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On the Workmanship of God, or the Formation of Man

Lactantius

Chapter 20

About this work

A reflection on the human body and soul arguing that their design, function, and mutual relation reveal providence and distinguish purposeful creation from materialist explanation.

Author: Lactantius
Date: c. AD 303–305
Origin: Nicomedia
Genre: Theological Treatise

Chap. XX.—Of Himself and the Truth.

These things I have written to you,

‹ Chapter 19

Demetrianus

,

for

the

present

in

few

words

,

and

perhaps

with

more

obscurity

than

was

befitting

,

in

accordance

with

the

necessity

of

circumstances

and

the

time

,

with

which

you

ought

to

be

content

,

since

you

are

about

to

receive

more

and

better

things

if

God

shall

favour

us

.

Then

,

accordingly

,

I

will

exhort

you

with

greater

clearness

and

truth

to

the

learning

of

true

philosophy

.

For

I

have

determined

to

commit

to

writing

as

many

things

as

I

shall

be

able

,

which

have

reference

to

the

condition

of

a

happy

life

;

and

that

indeed

against

the

philosophers

,

since

they

are

pernicious

and

weighty

for

the

disturbing

of

the

truth

.

For

the

force

of

their

eloquence

is

incredible

,

and

their

subtlety

in

argument

and

disputation

may

easily

deceive

any

one

;

and

these

we

will

refute

partly

by

our

own

weapons

,

but

partly

by

weapons

borrowed

from

their

mutual

wrangling

,

so

that

it

may

be

evident

that

they

rather

introduced

error

than

removed

it

.

Perhaps you may wonder that I venture to undertake so great a deed. Shall we then suffer the truth to be extinguished or crushed? I, in truth, would more willingly fail even under this burthen. For if Marcus Tullius, the unparalleled example of eloquence itself, was often vanquished by men void of learning and eloquence,—who, however, were striving for that which was true,—why should we despair that the truth itself will by its own peculiar force and clearness avail against deceitful and captious eloquence? They indeed are wont to profess themselves advocates of the truth; but who can defend that which he has not learned, or make clear to others that which he himself does not know? I seem to promise a great thing; but there is need of the favour of Heaven, that ability and time may be given us for following our purpose. But if life is to be wished for by a wise man, assuredly I should wish to live for no other reason than that I may effect something which may be worthy of life, and which may be useful to my readers, if not for eloquence, because there is in me but a slight stream of eloquence, at any rate for living, which is especially needful. And when I have accomplished this, I shall think that I have lived enough, and that I have discharged the duty of a man, if my labour shall have freed some men from errors, and have directed them to the path which leads to heaven.