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210 Credibilily of the Gospel History.
If this be genuine, we have here a part of one of those
short epistles intended by St. Jeroin. However, it is now
the constant opinion of learned men that Anthimus, bishop
of Nicomedia, suffered at the beginning- of Dioclesian's persecution
in 303, and that Lucian did not die before the year
311 or 312. If therefore this letter be his, he must have
been at Nicomedia, and in communion with that church, and
the martyrs there, when Anthimus suffered.
2. Eusebius assures us, that before Lucian suffered he
apologized for the heavenly kingdom in words : and, as
before shown, Rufinus has inserted a speech, as delivered
by him ; which I see'' Huet cjuotes as Lucian's : and'' Fabricius
thinks it might be laken by Rufinus from the Acts of
his martyrdom: but'' Tillemont is of opiifion that it is a speech
of Rufinns's own making.
Whether it be Lucian's, or Rufinus's, or in part only the
apology of our martyr, Avith some additions of the historian,
I cannot forbear taking some notice of it here, it representing
in some measure the just sentiments of those ancient
christians who considered their religion as a divine institu-
tion of virtue.
' It is no secret,' says he, ' that the God whom we christians
worship, is the one God declared to us by Christ, and
by the Holy Ghost inspired in our hearts.'
' P own, that we also once trusted in gods of our own
making.—But Almighty God, commiserating the errors of
mankind, sent his Avisdom into this world, clothed in flesh,
'' Huet Dem. Ev. Prop. iii. sect. viii. p. 30. •= Apologiam ad
Praesidem ante martyrium A. C. 311. Nicomediae dictam, cujus meminit
Eusebius ix. 6. Rufinus in Latina sua versione ex Actis, ut videtur, martyrii
ejus, excerptam exhibet. Fabr. B. G. T. v. p. 279.
" See Tillem. as before, p. 145, 146.
* ——Fateor, erravimus etiam nos aliquando, et simulacra, quae finximus,
decs coeli ac terrae putabamus auctores.—Verum omnipotens Deus,—errores
miseratus humanos, Sapientiam suam misit in hunc mundum carne vestitam,
quae nos doceret Deum, qui ccelum fecit et terram, non in manufactis, sed in
aeternis atquc invisibilibus, requirendum. Vitae enim nobis leges, ac disciplinae
praecepta con?tituit ; servare parsimoniani, paupertate gaudere, mansuetudineni
colere, studcre pati, puritatem cordis complecti, patientiam custodire. Sed et
omnia haec, quae nunc adversum nos geritis, ventura nobis esse praedixit ; educendos
nos ad reges, et ante tribunalia judicum statuendos, ac velut victimara
jugulandos. Inde est, denique, quod et ipse qui erat immortalis, utpote Verbum
et Sapientia Dei, morte se praebuit, quo nobis in corpore positus patientiae praebcret
exemplum. Sed nee nos sua morte decepit, quibus post tertium diem
resurrexit : non, ut ista, quae nunc falso conscribuntur, continent Acta Pilati
sed innoccns, immaculatus, et purus, ad hoc solum mortem suscejiit, ut eani
vinceret resurgendo. Quae autem dico, non sunt in obscuro gesta loco, nee
teslibus indigent. Pars pene jam mundi major huic vcritati adstipulatur, urbes
infegrae. Eus. H. E. Vers. Ruf. 1. ix. c. G. p. 202.
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