The works of Nathaniel Lardner - The Christian Researcher - Home

518 Credibility of tlie Gospel History.
sacred and divine: lie considers their'' prophets as men inspired
by the one true God. He speaks of idolatry prevailing
every where, except^ Avith the Hebrews ; among- whom
alone, he says, true religion was upheld for a long time.
He calls the Jewish religion* divine. The Jews* he considers
as the ancestors of the christians : and he believes
that" the Jewish prophets spake of Christ, and foretold many
things concerning him. He'' lays avast stress upon the
predictions of the prophets relating to Jesus. He also believes,
that" Jesus Christ was clotlied in flesh, and that" he
was born and> died : of Christ's humanity, and his' having
all the sinless infirmities of the human nature, Lactantius
speaks in the most expressive terms that can be used. All
which things are contrary to the Manichsean doctrine; as
is well known to the learned, and ma^ be perceived from
the accounts formerly given of it.
Indeed, one can scarce forbear to suspect, that some
learned men, who charge Lactantius Avith Manicha^ism, have
^ Prophetae unum Deum praedicant, qiiippe qui unAis Dei spiritu
pleni. Inst. 1. i. c. 4. p. 17. Vid. et 1. iv. c. 5. et c. 11. in. et passim.
Nam cum primum scelerati atque impii Deorum cultus—irrepserunt, turn
penes solos Hebraeos religio Dei mansit. Epit. c. 4.3. p. 111. edit. Davis.
* Ipsius autem posteri Hebraei dicti, penes quos religio Dei resedit.
1. ii. c. 1.3.p.214. Cum saepeJudcei—a divina lege desciscerent. l.iA'.c. 11. in.
^ Majores nostri, qui erant principes Hebraeomm, &c. 1. iv. c. 10. p. 374.
Nam, cum posset populo suo et opes et regna largiri, sicut dederat ante Judsis,
quorum nos successores ac posteri sumus ;—idcirco eum voluit sub aliena
ditione atque imperio degere, ne—in luxuriam laberetur, sicut illi
majores nostri. 1. v. c. 22. p. 522.
" Hanc ergo dispensationem ne quis ignoret, docebimus, praedicta esse
omnia, quae in Christo videmus completa.—Quae omnia cum probavero eorum
ipsorum Uteris, qui Deum suum mortal i corpore utentem viola verunt. 1. iv.
c. 10. p. 374. " Fecit miracula. Magum putassemus, ut
et vos nuncupatis, et Judasi tunc putaverunt, sinon ilia ipsa facturum Christum
prophetae oranes uno spiritu praedicassent. 1. v. c. 3. p. 469. Vid. et Epit. c. 45.
* Is igitur corporatus est, et veste carnis indutus. 1. iv. c. 26. p. 435. f.
"^ renasci eum in came praecepit, et ipsi homini similem fieri. 1. iv.
c. 11. p. 382. In primis enim testiticamur, ilium bis esse natum, primum in
spiritu, postea in came. 1. iv. c. 8. in. Descendens itaque de ccelo sanctus
ille spiritus Dei sanctam virginem, cujus utero se insinuaret, elegit. At ilia
divino spiritu hausto repleta, concepit, et, sine ullo attactu viri, repente vir-
ginalis uterus intumuit. 1. iv. c. 12. p. 383. Vid. Epit. c. 43. in. et f. et c. 44.
y Veruntamen non in virtute angeli, sed in figura hominis et conditione
mortali; ut, cutu magisterio functus fuisset, traderetur in manus
impiorum, mortemque susciperet. 1. iv. c. 10. in. Discant igitur homines et
intelligant, quare Deus summus, cum legatum suum mitteret, morlali
voluent eum came indui, et cruciatu atfici, et morte mulctari. 1. iv. c. 25,
Vid. et Epit. cap. 50, et pa^^sim.
^ Sed, si corpus hominis non induisset, non potuisset facere qute
docebat, id est, non irasci, non cupere divitias, non hbidine inflammari,
dolorem non timere, mortem contemnere. Epit. cap. 50.