The works of Nathaniel Lardner - The Christian Researcher - Home

Lactantius. a. D. 306, 511
f)rivatc jiul*^inent for every man in things of religion. And
le openly calls upon all men to exert their intellectual
powers in the search of truth, and to use their own reason
about a matter of so great importance as religion, without
relying upon the wisdom and understanding of other men,
as if they had no reason of their own.
Mr, Mosheim^ has quoted that passage of our author
with approbation, and thereby, as well as on many other accounts,
entitled himself to the respect and esteem of all
lovers of liberty and good sense. This is very different from
the sentiment of another celebrated modern, who" forbids
men the use of their reason in things of religion, and requires
them to acquiesce in the church, and take her
interpretations of scripture as divine: and censures Eusebius
of Ccesarca in particular, for explaining- scripture according
to the best of his own judgment. Such is the precious liberty
of a certain church ! such her goodness, to rob us of our
understandings, or at least to deny us the use of them ! For
if Eusebius, a bishop within three hundred years after our
Lord's ascension, may not judge for himself, how vain must
be all our pretensions to such a privilege! But why cannot
we understand the scriptures as readily as the decisions of
the church ? And how came she to engross reason to herself,
which, as Lactantius says, is given to every man for his
direction and assistance, and is no more to be monopolized
than the light of the sun? However, for certain, we have
pequalifer datiir, occupari ab antecedentibus non potest. Illibabil.s eat, tanquam
lux et claritas solis : quia, ut sol oculorum, sic sapientia lumen est cordis
humani. Quaie, cum sapere, id est, veritatem quaerere, omnibus sit innatum,
sapientiam sibi adimunt, qui sine ullo judicio inventa majorum probant, et ab
aliis pccudum more ducuntur. Sed hoc eos faliit, quod majorum nomine
posito, non putant fieri posse, aut ut ipsi plus sapiant, quia minores vocantur,
aut illi desipuerint, quia majores nominantur. Inst. 1. ii. c. 7. init.
' Abjicienda igitur triplex hsec servitus, mensque prorsus in libertatem
vindicanda. Cesset hominura studium, quos, licet sanctos, eximiosque,
homines tamcn fuisse recordemur erronbus obnoxios. Pulchre et prorsus ad
hanc rem accommodate Lactantius Divinarum Institutionum, 1. ii. c. 7.
Dedit omnibus Deus, &c. Jo. Laurent. Mosh. Institut. Hist. Christ. Majores in
Pnepar. v. 20. p. 23. Helmstad. 1739.
e Cum quis eo devenit, ut fidei dogmata ex sui judicii arbitrio dcfiniat,
nihil mirum, si frequenter aberrct : omnia quippe sunt incerta, cum semel
ecclcsiae statutis discessum est. Nam cum arcana Deitatis et religionis,
ab
ab
humane sensu remotissima, Numen Tpsiim tradidcrit, nonnisi ejusdem numinis
ope et afflatu ea possunt explicari ac recte percipi. Ac cum uni ecclesise
earundem rerum arbitrium Deus permiserit, ipsi soli eadem explananti se
adfuturum pollicitus esset. Nihil itaque insolens est, si Eusebius, qui plerumque
scripturam et ecclcsia? dogmata ex sensu et opinione sua aestimare ausus est, in
raultis lapsus sit. Montfauc. Praelim. in Euseb. Comm. in Psalm, cap. 7.
p. 29.
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