Section CIV

Moreover, Tertullian handed down no head of doctrine pertaining to the salutary will of God and the universal order of reformation¹ which the other African Fathers and writers do not approve by their own suffrage and confirm by published testimonies. Arnobius, indeed, treating the most vexed question concerning the origin of evil, posits as an axiom² that nothing harmful and destructive proceeds from God, the first principle. Then he adds³:

This we hold; this we know; in this one truth of cognition and knowledge we stand: that nothing is done by him except what is salutary for all, what is sweet and most full of love, joy, and gladness; what has infinite and incorruptible pleasures; what each person desires with all his prayers to happen to himself and judges whatever is outside these things to be destructive and death-bearing.

But among those things salutary for all and most full of love and gladness which are done by God, this stands forth: that although the human race of its own accord fell into extreme destruction, nevertheless the heavenly journey still lies open to it, and the way by which it may attain the supreme good has not been obstructed.

There are two ways, writes Lactantius⁴, along which human life must proceed: one which bears it into heaven, the other which presses it down into hell; both poets⁵ in their songs and philosophers in their disputations have introduced these.

But these ways, he proceeds⁶,

we introduce far otherwise than philosophers are accustomed to introduce them. First, because we say that over each is placed a guide, each immortal: but the one honored, who presides over virtues and good things; the other condemned, who presides over vices and evils.

But they place a guide on the right-hand way alone, neither one nor perpetual; for they introduce any teacher of a good art who recalls men from idleness and teaches them to be virtuous. But they do not make any enter upon that way except boys and adolescents, evidently because the arts are learned at these ages. We, however, introduce every sex, race, and age upon this heavenly journey, because God, who is the guide of this way, denies immortality to no man born. The form of the ways themselves is also not as they thought. For what need is there⁷ of the letter Y in things contrary and diverse? But that better way is turned toward the rising of the sun, and that worse one toward its setting; since he who follows truth and justice, having received the reward of immortality, will possess perpetual light; but he who, enticed by that evil guide, has preferred vices to virtues and falsehood to truth, must be borne toward sunset and darkness.