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The Octavius of Minucius Felix

Minucius Felix

Chapter 18

About this work

A polished Latin dialogue in which pagan and Christian friends debate providence, Roman religion, accusations against Christians, resurrection, and the philosophical credibility of Christian monotheism.

Author: Minucius Felix
Date: Late 2nd or early 3rd century
Origin: Rome or North Africa
Genre: Dialogue

The work’s date relative to Tertullian and the author’s geographical setting remain debated.

Chapter XVIII.—Argument: Moreover, God Not Only Takes Care of the Universal World, But of Its Individual Parts. That by the Decree of the One God All Things are Governed, is Proved by the Illustration of Earthly Empires. But Although He, Being Infinite and Immense—And How Great He Is, is Known to Himself Alone—Cannot Either Be Seen or Named by Us, Yet His Glory is Beheld Most Clearly When the Use of All Titles is Laid Aside.

“It would be a long

‹ Chapter 17 Chapter 19 ›

matter

to

go

through

particular

instances

.

There

is

no

member

in

man

which

is

not

calculated

both

for

the

sake

of

necessity

and

of

ornament

;

and

what

is

more

wonderful

still

,

all

have

the

same

form

,

but

each

has

certain

lineaments

modified

,

and

thus

we

are

each

found

to

be

unlike

to

one

another

,

while

we

all

appear

to

be

like

in

general

.

What

is

the

reason

of

our

being

born

?

what

means

the

desire

of

begetting

?

Is

it

not

given

by

God

,

and

that

the

breasts

should

become

full

of

milk

as

the

offspring

grows

to

maturity

,

and

that

the

tender

progeny

should

grow

up

by

the

nourishment

afforded

by

the

abundance

of

the

milky

moisture

?

Neither

does

God

have

care

alone

for

the

universe

as

a

whole

,

but

also

for

its

parts

.

Britain

is

deficient

in

sunshine

,

but

it

is

refreshed

by

the

warmth

of

the

sea

that

flows

around

it

.

The

river

Nile

tempers

the

dryness

of

Egypt

;

the

Euphrates

cultivates

Mesopotamia

;

the

river

Indus

makes

up

for

the

want

of

rains

,

and

is

said

both

to

sow

and

to

water

the

East

.

Now

if

,

on

entering

any

house

,

you

should

behold

everything

refined

,

well

arranged

,

and

adorned

,

assuredly

you

would

believe

that

a

master

presided

over

it

,

and

that

he

himself

was

much

better

than

all

those

excellent

things

.

So

in

this

house

of

the

world

,

when

you

look

upon

the

heaven

and

the

earth

,

its

providence

,

its

ordering

,

its

law

,

believe

that

there

is

a

Lord

and

Parent

of

the

universe

far

more

glorious

than

the

stars

themselves

,

and

the

parts

of

the

whole

world

.

Unless

,

perchance

—

since

there

is

no

doubt

as

to

the

existence

of

providence

—

you

think

that

it

is

a

subject

of

inquiry

,

whether

the

celestial

kingdom

is

governed

by

the

power

of

one

or

by

the

rule

of

many

;

and

this

matter

itself

does

not

involve

much

trouble

in

opening

out

,

to

one

who

considers

earthly

empires

,

for

which

the

examples

certainly

are

taken

from

heaven

.

When

at

any

time

was

there

an

alliance

in

royal

authority

which

either

began

with

good

faith

or

ceased

without

bloodshed

?

I

pass

over

the

Persians

who

gathered

the

augury

for

their

chieftainship

from

the

neighing

of

horses

;

and

I

do

not

quote

that

absolutely

dead

fable

of

the

Theban

brothers

.

The

story

about

the

twins

(

Romulus

and

Remus

)

,

in

respect

of

the

dominion

of

shepherds

,

and

of

a

cottage

,

is

very

well

known

.

The

wars

of

the

son

-

in

-

law

and

the

father

-

in

-

law

were

scattered

over

the

whole

world

;

and

the

fortune

of

so

great

an

empire

could

not

receive

two

rulers

.

Look

at

other

matters

.

The

bees

have

one

king

;

the

flocks

one

leader

;

among

the

herds

there

is

one

ruler

.

Canst

thou

believe

that

in

heaven

there

is

a

division

of

the

supreme

power

,

and

that

the

whole

authority

of

that

true

and

divine

empire

is

sundered

,

when

it

is

manifest

that

God

,

the

Parent

of

all

,

has

neither

beginning

nor

end

—

that

He

who

gives

birth

to

all

gives

perpetuity

to

Himself

—

that

He

who

was

before

the

world

,

was

Himself

to

Himself

instead

of

the

world

?

He

orders

everything

,

whatever

it

is

,

by

a

word

;

arranges

it

by

His

wisdom

;

perfects

it

by

His

power

.

He

can

neither

be

seen

—

He

is

brighter

than

light

;

nor

can

be

grasped

—

He

is

purer

than

touch

;

nor

estimated

;

He

is

greater

than

all

perceptions

;

infinite

,

immense

,

and

how

great

is

known

to

Himself

alone

.

But

our

heart

is

too

limited

to

understand

Him

,

and

therefore

we

are

then

worthily

estimating

Him

when

we

say

that

He

is

beyond

estimation

.

I

will

speak

out

in

what

manner

I

feel

.

He

who

thinks

that

he

knows

the

magnitude

of

God

,

is

diminishing

it

;

he

who

desires

not

to

lessen

it

,

knows

it

not

.

Neither

must

you

ask

a

name

for

God

.

God

is

His

name

.

We

have

need

of

names

when

a

multitude

is

to

be

separated

into

individuals

by

the

special

characteristics

of

names

;

to

God

,

who

is

alone

,

the

name

God

is

the

whole

.

If

I

were

to

call

Him

Father

,

you

would

judge

Him

to

be

earthly

;

if

a

King

,

you

would

suspect

Him

to

be

carnal

;

if

a

Lord

,

you

will

certainly

understand

Him

to

be

mortal

.

Take

away

the

additions

of

names

,

and

you

will

behold

His

glory

.

What

!

is

it

not

true

that

I

have

in

this

matter

the

consent

of

all

men

?

I

hear

the

common

people

,

when

they

lift

their

hands

to

heaven

,

say

nothing

else

but

Oh

God

,

and

God

is

great

,

and

God

is

true

,

and

if

God

shall

permit

.

Is

this

the

natural

discourse

of

the

common

people

,

or

is

it

the

prayer

of

a

confessing

Christian

?

And

they

who

speak

of

Jupiter

as

the

chief

,

are

mistaken

in

the

name

indeed

,

but

they

are

in

agreement

about

the

unity

of

the

power

.

Notes

1
[In the case of Darius Hystaspes.]
2
Eteocles and Polynices.
3
Pompey and Cæsar.
4
According to some, “one fate.”
5
These words are omitted by some editors.