recompensed, who with food and bounty to the poor have done the works of righteousness, who keeping the Lord’s commands have transferred their earthly inheritance into heavenly treasures.  To these, O most dearly beloved brethren, let us hasten with most eager longing; {170} let us desire that our lot may be to be with these speedily; to come speedily to Christ.  Let God see this to be our thought; let our Lord Christ behold this to be the purpose of our mind and faith, who will give more abundant rewards of his glory to them, whose desires for himself have been the greater.”

Such is the evidence of St. Cyprian.

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SECTION VIII.—­LACTANTIUS.

Cyprian suffered martyrdom about the year 260.  Towards the close of this century, and at the beginning of the fourth, flourished Lactantius.  He was deeply imbued with classical learning and philosophy.  Before he became a writer (as Jerome informs us [Jerom, vol. iv. part ii. p. 119.  Paris, 1706]) he taught rhetoric at Nicomedia; and afterwards in extreme old age he was the tutor of Caesar Crispus, son of Constantine, in Gaul.  Among many other writings which Jerome enumerates, he specifies the book, “On the Anger of God,” as a most beautiful work.  Bellarmin, however, speaks of him disparagingly, as one who had fallen into many errors, and was better versed in Cicero than in the Holy Scriptures.  His testimony is allowed by the supporters of the adoration of spirits and angels to be decidedly against them; they do not refer to a single passage likely to aid their cause; and they are chiefly anxious to depreciate his evidence.  I will call your attention only to two passages in his works.  The {171} one is in his first book on False Religion:  “God hath created ministers, whom we call messengers (angels);... but neither are these gods, nor do they wish to be called gods, nor to be worshipped, as being those who do nothing beyond the command and will of God.” [Vol. i. p. 31.]

The other passage is from his work on a Happy Life:  “Nor let any one think that souls are judged immediately after death.  For all are kept in one common place of guard, until the time come when the great Judge will institute an inquiry into their deserts.  Then those whose righteousness shall be approved, will receive the reward of immortality; and those whose sins and crimes are laid open shall not rise again, but shall be hidden in the same darkness with the wicked—­appointed to fixed punishments.” [Chap. xxi. p. 574.]

This composition is generally believed to have been written about the year 317.

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SECTION IX.—­EUSEBIUS.