Lactantius — Divine Institutes 6.25

Now let us say a few things about the sacrifice itself. Ivory, says Plato, is not a pure gift for God. What then? Painted things and precious weavings? On the contrary, whatever can be corrupted, whatever can be stolen, is not a pure gift for God. But as he saw that something from a dead body ought not to be offered to the living, why did he not see that a bodily gift ought not to be offered to the incorporeal? How much better and truer is Seneca: Do you want, he says, to think of God as great and calm and to be revered with gentle majesty, a friend and always near, to be worshiped not with slaughtered victims nor with much blood — for what pleasure is there for him in the slaughter of the undeserving? — but with a pure mind and a good and honest purpose? Temples need not be built for him with stones piled high: he is to be consecrated in each person's breast. Therefore if anyone thinks clothes and gems and the other things held precious are dear to God, he plainly does not know what God is: he thinks those things are a pleasure to him which even a human, if he has despised them, will be rightly praised. What then is pure, what worthy of God, except what he himself demanded in that divine law of his?

There are two things that ought to be offered, gift and sacrifice — gift forever, sacrifice for a time. But among those who in no way understand the account of divinity, gift is whatever is fashioned from gold and silver, likewise whatever is woven from purple and silk, and sacrifice is the victim and whatever is burned on the altar. But God uses neither, because he himself is incorrupt and that whole thing is corruptible. And so both must be offered to God incorporeal, which he uses. Gift is integrity of mind; sacrifice is praise and hymn. For if God is not seen, he ought therefore to be worshiped with those things that are not seen. No other religion is therefore true except that which consists in virtue and justice. But how God uses a human's justice is easy to understand. For if a human has been just, having received immortality he will serve God forever. But that all are born for nothing except justice both the ancient philosophers and also Cicero suspect. For discoursing on the laws he says: but of all things that turn in the dispute of learned humans, nothing is surely more excellent than that it be plainly understood we were born for justice. That alone therefore we ought to present and offer to God for the taking of which he himself generated us. But how most true this twofold kind of sacrifice is, Hermes Trismegistus is a fit witness, who agrees with us — that is, with the prophets we follow — as much in substance as in words. Of justice he spoke thus: This word, O son, adore and worship. But the worship of God is one: not to be evil. Likewise in that perfect discourse, when he had heard Asclepius asking his son whether it pleased his father that incense and other scents be brought out for God's sacrifice, he cried out: Speak well, speak well, O Asclepius. For it is the greatest impiety to bring such a thing about that one and singular Good into the mind. These and things like them do not suit him: for he is full of all things whatever are and least in need of all. But let us adore giving thanks: for his sacrifice is blessing alone. And rightly. For one ought to sacrifice to God by word, since indeed God is the Word, as he himself confessed.

The highest rite of worshiping God therefore is praise directed to God from the mouth of a just human, which yet, that it may be acceptable to God, needs both humility and fear and the greatest devotion, lest anyone perhaps carrying confidence of integrity and innocence run into the charge of swelling and arrogance and by that act lose the grace of virtue. But that he may be dear to God and free from every stain, let him always implore God's mercy and pray for nothing else than pardon for his sins, even if there are none. If he has desired anything else, there is no need of speech to the one who knows what we want: if any good has come to him, let him give thanks; if any evil, let him make satisfaction and confess that it happened to him because of his sins. And nonetheless even in evils let him give thanks and in goods make satisfaction, so that he may always be the same and stable and unchangeable and unshaken. And let him think this must be done for himself not only in the temple, but also at home and even in his own bedroom. Finally let him always have God with him, consecrated in his heart, since he himself is God's temple. But if he has served God, the Father and Lord, with this constancy, this obedience, this devotion, justice is consummated and perfect: which whoever has held, this one, as we testified before, has obeyed God, this one has satisfied religion and his duty.