Only consider at what price you sell your own will and choice, man—­if for nothing else, that you may not sell it for a trifle.

If a person could be persuaded, as he ought of this principle, that we are all originally descended from God, and that He is the Father of gods and men, I conceive he never would think meanly or degenerately concerning himself.  Suppose Caesar were to adopt you, there would be no bearing your haughty looks.  Will you not be elated on knowing yourself to be the son of Jupiter, of God Himself?  Yet, in fact, we are not elated; but having two things in our composition, intimately united, a body in common with the brutes, and reason and sentiment in common with the gods, many of us incline to this unhappy and mortal kindred, and only some few to the divine and happy one.

By means of this animal kindred some of us, deviating towards it, become like wolves, faithless and insidious and mischievous; others like lions, wild and savage and untamed; but most of us like foxes, wretches even among brutes.  For what else is a slanderous and ill-natured man than a fox, or something still more wretched and mean?

To Triptolemus all men have raised temples and altars, because he gave us a milder kind of food; but to Him who has discovered and communicated to all the truth, the means not of living but of living well, who ever raised an altar or built a statue?

If what philosophers say of the kindred between God and man be true, what has anyone to do but, like Socrates, when he is asked what countryman he is, never to say that he is a citizen of Athens, or of Corinth, but of the world?  Why may not he who has learned that from God the seeds of being are descended, not only to my father or grandfather, but to all things that are produced and born on the earth—­and especially to rational natures, as they alone are qualified to partake of a communication with the Deity, being connected with Him by reason—­why may not such a one call himself a citizen of the world?  Why not a son of God?  And why shall he fear anything that happens among men?  Shall kindred to Caesar, or any other of the great at Rome, enable a man to live secure, above contempt, and void of fear; and shall not the having God for our Maker and Father and Guardian free us from griefs and terrors?

II.—­THE CITIZEN OF THE WORLD AND HIS HIGH CALLING

You are a distinct portion of the essence of God, and contain a certain part of Him in yourself.  Why do not you consider whence you came?  You carry a god about with you, wretch, and know nothing of it.  Do you suppose I mean some god without you, of gold or silver?  It is within yourself you carry Him, and profane Him, without being sensible of it, by impure thoughts and unclean actions.  If even the image of God were present, you would not dare to act as you do; when God Himself is within you, and hears and sees all, are not you ashamed to think and act thus, insensible of your own nature and hateful to God?