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Fragments of Lactantius

Lactantius

Section 1

About this work

Author: Lactantius

I. Fear, love, joy, sadness, lust,

eager

desire

,

anger

,

pity

,

emulation

,

admiration

,

—

these

motions

or

affections

of

the

mind

exist

from

the

beginning

of

man’s

creation

by

the

Lord

;

and

they

were

usefully

and

advantageously

introduced

into

human

nature

,

that

by

governing

himself

by

these

with

method

,

and

in

accordance

with

reason

,

man

may

be

able

,

by

acting

manfully

,

to

exercise

those

good

qualities

,

by

means

of

which

he

would

justly

have

deserved

to

receive

from

the

Lord

eternal

life

.

For

these

affections

of

the

mind

being

restrained

within

their

proper

limits

,

that

is

,

being

rightly

employed

,

produce

at

present

good

qualities

,

and

in

the

future

eternal

rewards

.

But

when

they

advance

beyond

their

boundaries

,

that

is

,

when

they

turn

aside

to

an

evil

course

,

then

vices

and

iniquities

come

forth

,

and

produce

everlasting

punishments

.

Notes

1
Affluentes.
2
From Muratorii Antiquit. Ital. med. æv.