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The Epitome of the Divine Institutes

Lactantius

Chapter 49

About this work

A condensed presentation of Lactantius’s apologetic project, summarizing his case against pagan worship and his account of divine providence, true religion, justice, and Christian hope.

Author: Lactantius
Date: Early 4th century
Origin: Nicomedia or Gaul
Genre: Apology

Chap. XLIX.—That God is One Only.

If therefore the Jews have been rejected by

‹ Chapter 48 Chapter 50 ›

God

,

as

the

faith

due

to

the

sacred

writings

shows

,

and

the

Gentiles

,

as

we

see

,

brought

in

,

and

freed

from

the

darkness

of

this

present

life

and

from

the

chains

of

demons

,

it

follows

that

no

other

hope

is

proposed

to

man

,

unless

he

shall

follow

true

religion

and

true

wisdom

,

which

is

in

Christ

,

and

he

who

is

ignorant

of

Him

is

always

estranged

from

the

truth

and

from

God

.

Nor

let

the

Jews

,

or

philosophers

,

flatter

themselves

respecting

the

Supreme

God

.

He

who

has

not

acknowledged

the

Son

has

been

unable

to

acknowledge

the

Father

.

This

is

wisdom

,

and

this

is

the

mystery

of

the

Supreme

God

.

God

willed

that

He

should

be

acknowledged

and

worshipped

through

Him

.

On

this

account

He

sent

the

prophets

beforehand

to

announce

His

coming

,

that

when

the

things

which

had

been

foretold

were

fulfilled

in

Him

,

then

He

might

be

believed

by

men

to

be

both

the

Son

of

God

and

God

.

Nor, however, must the opinion be entertained that there are two Gods, for the Father and the Son are one. For since the Father loves the Son, and gives all things to Him, and the Son faithfully obeys the Father, and wills nothing except that which the Father does, it is plain that so close a relationship cannot be separated, so that they should be said to be two in whom there is but one substance, and will, and faith. Therefore the Son is through the Father, and the Father through the Son. One honour is to be given to both, as to one God, and is to be so divided through the worship of the two, that the division itself may be bound by an inseparable bond of union. He will leave nothing to himself, who separates either the Father from the Son, or the Son from the Father.

Notes

1
[1 John iv. 15.]
2
[John xiv. 6, 13, and v. 23.]
3
1 John i. 22, 23.]