To vindicate the Christians from any charge of impiety because they
offered no sacrifices, Arnobius quotes Varro’s opinion, that the true gods
could not wish for these, whilst the images could care for nothing (1).
The true gods, though unknown because unseen, must be, so far as
their divinity is concerned, exactly alike, so as never to have been be-
gotten, or be dependent on anything external to themselves (2). But if
this is the case, on what ground ought sacrifices to be offered—as food
for the gods? but whatever needs help from without, must be liable to
perish if this is withheld. Moreover, unless the gods feed on the steam
and vapour of the sacrifices, it is plain that they receive nothing, as the
fire on the altar destroys what is placed on it; whilst, finally, if the
gods are incorporeal, it is difficult to see how they can be supported by
corporeal substances (3). It might indeed be supposed that the gods
took some pleasure in having victims slain to them ; but this is exposed
to two objections,—that to feel pleasure necessitates the capacity of
feeling pain, whilst these two states are becoming only in the weakness
of mortals, and require the possession of the senses, which can only
accompany a bodily form, from which the gods are supposed to be free ;
and that, secondly, to feel pleasure in the sufferings of animals, is hardly
consistent with the divine character (4). It was commonly held that
sacrifices propitiated the deities, and appeased their wrath. Against this
Arnobius protests as utterly inconsistent with the view of the divine
nature, which he conceives it necessary to maintain so persistently (5).
