notions similar to those first im- oath? The soldiers swear not to pressed, and retain numerous arts, prefer any man to Cæsar but in and the memories of ten thousand this oath men swear to honor themthings. Is not God then able to over-selves before all.

see all things, and to be present with all, and to receive from all a certain communication?

SELECTION II.

Various arguments for the superintending Providence of God, and moral inferences therefrom.

II And is the sun able to illuminate so large a part of the All, and to leave so little not illuminated, HAS the Universe no governor? that part only which is occupied by And how is it possible that a the earth's shadow; and he who city or a family cannot continue to made the sun itself and makes it go exist, not even the shortest time, round, being a small part of himself without an administrator and guarcompared with the whole, cannot dian, and that so great and beautiful he perceive all things? a system should be administered

12 Nevertheless, God has placed by with such order and yet without a every man a guardian, every man's purpose and by chance? "Dæmon," to whom he has commit- 2 There is, then, an administrator. ted the care of the man; a guardian | What kind of administrator and how who never sleeps, is never deceived. does he govern? And who are we, 13 When, then, you have shut the doors and made darkness within, remember never to say that you are alone, for you are not; but God is within, and your Dæmon is within, and what need have they of light to see what you are doing?

14 To this God you ought to swear an oath just as the soldiers do to Cæsar. But they who are hired for pay, swear to regard the safety of Cæsar before all things; and you who have received so many and such great favors, will you not swear; or when you have sworn, will you not abide by your oath ?

15 And what shall you swear? Never to be disobedient, never to make any charges, never to find fault with any thing that he has given, and never unwillingly to do or to suffer any thing that is necessary.

16 Is this oath like the soldier's

who were produced by him, and for what purpose? Have we some connection with him and some relation toward him, or none?

3 From every thing which is or happens in the world, it is easy to praise Providence, if a man possesses these two qualities, the faculty of seeing what belongs and happens to all persons and things, and a grateful disposition. If he does not possess these two qualities, one man will not see the use of things which are and which happen; another will not be thankful for them, even if he does know them.

If God had made colors, but had not made the faculty of seeing them, what would have been their use? None at all. On the other hand, if he had made the faculty of vision, but had not made objects such as to fall under the faculty.

what in that case also would have nature has formed the animals which been the use of it? None at all. are made for service, all ready, preWell, suppose that he had made pared, and requiring no further care. both, but had not made light? In So one little boy with only a stick that case, also, they would have been drives the cattle. of no use.

5 Who is it, then, who has fitted this to that and that to this? And who is it that has fitted the knife to the case and the case to the knife? Is it no one?

10 But now we, instead of being thankful that we need not take the same care of animals as of ourselves, complain of God on our own account; and yet, in the name of God and of the immortals, any one thing 6 And, indeed, from the very of those which exist would be structure of things which have at- enough to make a man perceive tained their completion, we are the providence of God, at least a accustomed to show that the work man who is modest and grateful. is certainly the act of some artificer, II And speak not to me now of and that it has not been constructed the great things, but only of this, without a purpose. Does, then, each that milk is produced from grass, of these things demonstrate the and cheese from milk, and wool workman, and do not visible things from skins. Who made these things and the faculty of seeing and light or devised them? No one, you say. demonstrate Him? O amazing shamelessness and stu

7 Do not wonder if for other pidity! animals than man all things are 12 But now God has introduced provided for the body, not only food man to be a spectator of Himself and drink, but beds also, and they and of His works; and not only a have no need of shoes, nor bed ma- spectator of them, but an interpreterials, nor clothing; but we require ter. For this reason it is shameful all these additional things. For for man to begin and to end where animals not being made for them- irrational animals do; but rather he selves, but for service, it was not fit for them to be made so as to need other things.

ought to begin where they begin, and to end where nature ends in us; and nature ends in contemplation and understanding, and in a way of life conformable to nature.

8 For consider what it would be for us to take care not only of our selves, but also about cattle and 13 Take care, then, not to die withhorses, how they should be clothed, out having been spectators of these and how shod, and how they should things.

eat and drink.

14 But you do it not rather do

9 Now, as soldiers are ready for you sit still, trembling for fear that their commander, shod, clothed, and some things will happen, and weeparmed (for it would be a hard thing ing, and lamenting, and groaning for for the tribune to go round and shoe what does happen: and then you or clothe his thousand men), so also blame God.

20 This is what we ought to sing on every occasion, and to sing the greatest and most divine hymn for giving us the faculty of comprehending these things and using them in a proper way.

15 And yet God has not only given us these faculties, by which we shall be able to bear every thing that happens without being depressed or broken by it; but, like a good king and a true father, he has given us these faculties free from hindrance, 21 Well, then, since most of you subject to no compulsion, unim- have become blind, ought there not peded, and has put them entirely in to be some man to fill this office, and our own power, without even having on behalf of all to sing the hymn to reserved to himself any power of God? For what else can I do, a hindering or impeding.

lame old man, than sing hymns to 16 You, who have received these God? If I were a nightingale, I powers free and as your own, use would do the part of a nightingale; them not: you do not even see what if I were a swan, I would do like a you have received, and from whom; swan. But now I am a rational some of you being blinded to the creature, and I ought to praise God: giver, and not even acknowledging this is my work; I do it, nor will I your benefactor; and others, through desert this post, so long as I am meanness of spirit, betaking your- allowed to keep it; and I exhort you selves to fault-finding and making to join in this same song. charges against God.

17 Yet I will show to you that you have powers and means for greatness of soul and manliness.

18 Are these the only works of providence in us? And what words are sufficient to praise them and set them forth according to their worth? For if we had understanding, ought we to do any thing else both jointly and severally than to sing hymns and bless the Deity, and to tell of his benefits?

19 Ought we not when we are digging and ploughing and eating to sing this hymn to God?" Great is God, who has given us such implements with which we shall cultivate the earth great is God who has given us hands, the power of swallowing and digesting, imperceptible growth, and the power of breathing while we sleep."

22 Come, then, do you also having observed these things look to the faculties which you have, and when you have looked at them, say: Bring now, O God! any difficulty that thou pleasest, for I have means. and powers given to me by thee.

See that you do nothing like mere become like lions, savage and bestial animals; but if you do, in this case and untamed; but the greater part also the man is lost. When, then, do of us become foxes, and other worse we act as mere animals? When we animals. For what else is a slanact gluttonously, when we act lewdly, derer and a malignant man than a fox, when we act rashly, filthily, incon- or some other more wretched and siderately. To what have we de- meaner animal? See, then, and take clined? To animals. What have care that you do not become some we lost? The rational faculty. one of these miserable creatures. When we act contentiously, and 6 Some persons raise the question harmfully, and passionately, and vio- whether moral sense is contained in lently, to what have we declined? the nature of man; and yet I think To wild beasts. Consequently, some that these same persons would have of us are great wild beasts, and no doubt that love of purity is cerothers little beasts of bad dispositions tainly contained in it, and that if and habits.

3 These two things are mingled in the generation of man, body in common with the animals, and reason and intelligence in common with the immortals; many incline to the kinship which is miserable and mortal, and some few to that which is divine and happy.

man is distinguished from other animals by any thing, he is distinguished by this.

7 For when we see any other animal keeping itself clean, we are accustomed to speak of the act with surprise, and to add that the animal is acting like a man: and on the other hand, if a man blames an animal for being unclean, straightway, as if we were making an excuse for it, we say that of course the animal is not a human creature.

4 Since, then, it is of necessity that every man uses every thing according to the opinion which he has about it, those, the few, who think that they are formed for fidelity and modesty, 8 So we suppose that there is and a sure use of appearances, have no something superior in man, and that mean or ignoble thoughts about them- we first receive it from God. For selves; but with the many it is quite since God by his nature is pure and the contrary. For you say, What free from corruption, so far as men am I? A poor, miserable man, with approach him by reason, so far do my wretched bit of flesh. Wretched, they cling to purity and to a love of indeed; but you possess something purity. But since it is impossible better than your bit of flesh. Why, that man's nature can be altogether then, do you neglect that which is better, and why do you attach yourself to this?

pure, being composed of such materials, reason is applied as far as it is possible, and reason endeavors to make human nature love purity.

5 Through this kinship with the flesh, some of us inclining to it be- 9 The first, then, and highest come like wolves, faithless and purity is that which is in the soul; treacherous and mischievous; some and we say the same of impurity.

Now you could not discover the 14 He, then, who has observed impurity of the soul as you could with intelligence the administration discover that of the body: but as of the world, and has learned that

to the soul, what else could you find in it than that which makes it unclean in respect to the acts which are its own?

the greatest and supreme and the most comprehensive community is that which is composed of men and God; and that from God have deIO Now the acts of the soul are scended the seeds not only to my movement toward an object or father and grandfather, but to all movement from it, desire, aversion, beings which are generated on the preparation, design, assent. What, earth and are produced; and parthen, is it which in these acts makes ticularly to rational beings-for the soul impure? Nothing else than these only are by their nature its own bad judgments. formed to have communion with God, being by means of reason conjoined with him.

II Consequently the impurity of the soul is the soul's bad opinions; and the purification of the soul is 15 Why should not such a man the planting in it of proper opinions; call himself a citizen of the world, and the soul is pure which has why not a son of God, and why proper opinions, for the soul alone should he be afraid of any thing in its own acts is free from perturba- which happens among men ?

tion and pollution.

12 If the things are true which are said by wise men about the kinship between God and man, what else remains for men to do than what Socrates did? Never in reply to the question, to what country you belong, say that you are an Athenian or a Corinthian, but that you are a citizen of the world.

16 Is kinship with Cæsar or with any other of the powerful in Rome sufficient to enable us to live in safety and above contempt and without any fear at all? and to have God for your maker and father, and guardian, shall not this release us from sorrows and fears?

17 If a man should be able to assent to this doctrine as he ought, 13 For why do you say that you that we are all sprung from God in are an Athenian, and why do you an especial manner, and that God is not say that you belong to the small the father both of men and of the nook only into which your poor body immortals, I suppose that he would was cast at birth? Is it not plain never have any ignoble or mean that you call yourself an Athenian thoughts about himself. or Corinthian from the place which 18 If Cæsar should adopt you, no has a greater authority and com- one could endure your arrogance; prises not only that small nook and if you know that you are the itself and all your family, but even son of God, will you not be elated?

the whole country from which the stock of your progenitors is derived down to you?

19 In truth I do think that the soul is a much better thing than all the others which I possess.