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
yo