Ante-Nicene Christian library; translations of the writings of the Fathers down to A.D. 325

발행: 1867년

분량: 541페이지

출처: archive.org

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HEMI refleet, o Empero Constantino, and ostenrovolvo in m minesthe origina conditionis men, it is accustomedo appea aliae ondersu andvnworthy that by the soli os ne age embracingvarious superstitions and bellering in the existenco of many gods, the suddent arrive a suci ignorance of themselves, that tho truthaeing tahen a V Dom thei ves, the religio ofth une God a no observed nor the conditionis humannature, since me didiso sue the hie good in heaven, buton inriti Myon this account assuredi the happines of the ancient ages a changed For, havinilei God in parentandriounder of at things, men egan to orini the sensetessmorkk of theiriwn hands And what were in effect of this corruption or liat eviis it introduced the subjeci itfel sufficiently declares. For, turning aWaydram the chie good whichisalesse and evertasting on this account,aecauserit cannotae Seen, o touched, o comprehended, and Dom tho virtuos hichare in agreement mitti stat good, and whic are equalty immo

havo intere into in hear of man, the ining Whio God has preparadior inem that Iove mm. III

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212 LACTANTIUS. Boo IV. body, because ali bodies are subjectio death. Superstitions of this hind therefore, Were follo ed is injustice an impiety, a must

Thus humandis' hicli in forme age had been occupied mitti the cleares light Was Versproad illi gloom an darknessa and in conformit Wit this depravi , he Wisdom Wastata aWay the a lenn men began to laim for themselves the nam os ise For at the time hen ali mere mise, noone a called by that name. And would that this name, oncecommon in ali the class, though reducedri aciem stili retained iis poWer For hos te might perhaps e able eithe by talent, ora authori , or is continuat exhortations to Dee thopeoplearom vices and errore But so entirely had wisdom diedout that it is evident, rom the ver arrogance of the name, that no one of those ho mere so called Was reali mise Andyet, betore the discover of this philosophy, ascit is termed, there are satyto have been even, Who,aeca e the Venturedio inquiro into an discus natura subjecta, deserve to beesteemed an called Wis men. Wretched and calamitous age, in hic throuo the whole ori there ero ni seven ho mere called by the nam osmen, for no ne a justly be called a man unlem horis miselBut is ali th other besides themselves ere Dolish, even theythemselves ero not Wise,aecaus no one canae tres miserintho judgment of the Dolisti. Soriar mere the removed hommisdom, that notisve after ards, When learning increased, and many and great intelletis vere alWays intent pon his very subject could the truth be perceived an ascertained For, after the renow of thos seven is men, it is incredibis illi

me even is me mere, Thales, Pittacus, Bias, Solon, Cleobulus, Chilo, and Periander. a theae mme add Anaohanda the Scythian.

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the were unabis to gio any account, the were accustomed to

This mas in opinion es Pythagoras. meo Book iii. 2. Sesa cor i. 2 22.

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onea

Tho modihi of the god' asa have auo in tho formerbook does no impi Wisdom no onb ecam it oves pman, Who is a divine animal, to earthi an irat things, butheeauso nothiniis fixe incit hich may avali for the cultiv tionis the character and the hamis of tho life nor doecit contain any investigatio of the truth, but only the rito os,o λψ, hic does no consist in the service of the ind, bucintho employment of the oh. An thereiore that is no tobo Memed truo religion causerit instructa and improves menis no precept of righteousnes and virtve Thus philosophy, in much acit Me no posses true religion that is, tho hi est pie , is notrime isdom. For ii in divinit whic verasinis ori supporta mankin Wit incredibi beneficene' and eherishes it a missi paterna indulgence, Mahes trul that o titudo inould M aid, and honour give in iraeli man cannot preserve his pistyrii ho inali provo ungrateiae for tho heavenlybenefiis and this is certaini no the partis a is man. Since tiaratore, a Phave miri philosoph and the religio system of the goda ara separated, and far remove hom achother feein that ome re professors of Wisdom, throuo vhom it is manifes that there is no approach to the goia, and

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is referre to ono ource, an to ne supreme auctori in aliori, the teacher o Wisdomare the fame, Wh are also thepriest o God Nor, honeVer, let it affect any ono, becauserit osten has happened, and may appen that ome philosophermarunderialis a pri thood of the gods and when this happens,

system os religio uites is dumb not onlyaecauserit relates togod Who are dumb but also ecause ita observanco is by thohan and the fingere, no by the hear an longue, ascis thecas Mith oura, hic is true Thereiam religio is containedin Wisdom, and wisdom in religion. The one, then, cannotio separate homine ther; ecause Wisdom is nothing elso butine modihi of tho truo God illicius an pious adoration. But that tho morshi o many god is no in accordanc missi nature, may be inferred and conceived evenanthis argument: that very god horis orshippe is an must, amidst thesolemnites and prvere,ae invoked a sather, not onj for thea e of hono , but also os reason; because licis both more ancient than an, and ecause he afforti lite sately, and sustenance, as a fallier does Theresora Jupiter is calle satho by thossWho prant him, ascis Saturnus, and Janus, and Liber, and the res in order; hic Lucilius laugiis at in tho counes of the gods that there is non onus horis not called excellent ather of the gods; so that fallier Neptunus, Liber, ather Saturnus, Mars, Janus, sather Quirinus, are calle aster noname. But ii naturo does no permit that ono an inouliu

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Therelare the worahi os many god is contrar to reamnandri nature, ince there cannot be many ather o lorci;

i somo placea servant' and master ' might Mem more appropriate. Among the Romana clave hadio praenomen or distinguishing me: hen a clave ma ae a liberty ho ma allo e to assume tho nam es hismRster a a praenomen Thus, inieratus Sat. v. Dama,' tho liberatae clave becomis Marcus Dama. si Thucine flavo in Tereno Miserto knowho many maatera he had.

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Boo iv. TNE DIONE INSTITUTES. 217but it is necessar to conside the god both a sathera and

Therelare the truth annot be held Wher the samo mancis subjecto many sather an lotas, here the mind dra n indifferent directions to any objecta, mander in and Do hitheran thither. Nor an religio have any firmness, when it is .ithout a fixo an mille dWellinyplace Theret e there canae no true Worahi of many gods justis that cannot scalle matrimony, in hic one oman has many usbanti, but ius illisither o calle a hario or an adulterem. For hen a Woman is destitute o modesty, chasti , and fidelitnahe must o necessityae ithout virtve Thus also the religious system of the god is unchasto and unholy becauserit is destitute o faith so that unislsed and uncertain honour has

CHAP. IV.- iisdom likewiae, and religion, and of the right offathemand lard.' stes thingscit is evident ho closely connected are Wis-dom an religion. Wisdom relates to sons, and this relationrequires love religio in servant' and thia relation requires fear. For a the forme ars bound o love and hono 'heirsather, o re in latis bound to respect an venerato their lota. ut Missi respectrio God in is no only, in much asHe sustain tho tWosold character both o Fatho an Lord, m aro bound botha lovemim, in much as mare sons, andio se mim, in muc a me are servants. Religion ther fore, cannotae divida trem Wisdo moria Wisdom e separate fram religion; ecauso it is the samo God Who oughtto bis underatood, hicli is the par o Wisdom, an to bohonoured whichris in parti religion. ut Wisdom precedes, religio sollows to the knowledg o God comes fidi mis orshi is tho resultis knowledge Thus in the two amesthere is ut ne meming though itis mcto bo different in

Gar, in tho language of tho propheta, osten implie revereno of thodivine majesty Lactantius a mari refer torusiri 6 aon honourethhia lather, and a servant hi master is then Pho a fassier, here is mino nour and is LM a maater, hero is mydear λ'

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cannotae Wis o religio .

Thus it comes totam that philosophera, and those Who Worinip many gods, iste resemble disinherite sons or unaWay flaves, becauso the onera no me thei sather no the other thei master And a the who are disinherited domo attain to tho inheritanc of thela fallier nor runaWay flaves impuni , a neister mill philosophors receive immortality, Whicli is hoinheritanc of the heavenlyainoom, that is, in chie good, hic therespeciali sea nor ill tho orshippers of godsescape in penalty ol evertastinideast, hic is the punishment of th true Master against thos Who ars deserters of His majest an name. ut that God is ather an also ordmas unknown to both, to the worshippers of the god a meli asto the professors of Wisdom themselves in much a the either thought that nothing at ali macto bo Worshipped o the ain prove os salso religions or, although the underet thostrangi and pomer of the supreme God a Plato, Wh saysthat there is ono Creator of the morid, God, and Marcus Tullius, ho achnowle es that man has been produce by tho supreme God in an excellent condition, neveriheles thendidno rende the worini due tomimis to the supreme Father, Whic mas their efiitin and necessar du . ut that thegod cannot o fallier o lords, is declared not only by their multitudo, ad have inown above, but also is reason: eca ei is no reporte that man was made by gods, nor is it found that the god themaelves precede the originis man, ainco uappears that there mero me on in eari bosore tho biri os Vulcan, and Liber, and Apollo, and Jupiter himself. ut thecreation os mancis not accustomed inae assigne in Saturnus, nor to his faster Coelus. Bucit non of thos Who aro morstipped is sal to hau orbginalty forme an creato man, it follows that non o thesecanae calle tho father of man, and so non of them canae God Therelare it is no lansul to orshi thos by homman was no produced foras could notae produced by many.

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Faster. CHAP. V. The ora eles of the propheta must be looked into and

of their times, and the times of the ju es and kius. NoW, sinco I have hoWn that Wisdom an religio cannot be separated i remain that e speis of religio itself, and wisdom. Lam Wars, indeed, o dissiculi it is to discum heavent subjecis; ut stili ho attempt mustae ventured that in truth may be ad clear and rought to light, and that many may be ireed hom error an death, ho despis and r ius the truth, hilo it is con aled unde a covering ot solb. Butaeiore Iieon to spea o God and His Works,4 mustraret spea a feW things concerning the propheta, hos testimonDImus no use, hic I have refrained hom Ming in thodo me books Move at things, he ho destres to comprehendthe truth ought no onlyrio apply his in to underatand theuiterances of the propheta, but also mos diligentini inquiro into the times during Whichisach one os them existed that homa know What suture evenis the predicted, and alter honmany years thei predictions ere fulfilled. Nor is there any dissiculi in ahing theso computations for the testifiedunder What hing each o them received tho inspiratio of the Divino Spirit. An many havs writte an published books respecting the times, main thei commencement homilio prophet Moses, hociive about seven hundred ear betare the Trojan war. Butae, Whenae had ovemed the peopte forseri years, Was succeeded by Joshua, Who hel tho chies placo

Alter this the wero unde the goverament of judges during 370 years Thetthei condition a changed, and the begant have hings and when the had rule during 450 years i

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220 LACTANTIUS BOOK IV. untii tho reim o Zedehiali, the Jows haringaeonaesieged by the Lingis Babylon, and carrie into captivit Ἀndure a longservitude untii, in the eventieth ea aster aias the captive JeWs,ere restored to thelam n land and setilements by Cyrusino elder, Who atta ed the supreme poWer Ver the Perstans, at the time hen Tarquinius Superbus reigne a Rome. Wheresore, inco the hole series of times may be collectodboth Dom tho JoWis historius and Domitioso of the Greehsan Romans, in times of the propheta individuali may alsobo collected tho last of whom,as Zechariah, and it is agraedon that ho prophesie in tho timo os inglarius, in thoseconLyear of his reign, and in the eighth month. Pso much greater antiquit, are the propheta found toto than tho Greehwritora And IarinisorWard ali thes things, stat the may

perceive their error ho endemou to resuto hol Scripture, a though it were ne and recenti composed bein ignoranthom ha fountain the originis our hol religionHowed Buti any one haring put together an examine in times, halldul lay the foundation os earning and fuit ascertain thetruth, he Will also lay aside his error hen he has gaine thehnowledge of the truth. CHAP. VI.-Almise mod4egat His Som; and the testimonias of the Sibyla and of Trismegiatus concerning Him. God thereiare, the contrive and Dunder os at things, asmo have sat in tho secon book beforem commence this excellent mor of the worid, egat a pure and incorruptibie Spiri 'homme calledmis Son d althoughmoaad aster-watas created by Ηimseli innumerable theraeings, Whom me cali angels thisiratinegotien, hoWever, Was the onlrone WhomΗ considere mortis of ein called by the divine name, asboing po ectu inmis ather' excellence and majes . ut stat there is a Son of tho Mostmio God, hocis possesse of the greates poWer, is hoWn no only by the unanimoua utis ances of the propheta, but also by the declarationis Trism

Seo 2 Mnga xxv. Jer. His and lii. The samoris amerte by Juatin Martyr, Eusebius, Augustine, and other riters. Seo Augustine, de civitate Dei book xviii 37. Pythagora is es ine mos ancient of the Gree philosophera, a contemporar mith theiates propheta.

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