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506 Credibility of the Gospel History.
this : the world was therefore made, that we might be born.
We therefore are born, that we might serve God our creator,
and the creator of the Avhole world. We therefore know
him, that we might worship him. We therefore worship
him, that we may obtain immortality, as a recompence for
all the labours and fatigues of religion and virtue in this
world. And we therefore obtain the reward of immortality,
that being made like unto the angels, we may for ever serve
the God and Father of all. And if there are no rewards and
punishments hereafter, man and the whole world would have
been made in vain.
(13.) Finally. ' Immortality,' he'^ says, ' is the chief
* good. For obtaining this we were originally made. This
' human nature desires, and reaches after. And virtue
' advanceth us to it.'
13. Lactantius*" did not deny the eternity of hell-torments.
14. He often asserts the great value of repentance.
(1.) He maintains, that^ whenever sinners repent, they
are pardoned.
(2.) Sincere^ piety, repentance, humility, and confession
of sins, he says, are propitiatory sacrifices, with which God
factus est, ut nascamur. Ideo nascimur, ut agnoscaraus factorem niuadi ac
nostri. Ideo agnoscimus, ut colamus. Ideo colimus, ut immoilalitatem pro
laborum raercede capiamus, quoniam maximis labonbus cultus Dei constat.
Ideo praemio immortalitatis afficimur, ut similes angelis effecti summo Patri ac
Domino in perpetuura serviamus, et simus seternum Dei regnum. Si nihil
post mortem sumus, quid potest esse tam supervacuum, tam inane, tam vanum,
quam humana res est, quam mundus ipse ? 1. vii. c. G. in.
^ Unum est igitur summum bonum imraortalitas ; ad quam capiendam et
formati a principio et nati sumus. Et banc ad tendimus : banc spectat
humana natura : ad banc nos provebit virtus. 1. vii. c. 8. in.
^ Si autem corpus vicerit animam, sit in tenebris sempiternis
et in morte. Cujus non ea vis est, ut injustas animas extinguat omnino, sed
ut puniat in seternum. Eam pcenam secundam mortem nominarnus, quae est
et ipsa perpetua, sicut et immortalitas. Primam sicdefinimus Mors est
corporis animaeque seductio. Secunda vero sic : Mors est seterni doloris perpessio.
Vel ita : Mors est animanim pro meritis ad aeterna supplicia damnatio.
1. ii. c. 12. p. 206, 207. Vid. et 1. vii. c. 10. p. 679.
^ Nee patitur conditio fragiHtatis, esse quemquam sine macula.
Ultimum ergo remedium illud est, ut confugiamus ad pcpnitentiam: quae non
minimum locum inter virtutes habet, quia sui correctio est : ut cum re aut verbo
lapsi fuerimus, statim resipiscamus, ac nos deliquisse fateamur, oremusque a
Deo veniam, quam pro sua misericordia non negabit nisi permanentibus in
errore, kc. Epit. cap. 67. in.
K Humilitas enim cara et amabilis Deo est, qui cum magis suscipiat peccatorem
confitentcm, quam justumsuperbum, quanto magis justumsuscipietconfitentem,
eumque in regnis coelestibus faciei pro humilitate sublimem : HcEC
sunt, quae debet cultor Dei exhibere : hse sunt victimae, hoc sacrificium placa-
bile, hie veais est cultus.—Summa ilia majestas hoc cultore laetatur : bunc, ut
filium, suscipit, eique donum immortalitatis impertit. Ibid.
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