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The Divine Institutes

Lactantius

Book 6 · Chapter 16

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. XVI.—Of the Affections, and the Refutation of the Opinion of the Peripatetics Concerning Them; What is the Proper Use of the Affections, and What is a Bad Use of Them.

But I think that the Peripatetics did not even

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approach

the

truth

,

who

allow

that

they

are

vices

,

but

regulate

them

with

moderation

.

For

we

must

be

free

even

from

moderate

vices

;

yea

,

rather

,

it

ought

to

have

been

at

first

effected

that

there

should

be

no

vices

.

For

nothing

can

be

born

vicious

;

but

if

we

make

a

bad

use

of

the

affections

they

become

vices

,

if

we

use

them

well

they

become

virtues

.

Then

it

must

be

shown

that

the

causes

of

the

affections

,

and

not

the

affections

themselves

,

must

be

moderated

.

We

must

not

,

they

say

,

rejoice

with

excessive

joy

,

but

moderately

and

temperately

.

This

is

as

though

they

should

say

that

we

must

not

run

swiftly

,

but

walk

quietly

.

But

it

is

possible

that

he

who

walks

may

err

,

and

that

he

who

runs

may

keep

the

right

path

.

What

if

I

show

that

there

is

a

case

in

which

it

is

vicious

not

only

to

rejoice

moderately

,

but

even

in

the

smallest

degree

;

and

that

there

is

another

case

,

on

the

contrary

,

in

which

even

to

exult

with

transports

of

joy

is

by

no

means

faulty

?

What

then

,

I

pray

,

will

this

mediocrity

profit

us

?

I

ask

whether

they

think

that

a

wise

man

ought

to

rejoice

if

he

sees

any

evil

happening

to

his

enemy

;

or

whether

he

ought

to

curb

his

joy

,

if

by

the

conquest

of

enemies

,

or

the

overthrow

of

a

tyrant

,

liberty

and

safety

have

been

acquired

by

his

countrymen

.

No one doubts but that in the former case to rejoice a little, and in the latter to rejoice too little, is a very great crime. We may say the same respecting the other affections. But, as I have said, the object of wisdom does not consist in the regulation of these, but of their causes, since they are acted upon from without; nor was it befitting that these themselves should be restrained; since they may exist in a small degree with the greatest criminality, and in the greatest degree without any criminality. But they ought to have been assigned to fixed times, and circumstances, and places, that they may not be vices, when it is permitted us to make a right use of them. For as to walk in the right course is good, but to wander from it is evil, so to be moved by the affections to that which is right is good, but to that which is corrupt is evil. For sensual desire, if it does not wander from its lawful object, although it be ardent, yet is without fault. But if it desires an unlawful object, although it be moderate, yet it is a great vice. Therefore it is not a disease to be angry, nor to desire, nor to be excited by lust; but to be passionate, to be covetous or licentious, is a disease. For he who is passionate is angry even with him with whom he ought not to be angry or at times when he ought not. He who is covetous desires even that which is unnecessary. He who is licentious pursues even that which is forbidden by the laws. The whole matter ought to have turned on this, that since the impetuosity of these things cannot be restrained, nor is it right that it should be, because it is necessarily implanted for maintaining the duties of life, it might rather be directed into the right way, where it may be possible even to run without stumbling and danger.

Notes

1
[See Augustine against Pelagius: another view.]
2
[Again this love of liberty, but loosely said.]