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The Epitome of the Divine Institutes

Lactantius

Chapter 62

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. LXII.—Of Restraining the Pleasures of the Senses.

Anger is to be restrained when we suffer

‹ Chapter 61 Chapter 63 ›

an

injury

,

that

the

evil

may

be

suppressed

which

is

imminent

from

a

contest

,

and

that

we

may

retain

two

of

the

greatest

virtues

,

harmlessness

and

patience

.

Let

the

desire

of

gain

be

broken

when

we

have

that

which

is

enough

.

For

what

madness

is

it

to

labour

in

heaping

up

those

things

which

must

pass

to

others

,

either

by

robbery

,

or

theft

,

or

by

proscription

,

or

by

death

?

Let

lust

not

go

beyond

the

marriage

-

bed

,

but

be

subservient

to

the

procreation

of

children

.

For

a

too

great

eagerness

for

pleasure

both

produces

danger

and

generates

disgrace

,

and

that

which

is

especially

to

be

avoided

,

leads

to

eternal

death

.

Nothing

is

so

hateful

to

God

as

an

unchaste

mind

and

an

impure

soul

.

Nor

let

any

one

think

that

he

must

abstain

from

this

pleasure

only

,

quæ

capitur

ex

fœminei

corporis

copulatione

,

but

also

from

the

other

pleasures

which

arise

from

the

rest

of

the

senses

,

because

they

also

are

of

themselves

vicious

,

and

it

is

the

part

of

the

same

virtue

to

despise

them

.

The

pleasure

of

the

eyes

is

derived

from

the

beauty

of

objects

,

that

of

the

ears

from

harmonious

and

pleasant

sounds

,

that

of

the

nostrils

from

pleasant

odour

,

that

of

taste

from

sweet

food

,

—

all

of

which

virtue

ought

strongly

to

resist

,

lest

,

ensnared

by

these

attractions

,

the

soul

should

be

depressed

from

heavenly

to

earthly

things

,

from

things

eternal

to

things

temporal

,

from

life

immortal

to

perpetual

punishment

.

In

pleasures

of

the

taste

and

smell

there

is

this

danger

,

that

they

are

able

to

draw

us

to

luxury

.

For

he

who

shall

be

given

up

to

these

things

,

either

will

have

no

property

,

or

,

if

he

shall

have

any

,

he

will

expend

it

,

and

afterwards

live

a

life

to

be

abominated

.

But

he

who

is

carried

away

by

hearing

(

to

say

nothing

respecting

songs

,

which

often

so

charm

the

inmost

senses

that

they

even

disturb

with

madness

a

settled

state

of

the

mind

by

certain

elaborately

composed

speeches

and

harmonious

poems

,

or

skilful

disputations

)

is

easily

led

aside

to

impious

worship

.

Hence

it

is

that

they

who

are

either

themselves

eloquent

,

or

prefer

to

read

eloquent

writings

,

do

not

readily

believe

the

sacred

writings

,

because

they

appear

unpolished

;

they

do

not

seek

things

that

are

true

,

but

things

that

are

pleasant

;

nay

,

to

them

those

things

appear

to

be

most

true

which

soothe

the

ears

.

Thus

they

reject

the

truth

,

while

they

are

captivated

by

the

sweetness

of

the

discourse

.

But

the

pleasure

which

has

reference

to

the

sight

is

manifold

.

For

that

which

is

derived

from

the

beauty

of

precious

objects

excites

avarice

,

which

ought

to

be

far

removed

from

a

wise

and

just

man

;

but

that

which

is

received

from

the

appearance

of

woman

hurries

a

man

to

another

pleasure

,

of

which

we

have

already

spoken

above

.

Notes

1
[See vol. ii. p. 79, notes 1 and 2.]