On the Christian Religion

Furthermore, if man is the most perfect of mortal animals, insofar as he is man, he is the most perfect of all chiefly because of that endowment which he has as his own among these, not common to other animals: that is religion. Therefore, through religion he is most perfect. If religion were empty, then through it man would again be the most imperfect of all, since through it he would be the most demented and miserable. For indeed, many men cast aside all, and certainly all men cast aside many of the comforts of temporal life, and undergo hardships for the love or fear of God. But none of the other animals abstain from present goods because of the worship of God and the expectation of the future. Add that the stimulus of knowledge pricks us alone persistently, and the fear of divine vengeance and of the underworld harasses us most sharply. If, therefore, religion (as we have said) is vain, there is no animal more demented and unhappy than man; thus, because of religion, man would be the most imperfect of all, yet a moment ago he appeared more perfect than all others. However, it is not possible for the same part of itself to suffer such contradictions that, according to it, it is at once supremely perfect and supremely imperfect. Therefore, religion is true, especially because just as nothing can be made extremely cold by the approach of fire, so man cannot, because he alone clings to God, the most wise and most blessed, thereby turn out to be most foolish and most miserable. Nor can God, who is supreme truth and goodness, deceive the human race, His own offspring. Moreover, the natural and common opinion concerning God is implanted in us by God, the common origin and prince of natures. Furthermore, we ought to remember that prophecy which is made by an entire species of animal, because it is universal and becomes so by instinct, is true. Many reptiles crawl out from the bosom of the earth at sunrise; the haze of the air is portended...