Lactantius — Divine Institutes 1.1
Men of great and excellent talent, when they had given themselves wholly to learning, whatever labor could be spent they poured—despising all private and public actions—upon the study of seeking truth, thinking it far more splendid to investigate and know the reason of human and divine things than to cling to building wealth or heaping honors: by which things, since they are fragile and earthly and belong to the care of the body alone, no one can be made better or more just. Those men were indeed most worthy of knowing the truth, because they so greatly desired to know it that they preferred it to all things. For some scorned riches, some forbade pleasures, some loved a hard and spare life that they might hold the mind's good. But they did not obtain what they wished, and lost the labor and the zeal, because the way of truth was not known by the mind's keenness, and God, the craftsman of the mind, is to be known by Himself. But I will speak of that later, when I begin to dispute of the true wisdom.
But those who wished to search the truth—since they did not know of what kind it is or where—so fell into many and various paths that they stuck altogether; and they involved themselves in inextricable errors. And because they held nothing certain, they contended among themselves about almost everything; of which contention's cause I briefly showed in my Institutions. Now, because a few things seemed less full to some philosophers, I began this fuller work, that I might refute those who speak against religion, and that I might instruct those who doubt or are ignorant, and that I might confirm those who already know and believe. For it seemed to me a worthy office that, as much as I can by talent and eloquence, I should plead the cause of truth.
For if many of the philosophers, though of the false religion, yet, as much as they could, sought after justice and left monuments of their talents to posterity, how much more rightly should we, who have the light of truth, not be silent? Especially since some, not unlearned, attack the truth with a certain clever malice. Therefore I undertook this work under the name and auspices of Constantine, greatest emperor, who first of Roman kings repudiated errors and knew God's majesty, so that when truth is pleaded with Him as judge, no one may think either that I flatter or that I fear. For what place is there for flattery with one who so loves the truth that he himself is its defender? Or what place for fear with one who so protects innocence that he himself is its guardian?
I will therefore set forth the whole substance of the true religion, that neither those who know may doubt, nor those who do not know may search elsewhere. For that is the highest duty of humans: to know God and to worship Him. For this we are generated; for this we follow God who generates us, that we may serve Him. For serving Him alone is freedom. That one who is ignorant of Him or denies Him is as far from wisdom as from life. But before I begin to speak of the religion and worship of the one God, I must refute the religions of false gods, which are contrary to the truth, and show how empty they are, so that when errors have been removed the path of truth may lie open.
Latin
Magno et excellenti ingenio uiri cum se doctrinae penitus edidissent quicquid laboris poterat impendi contemptis omnibus et priuatis et publicis actionibus ad inquirendae ueritatis studium contulerunt, existimantes multo esse praeclarius humanarum diuinarumque rerum inuestigare ac scire rationem quam struendis opibus aut cumulandis honoribus inhaerere: quibus rebus, quoniam fragiles terrenaeque sunt et ad solius corporis pertinent cultum, nemo melior, nemo iustior effici potest. erant illi quidem ueritatis cognitione dignissimi, quoniam scire tanto opere cupiuerunt atque ita, ut eam rebus omnibus anteponerent — nam et abiecisse quosdam res familiares suas et renuntiasse uniuersis uoluptatibus constat, ut solam nudamque uirtutem nudi expeditique sequerentur, (et) tantum apud eos uirtutis nomen et auctoritas ualuit, ut in ipsa esse summi boni praemium iudicarent —, sed neque adepti sunt id quod uolebant et operam simul atque industriam perdiderunt, quia ueritas id est arcanum summi dei, qui fecit omnia, ingenio ac propriis sensibus non potest conprehendi: alioquin nihil inter deum hominemque distaret, si consilia et dispositiones illius maiestatis aeternae cogitatio adsequeretur humana. quod quia fieri non potuit ut homini per se ipsum ratio diuina notesceret, non est passus hominem deus lumen sapientiae requirentem diutius errare ac sine ullo laboris effectu uagari per tenebras inextricabiles: aperuit oculos eius aliquando et notionem ueritatis munus suum fecit, ut et humanam sapientiam nullam esse monstraret et erranti ac uago uiam consequendae inmortalitatis ostenderet. uerum quoniam pauci utuntur hoc caelesti beneficio ac munere, quod obuoluta in obscuro ueritas latet eaque uel contemptui doctis est, quia idoneis adsertoribus eget, uel odio indoctis ob insitam sibi austeritatem, quam natura hominum procliuis in uitia pati non potest — nam quia uirtutibus amaritudo permixta est, uitia uero uoluptate condita sunt, illa offensi, hac deleniti feruntur in praeceps et bonorum specie falsi mala pro bonis amplectuntur —, succurrendum esse his erroribus credidi, ut et docti ad ueram sapientiam dirigantur et indocti ad ueram religionem. quae professio multo melior utilior gloriosior putanda est quam illa oratoria, in qua diu uersati non ad uirtutem, sed plane ad argutam malitiam iuuenes erudiebamus, multoque nunc rectius de praeceptis caelestibus disseremus, quibus ad cultum uerae maiestatis mentes hominum instituere possimus, nec tam de rebus humanis bene meretur qui scientiam bene dicendi adfert quam qui pie atque innocenter docet uiuere. idcirco apud Graecos maiore in gloria philosophi quam oratores fuerunt. illi enim recte uiuendi doctores sunt existimati, quod est longe praestabilius, quoniam bene dicere ad paucos pertinet, bene autem uiuere ad omnes. multum tamen nobis exercitatio illa fictarum litium contulit, ut nunc maiore copia et facultate dicendi causam ueritatis peroremus. quae licet possit sine eloquentia defendi, ut est a multis saepe defensa, tamen claritate ac nitore sermonis inlustranda et quodammodo adserenda est, ut potentius in animos influat et ui sua instructa et luce orationis ornata. de religione itaque nobis rebusque diuinis instituitur disputatio. nam si quidam maximi oratores professionis suae quasi ueterani decursis operibus actionum suarum postremo se philosophiae tradiderunt eamque sibi requiem laborum iustissimam putauerunt, si animos suos in earum rerum quae inueniri non poterant inquisitione torquerent, ut non tam otium sibi quam negotium quaesisse uideantur et quidem multo molestius quam in quo fuerant ante uersati, quanto iustius ego me ad illam piam ueram diuinam sapientiam quasi ad portum aliquem tutissimum conferam, in qua omnia dictu prona sunt, auditu suauia, facilia intellectu, honesta suscept.u? et si quidam prudentes et arbitri aequitatis institutiones ciuilis iuris conpositas ediderunt, quibus ciuium dissidentium lites contentionesque sopirent, quanto melius nos et rectius diuinas institutiones litteris persequemur, in quibus non de stillicidiis aut aquis arcendis aut de manu conserenda, sed de spe, de uita, de salute, de inmortalitate, de deo loquemur, ut superstitiones mortiferas erroresque turpissimos sopiamus? Omissis ergo terrenae huiusce philosophiae auctoribus nihil certi adferentibus adgrediamur uiam rectam. quos equidem si putarem satis idoneos ad bene uiuendum duces esse, et ipse sequerer et alios ut sequerentur hortarer: sed cum inter se magna concertatione dissideant secumque ipsi plerumque discordent, apparet eorum iter nequaquam esse directum, siquidem sibi quisque ut est libitum proprias uias inpresserunt confusionemque magnam quaerentibus ueritatem reliquerunt. nobis antem qui sacramentum uerae religionis accepimus cum sit ueritas reuelata diuinitus, cum doctorem sapientiae ducemque uirtutis deum sequamur, uniuersos sine ullo discrimine uel sexus uel aetatis ad caeleste pabulum conuocamus: nullus enim suauior animo cibus est quam cognitio ueritatis. cui adsereudae atque inlustrandae septem uolumina destinavimus, quamuis ea res infiniti sit paene operis et inmensi, ut si quis haec dilatare atque exsequi plenissime uelit, tanta illi rerum copia exuberet, ut nec libri modum nec finem reperiat oratio. sed nos idcirco breviter omnia colligemus, quod ea quae adlaturi sumus tam clara sunt et lucida, ut magis mirum esse uideatur tam obscuram uideri hominibus ueritatem et iis praecipue qui sapientes uulgo putantur, uel quod tantummodo instituendi nobis homines erunt hoc est ab errore quo sunt implicati ad rectiorem uiam reuocandi. quod si fuerimus ut spero adsecuti, mittemus eos ad ipsum doctrinae uberrimum ac plenissimum fontem, cuius haustu atque potu conceptam uisceribus sitim sedent ardoremque restinguant, eruntque illis omnia facilia prona manifesta, modo ne pigeat ad percipiendam sapientiae disciplinam legendi uel audiendi patientiam commodare. multi enim superstitionibus uanis pertinaciter inhaerentes obdurant contra manifestam ueritatem, non tam de suis religionibus quas praue adserunt bene meriti quam de se male. qui cum habeant iter rectum, deuios secuntur anfractus, planum deserunt, ut per praecipitium labantur, lucem relinquunt, ut in tenebris caeci ac debiles iaceant. his consulendum est, ne contra se pugnent uelintque se tandem ab inueteratis erroribus liberari: quod utique facient, si quare sint nati aliquando peruiderint. haec enim prauitatis est causa, ignoratio sui: quam si quis cognita ueritate discusserit, sciet quo referenda et quemadmodum sibi uita degenda sit. cuius scientiae summam breuiter circumscribo, ut neque religio ulla sine sapientia suscipienda sit nec ulla sine religione probanda sapientia.