTIUS. Boox VI. to thei purpos and their isti in reachin the highest ste os

yo have committed o felicio a contes an an encounter,

in victo cis place at tho disposa o God, no in ou ownpo er Andrior the most par the wiched ars more poWerfulboth in number and in combination stan the good so that it is

good fortuno. Is any one ignorant ho osten tho ette and the juster sido has Men overcome rom his cause harali tyrannies have alWay brohen ut against the citigens. Allhistor is fuit os examples, ut, mill e content With one. Cnceus Pompeius Mahed toas tho defender of the good, sincehorioinimam in delenco of the commonwealth, in defenceo the senate, an in detenco o libero; and et in fame man, being conquered, perlahe together Wit liberisitself, and Ming mutilared by Egyptia eunuchs, a cast fori u uried. Ι is no virtve, thereiore eithe to e the enem of the bado the defender of the good, because virtus anno M subjectio uncertain hances Moreover, to echon tho interest ofou count is in the fidit place. 'hen in agreementissmen is taen Way, Viriue has no existencs at ali for What arethe interest o ou counto, but the inconveniences of anotherstate or nation -that is to extend tho oundaries hie are violently taken Domithres, in increas the o er of the state,

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destro tho common societ of the humanaace and when thisis removed beneficenco, liberali , indness, and justice amentireb inhen Way. For occan a man e just hoinjures, ho hates, ho despolis, in puta to east ondine Who strive toto service te to their counundo ali thesethings for the aro ignorant of what thisaeing service locis, who thin nothin Mesul, nothin advantageous, ut that whic canas held by tho hand and this alone anno Maeld, causerit may be snalched a V. Whoever, then, has gaine tor his comtry theso good asine themsolves ali them)-that is, ho by the overthrow of cities and the destructionis nations has fille tho reasurymith money, has taen tanti and enriched his countrymen eis extolled with presses to tho heaven in him there is sal to bothe greates and perfeci virtuo. Anythicis the error no ontroith people and the ignorant, but also os philosophers, Who evengive preceptario injustice, test soli and wichednes inould bowantinii disciplino an authori . Theratore, hemine Mespeahingis the duties relatin t Warfare, at that discourso is accommodaterneithemto justice nor o me viriue, but to this life anda civi institutions ' and that this is no justico thomatter itfel declares, and Cicero has testified.' 'ut ne assus, immo in possession of the rea and lit ilo figura ostrue lamand genuine justice, o have nothinibu delineations an aetelios Vanda,is that e follone even these forthe are taen Domino excellent copies madea natum and truthI It is then a delineatio an a aere hic theythought toas justice. ut halis Wisdom does no themme in contes that it has no existenco in philosophera Nor,' ho sus, hen Fabricius oraristides is called just, is

Fnnditus,' hom in very foundation. Moremque civilem. D me sit. 17. Umbra et imaginibus. ne figurocia borrowed parilydrom sculpture and parilydrom pa ting. affigies V is in moulded form M opposed to the mere oviline, umbra' and imago.' De O . iii 4. The motas, aut ab illis fortitudinis, aut, 'me notheen translated bemus the refer to the Decii' and the Scipiones, Who are mentione by Cicero a Gamples ot bravery but are omitted by Lactantius.

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368 LACTANTIUS. Boox refor non os thesecis is in the sense in hic me is thotrui miserio b underetood Nor ere the who are esteemedan called mise, Marcus Cato and Caius Laelius, actuali mise, nor those mell-known seven; utrimm thei constant practice of tho 'middio duites. thesbore a certain likenes an appearanceos miso men. a theresore isdom is tahen aWaydromethelhil sophera by thelam n confession, and justice is taken aWaydromthose Who are regarded a just, it follows that ali hos descriptions os virtuo must be salse, because no one cananom ha truo virtus istut he horis jus and wise. ut no oneris jus and wisoaut he whom God has instructed with heavent precepis. CHAP. VII.- of the way of error and of truth that it is single, Nar in and steep, an has God forcit gutae. For at those ho by the confesse soli of thera, arethought wise, ein clothe wit the appearance of virtve, gras at hadoWs and ullines, ut at nothin true. Whichhappens on his account,aecause that deceitsul road Whic inclines to the west has an pallis, o account of the variet ofpursuit and systems hic are dissimilar an vario in thocli os men. For a that way of Wisdom contain something Whichresembles folly, as e lio ed in the precedin book so this Way, Which belong allagether to solly, contains something Whichresembles isdom, and the who perceive the folly of men in generat fetet upon this an ascit has iis vices manifest, socii has something Whic appearcto resemble virium ascit has ita wichednes open, socii has adstenes and appearance of justice. Forao could the forerunner of that way, hos strengthan poWer ars altogether in deceit lea men altogether into haud uni cheraho ed them some things hic resembled tho

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Boox L THE DIUINE INSTITUTES. 369Τho decolitur and treacherous guide of this Way that themma appea tot some distinctio belween truth and falsehood, good and evit lead the luxurious in ne direction, and those who are calle temperate in another; the ignorant in ne direction, the leamed in another; tho flumis in one direction, the active in another; the Oolis in ne direction, the phil Sophera in another, and even thes no in ne path. For those Who domo situ pleas est riches, he WithMaws a litile homiliis public and frequented mad; ut those ho ither Wisti torallo viriue, o profess a contempt so things, horarag overcertain rugge precipices. ut nevertheles est thos pathsWhic display an appearanco os hono sinremo different mads, but turning or' and bypatiis, hic appear indeed toto sep rate from that common one, and to branc offa the right, but et return to the fame, and ali lea a the very endri oneissue. For that guide unites them ali, here it Was necessary

this account,aecause the preferri see it o the earili, herei cannot appear. There ore the wander, ascit ere, o the great sea, and do notonderatand whither the are orne, be- cause the netther discern the way nor folloman guide For

Praevaricator; ' properi an advocate ho by collusion iam a thecause of his opponent. Frugi. Diverticula. Simplex, opposta to the variova paessi os in other. LACT VOL. I. 2 L

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Theratore the la o God must be underi en, Which may directos in his path; that sacred that heaventilam hichMarcus Tullius, in his testa boo respecting the Republic has described almost missi a divino volco; hos Wotas I have in joined stata might no speis at greater longin There is

indeed a truo laW, right reason, agreeing it nature diffused among ali, unchaning evertasting, Whic callario duisis commanding, detera rom mniis sorbidding Which ho evennelther command o sorbita the good in vain, nor affecta thewiched by commandin or forbidding. It is no allom te is alter the provision of this law, nor is it permittedis in modistit, nor an it be entiret abrogated. Nor, rub, a me berete ed hom his laW eithe by the senato or by the pmple; nor is another person to e ought to explain or interpret it. Nor Will there bo ne la a Roma an another at Athens; one la at the present time, an another hereaster: ut thesame tam evertastin and unchange te, ill in ali nationsat ali times; and there illae ono commoniaster and Rulero ali even God the framer, arbitrator, and propose of this

ulto clarior aes eat, quam hio.' thera read, Multo clari aias est, quam hic,' etc. Abrogor icto remalis abrogate Wholly derogo,' in abrogate in Pari or modisy rogo,' to inperaede by another lam