Lactantius

Footnotes

^[155] The allusion is to the efforts made by the partisans of Verres to prevent Cicero from obtaining the necessary evidence for the condemnation of Verres. But all these efforts were unavailing: the evidence was overwhelming, and before the trial was over Verres went into exile.

Chap. V.—that god only, the creator of all things, is to be worshipped, and not the elements or heavenly bodies; and the opinion of the stoics is refuted, who think that the stars and planets are gods.

^[156] Ps. cxlviii. 6: “He hath established them for ever and ever.”

^[157] Ovid, Metam., lib. i. [79. Jussit et extendi campos, etc.].

^[158] Ovid, Metam., lib. i. [79. Jussit et extendi campos, etc.].

^[159] [De Nat. Deor., ii. cap. 21.]

^[160] Exorbitare, “to wander from their orbits.”

^[161] Deserviunt, “they are devoted to.”

^[162] Spatium; a word borrowed frown the chariot-course, and applied with great beauty to the motions of the stars.

^[163] Archimedes was the greatest of ancient mathematicians, and possessed in an eminent degree inventive genius. He constructed various engines of war, and greatly assisted in the defence of Syracuse when it was besieged by the Romans. His most celebrated work, however, was the construction of a sphere, or “orrery,” representing the movements of the heavenly bodies. To this Lactantius refers.

^[164] Dum vertitur.

^[165] Illa vera. [Newton showed his orrery to Halley the atheist, who was charmed with the contrivance, and asked the name of the maker. “Nobody,” was the ad hominem retort.]

^[166] Staret.

^[167] Spatia.

Chap. VI.—that neither the whole universe nor the elements are god, nor are they possessed of life.

^[168] Is subservient to.

^[169] Lactantius speaks after the manner of Cicero, and uses the word proposition to express that which logicians call the major proposition, as containing the major term: the word assumption expresses that which is called the minor proposition, as containing the minor term.

^[170] Thus Cicero, De Finibus, iii., says: “But they think that the universe is governed by the power of the gods, and that it is, as it were, a city and state common to men and gods, and that every one of us is a part of that universe.”

^[171] If the world was created out of nothing, as Christians are taught to believe, it was not born; for birth (γένεσις) takes place when matter assumes another substantial form.—Betuleius.

^[172] The stars.

^[173] Membra, “limbs,” “parts.”

^[174] Sola, “alone.” Another reading is solius, “of the only God.”

^[175] Brutescunt.

Chap. VII.—of god, and the religious rites of the foolish; of avarice, and the authority of ancestors.

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