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544 Credibility of the Gospel History.
history, says he, is true. For it is entirely unit'orin and consistent
tijroiighout, though written by illiterate and ignorant
men. Nor did they invent, for the sake of gain, or any
otherworldly advantage; for they taught and practised the
strictest rules of self-denial. They not only died in testimony
to the doctrine they preached, but they knew before-hand
that they must die for it, and foretold their death. And they
declared likewise, that all others who received their doctrine
must suffer persecution.'
VII. It will be some addition to our trouble, to consider,
whether Lactantius quotes any books, which are not a part
of the present received canon of christians, with the like
regard to M'hat he has shown to those already mentioned.
1. And it must be owned, that he has frequently quoted
in his Divine Institutions the Sibylline Verses, or the Poems
of the Sibyls, and some writings of Hydaspes, and Hermes
Trismegistus ; or however, writings ascribed to them : and
once a book, entitled the Preaching of Peter.
2. The Sibylline verses more especially are quoted by him.
He considers them as containing* predictions concerning-
Christ, and some of them very plain. He makes use of
them as arguments for the truth of the history of things recorded
in the sacred scripture, and believed and taught by
christians. Nevertheless he did not reckon them a part of
those books which were of authority with christians. A few
quotations from him may render this evident.
3. ' The Sibyl'' testifies, that man is the work of God.
The same is contained in the sacred scriptures.' And soon
after: 'As'' the sacred scriptures teach, and likewise the
Erythraean Sibyl.' Therefore the Sibylline poems were not
a part of scripture.
4. Though the Sibyls, according- to him, foretold many
future things, he does not allow them the title and character
of prophets, in the most honourable sense of the word. ' That'^
these things,' says he, ' were to come to pass, is declared in
the words of the prophets, and in the Sibylline poems.' And
exactly to the same purpose in the*^ Epitome. Again:
istam commenti sunt ; quippe et, praecepfis et re ipsa vitam seciiti sunt, quae
et voluptatibus caret, et omnia, quae habentur in bonis, spernit : et qui non
tantum pro fide mortem siibierint, seel etiam morituros esse se, et scierint et
preedixerint, et postea universes, qui eorum disciplinam secuti essent, acerba
'' et nefanda passuros. 1. v. c. 3. in.
Sil)ylla hominem Dei opus esse
testatur.—Eadem sanctne literae continent. 1. ii. c. 11. p. 202, 203.
*= sicut sacrae literaj decent, et Sibylla Erythraea.— ib. c. 12. p. 210.
^ Haec autem sic futura fuisse, et prophetarum vocibus, et Sibyllinis carmi-
nibus denuntiatum est. 1. iv. c. 18 p. 410. * Quae omnia et in Prophetarum
libris, et in carminibus Sibyllinis, praedicta invenimus. Ep. c. 45.