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A Treatise on the Anger of God Addressed to Donatus

Lactantius

Chapter 14

About this work

A philosophical and theological argument that divine anger is compatible with divine goodness because providence, moral law, reward, and punishment require God’s active concern for human conduct.

Author: Lactantius
Date: Early 4th century
Origin: North Africa or Nicomedia
Genre: Theological Treatise

Chap. XIV.—Why God Made Man.

It follows that I show for what

‹ Chapter 13 Chapter 15 ›

purpose

God

made

man

himself

.

As

He

contrived

the

world

for

the

sake

of

man

,

so

He

formed

man

himself

on

His

own

account

,

as

it

were

a

priest

of

a

divine

temple

,

a

spectator

of

His

works

and

of

heavenly

objects

.

For

he

is

the

only

being

who

,

since

he

is

intelligent

and

capable

of

reason

,

is

able

to

understand

God

,

to

admire

His

works

,

and

perceive

His

energy

and

power

;

for

on

this

account

he

is

furnished

with

judgment

,

intelligence

,

and

prudence

.

On

this

account

he

alone

,

beyond

the

other

living

creatures

,

has

been

made

with

an

upright

body

and

attitude

,

so

that

he

seems

to

have

been

raised

up

for

the

contemplation

of

his

Parent

.

On

this

account

he

alone

has

received

language

,

and

a

tongue

the

interpreter

of

his

thought

,

that

he

may

be

able

to

declare

the

majesty

of

his

Lord

.

Lastly

,

for

this

cause

all

things

were

placed

under

his

control

,

that

he

himself

might

be

under

the

control

of

God

,

their

Maker

and

Creator

.

If

God

,

therefore

,

designed

man

to

be

a

worshipper

of

Himself

,

and

on

this

account

gave

him

so

much

honour

,

that

he

might

rule

over

all

things

;

it

is

plainly

most

just

that

he

should

worship

Him

who

bestowed

upon

him

such

great

gifts

,

and

love

man

,

who

is

united

with

us

in

the

participation

of

the

divine

justice

.

For

it

is

not

right

that

a

worshipper

of

God

should

he

injured

by

a

worshipper

of

God

.

From

which

it

is

understood

that

man

was

made

for

the

sake

of

religion

and

justice

.

And

of

this

matter

Marcus

Tullius

is

a

witness

in

his

books

respecting

the

Laws

,

since

he

thus

speaks

:

“

But

of

all

things

concerning

which

learned

men

dispute

,

nothing

is

of

greater

consequence

than

that

it

should

be

altogether

understood

that

we

are

born

to

justice

.

”

And

if

this

is

most

true

,

it

follows

that

God

will

have

all

men

to

be

just

,

that

is

,

to

have

God

and

man

as

objects

of

their

affection

;

to

honour

God

in

truth

as

a

Father

,

and

to

love

man

as

a

brother

:

for

in

these

two

things

the

whole

of

justice

is

comprised

.

But

he

who

either

fails

to

acknowledge

God

or

acts

injuriously

to

man

,

lives

unjustly

and

contrary

to

his

nature

,

and

in

this

manner

disturbs

the

divine

institution

and

law

.

Notes

1
[I cease to note this perpetually recurrent thought. It had profoundly impressed our author as an element of natural religion.]
2
Et Deum colere, etc. Some editions read, “et eum, qui tanta præstiterit,” omitting the word “colere.”
3
i. 10.