at the year 210, near the end of the reign of Septimius Severus; which is agreeable to the opinion of Baronius and others.

It is thought probable, by many learned men, that Minucius was an African. However, Trithemius, in the fifteenth century, calls Minucius a Roman. To which we may add, likewise, that he says, Minucius flourished in the reign of the emperor Alexander, at the year 230.

Lactantius has twice mentioned this writer. In the m first place he quotes a passage from him, and gives his book the title of Octavius. In the other he says, ⚫ that 'Minucius" was an eminent pleader, and that his book, 'entitled Octavius, shows how able a defender of the truth ' he might have been, if he had given up himself entirely 'to that work.' Lactantius here speaking of several christian apologists, first mentions Minucius, then Tertullian, and last of all St. Cyprian.

Minucius Felix,' says St. Jerom in his book of Illustrious Men,' an eminent pleader of Rome, wrote a dialogue 'between a christian and a heathen, which is entitled Octa'vius. There is another book, which goes under his name, Of Fate, or against astrologers: which though it be likewise the work of an eloquent man, does not appear to 'me agreeable to the style of the fore-inentioned book. 'Lactantius, in his writings, makes mention of this Minu'cius.'

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The book Of Fate, which is not now extant, is mentioned much after the same manner, in another work, by St.

Baron. Ann. 211. sect. 2, 3. Vid. et Tillemont, Note sur Minuce Felix. Mem. Ecc. T. iii. P. i. p. 513. ed. de Bruxelles.

* Cave, Hist. Lit. Tillemont, Minuce Fel. Basnage, Annal. Pol. Ec. 210. n. iii. Fr. Balduin. Diss. in Min. Fel. Oct. Rigaltius in notis.

Minucius Felix, causidicus, patrià Romanus, vir in secularibus literis eruditissimus, et in divinis lectionibus studiosus,- -claruit Romæ sub Alexandro imperatore, anno Domini ccxxx. Trithem. de Script. Eccl. cap. 34.

Minucius Felix, in eo libro qui Octavius inscribitur, sic argumentatus est.―Lactant. de Divin. Inst. l. i. c. 11. p. 67. Lugd. Bat. 1660.

Minucius Felix non ignobilis inter causidicos loci fuit. Hujus liber, cui Octavio titulus est, declarat, quam idoneus veritatis assertor esse potuisset, si se totum ad id studii contulisset. Id. 1. v. cap. i. p. 459.

• Minucius Felix, Romæ insignis causidicus, scripsit dialogum christiani et ethnici disputantium, qui Octavius inscribitur. Sed et alius sub nomine ejus fertur, De Fato, vel contra mathematicos: qui, cum sit et ipse diserti. hominis, non mihi videtur cum superioris libri stilo convenire. Meminit hujus Minucii et Lactantius in libris suis. De Vir. Ill. cap. 58.

P Minucius Felix, causidicus Romani fori, in libro cui titulus Octavius est, et in altero contra mathematicos, (si tamen inscriptio non mentitur auctorem,) quid Gentilium scripturarum dimisit intactum? Id. ad Magnum, ep. 83. al. 84.

r

Jerom, who, upon several occasions, has commended the learning of this author. Minucius is also reckoned with the most eloquent christian writers, by Eucherius, bishop of Lyons in the fifth century. I forbear to allege any more testimonies.

S

That Minucius pleaded at Rome, appears from the Dialogue itself; in which the author mentions the vintage season, when there was vacation at the courts of justice. We know likewise, from the book itself, that both Minucius and his friend Octavius were originally heathens: it is also intimated, that Minucius did not embrace christianity before he was of mature age, and able to judge for himself. As for Octavius, he seems to have pleaded against the christians, or to have sat in judgment upon them, in the foriner part of his life; when he treated them with the severity and injustice common with other heathen judges at that time.

u

This work is a monument of the author's ingenuity, learning, and eloquence. And the conversion of a man, of his great natural and acquired abilities, to the christian religion, and his public and courageous defence of it, notwithstanding the many worldly temptations to the contrary which he must have met with at that time, especially in his station; as they give an advantageous idea of his virtue, so they likewise afford a very agreeable argument in favour of the truth of our religion.

Here are no express quotations of the books of scripture. But as it may be expected I should not entirely omit the hints or allusions to them, found in so polite and elegant a

Taceo de Latinis scriptoribus, Tertulliano, Cypriano, Minucio, Victorino, Lactantio, Hilario. Hieron. Apologeticus ad Pammachium, ep. 30. al. 50. Atque in hunc modum erudition is famam declinando eruditissimus habebatur; istud Cypriani, hoc Lactantii, illud Hilarii est: sic Minucius Felix, ita Victorinus, in hunc modum locutus est Arnobius. Ad Heliodorum, Epitaph. Nepotianii, ep. 35. al. 3.

Et quando clarissimos facundià Firmianum, Minucium, Cyprianum, Hilarium, Joannem, Ambrosium, ex illo volunine numerositatis evolvam. Eucher. in Ep. ad Valerianum.

* Sane et ad vindemiam feriæ judiciarum curam relaxaverant. M. Minucii Octav. cap. 2. p. 24.

Utpote, cum diligentur in utroque vivendi genere versatus, repudiâris alterum, alterum comprobaris. Cap. 5. p. 31.

" Et nos idem fuimus, et eadem vobiscum quondam adhuc cæci et hebetes sentiebamus. - -Nos tamen cum sacrilegos aliquos et incestos, parricidas etiam defendendos et tuendos suscipiebamus, hos nec audiendos in totum putabamus: nonnunquam etiam miserentes eorum crudelius sæviebamus, ut torqueremus confitentes ad negandum, videlicet ne perirent; exercentes in his perversam quæstionem, non quæ verum erueret, sed quæ men dacium cogeret. Vid. et quæ sequuntur, cap. 28. p. 141.

performance, I shall take the following notice of such as

6

V

I. The birds subsist without any estate; and the beasts are fed by the day.' Perhaps here is a reference to Matt. vi. 26, and Luke xii. 24, if not also to the petition in the Lord's prayer for daily bread.'

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II. How can he be thought poor, who is rich toward God.' Compare Luke xii. 21.

III. Cæcilius says, 'The Romans erect altars to unknown Gods.' Though these are the words of the heathen disputant, it may be thought probable that Minucius, the composer of the Dialogue, refers to Acts xvii. 23; "I found an altar with this inscription, To the unknown God."

·

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IV. Octavius speaks of the intimate presence of God with us, or of our living as it were with him,' in terms so resembling those of Acts xvii. 27, 28, that some may think he refers to them.

V. Seeds do not spring till after they have putrified.' This resembles 1 Cor. xv. 36," That which thou sowest is not quickened except it die."

VI. Therefore,' says Octavius,' as gold is tried by the fire, so are we [christians] by afflictions.' See 1 Cor. iii. 13, and 1 Pet. i. 7. But this is too common a comparison to prove a reference to any particular writing.

VII. Fortitude is improved by misfortunes; or, literally, is strengthened by infirmities.' See 2 Cor. xii. 10. VIII. Shall I bring offerings and sacrifices to God, of things which he has set forth for my use, and so fling him back again his gift? This will be ungrateful.' Which has a resemblance with what is said, 1 Tim. iv. 3, 4; abstain from meats, which God has created to be received with thanksgiving for every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving."

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-to

IX. No man can be so poor as he was born.' See 1 ▾ Aves sine patrimonio vivunt, et in diem pecua pascuntur. Cap. 36. p. 176. Et tamen quis potest pauper esse- -qui Deo dives est? Ibid.

* Dum aras exstruunt etiam ignotis numinibus, et manibus. Cap. 6. p. 41. y Unde enim Deus longe est, cum omnia cœlestia, terrenaque, et quæ extra istam orbis provinciam sunt, Deo cognita, plena sint? Ubique non tantum nobis proximus, sed infusus est.- -Non tantum sub illo agimus, sed cum illo, ut prope dixerim, vivimus. Cap. 32. p. 162, 163.

2 Semina non nisi corrupta revirescunt. Cap. 34. p. 171.

Itaque ut aurum ignibus, sic nos discriminibus arguimur. Cap. 36. p. 177. b Fortitudo enim infirmitatibus roboratur. Ibid.

Hostias et victimas Domino offeram, quas in usum mei protulit, ut

rejiciam ei suum munus? Ingratum est. Cap. 32. p. 160.

Nemo tam pauper esse potest, quam natus est. Cap. 36. p. 176.

Tim. vi. 7. But the same thing has been said by heathen authors.

.

X. What soldier is not more bold and courageous in the eye of his general? Nor is any man rewarded till he has been tried. The soldier of God is not deserted in pain, nor does he perish when he dies.' The reader, if he thinks fit, may consider whether here is an allusion to St. Paul's comparisons, 2 Tim. ii. 3—6, 8.

I do not judge it worth the while to allege any more passages of this sort from Minucius.

CHAP. XXXI.

APOLLONIUS.

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a

APOLLONIUS flourished, according to Cave, about the year of our Lord 192. But Eusebius informs us, that Apollonius himself says, that, when he wrote, it was forty years since Montanus had begun to recommend his false prophecy and St. Jerom has observed the same thing. Whence Tillemont concludes, that Apollonius wrote about the year 211, at the conclusion of the reign of Severus, or in the first year of Caracalla. Valesius likewise is of inuch the same opinion.

Eusebius, who has preserved several fragments of the fore-mentioned treatise, calls Apollonius an ecclesiastical writer, beginning his account of it in this manner. 'Apol⚫lonius likewise, an ecclesiastical writer, composed a con'futation of the Cataphrygian heresy, as it is called, which

Quis non miles sub imperatoris oculis audacius periculum provocet ? Nemo enim præmium percipit ante experimentum : et imperator tamen quod non habet, non dat; non potest propagare vitam, potest honestare militiam. At enim Dei miles nec in dolore deseritur, nec morte finitur. Cap. 37. p. 178. * Hist. Lit. P. i. p. 53. in Apollonio.

Eus. H. E. 1. v. cap. 18. p. 186. B.

c Dicit in eodem libro quadragesimum esse annum usque ad tempus quo ipse scribebat librum, ex quo hæresis Cataphrygarum habuerit exordium. De Vir. Ill. cap. 40.

Mem. Ecc. T. ii. P. iii. Les Montanistes, art. v. p. 44. et art. xi. p. 68. • Vid. Not. ad Eus. L. v. c. 18. p. 100.

Της δε κατα Φρυγας καλεμενης αἱρέσεως και Απολλωνιος εκκλησιατικός συγγραφευς, ακμαζεσης εισέτι τοτε κατα την Φρυγίαν έλεγχον ενςησάμενος, ίδιον κατ' αυτών πεποίηται συγγραμμα. L. v. c. 18. p. 384. Β.

at that time prevailed in Phrygia, writing a book on purpose upon that occasion.'

St. Jerom calls Apollonius as most eloquent man;' and says, he wrote a long and excellent work against 'Montanus, Prisca, and Maximilla; and that the seventh 'book of Tertullian's treatise of Ecstasy was particularly designed as a confutation of this piece of Apollonius:' which observation St. Jerom has mentioned more than once. He says, likewise, that Apollonius flourished in the reigns of the emperors Commodus and Severus,

Eusebius speaks of Apollonius under no other character than that of an ecclesiastical writer; nor has St. Jerom mentioned any office he had in the church: for which reason, as Tillemont says, it is not easy to rely upon Predestinatus, a later writer, and otherwise full of inistakes, who calls him bishop of Ephesus. He is plainly different from Apollonius of whom we spoke formerly, whom St. Jerom calls a Roman senator, who also suffered under Commodus; whereas this person flourished partly in the reign of Severus, and probably reached to that of Caracalla.

I proceed, without making any more observations, to transcribe what relates to our purpose in the fragments of this work of Apollonius, written against the Montanists, which are preserved in Eusebius's Ecclesiastical History.

I. After some other passages of this author, Eusebius adds: Then he goes on saying, Is it not apparent, that all the scripture forbids a prophet to take gifts and money?' By scripture, meaning undoubtedly the books of the Old and the New Testament; in which last, as well as in the former, are divers things to which he may be supposed to refer, particularly to Acts viii. 18-20. However, we shall presently see a text or two of the New Testament to this purpose.

II. Afterwards, speaking of Themison, a noted Montanist, he says: When he ought to have been humbled,

8 Apollonius, vir disertissimus, scripsit adversus Montanum, Priscam, et Maximillam insigne et longum volumen. De Vir. Ill. cap. 40.

b Tertullianus sex voluminibus adversus ecclesiam editis, quæ scripsit TερL ERSαoεws, septimum proprie adversus Apollonium elaboravit, in quo omnia quæ arguit conatur defendere. Floruit autem sub Commodo Severoque principibus. Ibid.

De Vir. Ill. cap. 24. Melito; et cap. 30. Tertullianus.
Tillemont, as before, p. 68.

m De Vir. Ill. cap. 42.

1 P. 323, 324.

η Ειτ' επιφέρει λεγων Δοκεί σοι πάσα γραφή κωλύειν προφήτην λαμβάνειν δωρα και χρήματα; Ap Eus. ib. p. 184. D. 0 Δεον επι τετῳ ταπεινοφρονειν, ὡς μαρτυς καυχωμενος, ετόλμησε μιμέμενος