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The Divine Institutes
Lactantius
Book 2 · Chapter 1 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. i.—that forgetfulness of reason makes men ignorant of the true god, whom they worship in adversity and despise in prosperity. Although I have shown in the first book that
‹ Book 1 · Chapter 23 Book 2 · Chapter 2 ›
the
religious
ceremonies
of
the
gods
are
false
,
because
those
in
whose
honour
the
general
consent
of
men
throughout
the
world
by
a
foolish
persuasion
undertook
various
and
dissimilar
rites
were
mortals
,
and
when
they
had
completed
their
term
of
life
,
yielded
to
a
divinely
appointed
necessity
and
died
,
yet
,
lest
any
doubt
should
be
left
,
this
second
book
shall
lay
open
the
very
fountain
of
errors
,
and
shall
explain
all
the
causes
by
which
men
were
deceived
,
so
that
at
first
they
believed
that
they
were
gods
,
and
afterwards
with
an
inveterate
persuasion
persevered
in
the
religious
observances
which
they
had
most
perversely
undertaken
.
For
I
desire
,
O
Emperor
Constantine
,
now
that
I
have
proved
the
emptiness
of
these
things
,
and
brought
to
light
the
impious
vanity
of
men
,
to
assert
the
majesty
of
the
one
God
,
undertaking
the
more
useful
and
greater
duty
of
recalling
men
from
crooked
paths
,
and
of
bringing
them
back
into
favour
with
themselves
,
that
they
may
not
,
as
some
philosophers
do
,
so
greatly
despise
themselves
,
nor
think
that
they
are
weak
and
useless
,
and
of
no
account
,
and
altogether
born
in
vain
.
For
this
notion
drives
many
to
vicious
pursuits
.
For
while
they
imagine
that
we
are
a
care
to
no
God
,
or
that
we
are
about
to
have
no
existence
after
death
,
they
altogether
give
themselves
to
the
indulgence
of
their
passions
;
and
while
they
think
that
it
is
allowed
them
,
they
eagerly
apply
themselves
to
the
enjoyment
of
pleasures
,
by
which
they
unconsciously
run
into
the
snares
of
death
;
for
they
are
ignorant
as
to
what
is
reasonable
conduct
on
the
part
of
man
:
for
if
they
wished
to
understand
this
,
in
the
first
place
they
would
acknowledge
their
Lord
,
and
would
follow
after
virtue
and
justice
;
they
would
not
subject
their
souls
to
the
influence
of
earth
-
born
fictions
,
nor
would
they
seek
the
deadly
fascinations
of
their
lusts
;
in
short
,
they
would
value
themselves
highly
,
and
would
understand
that
there
is
more
in
man
than
appears
;
and
that
they
cannot
retain
their
power
and
standing
unless
men
lay
aside
depravity
,
and
undertake
the
worship
of
their
true
Parent
.
I
indeed
,
as
I
ought
,
often
reflecting
on
the
sum
of
affairs
,
am
accustomed
to
wonder
that
the
majesty
of
the
one
God
,
which
keeps
together
and
rules
all
things
,
has
come
to
be
so
forgotten
,
that
the
only
befitting
object
of
worship
is
,
above
all
others
,
the
one
which
is
especially
neglected
;
and
that
men
have
sunk
to
such
blindness
,
that
they
prefer
the
dead
to
the
true
and
living
God
,
and
those
who
are
of
the
earth
,
and
buried
in
the
earth
,
to
Him
who
was
the
Creator
of
the
earth
itself
.
And yet this impiety of men might meet with some indulgence if the error entirely arose from ignorance of the divine name . But since we often see that the worshippers of other gods themselves confess and acknowledge the Supreme God , what pardon can they hope for their impiety , who do not acknowledge the worship of Him whom man cannot altogether be ignorant of ? For both in swearing , and in expressing a wish , and in giving thanks , they do not name Jupiter , or a number of gods , but God ; so entirely does the truth of its own accord break forth by the force of nature even from unwilling breasts . And this , indeed , is not the case with men in their prosperity . For then most of all does God escape the memory of men , when in the enjoyment of His benefits they ought to honour His divine beneficence . But if any weighty necessity shall press them , then they remember God . If the terror of war shall have resounded , if the pestilential force of diseases shall have overhung them , if long - continued drought shall have denied nourishment to the crops , if a violent tempest or hail shall have assailed them , they betake themselves to God , aid is implored from God , God is entreated to succour them . If any one is tossed about on the sea , the wind being furious , it is this God whom he invokes . If any one is harassed by any violence , he implores His aid . If any one , reduced to the last extremity of poverty , begs for food , he appeals to God alone , and by His divine and matchless name alone he seeks to gain the compassion of men . Thus they never remember God , unless it be while they are in trouble . When fear has left them , and the dangers have withdrawn , then in truth they quickly hasten to the temples of the gods : they pour libations to them , they sacrifice to them , they crown them with garlands . But to God , whom they called upon in their necessity itself , they do not give thanks even in word . Thus from prosperity arises luxury ; and from luxury , together with all other vices , there arises impiety towards God .
From what cause can we suppose this to arise ? Unless we imagine that there is some perverse power which is always hostile to the truth , which rejoices in the errors of men , whose one and only task it is perpetually to scatter darkness , and to blind the minds of men , lest they should see the light , — lest , in short , they should look to heaven , and observe the nature of their own body , the origin of which we shall relate at the proper place ; but now let us refute fallacies . For since other animals look down to the ground , with bodies bending forward , because they have not received reason and wisdom , whereas an upright position and an elevated countenance have been given to us by the Creator God , it is evident that these ceremonies paid to the gods are not in accordance with the reason of man , because they bend down the heaven - sprung being to the worship of earthly objects . For that one and only Parent of ours , when He created man , — that is , an animal intelligent and capable of exercising reason , — raised him from the ground , and elevated him to the contemplation of his Creator . As an ingenious poet has well represented it : —
“ And when other animals bend forward and look to the earth , He gave to man an elevated countenance , and commanded him to look up to the heaven , and to raise his countenance erect to stars . ”
From this circumstance the Greeks plainly derived the name ἄνθρωπος , because he looks upward . They therefore deny themselves , and renounce the name of man , who do not look up , but downward : unless they think that the fact of our being upright is assigned to man without any cause . God willed that we should look up to heaven , and undoubtedly not without reason . For both the birds and almost all of the dumb creation see the heaven , but it is given to us in a peculiar manner to behold the heaven as we stand erect , that we may seek religion there ; that since we cannot see God with our eyes , we may with our mind contemplate Him , whose throne is there : and this cannot assuredly be done by him who worships brass and stone , which are earthly things . But it is most incorrect that the nature of the body , which is temporary , should be upright , but that the soul itself , which is eternal , should be abject ; whereas the figure and position have no other signification , except that the mind of man ought to look in the same direction as his countenance , and that his soul ought to be as upright as his body , so that it may imitate that which it ought to rule . But men , forgetful both of their name and nature , cast down their eyes from the heaven , and fix them upon the ground , and fear the works of their own hands , as though anything could be greater than its own artificer .
Notes 1 [See Tertullian, vol. iii. p. 176, this series.]
2 Nomen. Another reading is numen, deity.
3 It was a custom among the heathen nations to crown the images of the gods with garlands of flowers.
4 The allusion is to the upright attitude of man, as compared with other created beings. The argument is often used by Lactantius.
5 This sentence is omitted in some editions.
6 Ovid, Metamorphosis [book i. 85. Os homini sublime dedit: cœlumque tueri Jussit, et erectos ad sidera tollere vultus].
7 The allusion is to the supposed derivation of the word ἄνθρωπος, from ἀνὰ, τρέπω, ὤψ, to turn the face upwards.
