La cuenta que se debe tener con la religion, segun la dotrína de los filósofos.

The Philosophical Foundation of Piety

Ancient philosophers emphasize that true governance and human perfection must begin with devotion to God.

Aristotle, in discussing the necessities of a city—those things without which it cannot be well governed, such as provisions, crafts, arms, money, and the like— says: "Above all else, one must secure what pertains to the worship of the gods, which we call the sacrifice of the priests. I would add that every prince ought to show himself very devout toward the gods, because this puts the people at ease. They don't fear that he will wrong them, nor do they plot against him, because they judge that, being religious and a friend of God, he will have that same God on his side."¹ Other serious and wise philosophers teach us that whatever we wish to undertake, we should begin in God and end in God, asking Him for grace to begin well and finish even better. The philosopher Iamblichus says that human nature is so weak that it cannot discuss or speak of God without God Himself, much less carry out and perform divine works² without Him.³ Mercury Trismegistus says that the ornament and measure of man should, above all else, be religion joined with goodness. This becomes perfect when, strengthened by virtue, it despises the greed and craving for all other things. For each person shines with piety, religion, and prudence, and with the worship and veneration of God; like someone illuminated by the light of truth, by knowledge, and by the sight of it, and by confidence in what he believes, he stands out among men just as the sun stands out among the stars by its brightness.⁴ Pythagoras teaches us that there is no better way for a man to become truly perfect than to draw near to God.⁵ The divine Plato says that no virtue can equal religion and piety toward God, and that all men of sense and reason make it their custom, at the start of any undertaking, to turn to God and ask for His favor.⁶

The Prince's Duty to Begin with God

Plato and Xenophon illustrate through the example of Cyrus that a ruler's success depends on constant reliance on divine favor.

In one letter, he wrote: "In everything we say or think, we must begin with God and start with God."⁷ In the Book of Laws, he says: "Before all else, let us call on God to establish our city. Let us beg him to hear us, to be gracious to us, and to come to us kindly, so that he may teach us the laws and adorn the city." And this philosopher said this with good reason, because, since God is the beginning and end of all things, and the one who created them for his glory, it is right that all things look to him, and that all a person's actions—for the human being is the world in miniature—begin with God and end in God; for just as we praise the vine for the plenty and abundance of grapes it yields, and wine for its flavor, and the deer for its speed, and the beast of burden for the strength it has to carry its load, and the dog for its shrewdness, boldness, and quickness, so we praise a person for virtue and for being drawn close and united to God, because this is his end and his last and highest good, and his true and perfect happiness—and this is reached through true religion.⁸ Anyone who gives religion the care it deserves finds God gracious and a friend. Seneca said: "If you want God as a friend and favorable to you, try to be good; for the one who imitates him is the one who knows how to honor and revere him."⁹ Returning to Plato, he writes elsewhere that kingdoms cannot be well governed except with God's special favor and grace. He says that just as beasts cannot be well ruled or tended by themselves without man, a human being cannot be well governed and led toward happiness by others without God.¹⁰ Xenophon, a serious philosopher and historian, wrote eight books on the Education of King Cyrus, whom he presents as a model for all great kings and prudent rulers, in peace and in war. He says that when Cyrus set out for the house of his grandfather Astyages, his father Cambyses told him: "I entrust one thing to you, my son, which I want you always to keep in memory like a jewel of great price, given by a father who loves you so much."¹¹ Be a great friend and devotee of God, and never begin anything without first asking him for his favor and help; for we human beings are very lacking, and nothing is hidden from eternal Wisdom, and everything turns out well for the one she favors.» Which words so stamped themselves on Cyrus's heart that it is a wonder to see how often Xenophon repeats the care he took for religion in everything he did: how he sought to propitiate the gods before taking counsel and deciding whether to make war or leave it alone; and after he had determined to make war, before beginning it, the sacrifices he offered to keep the gods gracious; and when with the army he entered the enemy's land, the care he took to win the goodwill of the gods of that land with offerings and gifts; and after he had fought and won, in acknowledging the victory as from their hand and thanking them for it.¹²

The Social and Moral Necessity of Religion

Classical thinkers argue that the neglect of religion leads to the collapse of justice, social bonds, and public prosperity.

So it seems that the beginning, middle, and end of all this great king's undertakings was religion—though a false one, that of his empty gods. Isocrates, a most excellent orator, writing to Nicocles, king of Cyprus, and teaching him by what means he was to preserve his kingdom, says these words to him: "You will keep religion as you received it from your elders and ancestors, and think that the greatest and best sacrifice is to be yourself good and just; for such people have greater hope of doing something good, according to the will of God, than those who build temples."¹³ The first thing Dion writes in The Education of the Prince is that he should take great care for the worship and reverence of God, and put what is divine above everything else; and he adds: "For the good and just man can obey no one more than God, who is most good and most just, and in this he will be bad and perverse if he thinks that God is impious, or that he does not know or understand all things."¹⁴ Cicero writes: "Once piety toward the gods is removed, faithfulness and the bonds of the human race are removed as well, along with that most excellent virtue of justice toward others." The poet Horace says that because people had paid little attention to religion, the gods afflicted Italy with great calamities. And Symmachus, a patrician man, very illustrious and eloquent, complaining to the emperor Valentinian of the little regard the Romans now had for their false religion after the Christian and true religion was flourishing so much, says that the year had dried up and bore no fruit because of the sacrileges, and that whatever was taken from religion was bound to bring harm to everyone.¹⁵ Livy, speaking through the character of Camillus, says that everything turns out well for those who follow and keep faith with the gods, and badly for those who despise them.¹⁶ And Cornelius Tacitus adds that we ought to maintain the same fear and reverence for God in times of prosperity that we had during adversity.

The Universal Witness to Divine Governance

The chapter concludes by affirming that both natural reason and Christian wisdom agree that all human endeavors must be rooted in God.

And Pliny the Younger says that our life consists in religion. The wise men of the world say all this, enlightened by the light of reason alone. The saints and most learned doctors of the Catholic Church have written so much and so excellently on this subject that, taking it as settled and not wanting to be long-winded, I won't include it here. Instead, I will let Lactantius speak for them all: "All evils," he says, "multiply and grow day by day among men because they abandon God, who is the creator and governor of this world, and against all reason and justice take up new and impious religions."¹⁷ There is no ancient author of weight and prudence who isn't of this same mind, or who doesn't speak of religion in the same way as those we've cited here. Since I am writing in our Castilian tongue, and primarily for those of our nation, I want to close this chapter by quoting what King Alfonso the Wise says about this in the prologue to the Siete Partidas, which many very wise men compiled at his command: "God," he says, "is the beginning, middle, and end of all things, and without Him nothing can be, for by His power they are made, by His wisdom they are governed, and by His goodness they are sustained."¹⁸¹⁹ Therefore, every man who wants to begin some good work must set the beginning of what he has to do in God, entreating Him and asking for His favor so that He may grant him the knowledge, will, and power to finish it well."²⁰²¹ "²²

Read the original Latin

Aristóteles, tratando de las cosas que son necesarias en una ciudad, y sin las cuales ninguna se puede bien gobernar, como son mantenimientos, artes, armas, dineros, etc. , dice: « Ante todas cosas se debe procurar lo que pertenece al culto de los dioses, que llamamos sacrificio de los sacerdotesn; y añado que cualquiera príncipe se debe mostrar muy piadoso para con los dioses, porque con esto se aseguran los pueblos, y no temen que les hará agravios, ni maquinan contra él, porque juzgan que, siendo religioso y amigo de Dios, tendrá el mismo Dios en su favor. Y los demas filósofos graves y sabios nos enseñan que las cosas que quisiéremos emprender las comencemos de Dios y acabemos en Dios, y le pidamos gracia para bien comenzar y mejor acabar. El filósofo Jámblico dice que la naturaleza humana es tan flaca, que no puede tratar ni hablar de Dios sin el mismo Dios, y mucho ménos cumplir y hacer obras divi. nas sin El. Mercurio Trimegisto dice quo el ornamento y medida del hombre, ante todas cosas, debe ser la religion, acompañada de la bondad, la cual entónces será perfeta, cuando, esforzada con la virtud, despreciáre la codicia y deseo de todas las otras cosas, porque cada uno resplandece con la piedad, religion, prudencia, y con el culto y veneracion de Dios, como quien está alumbrado con la luz de la verdad y con el conocimiento y vista della, y con la confianza de lo que cree se soñala entre los hombres, como el sol entre las estrellas, por su claridad. Pitágoras nos enseña que no hay mejor manera para serel hombre muy perfeto, que llegarse á Dios. El divino Platon dice que no hay virtud que se pueda igualar á la religion y piedad para con Dios, y que todos los hombres de seso y razon tienen por costumbro, en el principio de cualquier cosa, acudir á Dios á pedirle favor.

Y en una epístola dijo estas palabras: «En todas las cosas que decimos 6 pensamos, habemos de tomar principio y comenzar de Dios.» Y en el Libro de las leyes dice: «Invoquemos ante todas cosas á Dios, para establecer nuestra ciudad, y supliquémosle nos oya y nos sea propicio y venga á nosotros benigno, para que nos enseñe las leyes y adorne la ciudad.» Y esto dijo este filósofo con mucha razon, porque, como Dios es el principio y fin de todas las cosas, y el que las crió para 8Uu gloria, conviene que todas miren á él, y que todas las acciones del hombre, que es el mundo abreviado, comiencen por Dios y acaben en Dios, porque, así como alabamos la vid por la copia y abundancia de la uva que produce, y el vino por el 8abor, y el ciervo por la velocidad, y la bestia de carga por las fuerzas que tiene para llevarla, y el perro por su sagacidad, osadía y ligereza, así alabamos al hombre por la virtud y por estar allegado y unido con Dios, porque éste es su fin y Bu último y sumo bien, y su verdadera y perfeta felicidad, y esto se alcanza por medio de la verdadera religion. Y el que tiene la cuenta que debe con ella, ése tiene á Dios propicio y por amigo; y 88Í dijo Séneca: «Si quieres tener á Dios por amigo y favorable, procura ser bueno; que el que le imlta, ése le sabe honrar y reverenciar.» Pero, volviendo á Platon, en otra parte escribe que n0 se pueden bien gobernar los reinos sino es Con € favor y gracia particular de Dios; porque dice qué así como las bestias no se pueden bien regir ni CUrar por sí, sin el hombre, así el hombre no puede ser bien gobernado y encaminado á la felicidad por otros hombres, sin Dios. Jenofonte, filósofo é historiador gravísimo, escribió ocho libros de la Institucion del rey Ciro, á quien pinta y pone Po" dechado y modelo de todos los grandes reyes Y prudentes gobernadores, en paz y en guerr8) y dice que cuando Ciro se partió para la casa de su agiíelo Astiáges, su padre Cambises le dijo estas palabras: «Una cosa te encomiendo, hijo mio, la cual quiero tengas siempre en la memoria, como una joya de mucho precio, y dada de padre que tanto te ama. Sé muy amigo y devoto de Dios, y nunca comiences cosa sin demandarle primero su favor y ayuda; porque los hombres somos muy faltos, y ninguna cosa se esconde á la Sabiduria eterna, y á quien ella favorece todo le sucede bien.» Jzas cuales palabras de tal manera se imprimieron en el corazon á Ciro, que es cosa maravillosa ver cuántas veces repite Jenofonte el cuidado que tenía de la religion en todas las cosas que hacia, cómo procuraba aplacar á los dioses ántes de tomar consejo y deliberar si habia de hacer guerra ó dejarla de hacer; y despues de haber determinado de hacerla, ántes de comenzarla, los sacrificios que hacia para tener propicios á los dioses, y cuando con el ejército entraba en tierra de los enemigos, el cuidado que ponia en ganar la voluntad de los dioses de la tierra con ofrendas y dones, y despues de haber peleado y vencido, en reconocer la vitoria de su mano y agradecérsela.

De manera que parece que el principio, medio y fin de todas las empresas de este gran rey era la religion, aunque falsa, de sus vanos dioses. Isócrates, orador excelentísimo, escribiendo á Nicocles, rey de Cipre, y enscñándole con qué medios habia de conservar su reino, le dice estas palabras: «Guardarás la religion como la recebiste de tus mayores y antepasados, y piensa que el mayor y mejor sacrificio es, ser tú mismo bueno y justo; porque mayor esperanza tienen los tales que harán algo bueno, conforme á la voluntad de Dios, que los que edifican templos.» La primera cosa que Dion escribe en la Institucion del principe es, que tenga gran cuenta del culto y acatamiento de Dios, y anteponga lo divino á todo lo demas; y añade: «Porque el varon bueno y justo á ninguno puede obedecer más que á Dios, qua es muy bueno y muy justo, y en esto será malo y perverso si piensa que Dios es impío ó que no sabe ni entiende todas las cosas.» Ciceron dice estas palabras: «Quitada la piedad para con los dioses, juntamente se quita la fidelidad y la conjuncion del género humano, y aquella excelentisima virtud de la justicia para con los hombres.» Horacio, poeta, dice que por haber los hombres tenido poca cuenta con la religion, los dioses habian afligido á Italia con grandes calamidades. Y Symacho, varon patricio y muy ilustre y elocuente, quejándose á Valentiniano, emperador, de la poca cuenta que tenian ya los romanos con su falsa religion, despues que la cristiana y verdadera florecia tanto, dice «ue el año se habia secado y que no daba fruto por los sacrilegios, y que necesariamente habia de ser para daño de todos lo que se quitaba á la religion. Tito Livio, en persona de Camilo, dice que todas las cosas suceden bien á los que siguen y tienen cuenta con los dioses, y mal álos que los menosprecian. Y añade Cornelio Tácito que debemos conservar en la prosperidad el temor y reverencia de Dios, que tuvimos en la adversidad.

Y Plinio Segundo dice que nuestra vida consiste en religion. Todo esto dicen los sabios del siglo, alumbrados con sólo la lumbre de la razon. Que lo que los santos y sapientiísimos doctores de la Iglesia católica han escrito de esta materia es tanto y tan excelente, que por presuponerse como cosa averiguada, y no ser prolijo, no quiero traerlo aqui, sino referir por todos las palabras que dice Lactancio: «Todos los males, dice, se multiplican y crecen cada dia á los hombres, porque dejan á Dios, que es el criador y gobernador deste mundo, y contra toda la razon y justicia toman nuevas y impías religiones.» Y no hay autor antiguo, grave y prudente, que no sea deste mismo parecer, y no hable de la religion de la misma manera que los que aquí habemos alegado. Y pues escribimos en nuestra lengua castellana, y principalmente para los que son de nuestra nacion, quiero, por remate deste capitulo, referir lo que acerca desto dice el rey don Alonso el Sabio, en el prólogo sobre la recopilacion de las Siete Partidas, que hicieron, por gu mandado, muchos y muy sabios varones, por estas palabras: «Dios, dice, es comienzo y medio y acabamiento de todas las cosas, y sin El ninguna cosa puede ser, ca por el su poder son fechas, é por el su saber son gobernadas, é por la su bondad son mantenidas. Onde todo home que algun buen fecho quisiere comenzar, principio debe poneré ha de facer á Dios, rogándole é pidiéndole merced que le dé saber é voluntad é poder, porque lo pueda bien acabar.» ”

Notes

1 ↩Source surface sacerdotesn read as sacerdotes (priests).
2 ↩Source ends mid-word at obras divi.; completed as obras divinas, finished in s5 (nas sin El).
3 ↩Fragment nas sin El completes s4's obras divinas sin Él.
4 ↩OCR/print forms quo→que and soñala→señala; Mercurio Trimegisto rendered as Mercury Trismegistus.
5 ↩Source serel read as ser el.
6 ↩Source costumbro read as costumbre.
7 ↩Source reads «decimos 6 pensamos»; treated as OCR corruption of «decimos ó pensamos» (or).
8 ↩Normalized reading of OCR damage: «8Uu gloria» → «su gloria»; «el 8abor» → «el sabor»; «y Bu último» → «y su último». «copia» taken in the older sense of abundance/plenty.
9 ↩Source «y 88Í dijo» read as «y así dijo»; «imlta» as «imita». «ella» refers to true religion from the previous sentence.
10 ↩OCR repair: «n0» → «no»; «Con € favor» → «con el favor»; «CUrar» → «curar» (tend/care for). «gracia» kept as grace.
11 ↩OCR repair: «Po" dechado» → «por dechado»; «guerr8)» → «guerra,»; «agiíelo» → «abuelo». Quote continues in the next sentence.
12 ↩Opening «Jzas cuales» read as «Las cuales». «vitoria» is period spelling for victoria.
13 ↩Source print has 'enscñándole' for 'enseñándole' and older 'recebiste' for 'recibiste'; both read as intended sense.
14 ↩Quoted span has 'qua es' for intended 'que es' ('who is').
15 ↩Opening of the quotation is printed 'dice «ue el año'; corrected to 'dice que el año' ('says that the year').
16 ↩Printed 'álos' read as 'a los'.
17 ↩«referir por todos» rendered as ‘standing for them all, to report’ — Lactantius is cited as representative of the doctors rather than as a full catalog of their teaching.
18 ↩Source «por gu mandado» read as «por su mandado» (‘at his command’); ‘gu’ is treated as a typographic corruption of ‘su’.
19 ↩Alfonso’s medieval Castilian «fechas» rendered as ‘made’ (hechas); «ca» as ‘for’; «é» as ‘and’. Closing quote is completed only in the following sentence.
20 ↩Source «principio debe poneré ha de facer á Dios» is corrupt Old Castilian; rendered from the most plausible intended sense: he must set the beginning of what he has to do in God (cf. Alfonso’s ‘poner… e ha de facer a Dios’).
21 ↩«merced» rendered as ‘favor’ (royal/devotional petition for grace), not as feudal ‘mercy’ alone; «home/fecho/facer/onde» are medieval Castilian forms of man/deed/do/wherefore.
22 ↩Input sentence is only a closing quotation mark (”), residual from the Alfonso quote closed in s6; no independent propositional content.

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