Lactantius — Divine Institutes 6.4
There is therefore one way of virtue and of goods, which bears not into the Elysian fields, as the poets speak, but to the very citadel of the world; but the left way of evils works punishments and sends to unholy Tartarus. For it belongs to that Accuser who, by founding crooked religions, turns humans from the heavenly journey and leads them into the way of ruin. The look and shape of that way is so set before the eyes that it seems level and open and delightful with every kind of flower and fruit. For in it God has placed all the things that are taken for goods in this life, that he might train virtue by opposing pleasures and soft things, and that the Accuser might have something with which to bait and deceive the unwary. For that adversary, because he cannot force anyone to death by violence, allures by sweetness and soft goods so that, when he has surrounded a human with royal show or loaded him with riches, he may either not enter those narrows or not hold them. From which it is understood that what the wicked and unjust desire comes more easily for this reason, that they walk a sloping and downhill road.
From which it is understood that what the wicked and unjust desire succeeds more easily for this reason, that they advance on a sloping and downhill road; but for the good what they wish advances with difficulty, because they walk a hard and steep journey. The just man therefore, since he has entered a hard and rough road, must necessarily be for contempt, mockery, and hatred. For all whom desire or pleasure drags headlong envy him who has been able to take virtue and bear it ill that someone has what they themselves do not have. He will therefore be poor, low, obscure, subject to injury, and yet bearing all bitter things, and if he has carried lasting patience through to that highest step and end he will be crowned. For God has reserved an adversary for us in this life so that we may be able to take virtue: present pleasure must be omitted lest the enemy crush us; we must watch, keep posts, undergo military campaigns. Just as in this age, if you prefer leisure to labor, you necessarily make yourself the greatest evil — for the adversary will seize the one not resisting, fields will be laid waste, the house plundered, wife and children will come into spoil, you yourself will be killed or captured: all which, lest they happen, present advantage must be deferred so that a greater and longer one may be produced — so in this whole life present pleasure must be put aside.
For just as in this age, when a contest of battle is set, if you prefer leisure to labor you necessarily make yourself the greatest evil — for the adversary will seize one not resisting — so in this whole life, because God has reserved an adversary for us that we may be able to take virtue, present pleasure must be omitted lest the enemy crush us. He catches the greedy with money, the lustful with beauty, the ambitious with honors; and those who wish to be called lords of the whole human race he binds with power. But those he has seen to be pious he entangles with various religions to make them impious. To those who seek wisdom he thrusts philosophy before their eyes, that by the appearance of light he may blind them, lest anyone grasp and hold the truth. So he has blocked all approaches for humans and fenced the roads, glad in public errors. That we might be able to scatter these and defeat the very author of evils, God has illuminated us and armed us with true heavenly virtue. Of which I must now speak.
Latin
Una est itaque uirtutis ac bonorum uia, quae fert non in Elysios campos, ut poetae loquuntur, sed ad ipsam mundi arcem, at laeua malorum exercet poenas et ad impia Tartara mittit. est enim criminatoris illius, qui prauis religionibus institutis auertit homines ab itinere caelesti et in uiam perditionis inducit. cuius uiae species et figura sic est conposita in aspectum, ut plana et patens et omni genere florum atque fructuum delectabilis esse uideatur. in ea enim posuit deus omnia quae pro bonis habentur in terra, opulentiam dico, honorem quietem uoluptatem inlecebras omnes, sed cum his pariter iniustitiam crudelitatem superbiam perfidiam libidinem cupiditatem discordiam ignorantiam mendacium stultitiam ceteraque uitia. exitus autem huius uiae talis est. cum uentum fuerit ad extremum, unde iam regredi non licet, cum omni sua pulchritudine tam subito praeciditur, ut non ante quis fraudem prospicere possit quam praecipitatus in altitudinem profundam cadat. quisquis enim praesentium bonorum specie captus et in his consequendis ac fruendis occupatus non praeuiderit ea quae post mortem secutura sunt seque a deo auerterit, is uero ad inferos deiectus in aeternam damnabitur poenam. uia uero uia caelestis difficilis et cliuosa proposita est uel spinis horrentibus aspera uel saxis extantibus impedita, ut cum summo labore ac pedum tritu cumque magna cadendi sollicitudine sit cuique gradiendum. in hac posuit iustitiam temperantiam patientiam fidem castitatem abstinentiam concordiam scientiam ueritatem sapientiam ceterasque uirtutes, sed simul cum his paupertatem ignominiam laborem dolorem amaritudines omnes. quisquis enim spem suam porrexerit longius et meliora maluerit, carebit his terrae bonis, ut expeditus ac leuis difficultatem uiae superet. nec enim potest qui se adparatu regio circumdederit aut diuitiis onerauerit, angustias illas uel ingredi uel tenere.
unde intellegitur idcirco malis et iniustis facilius prouenire quae cupiant, quia prona et decliuis est eorum uia, bonis autem quae optent difficile procedere, quia difficili et arduo itinere gradiuntur. iustus ergo quoniam durum asperumque iter ingressus est, contemptui derisui odio sit necesse est. omnes enim quos cupiditas aut uoluptas praecipites trahit, inuident ei qui uirtutem capere potuit et inique ferunt id habere aliquem quod ipsi non habent. erit itaque pauper humilis ignobilis subiectus iniuriae et tamen omnia quae amara sunt perferens, (s)et si patientiam iugem ad summum illum gradum finemque perduxerit, dabitur ei corona uirtutis et a deo pro laboribus quos in uita propter iustitiam pertulit inmortalitate donabitur. hae sunt uiae quas deus humanae uitae adsignauit: in quibus singulis et bona ostendit et mala, sed ordine praepostero atque conuerso. in sua enim monstrauit temporaria prius mala cum aeternis bonis, qui est ordo melior, in altera temporaria prius bona cum aeternis malis, qui est ordo deterior, ut quicumque praesentia mala cum iustitia delegerit, maiora et certiora consequatur bona quam fuerunt illa quae spreuit, quisquis autem praesentia bona praeposuerit iustitiae, in maiora et longiora incidat mala quam fuerunt illa quae fugit. haec enim uita corporalis quia breuis est, idcirco et mala eius et bona breuia sint necesse est, illa uero spiritalis quae huic terrenae contraria est quoniam sempiterna est, idcirco et bona eius et mala sempiterna sunt. ita fit ut et bonis breuibus mala aeterna et malis breuibus bona aeterna succedant. itaque cum simul \'proposita sint homini bona et mala, considerare unum quemque secum decet quanto satius sit perpetuis bonis mala breuia pensare quam pro breuibus et caducis bonis mala perpetua sustinere.
nam sicut in hoc saeculo cum est propositum cum hoste certamen, prius laborandum est, ut sis postmodum in otio, esuriendum sitiendum, aestus frigora perferenda, humi quiescendum uigilandum periclitandum est, ut saluis pignoribus et domo et re familiari et omnibus pacis ac uictoriae bonis perfrui possis, sin autem praesens otium malueris quam laborem, malum tibi maximum facias necesse est — praeoccupabit enim aduersarius non resistentem, uastabuntur agri, diripietur domus, in praedam uxor ac liberi uenient, ipse interficiere aut capiere: quae omnia ne accidant, praesens commodum differendum est, ut maius longiusque pariatur —: sic in omni hac uita, quia nobis aduersarium deus reseruauit, ut possemus capere uirtutem, omittenda est praesens uoluptas, ne hostis opprimat, uigilandum, stationes agendae, militares expeditiones obeundae, fundendus ad ultimum cruor, omnia denique amara et grauia patienter ferenda, eo quidem promptius, quod nobis imperator noster deus praemia pro laboribus aeterna constituit. et cum in hac terrena militia tantum homines laboris exhauriant, ut ea sibi pariant quae possunt eodem modo perire quo parta sunt, certe nobis nullus labor recusandus est, quibus id adquiritur quod nullo modo possit amitti. uoluit enim deus, qui hominem ad hanc militiam genuit, expeditos in acie stare et intentis acriter animis ad unius hostis insidias uel apertos impetus uigilare, qui nos, sicut periti et exercitati duces solent, uariis artibus captat pro cuiusque natura et moribus saeuiens. aliis enim cupiditatem insatiabilem inmittit, ut opibus suis tamquam conpedibus inligatos a uia ueritatis excutiat, alios inflammat irae stimulis, ut ad nocendum potius intentos a dei contemplatione detorqueat, alios inmoderatis libidinibus inmergit, ut uoluptati et corpori seruientes ad uirtutem respicere non possint, aliis uero inspirat inuidiam, ut suis ipsi tormentis occupati nihil cogitent aliut nisi eorum quos oderint felicitatem. alios inflat ambitionibus: ii sunt qui ad gerendos magistratus omnem uitae suae operam curamque conuertunt, ut fastos signent et annis nomen inponant. quorundam cupiditas tendit altius, non ut prouincias tempora!! gladio regant, sed ut infinita et perpetua potestate dominos se dici uelint uniuersi generis humani. quos autem pios uiderit, uariis inplicat religionibus, ut impios faciat. iis uero qui sapientiam quaerunt, philosophiam in oculos inpingit, ut specie lucis excaecet, ne quis conprehendat ac teneat ueritatem. sic hominibus obstruxit aditus omnes et obsaepsit uias publicis laetus erroribus. quos ut discutere possemus ipsumque auctorem malorum uincere, inluminauit nos deus et armauit uera caelestique uirtute. de qua nunc mihi disserendum est.