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The Divine Institutes

Lactantius

Book 1 · Chapter 8

About this work

A large Latin presentation of Christian teaching that criticizes pagan religion and philosophy while treating justice, God, creation, Christ, worship, ethics, and the final destiny of humanity.

Author: Lactantius
Date: c. AD 303–311
Origin: North Africa and Nicomedia
Genre: Apology

Chap. viii.—that god is without a body, nor does he need difference of sex for procreation.

It is proved, therefore, by these witnesses

‹ Book 1 · Chapter 7 Book 1 · Chapter 9 ›

,

so

numerous

and

of

such

authority

,

that

the

universe

is

governed

by

the

power

and

providence

of

one

God

,

whose

energy

and

majesty

Plato

in

the

Timæus

asserts

to

be

so

great

,

that

no

one

can

either

conceive

it

in

his

mind

,

or

give

utterance

to

it

in

words

,

on

account

of

His

surpassing

and

incalculable

power

.

And

then

can

any

one

doubt

whether

any

thing

can

be

difficult

or

impossible

for

God

,

who

by

His

providence

designed

,

by

His

energy

established

,

and

by

His

judgment

completed

those

works

so

great

and

wonderful

,

and

even

now

sustains

them

by

His

spirit

,

and

governs

them

by

His

power

,

being

incomprehensible

and

unspeakable

,

and

fully

known

to

no

other

than

Himself

?

Wherefore

,

as

I

often

reflect

on

the

subject

of

such

great

majesty

,

they

who

worship

the

gods

sometimes

appear

so

blind

,

so

incapable

of

reflection

,

so

senseless

,

so

little

removed

from

the

mute

animals

,

as

to

believe

that

those

who

are

born

from

the

natural

intercourse

of

the

sexes

could

have

had

anything

of

majesty

and

divine

influence

;

since

the

Erythræan

Sibyl

says

:

“

It

is

impossible

for

a

God

to

be

fashioned

from

the

loins

of

a

man

and

the

womb

of

a

woman

.

”

And

if

this

is

true

,

as

it

really

is

,

it

is

evident

that

Hercules

,

Apollo

,

Bacchus

,

Mercury

,

and

Jupiter

,

with

the

rest

,

were

but

men

,

since

they

were

born

from

the

two

sexes

.

But

what

is

so

far

removed

from

the

nature

of

God

as

that

operation

which

He

Himself

assigned

to

mortals

for

the

propagation

of

their

race

,

and

which

cannot

be

affected

without

corporeal

substance

?

Therefore, if the gods are immortal and eternal, what need is there of the other sex, when they themselves do not require succession, since they are always about to exist? For assuredly in the case of mankind and the other animals, there is no other reason for difference of sex and procreation and bringing forth, except that all classes of living creatures, inasmuch as they are doomed to death by the condition of their mortality, may be preserved by mutual succession. But God, who is immortal, has no need of difference of sex, nor of succession. Some one will say that this arrangement is necessary, in order that He may have some to minister to Him, or over whom He may bear rule. What need is there of the female sex, since God, who is almighty, is able to produce sons without the agency of the female? For if He has granted to certain minute creatures that they

“Should gather offspring for themselves with their mouth from leaves and sweet herbs,”

why should any one think it impossible for God Himself to have offspring except by union with the other sex? No one, therefore, is so thoughtless as not to understand that those were mere mortals, whom the ignorant and foolish regard and worship as gods. Why, then, some one will say, were they believed to be gods? Doubtless because they were very great and powerful kings; and since, on account of the merits of their virtues, or offices, or the arts which they discovered, they were beloved by those over whom they had ruled, they were consecrated to lasting memory. And if any one doubts this, let him consider their exploits and deeds, the whole of which both ancient poets and historians have handed down.

Notes

1
[The bees, according to Virgil, Georg., iv. 199.]