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In tho treatis o the Deaths of ersecutora, an argumant for in truth of tho Christia religio is derivod rom tho fac that thos emperora ho had Men mos distinguished as e secutor of the Christians, more specia objecta o divine
theso treatis inre usuali appende som poetica moris .hie havo been attributo in Lactantius bucit is Ver que tionablo Whetho any of them ero reatly Writton by him. The poemon tho Phoenix appearctoae o a comparativelymodem date.
That o Eastor de Meha is belloved is have been composed by Venanti monorianus Clementianus Fortunatus in the stat centurΥ. The poem omine Passionis the Lord, though much admirod both in iis language and suis of thought beare tho impressita later age.
There is also a collectionis 100 Enigmas,' hic havo been attribute to Lactantius; ut there is good reason to supposethat the are not in productioni his pen. The titis prefixodio hom in tho vis is Firmianus Symposius Writis also Symphosius Caelius. Heumann endemoured is provo that Symposium is tho litis of the woa, and that no such person asSymposius ver existed. ut this opinion is untonable. tristruo that Hieronymus speas os Lactantius a the auctori a Symposium,aut there areis ground io supposing that tho. Wasis a light an triflin character it Was probabi a serious dialogue. Thoraulem Lactantius has been deservedi pratsed for thodigni , elegance, an clearnes of expressio by Whicli it is characterlaed, and whicli hau gained for him the appellationis
in Christian Cicero. His writings everyWhere ove evidence of his varie and extensive erudition, and contain much valvabis information respecting the system of the ancient philosophera. But his laim as a theologian are ope to question for ho
Lord Miles translation has been adopted in the present odition. I has an allusion to the adoratio of the croas. Thoan machino notaeen included in the present translation to tho
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κE LACTANTI Sholia peculia opinion O many potnis, andas appears more successsu as an opponent of error than a a maintaine os in truth. Lactantius has Men charge missi a leaning to Manicheism, but the chargo appear tot unlaunded. Tho translation has been ad from igne' edition, rom hichis dio tho notes have been inhen. The quotations homVirgil havo been give in the word os Conington' translation, and thos frem Lucretius in the word os unro.
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or the accumulationis honoura. Formo one cante made bellero more jus by thes things, since the are frat an earthly, and pertain to the adorning of the od only. Thos menwere indis mos deservin o the nowledge of the truth, whicli the so greatly destre t iso' that the even preferredit to ali things. For it is plain that some gavera thei proper , an altogether abandone the purauit os leasures that,aeing discngage and without impediment, the might folio thosimplo truth, and it alone Andrio greatly did the nam and authorit of the trulli prevail With them, that the proclaimed that in re ard of the greatest good was containe incit Butthondidiso obtain the objectis thei Wisti, an at the amotimo tost thei labour an industry because the truth, thatis tho secretis themost High God, ho create at things, cannotas attained by ouriwn abilit and perceptions. the mise inore Would bo no differenco etween God an man, ithnma thought could reach to the counset an arrangements of that terna majesty Andaecauso it a impossibi thattho divine method os procedure ahould ecome known in man
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E LACTANTIUS. Boo I. b his own efforis God didiso suffer man any longe to errinisoarch of the light of isdom, an to ander through ine tricabie darknes Without an result of his labour,aut at lengthopene his res, and ad the investigationis the truth Hisown gist, o thatine might ho the nothitagnes of humanwisdom, and oint utri man wandering in error the way oldbtaining immortality. But since se mahe se of this heavent benefit an gii becauso the truth lies hidden vello in obscurity an it seither an objectis contemptato the learned ecauserit has notsultable defenders, o is haled by the uniearned on account sit natura severi ty, hicli the natur os me inclined to vices cannot eniture sor ecause there is a bitternes mingled mitti Virtues, hile vices are seasoned with pleasure, offendod by the forme and goothed by the lalter, the are borne headlong and deceived by the appearance of good things, the embram evilaior goods),- have belleved that these error inould bo emcountered that both the learned may be directeda true Wisdom, and the niearned to truo religion And this prosession is ob thought muchaeiter, more usesul and glorious, tha that oforato , in hic bein long engaged me traine Foung mennotri viriue,aut altogether to cunning Wichednem. Certainlyw shallio much more rightly discussaespecting the heavenlyprecepta, is hic me a be able to instruct the ind osmen to the worshi of the true majesty. Nor doeche deserve somel respecting the affairs of men, Who imparis the knowledgeo speat in meli, as he whooeaches en to live in piet and innocence o Whicli account tho philosophera ere in greater glor among the Greeks than the oratore For they the philosophers mere considere teachor os right living, hichis sar more excellent, sincerio spea wel belong onlyrio acie , but o livo wel belong to all. et that practico in fictilious
suit has been os great advantago torus, a that e re noWable to plead the cause os truth With greater copiousnes undabilit os speising ior although the truth may bo defended
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CHAP. I.-η religion and wiadom. - underiae, therelam, to discus religio an divinothings. For insome of the greatest oratore, Veterana acidi emo thei profession, havin completia the moris of thei plead-ings, at ast gave themselves u in philosophy, and regataedilia as a mos jus rest rom thei laboura, i the tortured their ind in the investigatio of thos things hic could not e found out so that the appea to have fought for them-selves nodis muchraeisure M occupation, and that indeod withmuch greater trouble than in thei forme purauit hoWmuc more justi inali' betata myset a to a most aseharbour, to that pious, true, an divino isdom, in hicli allining are ready formiterance, pleasan to the hearing eas tobo underetood honourable to e undertaen An i somo Ailsu men an arbiter o justico composed an published Institutions o civi la , by hic the might ut the strifes an contentions os discordant iligens, o muta belle and mors rightly inali me solio u in ritin tho divine Institutions in hic me halliso spea a ut ain-droppings, ortae turning o maters, o the preserringi claims,aut me halis ah of hope, o lise, o salvation os immortali , and of God, that e may put an endri deadi superstition an mos di
gracesia errors. And wem- commence this Work unde ths auspices onyour
rille Roman princes to repudiat errora, and to achnowledge and honour the majest of the one and oni true God For hen
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4 LACTANTIUS. Boo I. Omnipotent mill also repay the re ard of thei Michodnes Witha severit proportioned testis tardiness forinsme is a mos indulgent ather toWard the godin sociam a most pright Judge against the ungodly Andri my destre to defendinis religio an divine morship to Whom an Prather appeal Whomcan I adhess, buchim by whom justico and wisdom have been restored to the affairs of men ΤΤherelare, leavin the authors of this arthi philosophy, who bring forWard nothin certain letos approach in right path; forci I considerod these toto sussicienti sultable guideat a good ite, I ould both festo them myself, and exhortothors to tollo them But since the disane among one another illi great contention, an ars for the mos par at variance illi themselves, it is evident that thei passi is is nomeans atraighisorWard since the have severati marhed ut distinct ways for themselves accordineto theirown will, and have lest great confusion to those Who axe seehinisor the truth. ut since the truth is revealed hom heaven torus who have received the mysterros true religion, and since me solio God, the inacheron isdom and the guide to truth, e cali together ali, without an distinctio either of sex oris age, to eaVeni pasture. For there is no more pleasant ood for the foui than theanowledge of truth, to the maintaining and explainingit, hic κε have destined seven books, although the subject is one os almost undies and immeasurabie labour so that is an onerahould wis to dilato pon and follofumilies things to their fuit extent, he wouldam sucti an exuberant suppi o subjecis that notther books Would find any limit, nor speech any end. Buton this account, Will put tinether ait things brieflnaecausothos things hicli, aro about o bring sorWard are so plain and lucid that i seem to bo more ondorsu that the truth
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Mox I. THE DIONE INSTITUTES. 5only the are not annye at applyin patience in readingor hearing to the perceptionis tho discipline of Wisdom. Formany pertinaciousi adhering to ain superstitions, ardenthemselves against the manifes truth, notis much deseruing
be underlahe without Wisdom, norinny Wisdom tote approvedo mithout religion. CHAP. II.-Τluat there is a providenee in the a se of me N. Havin there ore underiae tho me os explaining the truth, Ddidio thinwit so necessarrio tali m commeneementfrom that inqui hicli naturali seems the fidit, hether there is a providenco hicli consulis for est things, o ali things ero iste made or are governe by hance Whic sentiament Was introduce is Democritus, an confirmed by Epicurus. ut elare them, hat id rotagoras effeci, horaised doubis respecting the ods o Diagoras iter ards, Who exclude them an some thers, ho id not hol tho existence of gods, excepi that there a supposed to e noprovidences These, hoWever, ere mos Vigoro ly opposed by the ther philosophers, and speciali by the Stoics, hotaught that in universe could netther have been made Without divine intelligence, nor continuo in exist unies it mere verned by the highest intelligence. ut even arcus Tullius, although he was a defender of tho Academi system, discussedat leno an on many occasion respecting the providencemhich overna assalas, confirming tho arguments of the Stoich
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6 LACTANTIUS. Mox Land himself adducing many non ones and this o oes both in ali the book of his own philosophy, and speciali in homwhic treat os the natur of the gods. fit, is dissiculi ask, indeed, to resut the falsehoodso a feminen ho entertaine perverse sentiments by the te timon os communities and tribes, who on thisine potn had nodisagreement. For there is no Ono so uncivilised, and of suchan unculti vate disposition, ho, hen e mises his yes oheaven althoughaeanows no by the providenc os,hat Godiat this visibis universo is morited, does no underetand fmm the ver magnitude o the objecis, fro thei motion, arrangement, constaney usefulness, beauty, and temperament, that there is Some providence, and that that hicli exist mitti monderies method mus have been prepared by som greatur intelligence. Andrior us, assuredly, it is ver eas to follo this par ascopiοustras it maylleaseras Butaecause the subjectias Menmuc agitate amon philosophers, and the whooahe Wayprovidence appear to have been sum ciently ans ered by menti sagacit an eloquence, and ecauserit is necessarrio speuk indifferent places throughout this ork,hicli, have underlahen, respecting the hill of the divine providelice, letis for the present omit his inqui hielicis o closely connected with theother questions that it seem possibi foris to discussio subjeci, without at the fame time discussing the subjectis providence. CHAP. III. Wheiger the universe is sonerned by the power ofone God oris many. Let the commencement of our Wor theresoreae that inquirywhicli closely sollows and is connected with thoirst Whether the universeris MVerned by the power of ne God oris many. There is no one Wh possesses intelligetice an uses reflection, Who oes no understand that it is one ming ho both createdali things and overn them With the fame energnis,hich Hecreate them. For has nee is ther of many to sustain thogovernment of the universe unles Wo hould happen to thinhthat, it there ere more thamone each Would posses les might an strength. And the who hold that thermare many gods, do indeo effect this for those od mustis necessityae eah, aince individually, Without the aid os the othera the would bounabis to austain the goverament of so vas a mam. But God,
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Booci. 'E DIVINE INSTITUTES. - is the eternat tand is undo tedi os excellenes, completo an perfeci in very pari. An it this is true, II must of
necessit be ne For po eri excellenes, Whichris complete,
i themselves the fame poWer. But the natur os excellenco
admits of meatis perfection in him in hom the wholeris, than in him in hom there is ni aramali par of the whole. ut God i me is persect causeras is perfect) asm ought tobe, annot ut be ne so that at things may be in Him.
lem pomissu Will they bo. Wh shoulda mentio that this hi est poWe and divine energyris altogether incapablem divusion hateverris capable os divisio must of necessit bellabis to destructio viso. ut is destructio is far remouod hom God. canismo is incorruptibi and ternat, it follows that tho divine powerris incapable o division There ors Godis one is that Whicli admits of so greatio e canae nothingetio: and et thos Who deem that there are many gods, mythat they have divide thei functions amon themselves bes. mill discus at thes mattere at thei proper places. In the meantime, Passim this, hic belong to the present sub-joet. I the have divide thei functions among themselves, thematis comes bach to the fame piant, that any one of themia nablorio suppi the place of all. e cannot then, besse Det who is nable o ovem at things hile the thera areunemployed. An socii cornes to pass, that for the gover mentis in universe there is more nee of the perfeci exceu
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s LACTANTIUS. Boo Llence of ono than of the imperfectuo ors of many But howho imagines that so great a magnitudo a this anno begoverned by one eing, is deceived. Forae does not comprehendiuo vireat ars the mi Dandio erit the divine majestni ho th hs that he ne God who ad poWer o create thouniverse, is also unablerio gover that hichine has created. But i ho conceives in his in ho meat is tho immensit of that divine mota, henaesore it mas nothinnae that by thepo e and wisdom os God it mas made ut os nothin a Worhwhic could onlyae commenced and accomptished by one-hΘwill nofunderatand that that hic has eo established by
one is much more eastly governed by one. Some ne may perhaps a that so immense a Wor a stato tho universo could not even have been fabricated excepi by many Butio ever many and lio eve greatas may considerthem,-Whateve magnitude, poWer, excellence, and majest hema attribute to the many,-the whole of that Passign omne, and say that it exist in ono: so that them is iniim sucti an