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The Octavius of Minucius Felix

Minucius Felix

Chapter 17

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 XVII.—Argument: Man Ought Indeed to Know Himself, But This Knowledge Cannot Be Attained by Him Unless He First of All Acknowledges the Entire Scope of Things, and God Himself. And from the Constitution and Furniture of the World Itself, Every One Endowed with Reason Holds that It Was Established by God, and is Governed and Administered by Him.

“Neither do I refuse to admit

‹ Chapter 16 Chapter 18 ›

what

Cæcilius

earnestly

endeavoured

to

maintain

among

the

chief

matters

,

that

man

ought

to

know

himself

,

and

to

look

around

and

see

what

he

is

,

whence

he

is

,

why

he

is

;

whether

collected

together

from

the

elements

,

or

harmoniously

formed

of

atoms

,

or

rather

made

,

formed

,

and

animated

by

God

.

And

it

is

this

very

thing

which

we

cannot

seek

out

and

investigate

without

inquiry

into

the

universe

;

since

things

are

so

coherent

,

so

linked

and

associated

together

,

that

unless

you

diligently

examine

into

the

nature

of

divinity

,

you

must

be

ignorant

of

that

of

humanity

.

Nor

can

you

well

perform

your

social

duty

unless

you

know

that

community

of

the

world

which

is

common

to

all

,

especially

since

in

this

respect

we

differ

from

the

wild

beasts

,

that

while

they

are

prone

and

tending

to

the

earth

,

and

are

born

to

look

upon

nothing

but

their

food

,

we

,

whose

countenance

is

erect

,

whose

look

is

turned

towards

heaven

,

as

is

our

converse

and

reason

,

whereby

we

recognise

,

feel

,

and

imitate

God

,

have

neither

right

nor

reason

to

be

ignorant

of

the

celestial

glory

which

forms

itself

into

our

eyes

and

senses

.

For

it

is

as

bad

as

the

grossest

sacrilege

even

,

to

seek

on

the

ground

for

what

you

ought

to

find

on

high

.

Wherefore

the

rather

,

they

who

deny

that

this

furniture

of

the

whole

world

was

perfected

by

the

divine

reason

,

and

assert

that

it

was

heaped

together

by

certain

fragments

casually

adhering

to

each

other

,

seem

to

me

not

to

have

either

mind

or

sense

,

or

,

in

fact

,

even

sight

itself

.

For

what

can

possibly

be

so

manifest

,

so

confessed

,

and

so

evident

,

when

you

lift

your

eyes

up

to

heaven

,

and

look

into

the

things

which

are

below

and

around

,

than

that

there

is

some

Deity

of

most

excellent

intelligence

,

by

whom

all

nature

is

inspired

,

is

moved

,

is

nourished

,

is

governed

?

Behold

the

heaven

itself

,

how

broadly

it

is

expanded

,

how

rapidly

it

is

whirled

around

,

either

as

it

is

distinguished

in

the

night

by

its

stars

,

or

as

it

is

lightened

in

the

day

by

the

sun

,

and

you

will

know

at

once

how

the

marvellous

and

divine

balance

of

the

Supreme

Governor

is

engaged

therein

.

Look

also

on

the

year

,

how

it

is

made

by

the

circuit

of

the

sun

;

and

look

on

the

month

,

how

the

moon

drives

it

around

in

her

increase

,

her

decline

,

and

decay

.

What

shall

I

say

of

the

recurring

changes

of

darkness

and

light

;

how

there

is

thus

provided

for

us

an

alternate

restoration

of

labour

and

rest

?

Truly

a

more

prolix

discourse

concerning

the

stars

must

be

left

to

astronomers

,

whether

as

to

how

they

govern

the

course

of

navigation

,

or

bring

on

the

season

of

ploughing

or

of

reaping

,

each

of

which

things

not

only

needed

a

Supreme

Artist

and

a

perfect

intelligence

,

nor

only

to

create

,

to

construct

,

and

to

arrange

;

but

,

moreover

,

they

cannot

be

felt

,

perceived

and

understood

without

the

highest

intelligence

and

reason

.

What

!

when

the

order

of

the

seasons

and

of

the

harvests

is

distinguished

by

stedfast

variety

,

does

it

not

attest

its

Author

and

Parent

?

As

well

the

spring

with

its

flowers

,

and

the

summer

with

its

harvests

,

and

the

grateful

maturity

of

autumn

,

and

the

wintry

olive

-

gathering

,

are

needful

;

and

this

order

would

easily

be

disturbed

unless

it

were

established

by

the

highest

intelligence

.

Now

,

how

great

is

the

providence

needed

,

lest

there

should

be

nothing

but

winter

to

blast

with

its

frost

,

or

nothing

but

summer

to

scorch

with

its

heat

,

to

interpose

the

moderate

temperature

of

autumn

and

spring

,

so

that

the

unseen

and

harmless

transitions

of

the

year

returning

on

its

footsteps

may

glide

by

!

Look

attentively

at

the

sea

;

it

is

bound

by

the

law

of

its

shore

.

Wherever

there

are

trees

,

look

how

they

are

animated

from

the

bowels

of

the

earth

!

Consider

the

ocean

;

it

ebbs

and

flows

with

alternate

tides

.

Look

at

the

fountains

,

how

they

gush

in

perpetual

streams

!

Gaze

on

the

rivers

;

they

always

roll

on

in

regular

courses

.

Why

should

I

speak

of

the

aptly

ordered

peaks

of

the

mountains

,

the

slopes

of

the

hills

,

the

expanses

of

the

plains

?

Wherefore

should

I

speak

of

the

multiform

protection

provided

by

animated

creatures

against

one

another

?

—

some

armed

with

horns

,

some

hedged

with

teeth

,

and

shod

with

claws

,

and

barbed

with

stings

,

or

with

freedom

obtained

by

swiftness

of

feet

,

or

by

the

capacity

of

soaring

furnished

by

wings

?

The

very

beauty

of

our

own

figure

especially

confesses

God

to

be

its

artificer

:

our

upright

stature

,

our

uplooking

countenance

,

our

eyes

placed

at

the

top

,

as

it

were

,

for

outlook

;

and

all

the

rest

of

our

senses

as

if

arranged

in

a

citadel

.

Notes

1
Some read, “the Lord God.”
2
Scil. “atoms.”
3
According to some, “point out” or “indicate.”
4
Olives ripen in the month of December.