The writings of this author are, together with those of Eusebius, the principal sources for the period of the great persecution of Diocletian and for the first years of the peace of the Church after the Edict of Milan.
The "Divine Institutes" of Lactantius was a vigorous riposte to pagan criticism and persecution of Christianity, which came to a head in the "Great" Persecution of Diocletian in the early fourth century AD. This edition has been prepared with students and scholars of intellectual history in mind, but it will also appeal to those concerned with ecclesiastical history and patristics, and to anyone interested in tracing the impact of classical philosophy and literature on an early Christian thinker.
Lactantius enjoyed a high reputation in late antiquity and in the Renaissance, as apologist, rhetorician and stylist. He earned his living as a teacher of rhetorical Latin, and Ciceronian Latin lived again through his pen, enabling his wit and empowering his argument." "This edition of Divine Institutes has been prepared with students and scholars of intellectual history in mind, but it will also appeal to those concerned with ecclesiastical history and patristics, and to anyone interested in tracing the impact of Classical philosophy and literature on an early Christian thinker."-- Publisher description.
A thought-provoking work that offers a commentary on the love and kindness of God as well as His fairness and anger. Lactantius dwells on these seemingly conflicting ideas and beautifully expresses that God is compassionate yet impartial in meting out justice. Profound!
In the next place, if the things which are not seen are formed from invisible seeds, it follows that those which are seen are from visible seeds. Why, then, does no one see them? But whether any one regards the invisible parts which are in man, or the parts which can be touched, and which are visible, who does not see that both parts exist in accordance with design? (8) How, then, can bodies which meet together without design effect anything reasonable? (9) For we see that there is nothing in the whole world which has not in itself very great and wonderful design.
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