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Lactantius. a. D. 30G. 541
(6.) St. Peter, 2 cp. i. 14, lias these words : " Knowing-,
that shortly I must put oft" tliis my tabernacle, even as our
Lord Jesus Christ has showed me :" which thin' is also
spoken of, John xxi. 18. Lactantius observes, ' thaf the
apostles of Christ did not only suffer death for the uospel,
but they likewise knew it beforehand, and foretold it.'
Whether he refers to that text of St. Peter, or to some text
of St. Paul, where he speaks of expecting' death, or to both,
we cannot certainly say. See 2 Tim. iv. C.
(7.) Lactantius says, ' He' that does not acknowledge
the Son, neither can he acknowledge the Father.' Which
is very agreeable to 1 John ii. 23. But there is somewhat
resemf^ling" that observation in words of our Lord, John viii.
19, and in xiv. 1—7.
(8.) Speaking" of christians, he says, ' No= evil can so
affright us, as to hinder us from keeping- the faith that has
been delivered to us.' But we cannot be sure that he refers
to Jude, ver. 3.
6. That Lactantius received and respected the book of
the Revelation, is evident from what he writes about Christ's
coming to reigTi a thousand years upon this earth. I refer
in the margin to some places in'' the Institutions, and' the
Epitonie, where he plainly borrows from the Revelation.
(1.) Moreover he expressly cites it. ' The*" Son of God,'
says he, ' has a tiame known to none but himself, an