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Lactantius
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Introductory Notice To Lactantius.
[501] [“Thou art a God that hidest thyself,” Isa xlv. 15. Wisdom must be searched after as hidden treasure.]
[502] See Eph. i. 9, 10; Col. i. 26, 27. [This is a mysterious truth: God’s election of men and nations has been according to their desire to be enlightened. Christ must be the “Desire of Nations.”]
[503] The last time is the last dispensation, the time of the new covenant. Heb. i. 2.
[504] See Isa. lv. 4: “Behold, I have given Him for a leader and commander to the people.”
[506] [Iidem sunt doctores sapientiæ qui et De. sacerdotes.]
[507] [The satirist, not Cicero’s friend; Nat. Deor., iii.]
[508] Fathers in ancient times had the greatest power over their children, so that they had the right of life and death, as masters had over their slaves.
[509] Pater familias—a title given to the master of a household, whether he had sons or not; the slaves of a house were called familia
[510] It has been judged better to keep the words “slave” and “lord” throughout the passage, for the sake of uniformity of expression, though in some places “servant” and “master” might seem more appropriate.
[511] Among the Romans slaves had no prænomen or distinguishing name; when a slave was set at liberty, he was allowed to assume the name of his master as a prænomen. Thus, in Persius (Sat., v.), “Dama,” the liberated slave, becomes “Marcus Dama.”
[512] Thus the slave in Terence wished to know how many masters he had.
Chapter IV.—Of Wisdom Likewise, and Religion, and of the Right of Father and Lord.
[513] Fear, in the language of the prophets often implies reverence of the divine majesty. Lactantius seems to refer to Mal. i. 6: “A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear?”
[514] Literally, runaways. The reference is, as before, to runaway slaves.
[516] [See Pusey’s Daniel; also Minor Prophets.]
[517] See 2 Kings xxv.; Jer. xxxix. and lii.
[518] The same is asserted by Justin Martyr [vol. i. p. 277], Eusebius, Augustine, and other writers. See Augustine, De Civitate Dei, book xviii. 37. Pythagoras, one of the most ancient of the Greek philosophers, was contemporary with the latest prophets.
[519] Literally, “sends.” The passage appears to be corrupt: ὑποπίπτει has been suggested instead of ὑποπέμπει, “falls under perception,” “is an object of perception.”
[520] Prov. viii. 22-31. Lactantius quotes from the Septuagint.
[521] According to the Hebrew, “possessed me in the beginning,” and so the authorized version.
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