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The Divine Institutes

Lactantius

Book 5 · Chapter 13

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

Chapter XIII.—Of the Increase and the Punishment of the Christians.

But since our number is continually increased from the

‹ Book 5 · Chapter 12 Book 5 · Chapter 14 ›

worshippers

of

gods

,

but

is

never

lessened

,

not

even

in

persecution

itself

,

—

since

men

may

commit

sin

,

and

be

defiled

by

sacrifice

,

but

they

cannot

be

turned

away

from

God

,

for

the

truth

prevails

by

its

own

power

,

—

who

is

there

,

I

pray

,

so

foolish

and

so

blind

as

not

to

see

on

which

side

wisdom

is

?

But

they

are

blinded

by

malice

and

fury

,

that

they

cannot

see

;

and

they

think

that

those

are

foolish

who

,

when

they

have

it

in

their

power

to

avoid

punishments

,

nevertheless

prefer

to

be

tortured

and

to

be

put

to

death

;

whereas

they

might

see

from

this

very

circumstance

,

that

it

is

not

folly

to

which

so

many

thousands

throughout

the

world

agree

with

one

and

the

same

mind

.

For

if

women

fall

into

error

through

the

weakness

of

their

sex

(

for

these

persons

sometimes

call

it

a

womanish

and

anile

superstition

)

,

men

doubtless

are

wise

.

If

boys

,

if

youths

are

improvident

through

their

age

,

the

mature

and

aged

doubtless

have

a

fixed

judgment

.

If

one

city

is

unwise

,

it

is

evident

that

the

other

innumerable

cities

cannot

be

foolish

.

If

one

province

or

one

nation

is

without

prudence

,

the

rest

must

have

understanding

of

that

which

is

right

.

But

since

the

divine

law

has

been

received

from

the

rising

even

to

the

setting

of

the

sun

,

and

each

sex

,

every

age

,

and

nation

,

and

country

,

with

one

and

the

same

mind

obeys

God

—

since

there

is

everywhere

the

same

patient

endurance

,

the

same

contempt

of

death

—

they

ought

to

have

understood

that

there

is

some

reason

in

that

matter

,

that

it

is

not

without

a

cause

that

it

is

defended

even

to

death

,

that

there

is

some

foundation

and

solidity

,

which

not

only

frees

that

religion

from

injuries

and

molestation

,

but

always

increases

and

makes

it

stronger

.

For

in

this

respect

also

the

malice

of

those

is

brought

to

light

,

who

think

that

they

have

utterly

overthrown

the

religion

of

God

if

they

have

corrupted

men

,

when

it

is

permitted

them

to

make

satisfaction

also

to

God

;

and

there

is

no

worshipper

of

God

so

evil

who

does

not

,

when

the

opportunity

is

given

him

,

return

to

appease

God

,

and

that

,

too

,

with

greater

devotedness

.

For

the

consciousness

of

sin

and

the

fear

of

punishment

make

a

man

more

religious

,

and

the

faith

is

always

much

stronger

which

is

replaced

through

repentance

.

If

,

therefore

,

they

themselves

,

when

they

think

that

the

gods

are

angry

with

them

,

nevertheless

believe

that

they

are

appeased

by

gifts

,

and

sacrifices

,

and

incense

,

what

reason

is

there

why

they

should

imagine

our

God

to

be

so

unmerciful

and

implacable

,

that

it

should

appear

impossible

for

him

to

be

a

Christian

,

who

by

compulsion

and

against

his

will

has

poured

a

libation

to

their

gods

?

Unless

by

chance

they

think

that

those

who

are

once

contaminated

are

about

to

change

their

mind

,

so

that

they

may

now

begin

of

their

own

accord

to

do

that

which

they

have

done

under

the

influence

of

torture

.

Who

would

willingly

undertake

that

duty

which

began

with

injury

?

Who

,

when

he

sees

the

scars

on

his

own

sides

,

would

not

the

more

hate

the

gods

,

on

account

of

whom

he

bears

the

traces

of

lasting

punishment

,

and

the

marks

imprinted

upon

his

flesh

?

Thus

it

comes

to

pass

,

that

when

peace

is

given

from

heaven

,

those

who

were

estranged

from

us

return

,

and

a

fresh

crowd

of

others

are

added

on

account

of

the

wonderful

nature

of

the

virtue

displayed

.

For

when

the

people

see

that

men

are

lacerated

by

various

kinds

of

tortures

,

and

that

they

retain

their

patience

unsubdued

while

the

executioners

are

wearied

,

they

think

,

as

is

really

the

case

,

that

neither

the

agreement

of

so

many

nor

the

constancy

of

the

dying

is

without

meaning

,

and

that

patience

itself

could

not

surmount

such

great

tortures

without

the

aid

of

God

.

Robbers

and

men

of

robust

frame

are

unable

to

endure

lacerations

of

this

kind

:

they

utter

exclamations

,

and

send

forth

groans

;

for

they

are

overcome

by

pain

,

because

they

are

destitute

of

patience

infused

into

them

.

But

in

our

case

(

not

to

speak

of

men

)

,

boys

and

delicate

women

in

silence

overpower

their

torturers

,

and

even

the

fire

is

unable

to

extort

from

them

a

groan

.

Let

the

Romans

go

and

boast

in

their

Mutius

or

Regulus

,

—

the

one

of

whom

gave

himself

up

to

be

slain

by

the

enemy

,

because

he

was

ashamed

to

live

as

a

captive

;

the

other

being

taken

by

the

enemy

,

when

he

saw

that

he

could

not

escape

death

,

laid

his

hand

upon

the

burning

hearth

,

that

he

might

make

atonement

for

his

crime

to

the

enemy

whom

he

wished

to

kill

,

and

by

that

punishment

received

the

pardon

which

he

had

not

deserved

.

Behold

,

the

weak

sex

and

fragile

age

endure

to

be

lacerated

in

the

whole

body

,

and

to

be

burned

:

not

of

necessity

,

for

it

is

permitted

them

to

escape

if

they

wished

to

do

so

;

but

of

their

own

will

,

because

they

put

their

trust

in

God

.

Notes

2
Et qui fuerint aversi, redeant. The common reading is, “et qui fugerunt, universi redeant.”
3
Alius novas populus.
4
Propter miraculum virtutis.
5
Deest illis inspirata patientia.
6
[Vol. iii. p. 700, this series.]