The works of Nathaniel Lardner - The Christian Researcher - Home

Lactantius. a. D. 306. 495
PfafT, and published by him entire, or nearly so, at Paris, in
1712, to the great joy of the learned world. A curious
account of the manuscript, and the fortunate discovery of it,
may be read in Dr. Pfaff's Preliminary Dissertation, and in
Mr. La Roche's' JMemoirs of Literature. Tliis abridnietit
IS an useful book, containing- in it some things not to be
found in the Institutions themselves.
i). The book of the Wrath or Anger of God, is likewise
still extant. It is particularly conmiended by'" Jerom, as
a learned and elegant piece, and a complete treatise upon
the subject.
10. Beside these there is a well known book of the Deaths
of Persecutors, which was first published by Stephen Baluze
in the second volume of his Miscellanea, in the year 1G79.
But this has not been so universally reckoned genuine, as
the beginning- of the Epitome published by Dr. Pfaff.
It is however a very valuable work, containing* a short
account of the sufierings of christians under several of the
Roman emperors, from the death and resurrection of Christ
to Dioclesian : and then a particular history of the persecution
raised by that emperor, and the causes and spring's of
it ; as likewise the miserable deaths of the chief instruments
therein. Here we learn divers remarkable facts, recorded
no where else.
It would be tedious to observe particularly all that might
be said relating- to the dispute concerning the author of this
work. 1 therefore refer to "Baluze, "Fabricins, I'lleumann,
and'i some others, for the arguments, that it is a work of
Lactantius, and to ^ Nourry on the other side.
Fabricius, in particular, thinks Nourry's reasons for robbing'
Lactantius of this piece to be of little weight ; far from
being sufficient ground for introducing- a new author, named
Lucius Cecilius, unknown to all antiquity. However, as I
am obliged to deliver my opinion, I shall support it with
a few observations, referring- to Nourry for the rest.
' Vol. V. p. 184, and 395, &c, in the second edition.
" Firmianus noster libium De Ira Dei docto pariter et eloquenti sermone
conscripsit, quern qui legerit, puto ei ad irse intellectum satis abundeque posse
sufficere. Hieron. Comm. in Ephes. cap. iv. vcr. 26. p. 373.
" Baluz. Miscell. 1. ii. p. 351, 352, et in not. ad libr. de M. P. p. 7, 8, &c.
edit. Ultraj. 1693.
° Fabric, not. '' et s ad Hieron. de V. I. cap. 80. in Biblioth. Ecc. p. 165,
166. Vid. et ejusd. Bibl. Lact. Vol. iii. p. 403, 404.
P Vid. Heumann. App. i. ad Symp. Lact. et ejus. Praef. ad Lactant. Opp.
'' Dan Maichclli Iiitroduct. ad Hist Lit. p. 187, &c. Cantabr. 1721, et
Journal Literaire. Tom. 7. P. i. p.
&c.
1—29, a la Haye, 1715.
' Diss, in L. Cecil, de M. P. Paris, 1710, et in App. ad Bib. P. P. p. 1642,