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488 Credibility of the Gospel History.
his heathenism. It was composed indeed during? the
holidays of Saturn. But yet there is no heathenism in any
part ot" the work, as isi well observed by the learned editor.
Finally therefore, since"^ there are no clear intimations of his
heathenism, or of his conversion to Christianity, in his own
works, nor in any ancient writers who have mentioned him ;
I rather think, (though without being positive,) that he was
from the beginning educated in the christian religion.
Nourry* was of the same opinion : and herein I thought 1
had the honour to agree likewise with Dr. Heumann, who
lias' lately given us a very valuable edition of Lactantius,and
had been" long before acquainted with his works. But in
his preface'' to that edition, he has let fall some expressions
on the other side; as if he had altered his opinion, or forgot
what he had well and largely argued formerly.
II. We have seen in Jerom a catalogue of the works of
Lactantius: the catalogues in Honorius of Autun and Trithemius
are very little different.
1. The last-mentioned writer adds, that'' beside the books
enumerated by him, it was said, that Lactantius had written
not a few more, but he had not seen them.
2. Lactantius himself in his^ Institutions, and in ^ his book,
Of the Wrath of God, mentions a design to write against all
p Hoc quoque Symposium lusi de carmine inepto.
Sic me Sicca docet. Sicca deliro magistra.
Annua Saturni dum temporafesta redirent.
Symp. Prol.
"i Nee enim quidquam in ejus senigmatibus inest, quod sapiat
ethnicismum : tantum abest, ut probet ethnicismum. Heunian. Praef. ad Lact.
Symp. Sect. 14. p. xxv.
' Nam SI Lactantius ex ethnicis tenebris ad lucem christianae sapientiae
emersisset, videtur summum hoc Numinis beneficium alicubi librorum suorum
commemoraturus fuisse praedicaturusque— pristinse religionis, si diversatn a
christianis prius habuisset, memoriam, tot invitantibus occasionibus, nee debuit
supprimere, nee, quae pietasejus fuit, voluit. Heuman. ib. p. xxiv. et xxv.
* Nourr. Diss, in Lact. cap. i. p. 578. ' Gottingae. mdccxxxvi.
" The Symposium of Lactantius, with a long preface, was published by
Dr. Heumann, at Hanover, in the year ] 722.
" Cum enim nee philosophus esset, nee diu sacris versatus in literis, (a puero
enim sacra coluerat lUa cum suis parentibus, quae postea exsecrabatur, illata
menti suae luce divinse sapientiae :) ne satis quidem perceperat ecclesiae doc-
trinas, &e. Heuman. Praef ad opp. Lactant. p. ante f. quart.
" Several of his passages are alleged above at note i and ^
" Alia insuper non pauca scripsisse dieitur. Sed in manus nostras non
venerunt. Trithem. cap. 56.
y Postea plenius et uberius contra omnes mendaciorum sectas proprio
separatoque opere pugnabimus. Inst. 1. iv. c. ult. in fin.
^ et refutabimus postea diligentius, cum respondere ad omnes sectas
ccEperiraus, quae veritatem, dum disputant, perdiderunt. De Ira Dei, c. 2.
1). 767.