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Lactantius. a. D. 306. 487
where, as he says, Lactantius seems to reckon himself with
those, who,having'seen their error, embraced the true religion.
But those expressions appear to me ambiguous: and as I
apprehend, they rather relate to the state of mankind in
general, than to that of Lactantius himself, or of any other
particular person ; he is there speaking- of the great desig^n
of the christian religion in general, to deliver men from the
errors and superstitions in M'hich they had been long' involved.
So Arnobius says :
' It'' is now about three hundred
' years since we began to be christians.'
FJeside these two passages, Gallteus refers to' a third.
But the same answer will suffice for that likewise.
His being- sent for by Dioclesian, to teach rhetoric at Nicomedia,
is no proof that he Avas then a heathen. Dioclesian,
who"^ was intent upon adorning- that city, would be glad of
any man of fine parts, who would come and take up his
residence, and display them there. It is well known, that
before the persecution there" were many christians in the
imperial court and armies : and it is past dt)ubt, that Lactantius
was a christian, when the persecution began at Nicomedia.
Nor does his great and long- diligence in the pursuit
of eloquence, and the study of polite literature, afford any
argument for his heathenism at that time. It can hardly be
suspected, that Lactantius was not a christian when he wrote
the epistles, mentioned by St. Jerom. Yet pope Damasus
writes to him, that" he did not read them with pleasure,
because, though many of them were very long", they had
little about the christian doctrine, but chiefly related to
measures, and the situation of countries, and philosophical
questions. Nay, that observation of Damasus does at once
afford a proof of our author's Christianity at that time, and
of his extensive learning-. Nor does the Symposium, supposing-
it to be a genuine work of Lactantius, demonstrate
irretiti fuimus errores, cum vanis et impiis superstitionibus, tollerentur. Epit.
cap. iii. p. 739. Leyd. cap. Ix.p. 129. ed. PfafF.
•^ Trecenti sunt anni, minus vel plusaliquid, ex quo coepiniusesse christiani,
et terrarum in orbe censeri. Arnob. 1. i. p. 9. in.
' cognosceie ministrum ejus, ac nuntium quern legavit in terram ;
quo dicente liberati ab errore, quo implicati tenebamur, formatique ad veri Dei
cultum, justitiam disceremus. De Ira Dei, cap. 2. p. 766.
" Ita semper denientabat, Nicomediam studens urbi Romae coaeqnare. De
M. Pers. cap. 7. " Vid. Eus. H. E. 1. viii. cap. 6. et libr. de M. P. cap. 15.
" Fateor quippe tibi, eos, quos niihi jam pridem Laclantii dederas libros,
ideo non libenter lego, quia et plurimse epistolae ejus usque ad mille spatia
versuum tenduntur, et raro de nostro dogmate disputant ; quo fit, utet legenti
fastidium generet longitudo: et si qua brevia sunt, scholasticis niagis sint apta,
quum nobis, de metris et regionum situ, et philosophis disputantibus, [aliter
disputantia]. Daraas. Pap. ad Hier. T. ii. p. 561. Ed. Bened.