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On the Workmanship of God, or the Formation of Man

Lactantius

Chapter 7

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. VII.—Of All the Parts of the Body.

God therefore connected and bound together the

‹ Chapter 6 Chapter 8 ›

parts

which

strengthen

the

body

,

which

we

call

bones

,

being

knotted

and

joined

to

one

another

by

sinews

,

which

the

mind

might

make

use

of

,

as

bands

,

if

it

should

wish

to

hasten

forward

or

to

lag

behind

;

and

,

indeed

,

without

any

labour

or

effort

,

but

with

a

very

slight

inclination

,

it

might

moderate

and

guide

the

mass

of

the

whole

body

.

But

He

covered

these

with

the

inward

organs

,

as

was

befitting

to

each

place

,

that

the

parts

which

were

solid

might

be

enclosed

and

concealed

.

Also

He

mixed

with

the

inward

organs

,

veins

as

streams

divided

through

the

whole

body

,

through

which

the

moisture

and

the

blood

,

running

in

different

directions

,

might

bedew

all

the

limbs

with

the

vital

juices

;

and

He

fashioned

these

inward

organs

after

that

manner

which

was

befitting

to

each

kind

and

situation

,

and

covered

them

with

skin

drawn

over

them

,

which

He

either

adorned

with

beauty

only

,

or

covered

with

thick

hair

,

or

fenced

with

scales

,

or

adorned

with

brilliant

feathers

.

But

that

is

a

wonderful

contrivance

of

God

,

that

one

arrangement

and

one

state

exhibits

innumerable

varieties

of

animals

.

For

in

almost

all

things

which

breathe

there

is

the

same

connection

and

arrangement

of

the

limbs

.

For

first

of

all

is

the

head

,

and

annexed

to

this

the

neck

;

also

the

breast

adjoined

to

the

neck

,

and

the

shoulders

projecting

from

it

,

the

belly

adhering

to

the

breast

;

also

the

organs

of

generation

subjoined

to

the

belly

;

in

the

last

place

,

the

thighs

and

feet

.

Nor

do

the

limbs

only

keep

their

own

course

and

position

in

all

,

but

also

the

parts

of

the

limbs

.

For

in

the

head

itself

alone

the

ears

occupy

a

fixed

position

,

the

eyes

a

fixed

position

,

likewise

the

nostrils

,

the

mouth

also

,

and

in

the

teeth

and

tongue

.

And

though

all

these

things

are

the

same

in

all

animals

,

yet

there

is

an

infinite

and

manifold

diversity

of

the

things

formed

;

because

those

things

of

which

I

have

spoken

,

being

either

more

drawn

out

or

more

contracted

,

are

comprehended

by

lineaments

differing

in

various

ways

.

What

!

is

not

that

divine

,

that

in

so

great

a

multitude

of

living

creatures

each

animal

is

most

excellent

in

its

own

class

and

species

?

—

so

that

if

any

part

should

be

taken

from

one

to

another

,

the

necessary

result

would

be

,

that

nothing

would

be

more

embarrassed

for

use

,

nothing

more

unshapely

to

look

upon

;

as

if

you

should

give

a

prolonged

neck

to

an

elephant

,

or

a

short

neck

to

a

camel

;

or

if

you

should

attach

feet

or

hair

to

serpents

,

in

which

the

length

of

the

body

equally

stretched

out

required

nothing

else

,

except

that

being

marked

as

to

their

backs

with

spots

,

and

supporting

themselves

by

their

smooth

scales

,

with

winding

courses

they

should

glide

into

slippery

tracts

.

But

in

quadrupeds

the

same

designer

lengthened

out

the

arrangement

of

the

spine

,

which

is

drawn

out

from

the

top

of

the

head

to

a

greater

length

on

the

outside

of

the

body

,

and

pointed

it

into

a

tail

,

that

the

parts

of

the

body

which

are

offensive

might

either

be

covered

on

account

of

their

unsightliness

,

or

be

protected

on

account

of

their

tenderness

,

so

that

by

its

motion

certain

minute

and

injurious

animals

might

be

driven

away

from

the

body

;

and

if

you

should

take

away

this

member

,

the

animal

would

be

imperfect

and

weak

.

But

where

there

is

reason

and

the

hand

,

that

is

not

so

necessary

as

a

covering

of

hair

.

To

such

an

extent

are

all

things

most

befittingly

arranged

,

each

in

its

own

class

,

that

nothing

can

be

conceived

more

unbecoming

than

a

quadruped

which

is

naked

,

or

a

man

that

is

covered

.

But, however, though nakedness itself on the part of man tends in a wonderful manner to beauty, yet it was not adapted to his head; for what great deformity there would be in this, is evident from baldness. Therefore He clothed the head with hair; and because it was about to be on the top, He added it as an ornament, as it were, to the highest summit of the building. And this ornament is not collected into a circle, or rounded into the figure of a cap, lest it should be unsightly by leaving some parts bare; but it is freely poured forth in some places, and withdrawn in others, according to the comeliness of each place. Therefore, the forehead entrenched by a circumference, and the hair put forth from the temples before the ears, and the uppermost parts of these being surrounded after the manner of a crown, and all the back part of the head covered, display an appearance of wonderful comeliness. Then the nature of the beard contributes in an incredible degree to distinguish the maturity of bodies, or to the distinction of sex, or to the beauty of manliness and strength; so that it appears that the system of the whole work would not have been in agreement, if anything had been made otherwise than it is.

Notes

1
Solidamenta corporis.
2
Retinaculis.
3
Visceribus.