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Lactantius, a. D. 306. 497
the fifteenth century, would have mentioned it by that title
alone; or else would have mentioned the two titles together.
This book, Of the Deaths of Persecutors, is inscribed to"
Donatus, a confessor, who had suffered six years' imprisonment,
and other hardships, for the sake of Christianity, in
Dioclesian's persecution. And the book of Lactantius concerning
the Wrath of God, is dedicated to one Donatus, a
friend of his. This tiicrefore has been reckoned an argument,
that Lactantius must be the author of the book, of which we
are speaking. But 1 should rather think it an argument on
the other side: foras^ Tillemont observes, (though he makes
no doubt of its being a genuine work of Lactantius,) the
book, Of the Wrath of God, was written after the Institu-
tions, and cojisequently after the persecution. But yet
Lactantius does not there call Donatus an illustrious confessor.
He' even speaks to him, as to a novice, ' who
' needed to be instructed and fortified, lest he should be
' misled by the authority of the wise men of the world.'
Finally, not to mention other things, the style of this
book appears to me far from equalling that of Lactantius.
Nevertheless ^'Baluze and others are of a diflx;rent opinion.
Every one must judge for himself: but for my own part, [
cannot here discern the style of Lactantius; nor does ^ Pfaff",
nof yet Dr. Heumann, though he maintains the genuineness
of the book.
As for the words and phrases found both in this book, and
in the undisputed writings of Lactantius, which have been
observed by Columbus in his notes upon this book, and
"" Novies enim tormentis cniciatibusque variis subjectus, novies adversarium
gloriosa confessione vicisti, &c. de M. P. c. 16. Tunc apertis carceribus.
Donate carissime, cum cseteris confessonbus e custodia liberatus es, cum tibi
career sex annis pro domicilio fuerit. ib. c. 35. Vid. et cap. i.
>• Mem. Ec. T. 6. P. i. p. 352
^ Quorum error, quia maximus est, et ad evertendum vitae humana? statum
spectat, coarguendus est a nobis, ne ipsefallarLs, impulsus auctoritate hominum,
qui se putant esse sapientes. Lact. De Ira Dei, cap. i. p. 764.
^ Nam et stylus oranino Lactantianus est, ut facile periti istarum rerum
agnoscent. Baluz. Misc. ib. p. 315.
*> Non hie earn eloquentiae dicendique vim, non eum orationis florem,
verborumque copiam inveneris, quae passim in Epitome apparet ; eum e
contrario Lucii Caecilii stylus sit inaequalis, lentus, et mediocris. PfafF. ib.
sect. xi. p. 15.