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The Divine Institutes

Lactantius

Book 2 · Chapter 19

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. XIX.—Of the Worship of Images and Earthly Objects.

Whoever, therefore, is anxious to observe the

‹ Book 2 · Chapter 18 Book 2 · Chapter 20 ›

obligations

to

which

man

is

liable

,

and

to

maintain

a

regard

for

his

nature

,

let

him

raise

himself

from

the

ground

,

and

,

with

mind

lifted

up

,

let

him

direct

his

eyes

to

heaven

:

let

him

not

seek

God

under

his

feet

,

nor

dig

up

from

his

footprints

an

object

of

veneration

,

for

whatever

lies

beneath

man

must

necessarily

be

inferior

to

man

;

but

let

him

seek

it

aloft

,

let

him

seek

it

in

the

highest

place

:

for

nothing

can

be

greater

than

man

,

except

that

which

is

above

man

.

But

God

is

greater

than

man

:

therefore

He

is

above

,

and

not

below

;

nor

is

He

to

be

sought

in

the

lowest

,

but

rather

in

the

highest

region

.

Wherefore

it

is

undoubted

that

there

is

no

religion

wherever

there

is

an

image

.

For

if

religion

consists

of

divine

things

,

and

there

is

nothing

divine

except

in

heavenly

things

;

it

follows

that

images

are

without

religion

,

because

there

can

be

nothing

heavenly

in

that

which

is

made

from

the

earth

.

And

this

,

indeed

,

may

be

plain

to

a

wise

man

from

the

very

name

.

For

whatever

is

an

imitation

,

that

must

of

necessity

be

false

;

nor

can

anything

receive

the

name

of

a

true

object

which

counterfeits

the

truth

by

deception

and

imitation

.

But

if

all

imitation

is

not

particularly

a

serious

matter

,

but

as

it

were

a

sport

and

jest

,

then

there

is

no

religion

in

images

,

but

a

mimicry

of

religion

.

That

which

is

true

is

therefore

to

be

preferred

to

all

things

which

are

false

;

earthly

things

are

to

be

trampled

upon

,

that

we

may

obtain

heavenly

things

.

For

this

is

the

state

of

the

case

,

that

whosoever

shall

prostrate

his

soul

,

which

has

its

origin

from

heaven

,

to

the

shades

beneath

,

and

the

lowest

things

,

must

fall

to

that

place

to

which

he

has

cast

himself

.

Therefore

he

ought

to

be

mindful

of

his

nature

and

condition

,

and

always

to

strive

and

aim

at

things

above

.

And

whoever

shall

do

this

,

he

will

be

judged

altogether

wise

,

he

just

,

he

a

man

:

he

,

in

short

,

will

be

judged

worthy

of

heaven

whom

his

Parent

will

recognise

not

as

abject

,

nor

cast

down

to

the

earth

after

the

manner

of

the

beasts

,

but

rather

standing

and

upright

as

He

made

him

.

Notes

1
[Quare non est dubium quin religio nulla sit ubicunque simulacrum est. Such is the uniform Ante-Nicene testimony.]
2
Simulacrum, “an image,” from simulo, “to imitate.”
3
The infernal regions.
4
Quadrupeds.