The Divine Institutes Book 5

Lucius Caecilius Firmianus Lactantius (d. 325)

Book V. Of Justice.

Chapter I.-Of the Non-Condemnation of Accused Persons Without a Hearing of Their Cause; From What Cause Philosophers Despised the Sacred Writings; Of the First Advocates of the Christian Religion.

I Entertain no doubt, O mighty Emperor Constantine, -since they are impatient through excessive superstition,-that if any one of those who are foolishly religious should take in hand this work of ours, in which that matchless Creator of all things and Ruler of this boundless world is asserted, he would even assail it with abusive language, and perhaps, having scarcely read the beginning, would dash it to the ground, cast it from him, curse it, and think himself contaminated and bound by inexpiable guilt if he should patiently read. or hear these things. We demand, however, from this man, if it is possible, by the right of human nature, that he should not condemn before that he knows the whole matter. For if the right of defending themselves is given to sacrilegious persons, and to traitors and sorcerers, and if it is lawful for no one to be condemned beforehand, his cause being as yet untried, we do not appear to ask unjustly, that if there shall be any one who shall…

See also

• More works by Lucius Caecilius Firmianus Lactantius

Enable JavaScript to read the full text and search the library.