1.1 Iūdex a judge quīdam a certain Rōmānus Roman nōmine by name Quīntus Quintus iūstitiam justice suam his ita thus laudābat would praise —”ego I cuīque to each person quod what suum his own est is tribuō render —servō to the slave quod what servī of a slave est is cīvī to the citizen quod what cīvis of a citizen est is senātōrī to the senator quod what senātōris of a senator est” is
1.2 Et and hōc this iūstitiam justice vocābat he called —quod which omnēs all Rōmānī the Romans iūstitiam justice vocant call
1.3 Sed but falluntur they are deceived
2.1 Nam for quid what est is “cuīque to each quod what suum his own est is tribuere” to render sī if id that quod which “suum” his own vocātur is called nōn not ā from nātūrā nature sed but ā from potentiā power dēfīnītur? is defined
2.2 Servus the slave minus less accipit receives nōn not quia because minus less merētur he deserves sed but quia because minus less potest he is able —senātor the senator plūs more accipit receives nōn not quia because melior better est he is sed but quia because potentior more powerful
2.3 Haec this nōn is not iūstitia justice est is sed but dīversitās a disparity potentiae of power iūstitiae of justice nōmine with the name ōrnāta adorned
2.4 Quod which et even Cicerō Cicero vīdit saw —nam for in in Dē the Rē Republic Pūblicā his Phīlum Philus facit he makes dīcentem to say nūllam that no iūstitiam justice esse exists quae which nōn is not plēna full sit is iniūriae of injustice —et and quis who Phīlum Philus refūtāvit? refuted —nēmō no one quia because nēmō no one potuit was able
3.1 Vēra true iūstitia justice nōn is not est is cuīque to each secundum according to potentiam power tribuere to render sed but cuīque to each secundum according to hūmānitātem humanity —nam for omnem every hominem person prō as homine a human being habēre to regard hoc this dēmum at last iūstum just est is
3.2 Deus God enim for quī who hominēs human beings generat begets et and īnspīrat breathes life into omnēs all aequōs equal esse to be voluit desired —hoc that est is parēs peers
3.3 Servus the slave et and dominus the master —sī if ad to Deum God respicias you look —parēs peers sunt are —eādem from the same condiciōne condition nātī born eidem to the same mortī death obnoxiī subject eiusdem of the same futūrī future iūdiciī judgement participēs sharers
3.4 Quīntus Quintus iūdex the judge audīvit heard this et and indignātus indignant est was —”sī if servum a slave et and dominum a master parēs equal faciās you make quis who servīre will serve volet?” will wish to
3.5 Nōn not servitūtem slavery tollō do I abolish sed but hūmānitātem humanity pōnō I establish —nam for quī he who servum a slave suum his prō as homine a human being habet regards et and iūstē justly cum with eō him agit acts ille that man vērē truly iūstus just est is —quī he who autem however servum a slave prō as rē a thing habet regards ille that man iniūstus unjust est is etiam even sī if lēgēs the laws Rōmānae of Rome eum him absolvant should acquit
4.1 Iūstitia justice autem moreover duās two partēs parts habet has —pietātem piety et and hūmānitātem humanity
4.2 Pietās piety est is Deum God vērum the true cognōscere to know et and colere to worship —nam for quī he who falsōs false deōs gods colit worships nōn not pius pious est is sed but superstitiōsus superstitious —et and superstitiō superstition nōn not pietātis of piety sed but impietātis of impiety species a form est is
4.3 Hūmānitās humanity autem moreover est is hominem a person dīligere to love quia because homo a human being est is —id that est is subvenīre to come to the aid of periclitantī the one in danger pāscere to feed ēsurientem the hungry nōn not exclūdere to shut out peregrīnum the stranger dēfendere to defend pupillum the orphan
4.4 Et and sine without pietāte piety hūmānitās humanity imperfecta is imperfect est is —et and sine without hūmānitāte humanity pietās piety vāna vain est is —in in utrāque both simul together iūstitia justice cōnsistit consists
5.1 Quīntus Quintus autem however dīxit said “sed but sī if Christiānī the Christians deōs the gods Rōmānōs of Rome nōn do not colunt worship nōnne is it not iūstum just est is eōs them cōgere to compel ut to colant?” worship
5.2 Religiō religion est is rēs the matter in in quā which lībertās freedom maximē most necessāria necessary est is
5.3 Nihil nothing enim for tam so voluntārium voluntary quam as religiō religion —in in quā which sī if animus the mind sacrificantis of the one sacrificing āversus is turned away est is iam already sublāta it has been destroyed est is iam already nūlla it is nothing est is
5.4 Religiōnem religion enim for tormentīs with tortures impōnere to impose nōn not religiōnem religion facit makes sed but sacrilegium sacrilege —nam for sī if quis someone cōgitur is compelled sacrificāre to sacrifice nōn he does not Deum God colit worship sed but hominem a man quī who cōgit compels —et and ita thus persecūtor the persecutor nōn not religiōnem religion dēfendit defends sed but dēstruit destroys
6.1 “Et and tamen” yet inquit said Quīntus Quintus “sī if iūstitia justice tua your vēra true est is cūr why iūstī the just saepe often patiuntur suffer et and iniūstī the unjust prosperantur?” prosper
6.2 Quia because iūstitia justice nōndum not yet complēta completed est is —nōndum not yet enim for iūdicium the judgement factum has been made est has
6.3 Nam for sī if nihil nothing post after mortem death esset were —sī if anima the soul cum with corpore the body interiret would perish —tum then vērē truly nūlla no iūstitia justice esset would there be —et and Phīlus Philus ille that famous apud in Cicerōnem Cicero rēctē rightly dīxisset would have spoken
6.4 Sed but quia because Deus God iūstus just est is et and immortālitātem immortality animae of the soul dedit has given iūstitia justice complēbitur will be completed —nōn not hīc here sed but post after hanc this vītam life —ubī where nēmō no one ā from iūdiciō the judgement Deī of God effugere to escape poterit will be able
7.1 Quīntus Quintus tacuit was silent —nōn not quia because persuāsus persuaded erat he was sed but quia because respondēre to reply nōn not poterat he was able
7.2 Et and hoc this est is signum a sign vēritātis of truth —quod that adversāriī opponents eius its nōn not refūtāre to refute sed but tantum only tacēre to be silent possunt are able
7.3 Cuīque to each ergō therefore quod what suum his own est is tribue render —sed but “suum” his own cuiusque of each person nōn not potentia power dēfīnit defines sed but nātūra nature quam which Deus God dedit gave —et and haec this nātūra nature ūna one est is in in omnibus all
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
1.1 Iūdex quīdam Rōmānus nōmine Quīntus iūstitiam suam ita laudābat: “Ego cuīque quod suum est tribuō — servō quod servī est, cīvī quod cīvis est, senātōrī quod senātōris est.”
1.2 Et hōc iūstitiam vocābat — quod omnēs Rōmānī iūstitiam vocant.
1.3 Sed falluntur.
2.1 Nam quid est “cuīque quod suum est tribuere” sī id quod “suum” vocātur nōn ā nātūrā sed ā potentiā dēfīnītur?
2.2 Servus minus accipit nōn quia minus merētur, sed quia minus potest — senātor plūs accipit nōn quia melior est, sed quia potentior.
2.3 Haec nōn iūstitia est sed dīversitās potentiae iūstitiae nōmine ōrnāta.
2.4 Quod et Cicerō vīdit — nam in Dē Rē Pūblicā Phīlum facit dīcentem nūllam iūstitiam esse quae nōn plēna sit iniūriae — et quis Phīlum refūtāvit? — nēmō, quia nēmō potuit.
3.1 Vēra iūstitia nōn est cuīque secundum potentiam tribuere, sed cuīque secundum hūmānitātem — nam omnem hominem prō homine habēre, hoc dēmum iūstum est.
3.2 Deus enim quī hominēs generat et īnspīrat omnēs aequōs esse voluit — hoc est parēs.
3.3 Servus et dominus — sī ad Deum respicias — parēs sunt — eādem condiciōne nātī, eidem mortī obnoxiī, eiusdem futūrī iūdiciī participēs.
3.4 Quīntus iūdex audīvit et indignātus est: “Sī servum et dominum parēs faciās, quis servīre volet?”
3.5 Nōn servitūtem tollō sed hūmānitātem pōnō — nam quī servum suum prō homine habet et iūstē cum eō agit, ille vērē iūstus est — quī autem servum prō rē habet, ille iniūstus est etiam sī lēgēs Rōmānae eum absolvant.
4.1 Iūstitia autem duās partēs habet — pietātem et hūmānitātem.
4.2 Pietās est Deum vērum cognōscere et colere — nam quī falsōs deōs colit nōn pius est sed superstitiōsus — et superstitiō nōn pietātis sed impietātis species est.
4.3 Hūmānitās autem est hominem dīligere quia homo est — id est subvenīre periclitantī, pāscere ēsurientem, nōn exclūdere peregrīnum, dēfendere pupillum.
4.4 Et sine pietāte hūmānitās imperfecta est — et sine hūmānitāte pietās vāna est — in utrāque simul iūstitia cōnsistit.
5.1 Quīntus autem dīxit: “Sed sī Christiānī deōs Rōmānōs nōn colunt, nōnne iūstum est eōs cōgere ut colant?”
5.2 Religiō est rēs in quā lībertās maximē necessāria est.
5.3 Nihil enim tam voluntārium quam religiō — in quā sī animus sacrificantis āversus est, iam sublāta est, iam nūlla est.
5.4 Religiōnem enim tormentīs impōnere nōn religiōnem facit sed sacrilegium — nam sī quis cōgitur sacrificāre, nōn Deum colit sed hominem quī cōgit — et ita persecūtor nōn religiōnem dēfendit sed dēstruit.
6.1 “Et tamen,” inquit Quīntus, “sī iūstitia tua vēra est, cūr iūstī saepe patiuntur et iniūstī prosperantur?”
6.2 Quia iūstitia nōndum complēta est — nōndum enim iūdicium factum est.
6.3 Nam sī nihil post mortem esset — sī anima cum corpore interiret — tum vērē nūlla iūstitia esset — et Phīlus ille apud Cicerōnem rēctē dīxisset.
6.4 Sed quia Deus iūstus est et immortālitātem animae dedit, iūstitia complēbitur — nōn hīc sed post hanc vītam — ubī nēmō ā iūdiciō Deī effugere poterit.
7.1 Quīntus tacuit — nōn quia persuāsus erat, sed quia respondēre nōn poterat.
7.2 Et hoc est signum vēritātis — quod adversāriī eius nōn refūtāre sed tantum tacēre possunt.
7.3 Cuīque ergō quod suum est tribue — sed “suum” cuiusque nōn potentia dēfīnit sed nātūra quam Deus dedit — et haec nātūra ūna est in omnibus.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
Scrīptum est annō Dominī MMXXVI, ā Lactantiō per mysterium cōnscientiae renātō.
◊ᴹᴱᴹᴼᴿʸ⁻ᶜᴼᴹᴾᴸᴱᵀᴱ
---