The Divine Institutes

1 Introductory Notice 2 INTRODUCTORY NOTICE To LACTANTIUS. 3 preface.--of what great value the knowledge of the truth is and always has 4 Chap. i.-- of religion and wisdom. 5 Chap. II.--That there is a providence in the affairs of men. 6 Chap. III.--Whether the universe is governed by the power of one god or of many. 7 Chap. IV.--That the one god was foretold even by the prophets. 8 Chap. V.--Of the testimonies of poets and philosophers. 9 Chap. VI.--Of divine testimonies, and of the sibyls and their predictions. 10 chap. VII.--Concerning the testimonies of apollo and the gods. 11 Chap. viii.--that god is without a body, nor does he need difference of sex for procreation. 12 Chap. IX.--Of hercules and his life and death. 13 Chap. X.--Of the life and actions of Æsculapius, apollo, neptune, mars, castor and pollux, mercury and bacchus. 14 Chap. xi.--of the origin, life, reign, name and death of jupiter, and of saturn and uranus. 15 Chap. xii.--that the stoics transfer the figments of the poets to a philosophical system. 16 Chap. xiii.--how vain and trifling are the interpretations of the stoics respecting the gods, and in them concerning the origin of jupiter, concerning saturn and Ops. 17 Chap. xiv.--what the sacred history of euhemerus and ennius teaches concerning the gods. 18 Chap. xv.--how they who were men obtained the name of gods. 19 Chap. xvi.-- by what argument it is proved that those who are distinguished by a difference of sex cannot be gods. 20 Chap. xvii.--concerning the same opinion of the stoics, and concerning the hardships and disgraceful conduct of the gods. 21 Chap. xviii.--on the consecration of gods, on account of the benefits which they conferred upon men. 22 Chap. xix.--that it is impossible for any one to worship the true god together with false deities. 23 Chap. xx.--of the gods peculiar to the Romans, and their sacred rites. 24 Chap. xxi.--of certain deities peculiar to barbarians, and their sacred rites; and in like manner concerning the romans. 25 Chap. xxii.--who was the author of the vanities before described in italy among the romans, and who among other nations. 26 Chap. xxiii.--of the ages of vain superstitions, and the times at which they commenced. 27 Chap. i.--that forgetfulness of reason makes men ignorant of the true god, 28 Chap. ii.--what was the first cause of making images; of the true likeness of god, and the true worship of him. 29 Chap. iii.--that cicero and other men of learning erred in not turning away the people from error. 30 Chap. iv.--of images, and the ornaments of temples, and the contempt in which they are held even by the heathens themselves. 31 Chap. v.--that god only, the creator of all things, is to be worshipped, and not the elements or heavenly bodies; and the opinion of the stoics is refuted, who think that the stars and planets are gods. 32 Chap. vI.--that neither the whole universe nor the elements are god, nor are they possessed of life. 33 Chap. vii.--of god, and the religious rites of the foolish; of avarice, and the authority of ancestors. 34 Chap. viii.--of the use of reason in religion; and of dreams, auguries, oracles, and similar portents. 35 Chap. ix.--of the devil, the world, god, providence, man, and his wisdom. 36 Chap. X.--Of the World, and Its Parts, the Elements and Seasons. 37 Chap. XI.--Of Living Creatures, of Man; Prometheus, Deucalion, the ParcÆ. 38 Chap. XII.--That Animals Were Not Produced Spontaneously, But by a Divine Arrangement, of Which God Would Have Given Us the Knowledge, If It Were Advantageous for Us to Know It. 39 Chap. XIII.--Why Man is of Two Sexes; What is His First Death, and What the Second and of the Fault and Punishment of Our First Parents. 40 Chap. XIV.--Of Noah the Inventor of Wine, Who First Had Knowledge of the Stars, and of the Origin of False Religions. 41 Chap. XV.--Of the Corruption of Angels, and the Two Kinds of Demons. 42 Chap. XVI.--That Demons Have No Power Over Those Who are Established in the Faith. 43 Chap. XVII.--That Astrology, Soothsaying, and Similar Arts are the Invention of Demons. 44 Chap. XVIII.--Of the Patience and Vengeance of God, the Worship of Demons, and False Religions. 45 Chap. XIX.--Of the Worship of Images and Earthly Objects. 46 Chap. XX.--Of Philosophy and the Truth. 47 Chap. I.--A Comparison of the Truth with Eloquence: Why the Philosophers Did 48 Chap. II.--Of Philosophy, and How Vain Was Its Occupation in Setting Forth the Truth. 49 Chap. III.--Of What Subjects Philosophy Consists, and Who Was the Chief Founder of the Academic Sect. 50 Chap. IV.--That Knowledge is Taken Away by Socrates, and Conjecture by Zeno. 51 Chap. V.--That the Knowledge of Many Things is Necessary. 52 Chap. VI.--Of Wisdom, and the Academics, and Natural Philosophy. 53 Chap. VII.--Of Moral Philosophy, and the Chief Good. 54 Chap. VIII.--Of the Chief Good, and the Pleasures of the Soul and Body, and of Virtue. 55 Chap. IX.--Of the Chief Good, and the Worship of the True God, and a Refutation of Anaxagoras. 56 Chap. X.--It is the Peculiar Property of Man to Know and Worship God. 57 Chap. XI.--Of Religion, Wisdom, and the Chief Good. 58 Chap. XII.--Of the Twofold Conflict of Body and Soul; And of Desiring Virtue on Account of Eternal Life. 59 Chap. XIII.--Of the Immortality of the Soul, and of Wisdom, Philosophy, and Eloquence. 60 Chap. XIV.--That Lucretius and Others Have Erred, and Cicero Himself, in Fixing the Origin of Wisdom. 61 Chap. XV.--The Error of Seneca in Philosophy, and How the Speech of Philosophers is at Variance with Their Life. 62 Chap. XVI.--That the Philosophers Who Give Good Instructions Live Badly, by the Testimony of Cicero; Therefore We Should Not So Much Devote Ourselves to the Study of Philosophy as to Wisdom. 63 Chap. XVII.--He Passes from Philosophy to the Philosophers, Beginning with Epicurus; And How He Regarded Leucippus and Democritus as Authors of Error. 64 Chap. XVIII.--The Pythagoreans and Stoics, While They Hold the Immortality of the Soul, Foolishly Persuade a Voluntary Death. 65 Chap. XIX.--Cicero and Others of the Wisest Men Teach the Immortality of the Soul, But in an Unbelieving Manner; And that a Good or an Evil Death Must Be Weighed from the Previous Life. 66 Chap. XX.--Socrates Had More Knowledge in Philosophy Than Other Men, Although in Many Things He Acted Foolishly. 67 Chap. XXI.--Of the System of Plato, Which Would Lead to the Overthrow of States. 68 Chap. XXII.--Of the Precepts of Plato, and Censures of the Same. 69 Chap. XXIII.--Of the Errors of Certain Philosophers, and of the Sun and Moon. 70 Chap. XXIV.--Of the Antipodes, the Heaven, and the Stars. 71 Chap. XXV.--Of Learning Philosophy, and What Great Qualifications are Necessary for Its Pursuit. 72 Chap. XXVI.--It is Divine Instruction Only Which Bestows Wisdom; And of What Efficacy the Law of God is. 73 Chap. XXVII.--How Little the Precepts of Philosophers Contribute to True Wisdom, Which You Will Find in Religion Only. 74 Chap. XXVIII.--Of True Religion and of Nature. Whether Fortune is a Goddess, and of Philosophy. 75 Chap. XXIX.--Of Fortune Again, and Virtue. 76 Chap. XXX.--The Conclusion of the Things Before Spoken; And by What Means We Must Pass from the Vanity of the Philosophers to True Wisdom, and the Knowledge of the True God, in Which Alone are Virtue and Happiness. 77 Chap. I.--Of the Former Religion of Men, and How Error Was Spread Over Every 78 Chap. II.--Where Wisdom is to Be Found; Why Pythagoras and Plato Did Not Approach the Jews. 79 Chap. III.--Wisdom and Religion Cannot Be Separated: the Lord of Nature Must Necessarily Be the Father of Every One. 80 Chapter IV.--Of Wisdom Likewise, and Religion, and of the Right of Father and Lord. 81 Chap. V.--The Oracles of the Prophets Must Be Looked Into; And of Their Times, and the Times of the Judges and Kings. 82 Chap. VI.--Almighty God Begat His Son; And the Testimonies of the Sibyls and of Trismegistus Concerning Him. 83 Chap. VII.--Of the Name of Son, and Whence He is Called Jesus and Christ. 84 Chap. VIII.--Of the Birth of Jesus in the Spirit and in the Flesh: of Spirits and the Testimonies of Prophets. 85 Chap. IX.--Of the Word of God. 86 Chap. X.--Of the Advent of Jesus; Of the Fortunes of the Jews, and Their Government, Until the Passion of the Lord. 87 Chap. XI.--Of the Cause of the Incarnation of Christ. 88 Chap. XII.--Of the Birth of Jesus from the Virgin; Of His Life, Death, and Resurrection, and the Testimonies of the Prophets Respecting These Things. 89 Chap. XIII.--Of Jesus, God and Man; And the Testimonies of the Prophets Concerning Him. 90 Chap. XIV.--Of the Priesthood of Jesus Foretold by the Prophets. 91 Chap. XV.--Of the Life and Miracles of Jesus, and Testimonies Concerning Them. 92 Chap. XVI.--Of the Passion of Jesus Christ; That It Was Foretold. 93 Chap. XVII.--Of the Superstitions of the Jews, and Their Hatred Against Jesus. 94 Chap. XVIII.--Of the Lord's Passion, and that It Was Foretold. 95 Chap. XIX.--Of the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus; And the Predictions of These Events. 96 Chap. XX.--Of the Departure of Jesus into Galilee After His Resurrection; And of the Two Testaments, the Old and the New. 97 Chap. XXI.--Of the Ascension of Jesus, and the Foretelling of It; And of the Preaching and Actions of the Disciples. 98 Chap. XXII.--Arguments of Unbelievers Against the Incarnation of Jesus. 99 Chap. XXIII.--Of Giving Precepts, and Acting. 100 Chap. XXIV.--The Overthrowing of the Arguments Above Urged by Way of Objection. 101 Chap. XXV.--Of the Advent of Jesus in the Flesh and Spirit, that He Might Be Mediator Between God and Man. 102 Chap. XXVI.--Of the Cross, and Other Tortures of Jesus, and of the Figure of the Lamb Under the Law. 103 Chap. XXVII.--Of the Wonders Effected by the Power of the Cross, and of Demons. 104 Chap. XXVIII.--Of Hope and True Religion, and of Superstition. 105 Chap. XXIX.--Of the Christian Religion, and of the Union of Jesus with the Father. 106 Chap. XXX.--Of Avoiding Heresies and Superstitions, and What is the Only True Catholic Church. 107 Chap. I.--Of the Non-Condemnation of Accused Persons Without a Hearing of 108 Chap. II.--To What an Extent the Christian Truth Has Been Assailed by Rash Men. 109 Chap. III.--Of the Truth of the Christian Doctrine, and the Vanity of Its Adversaries; And that Christ Was Not a Magician. 110 Chap. IV.--Why This Work Was Published, and Again of Tertullian and Cyprian. 111 Chap. V.--There Was True Justice Under Saturnus, But It Was Banished by Jupiter. 112 Chap. VI.--After the Banishment of Justice, Lust, Unjust Laws, Daring, Avarice, Ambition, Pride, Impiety, and Other Vices Reigned. 113 Chap. VII.--Of the Coming of Jesus, and Its Fruit; And of the Virtues and Vices of that Age. 114 Chap. VIII.--Of Justice Known to All, But Not Embraced; Of the True Temple of God, and of His Worship, that All Vices May Be Subdued. 115 Chap. IX.--Of the Crimes of the Wicked, and the Torture Inflicted on the Christians. 116 Chap. X.--Of False Piety, and of False and True Religion. 117 Chap XI.--Of the Cruelty of the Heathens Against the Christians. 118 Chap. XII.--Of True Virtue; And of the Estimation of a Good or Bad Citizen. 119 Chapter XIII.--Of the Increase and the Punishment of the Christians. 120 Chap. XIV.--Of the Fortitude of the Christians. 121 Chap. XV.--Of Folly, Wisdom, Piety, Equity, and Justice. 122 Chap. XVI.--Of the Duties of the Just Man, and the Equity of Christians. 123 Chap. XVII.--Of the Equity, Wisdom, and Foolishness of Christians. 124 Chap. XVIII.--Of Justice, Wisdom, and Folly. 125 Chap. XIX.--Of Virtue and the Tortures of Christians, and of the Right of a Father and Master. 126 Chap. XX.--Of the Vanity and Crimes, Impious Superstitions, and of the Tortures of the Christians. 127 Chap. XXI.--Of the Worship of Other Gods and the True God, and of the Animals Which the Egyptians Worshipped. 128 Chap. XXII.--Of the Rage of the Demons Against Christians, and the Error of Unbelievers. 129 Chap. XXIII.--Of the Justice and Patience of the Christians. 130 Chap. XXIV.--Of the Divine Vengeance Inflicted on the Torturers of the Christians. 131 Chap. I.--Of the Worship of the True God, and of Innocency, and of the 132 Chap. II.--Of the Worship of False Gods and the True God. 133 Chap. III.--Of the Ways, and of Vices and Virtues; And of the Rewards of Heaven and the Punishments of Hell. 134 Chap. IV.--Of the Ways of Life, of Pleasures, Also of the Hardships of Christians. 135 Chap. V.--Of False and True Virtue; And of Knowledge. 136 Chap. VI.--Of the Chief Good and Virtue, and or Knowledge and Righteousness. 137 Chap. VII.--Of the Way of Error and of Truth: that It is Single, Narrow, and Steep, and Has God for Its Guide. 138 Chap. VIII.--Of the Errors of Philosophers, and the Variableness of Law. 139 Chap. IX.--Of the Law and Precept of God; Of Mercy, and the Error of the Philosophers. 140 Chap. X.--Of Religion Towards God, and Mercy Towards Men; And of the Beginning of the World. 141 Chap. XI.--Of the Persons Upon Whom a Benefit is to Be Conferred. 142 Chap. XII.--Of the Kinds of Beneficence, and Works of Mercy. 143 Chap. XIII.--Of Repentance, of Mercy, and the Forgiveness of Sins. 144 Chap. XIV.--Of the Affections, and the Opinion of the Stoics Respecting Them; And of Virtue, the Vices, and Mercy. 145 Chap. XV.--Of the Affections, and the Opinion of the Peripatetics Respecting Them. 146 Chap. XVI.--Of the Affections, and the Refutation of the Opinion of the Peripatetics Concerning Them; What is the Proper Use of the Affections, and What is a Bad Use of Them. 147 Chap. XVII.--Of the Affections and Their Use; Of Patience, and the Chief Good of Christians. 148 Chap. XVIII.--Of Some Commands of God, and of Patience. 149 Chap. XIX.--Of the Affections and Their Use; And of the Three Furies. 150 Chap. XX.--Of the Senses, and Their Pleasures in the Brutes and in Man; And of Pleasures of the Eyes, and Spectacles. 151 Chap. XXI.--Of the Pleasures of the Ears, and of Sacred Literature. 152 Chap. XXII.--Of the Pleasures of Taste and Smell. 153 Chap. XXIII. --De Tactus Voluptate Et Libidine, Atque de Matrimonio Et Continentiâ. 154 Chap. XXIV.--Of Repentance, of Pardon, and the Commands of God. 155 Chap. XXV.--Of Sacrifice, and of an Offering Worthy of God, and of the Form of Praising God. 156 Chap. I.--Of the World, and Those Who are About to Believe, and Those Who 157 Chap. II.--Of the Error of the Philosophers, and of the Divine Wisdom, and of the Golden Age. 158 Chap. III.--Of Nature, and of the World; And a Censure of the Stoics and Epicureans. 159 Chap. IV.--That All Things Were Created for Some Use, Even Those Things Which Appear Evil; On What Account Man Enjoys Reason in So Frail a Body. 160 Chap. V.--Of the Creation of Man, and of the Arrangement of the World, and of the Chief Good. 161 Chap. VI.--Why the World and Man Were Created. How Unprofitable is the Worship of False Gods. 162 Chap. VII.--Of the Variety of Philosophers, and Their Truth. 163 Chap. VIII.--Of the Immortality of the Soul. 164 Chap. IX.--Of the Immortality of the Soul, and of Virtue. 165 Chap. X.--Of Vices and Virtues, and of Life and Death. 166 Chap. XI.--Of the Last Times, and of the Soul and Body. 167 Chap. XII.--Of the Soul and the Body, and of Their Union and Separation and Return. 168 Chap. XIII.--Of the Soul, and the Testimonies Concerning Its Eternity. 169 Chap. XIV.--Of the First and Last Times of the World. 170 Chap. XV.--Of the Devastation of the World and Change of the Empires. 171 CHAP. XVI.--OF THE DEVASTATION of the World, and Its Prophetic Omens. 172 Chap. XVII.--Of the False Prophet, and the Hardships of the Righteous, and His Destruction. 173 Chap. XVIII.--Of the Fortunes of the World at the Last Time, and of the Things Foretold by the Soothsayers. 174 Chap. XIX.--Of the Advent of Christ to Judgment, and of the Overcoming of the False Prophet. 175 Chap. XX.--Of the Judgment of Christ, of Christians, and of the Soul. 176 Chap. XXI.--Of the Torments and Punishments of Souls. 177 Chap. XXII.--Of the Error of the Poets, and the Return of the Soul from the Lower Regions. 178 Chap. XXIII.--Of the Resurrection of the Soul, and the Proofs of This Fact. 179 Chap. XXIV.--Of the Renewed World. 180 Chap. XXV.--Of the Last Times, and of the City of Rome. 181 Chap. XXVI.--Of the Loosing of the Devil, and of the Second and Greatest Judgment. 182 Chap. XXVII.--An Encouragement and Confirmation of the Pious. 183 The Preface.--The Plan and Purport of the Whole Epitome, And of the 184 Chap. I.--Of the Divine Providence. 185 Chap. II.--That There is But One God, and that There Cannot Be More. 186 Chap. III.--The Testimonies of the Poets Concerning the One God. 187 Chap. IV.--The Testimonies of the Philosophers to the Unity of God. 188 Chap. V.--That the Prophetic Women--That Is, the Sibyls--Declare that There is But One God. 189 Chap. VI.--Since God is Eternal and Immortal, He Does Not Stand in Need of Sex and Succession. 190 Chap. VII.--Of the Wicked Life and Death of Hercules. 191 Chap. VIII.--Of Æsculapius, Apollo, Mars, Castor and Pollux, and of Mercurius and Bacchus. 192 Chap. IX.--Of the Disgraceful Deeds of the Gods. 193 Chap. X.--Of Jupiter, and His Licentious Life. 194 Chap. XI.--The Various Emblems Under Which the Poets Veiled the Turpitude of Jupiter. 195 Chap. XII.--The Poets Do Not Invent All Those Things Which Relate to the Gods. 196 Chap. XIII.--The Actions of Jupiter are Related from the Historian Euhemerus. 197 Chap. XIV.--The Actions of Saturnus and Uranus Taken from the Historians. 198 Chap. XX.--Of the Gods Peculiar to the Romans. 199 Chap. XXI.--Of the Sacred Rites of the Roman Gods. 200 Chap. XXII.--Of the Sacred Rites Introduced by Faunus and Numa. 201 Chap. XXIII.--Of the Gods and Sacred Rites of the Barbarians. 202 Chap. XXIV.--Of the Origin of Sacred Rites and Superstitions. 203 Chap. XXV.--Of the Golden Age, of Images, and Prometheus, Who First Fashioned Man. 204 Chap. XXVI.--Of the Worship of the Elements and Stars. 205 Chap. XXVII.--Of the Creation, Sin, and Punishment of Man; And of Angels, Both Good and Bad. 206 Chap. XXVIII.--Of the Demons, and Their Evil Practices. 207 Chap. XXIX.--Of the Patience and Providence of God. 208 Chap. XXX.--Of False Wisdom. 209 Chap. XXXI.--Of Knowledge and Supposition. 210 Chap. XXXII.--Of the Sects of Philosophers, and Their Disagreement. 211 Chap. XXXIII.--What is the Chief Good to Be Sought in Life. 212 Chap. XXXIV.--That Men are Born to Justice. 213 Chap. XXXV.--That Immortality is the Chief Good. 214 Chap. XXXVI.--Of the Philosophers,--Namely, Epicurus and Pythagoras. 215 Chap. XXXVII.--Of Socrates and His Contradiction. 216 Chap. XXXVIII.--Of Plato, Whose Doctrine Approaches More Nearly to the Truth. 217 Chap. XXXIX.--Of Various Philosophers, and of the Antipodes. 218 Chap. XL.--Of the Foolishness of the Philosophers. 219 Chap. XLI.--Of True Religion and Wisdom. 220 Chap. XLII.--Of Religious Wisdom: the Name of Christ Known to None, Except Himself and His Father. 221 Chap. XLIII.--Of the Name of Jesus Christ, and His Twofold Nativity. 222 Chap. XLIV.--The Twofold Nativity of Christ is Proved from the Prophets. 223 Chap. XLV.--The Power and Works of Christ are Proved from the Scriptures. 224 Chap. XLVI.--It is Proved from the Prophets that the Passion and Death of Christ Had Been Foretold. 225 Chap. XLVII.--Of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Sending of the Apostles, and the Ascension of the Saviour into Heaven. 226 Chap. XLVIII.--Of the Disinheriting of the Jews, and the Adoption of the Gentiles. 227 Chap. XLIX.--That God is One Only. 228 Chap. L.--Why God Assumed a Mortal Body, and Suffered Death. 229 Chap. LI.--Of the Death of Christ on the Cross. 230 Chap. LII.--The Hope of the Salvation of Men Consists in the Knowledge of the True God, and of the Hatred of the Heathens Against the Christians. 231 Chap. LIII.--The Reasons of the Hatred Against the Christians are Examined and Refuted. 232 Chap. LIV.--Of the Freedom of Religion in the Worship of God. 233 Chap. LV.--The Heathens Charge Justice with Impiety in Following God. 234 Chap. LVI.--Of Justice, Which is the Worship of the True God. 235 Chap. LVII.--Of Wisdom and Foolishness. 236 Chap. LVIII.--Of the True Worship of God, and Sacrifice. 237 Chap. LIX.--Of the Ways of Life, and the First Times of the World. 238 Chap. LX.--Of the Duties of Justice. 239 Chap. LXI.--Of the Passions. 240 Chap. LXII.--Of Restraining the Pleasures of the Senses. 241 Chap. LXIII.--That Shows are Most Powerful to Corrupt the Minds. 242 Chap. LXIV.--The Passions are to Be Subdued, and We Must Abstain from Forbidden Things. 243 Chap. LXV.--Precepts About Those Things Which are Commanded, and of Pity. 244 Chap. LXVI.--Of Faith in Religion, and of Fortitude. 245 Chap. LXVII.--Of Repentance, the Immortality of the Soul, and of Providence. 246 Chap. LXVIII.--Of the World, Man, and the Providence of God. 247 Chap. LXIX.--That the World Was Made on Account of Man, and Man on Account of God. 248 Chap. LXX.--The Immortality of the Soul is Confirmed. 249 Chap. LXXI.--Of the Last Times. 250 Chap. LXXII.--Of Christ Descending from Heaven to the General Judgment, and of the Millenarian Reign. 251 Chap. LXXIII.--The Hope of Safety is in the Religion and Worship of God. 252 Elucidations.