The .fifth book. Be jiistitia, unfolds first the author's motives and object. Then, entering upon the subject itself, he teaches how, anciently, in the times called by the heathen the Golden Age, tiie one God ^^•as honored, and with his worsViip justice bore sway ; and how, in the sequel, in coimectiou with polytheism, all sorts of vice
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came trooping in, but with Clirist a kind of golden age has again appeared through the propagation of right- eousness, lie further shows how near this lies to all, and that oulv through wilfulness it can fail to be known; and hoM- the heathen, in open contradiction to the idea of religion, to reason, and to every sentiment of right, hate tlie Christians, and persecute and torment them even to the death. Were the Christians fools, one shoidd spare them ; if wise, imitate them. That they are the latter is made clear by their virtuous behavior and their untiinching constancj'. It is true the wisdom and righteousness of God condescend to clothe them- selves in the appearance of folly, partly that thus the wisdom of the world may bo convinced of its nothing- ness, and partly that the righteous man may be helped forward on the narrow way to his reward. The pre- texts offered by the heathen in justification of their treatment of the Christians, as that they souglit to bring j them to a sober mind, etc., were, he maintains, utterlj^ empty, because, in the first place, this treatment was in itself unsuitable, and, in res|)ect to the Christians, who knew very well how to defend their cause with all so- berness, it was contemptuous and destructive of its own object; but, in the second place, these pretexts were con- tradicted and falsified by the Komans' contrary practice of toleration towards other and extremely despicable and senseless religions. Rather it was abundantly clear that nothing but a fierce hatred against the truth impelled to those bloody deeds of violence and cruelty.
The sixth book, De vero cidtii, treats of the practical side of true religion. A merely external worship, like that of the heathen, is absolutely worthless, and only that is true in which the human soid offers itself to God. As all the pliilosophers agree in saying there are two ways for man, one of virtue, the other of vice; the for- mer narrow and toilsome, leading to immortality ; the latter easy and pleasant, leading to destruction : the Christians call them the way to heaven and to hell, and eagerly prefer the former, that at the last they may attain the enjoyment of the blessedness in which it ends. The philosophers could not find the way of virtue, because at the outset they had formed to themselves an utterly different idea of good and evil, and therefore always sought it where it is never to be found — on earth in- ftead of in heaven. The Christians, who walk in the light of revelation, have the clew of the truth, the eter- nal, unchangeable law of God, adapted to the nature of man, which unfolds our duties both towards God (officia pietatis) and towards man (officia humanitatis). Lac- tantius then proceeds to treat of the virtues which are embraced in the fundamental principle of genuine hu- manity— pity, liberality, care for the widow, the orphan, the sick, the dead, etc.; finally, of self-government and the mcxleration of the desires and appetites, particularly of chastity in wedlock and out of i{; and, last of all, of penitence or penance (pccnitentia), and tlie true service of God. 'I'iie ^rmer he treats as a saiixfoction, and in the latter he does not rise above the merely ethical. Ra- tionalistic position, although, through his whole exposi- tion, he makes references, by way of contrast, to the di- vergent views of the philosoiihers.
The seventh and last book, 7Je rita Jeo^r, has for its subject the chief end of man. He gives us briefly his own conception of the great end of our existence, thus: "Tiie world was made that we might be born; we are bom that wc might know the Creator of the world and of ourselves; we know him that we may honor him; we honor him that we may receive immortalitj'^ as the reward of our effort, because the honoring of (iod de- mands tlie highest effort; wc arc rewarded with immor- tality, that we, like the angels, may forever serve the supreme I'ather and Lord, and may form unto God an ever-during kingdom : that is the sum and substance of all things, the secret of (iod, the mystery of the world." After this follows the proof of the iinmortality of the soul, imrsued through ten distinct arguments, with the refutation of objection?. He then proceeds with an at-
tempt to show under what condition the natural immor- tality of the soul becomes at the same time a blessed immortality. With this he connects his views in re- gard to the time and the signs of the end of the present world to the last judgment, to the millennial reign, to the general resurrection and the transformation of this world. On the superabounding delights and glories of the millennium he enlarges with special satisfaction and copious eloquence. In conclusion, he congratulates the Church upon the peace which Cc>nstantine has given her, and calls upon all to forsake the worship of idols and to do homage to the one true God.