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528 Crcdihilily of the Gospel Ilislonj.
name; na" Isaiah, who was sawn asunder by die Jews, and''
Jeremiah, and" Daniel.
the first of the twelve
(7.) Citing' Hosea, lie calls
'^ him
prophets; which shows, they were all received by him : and
indeed divers others of them are quoted by him, as^ Amos,
'' jNIicah, 'Zechariah, whom he calls the last of the prophets,
and'' Malachi.
(8.) What Lactantius saysofZechariah's being" the last of
the prophets, is an argument, that he did not receive any
Jewish books as canonical, which were written, or allowed
to be written, after those of the tw elve prophets.
(9.) He often speaks very honourably of the Jewish prophets
: the fourth chapter of the first book of the Institutions
is all in their favour. He argues after this manner: ' That'
they were not enthusiasts, nor yet impostors or deceivers, but
sincere men, and real prophets, is manifest from the consistence
of their discourses, from the actual accomplishment
of their predictions, from the excellence of their doctrine, and
their self-denying course of life. And some of them were
kings and princes, who are not apt to be sw.iyed by mean
ends and views.'
Nam et David in principio Psalrnoriim suorum—beatum esse ait.— Et
Salomon in libio Sapientiae,— Inst. 1. iv. c. 16. p. 401, 402.
Videlicet ipse est Dei filius, qui per Salomonem sapientissimiim regem,
divino spiritu plenum, locutus est ea qua2 subjeci : Deus
condidit me in
initio viarum suarum. 1. iv. p. 365.
Salomonem, patrcmque ejus David, potentissimos reges fuisse, et eosdem
prophetas, etiam iis fortasse sit notum, qui divinas literas non attigerunt,
quorum alter.—Hujus pater divinorum scriptor hymnorum in Psalmo xxxii.
sic ait. 1. iv. c. 8. p. 372.
"^ Esaias enim, quern ipsi Judaei serra consectum crudclissime necaverunt,
itadicit. 1. iv. c. 11. p. 381.
^ Dicit enim propheta Hieremias. ib. p. 379, et passim.
* Daniel quoque similia praelocutus est. 1. iv. c. 12. p. 385. Vid. ib. c. 21
sub in. et alibi.
f Oseas quoque, primus xii. prophelarum. 1. iv. c. 19. p. 419.
K Qua de re Amos propheta testatur. 1. iv. c. 19. p. 41 G.
'' Micheas enim novam legem daturum denuntiat. 1. iv. c. 17. sub in.
' Quare etiam singulorum proplietaruni tempera colligi possunl :
(juorum sane ultimus Zacharias fuit, quem constat, sub Dario rege, secundo
anno ejus, octavo mense, cecinisse. 1. iv. c. 5. p. 3G1, 362.
^ Sicut Malachias propheta indicat dicens. 1. iv. c. 11. p. 381.
' Atqui impieta esse, impleriquc fjuotidie, illorum vaticinia videmus. Et in
iinam sententiam congniens divinatio docet, non fuisse furiosos. Quis enim
mentis emota?, non modo futura prsccinerc, sed etiam coha;rentia loqui possit?
Quid ab his tam longe alienum, quam ratio fallcndi, cum ca,»teros ab omni
fraudc coliiberent ? Pra;terea voluntas fingendi ac mentiendi eorum est,
f|ui ()|)es ajiix.tunt, qui lucra desiderant ; quae res procul ab illis Sanctis viris
abfuit.—Et hi non modo qusestum nullum habuerunt, sod etiam cruciatus atque
mortem.—Quid ? quod aliqui eorum piincipcs, ant etiam reges fuerunt, in
quos cadere suspicio cupiditatis ac fraudis non potest. I. i. c. 4.