The works of Nathaniel Lardner - The Christian Researcher - Home

Lactantius. a. D. 306. 523
Apollinaris .Sitloiiius likewise allows Lactnntius^' to have
had an excellent talent at confuting- error. For certain, the
former is the more ditKcnlt of the two: and it is agreeable
to a well known saying of Cicero himself, who had so great
strength and capacity of mind :
' as easily find out truth, as confute error.'
'
1 " wish,' says he, ' 1 conid
Trithemius says, that^ Lactantius was well skilled in
secular learning, and not a little conversant in the divine
scriptures, and next to Cicero the m(»st eloquent of all men.
It may not be amiss to take some notice likewise of the
judgments of moderns upon this writer.
Dr. Heumann, in his preface to his edition of the works
of Lactantius, gives his character at large. IIe> was pious,
learned, and eloquent. But there are observable in him
several faults and defects. He was no critic, nor philosopher,
and but a poor divine.
His want of critical skill is supposed to be'^ apparent from
his quoting the Sibylline oracles, and works of Hydaspes,
and Hermes Trismegistus, as genuine and authentic.
That he was a poor reasoner, and but an indiflferent philosopher,
is'' inferred from his arguments against antipodes,
and from his reasonings upon some other occasions.
Lastly, he'' was a miserable divine. For he speaks differ-
ently from the sound doctrine of the church concerning the
Trinity, and several other points.
Bull says, that'' sometimes Lactantius speaks orthodoxly
of the Son. This matter has been carefully examined by''
Petavius and ''Nourry, to M'hom I refer.
" Instruit ut Hieronymus, destruit lit Lactantius, adstruit ut Aiigustinus,
Sidon. Ep. 1. iv. ep. 3. p. 9.
"* Nota Ciceronis vox est : Utinam
tarn facile vera invenire possem, quam falsa convincere. 1. ii. c. 3. sub fin.
" Vir in secularibus Uteris abundanter doctus, et in divinis scripturis
notabiliter institutus, ita ut in arte dicendi post Ciceronem facile obtinuerrt prin-
cipatiim. De Scr. Ec. cap. 56.
y Virtutes ipsius tres cognovi, pietatem, variam doctrinam, eloquentiam :
quarum prima vel sola commendare valet horum librorum lectionem. Appare^
bit certe cuivis lectori bono vere pium, christianaque virtute non tinctum, sed
imbutum, fuis?e Lactantium. Ileum. Pr. sub fin.
^ Tria item animadverti ejus vitia. Primum scilicet caruil facultale critica,
acerrime ob id notatus a Thoma Reinesio in libro de Sibyllinis Oraculis. id. ib.
* Deinde permediocris fuit noster Lactantius philosophus. Ecquis hodie
non rideat ejus de antipodibus disputationem— ? ibid.
'' Postremo fatenduni ingenue, fuisse Lactantium perminutum theologum.-^
Ne satis quidem perceperat ecclesiae doctrinas ; recteque sibi de Christo, de
Trinitate, deque aliis rebus docere videbatur, cum multa traderet a sensu verae
ecclesiae alienissima. ibid.