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514 Credibility of the Gospel History.
upon their heathen adversaries and persecutors a charge of
credulity and ignorance, cruelty and inhumanity.
(8.) Though I have already transcribed from this author
so much relating to this point, 1 know not how to forbear
referring in the margin to a tine passage of his, concerning
the universal equality of' mankind.
(9.) He imputes the heathen persecutions not only to a
love of power, as before seen, but likewise to the'"^ apprehensions
for the downfall of their own religion, occasioned
by the vast and continual increase and progress of Chris-
tianity.
(10.) But Avhatever they designed, Lactantius affirms, that''
the christians never were diminished by persecution ; and
thaty the persecutions they endured did many ways contribute
to their increase. Many there were who could not but
dislike that religion which inspired cruelty: some began to
suspect that there must be somewhat wrong in those sacrifices,
to which men could not be compelled. And they were
induced to inquire into those principles, for which great
numbers of persons of all nations, of each sex, of every
age and condition, cheerfully underwent such grievous
sufferings.
(11.) Thus has Lactantius shown, that compulsion is not
acceptable, nor honourable to the Deity : that it is not a
hostes,
p. 517.
nee immanissimi barbari, aliquando fecerunt. Inst. I. v. c. 19.
" iEquitatem dico,—se cum caeteris coaequandi, quam Cicero
Bequabilitatem vocat. Deus enim, qui homines general et inspirat, omnes
aequos, id est, pares, esse voluit ; eandem conditionem vivendi omnibus
posuit ? omnes ad sapientiam genuit ; omnibus immortalitatem spopondit.
Nemo apud Deum servusest, nemo dominus. 1. v. c. 14. p. .501.
" Cur enim tam crudeliter saeviant, nisi quia metuunt, ne, in dies invales-
cente justitia, cum diis suis araneosis [al. cariosis. Vid. Heum. in loc] relinquantur
? Inst. I. v. c. 12. sub fin.
" Cum autem noster numerus semper deorum cultoribus augeatur, nunquam
vero ne in ipsa quidem persecutione minuatur, ih. c. 13. init. Et quoniam
vi nihil possunt, (augetur enim religio Dei, quanto magis premitur,) ratione
potius et hortamentis agant. 1. v. c. 19. p. 518.
y Nee, cum videat vulgus dilacerari homines variis tormentorum generibus,
et inter fatigatos carnifices invictam tenere patientiam, existimant, id quod res
est, nee consensuin tam multorum, nee perseverantiam morientium vanam
esse, 1. V. c. 13. p. 495. Et aha causa est, cur adversum nos persecutiones
fieri sinat : ut populus Dei augeatur. Nee est difficile monstrare, curaut quomodo
id fiat. Primum, fugantur a deorum cultibus pluiimi, odio crudelitatis.
Qui enim talia sacrificia non horreant ? Deinde placet quibusdam virtus ac
fides ipsa. Nonnulli suspicantur, deorum cultum non sine causa malum
putari a tam multis hominibus, ut emori malint, quam id facere, quod alii
faciunt, ut vivant. Aliqui cupiunt scire, quidnam sit illud bonum, quod ad
mortem usque defenditur ; quod omnibus, quce in hac vita jucunda sunt, et
cara, praefertur.—Hae tot causae in unum collatae magnam Deo multitudinem
acquirunt. 1. v. c. 22. ad fin.
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