Ante-Nicene Christian Library; Translations Of The Writings Of The Fathers Down To A.D. 325, Volume 21: The Works Of Lactantius, Volume 1

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The destre os inventing,' therelare, and crastinem mere absenthom these men, since they Were unshilsul. Or What unlearnedman could iuvent things adapted to ono another, and coherent, When tho most learned of tho philosophers, Plato and Aristolle, and Epicurus and Zeno, themselves spolio things at variance missi ons mollier, and contraryl For this is the naturo os falsehoods, that they cannot bs coherent. But their Daching, becauis it is true, eve Where agrem, and is altogether consistent with ilaeis; and on this account it effecta persuasion, becaum it is based on a consistent plan. They did not there-

foro deviso that religion for the sine of gain and Qvantage, in much as both by their precepta and in reality they sollonod that mures of liis Whicli is Without pleraures, and despised allthings Which are rechoned among good things, and since theynot oesy endured death for their faith, but also both tae. and

foretoid that th ero about to die, and alternaria stat allwho followed their system Would suffer cruei and implous

committed robberim. Who Would Ventum is opposo so great an authortu Wo must certainly belleve this, for perchanes

Induerat. Sacramenti.

ε Fingendi.' - Undique quadrat.'- ι.ε. Hieroclea, referred is in ta AE ter.

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298 LACTANTIUS.

somo Apollo announcia it to him in his alumbers. So manyrobbers havo at ali times perished, and do peristi datly, and yon

io punish him, suddenly disappeared on his triat, Was more ahil-fes than He Who was both arrosted and eruciuia. But pediham ho wished fram this very thing to proVe the arrogance of Christ, in that ho mado himself God, that tho other may appearis have been mors modest, Who, though he performia greater actions, as this one thinhs, novertheless did not claim that forhimself. I omit at present to compare the Works themselves, be uso in tho second and pxeceding book Ι havo spolienrespecting tho haud and tricis of tho magic art. I say that thero is no Ono Who would not wisti that that should aspeciallybofali him a ter death whicli even the meatest Engs desim. For Wis do men prepare for themselves magnificent sepulchres

Apollonina, a oclebrated Pythagorean philosopher of Tyana; his moris and doctrinea aro recordod is Philostratus, hom Whom Lactantiva appearato have derived his account. The pagana compared his life and actionavith thoas es Christ.' Apuleius, a native es Hadaura, a city on the bordere of the provinco es

Africa; ha professed the Platonic philosophy. He vas reputed a magicianis tho Christian Wrilam.

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E DIVINE INSTITUTES. 299

also Was predicted at the fame time. It was not theresors on

Allectavit divinitatem. Mater. β εε Sacramentum. Uith one apiri uno spiritu.

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300 LACTANTIUS.

religion Du attempt to overturn. CHAP. IV Wis this work was publisIed, and again os Tertullian and Cyprian.

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arguments and Nason. For, since he was contending against a man who Was ignorant of the truth, ho ought for a whilo tohavs laid aside divino readings, and to have formed hom thobeginning this man as one Who Was altogether ignorant, and

aented to him. For as an insant is unable, on account of tho tendernem otiis stomach, to receive tho nourishment of solid and strong Aod,

but is supporied by liquid and sost milh, untii, ita strangin

oblatrantem atque obstrepentem veritata ' Theae morda are invenirem Cyprian. Rudem caligaret.'

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302 LACTANTIUS.

receiving divine things, should bo presented mitti human testimontes that is, of philosophers and historians-in order thatho might especialty bs refuted by his oπn authorities. And

mith the favo of God, to do this, and at the samo time toprepare the way for ths imitation os othera. Αnd is, thronomy exhortation, learned and eloquent men stiali begin to betakothemselves to this subjeci, and shali choose to display their talents and pomer of speahing in this sold of truth, no one candoubi stat falso religions mill quichly disappear, and philosophyaltogethor fiat, it ali stiali bo persuadad that this alono is religion and the only truo Wisdom. But Ι hos mandered fromtho subjeci further than I Wished.

CHAP. V.-There tuas true justice under Saturnus, but it wasbanished by Iupiter. No the promised disputation concerning justice must begiven; Which is either by itseli tho greatest viriue, or by itselftho fountain os virtuo, Whicli not only philosophera fought, but

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as Germanicus Caesar spinis in his posm translatod fremaratus,

ali in bo unsheathed. For Who, When justico Was present andiu vimur, Would thinh respecting his oWn protection, sines noone plotted against him; ox respecting tho destruction ofanother, sines no ono destred anything

They preterrea in livo oontent missi a simplo modo ot lito,

And no Wonder, since the storehouses of the good liberalty layopen to ali. Nor did avarico intercept the divine bount' and thus causo hunger and thlast in common; but ali altho had abundance, since they Who had possessions gaus liberalty and bountisvlly to thoso Who had not. But aster that Saturnus had been banished irom heaven, and had arrived in Latium,-

Germanicus Caeaar, ins grandson ol Augustus, translatod in verso a part of the poema of Aratus. 3 Cicero translatea in veras part of ino poema of Arat . R Virg. Georg. i. 126. ' Ovid, Merum. i. 111. - Virg. AEn. viiL 320.

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304 LACTANTIUS.

Germ. Caes. Arat. 136. η Virg. Georg. i. 139. η Virg. cim. viii. 327.

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against tho Arce of ths multitude. They prevassed, steretore, as much by authori as by strength, or remurces, or malice. And since thero mas in them no trace of justice, the ossices of Which ars humani , equi , pity, they no began to retoice in a proud and sWollen inequality, and made' themselves hiosrthan other men, by a retinus os attendanis, and by the s ord, and by tho brilliancy of their garmenta. For this Nason theyinvented for themselves honoura, and purple robes, and fasces,

stat, being supported by the terror produced is axes anda Ords, they might, as it Were is the right of master' rulo them, strichen With sear, and alamed. Such mas the conditionin which tho lise of man was placed by that hing Who, haring deleatod and put to flight a parent, did not seleto his hingdom,

Hominum.' Mother massing ta omnium,' es ali, M op aed toino te . Propter humanitatem.' Altiorea in . . . iaciebant.' Mother reading is, altioris eaeteris

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306LICTANTIUS.

War, and destroyed bu massacre the race of the Titan' Whichmas strong and excelling in might 3 What wondor is the wholo multitude, pressed by unusual sear, had given themselves up toste adulation os a single man ' Ηim they veneraled, in him they paid the greatest hono . And since it is judgod lo bo aland of obsequio ness in imitato the customs and vices of a

those Who do not possess them; to injure no one, to oppress noono, not to close his door against a stranger, nor his ear against

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