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536 Credibility of the Gospel History.
at Jerusaleiij, and their rulers, because they kneM' him not,
nor yet the voices of the prophets, which are read every
sabbath-day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him."
Lactantius several times^ expresseth himself as if he hid an
eye to this text.
(5.) He may be supposed to refer to^* St. Paul's argument
at Athens, which is in Acts xvii.
(6.) In Acts xiv. 22, Paul and Barnabas teach the disciples,
that " we must through much tribulation enter into
the kingdom of God." To this text it might be thought
that'' Lactantius refers, unless he has an eye to 2 Tim. iii.
12. " Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall
suffer persecution."
4. There are not in Lactantius many clear allusions, or
particular references, to epistles of apostles.
(1.) It may be argued however, that he was acquainted
with the Act-s, and the epistles of the apostles, from'' the
clear manner in which he speaks of the rejection of the Jews,
and the call of the Gentiles under the gospel. But he
quotes only the prophets of the Old Testament, when he
speaks of this matter.
(2.) Lactantius often speaks of '^ Christ's coming again to
David in Psalmo xvi. Non deielinques animam meam ad inferos, nee dabis
sanctum tuum videre corruptioneni. Epit. c. 47.
"^ Sicut etiam voces prophetarum, quse cum lectse fuissent a populo
Judseorum, nectamen intellectae sunt. 1. iv. c. 15. fin.
Cum igitur ea, quae Deus fieri voluit, quae per prophetas suos raultis saeculis
ante praedixit, Christus mipleret, ob ea incitati, et divmas literas nescientes,
coiverunt, ut Deum suum condemnarent. ib. c. 18. in.
Quid amplius jam de facinoribus Judaeonmi dici potest, quam excsecatos
turn fuisse, atque insanabili furore correptos, qui haec quotidie legentes neque
intellexerunt, neque, quin facerent, cavere potuerunt. ib. c. 19. in.
Harum literarum igitur immemores, quas legebant, &c. Epit. c. 45.
^ Non ergo utitur his omnibus, quse templis, diisque fictilibus inferuntur.
Illis autem, quae in usum Iribuit homini Deus, ipse non indiget,—non indiget
templo, non mdiget simulacro. Epit. c. 58. per ilium vivimus, per ilium
in hospitium hujus mundi mtravimus— in hujus domo habitamus, hujusfamilia
sumus.—De Ira Dei, c. 23. p. 824, 825.
b — et postea universos, qui eorum disciplinam secuti essent, acerba et
nefanda passuros. 1. v. c. 3. p. 464. Quae omnia tolerare ac perpeti necesse
est eos, qui veritatem sequuntur. 1. iv. c. 2(1. p. 435.
•^ Exhaeredatos autem esse Judaeos, quia Christum reprobaverunt, et nos, qui
sumus ex gentibus, in eorum locum adcptatos, scripturis adprobatur. Jeremias
ita dicit.—Malachias,—Esaias quoque. Epit. c. 48. Si ergo Judaei a Deo
rejecti sunt, sicut sacrarum scnpturarum fides indicat ? gentes aulem, sicut
videmus, adscitae, ac de tenebris hujus vilae secularis, deque vinculis daemonum
liberatae. ib. c. 49. in. Conf. Instit. 1. iv. c. 20.
^ Ultimis enim ternponbus statiiit de vivis ac mortuis judicare. 1. ii. c. 17.
sub in. Veniet ergo summi ac maximi Dei filius, ut vivos ac mortuos jud-icei
3. vii. c. 24. in.
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