Seven Books of Arguments Against the Pagans, Vol. II

Cap. XII. — quis eum promitteret etc. who might promise him, etc.] Others [read] permitteret allow, incorrectly. Promittere is the same as spondere to pledge/guarantee. A little before: Syllogismi resque aliae similes scire illos veritatem spondent Syllogisms and other similar things guarantee that they know the truth. Juvenal:

Through the hearts of a pregnant woman — they promise a fierce spirit.
Herald.

quis eum promitteret aperte aliquid judicare who might promise him to judge anything openly] It should be read indicare to reveal, as Meursius conjectured, with the concurrence of J. Davisius on Caesar, Gallic War VI, 42, p. 339, Oudendorp edition. O.

facilitatis stolidae of foolish credulity] Thus Gelenius corrected it, whom all the other editors have followed. Before, it was read as solidae solid, which Priorius defends, and it does not seem entirely to be rejected. Facilitas solida, that is, is complete credulity, which is so great that nothing can be added to it. Our [German terms] stock-dumm stone-stupid, stock-einfältig stone-simple. Facilitas stolida is the same as stulta credulitas foolish credulity. O.

ea subdidit he subjected those things] Gelenius [read] eas them, incorrectly. Ea, that is, the power of things, etc. O.

quae in India gesta sunt what was done in India] Where the doctrine of the Gospel is said to have been propagated by Pantaenus, in the year 196 after Christ, approximately. See Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, Book V, Ch. 10, and Jerome, Catalogue of Ecclesiastical Writers, Ch. 36. India, here, is Ethiopia above Egypt. O.

in Arabia] See Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, Book VI, Ch. 19. O.

in insulis et provinciis omnibus in all islands and provinces] Compare with our Tertullian, Book I, Against the Jews, Ch. 7: Christ's kingdom is stretched everywhere, it is worshipped by all the nations enumerated above (he had enumerated the Babylonians, Parthians, India, Ethiopia, Asia, Germany, Britain, Moors, Gaetuli, Romans), it reigns everywhere, it is adored everywhere. The same in Apologeticus, Ch. 37: We are of yesterday, and we have filled all your things, cities, islands, castles, municipalities, councils, the very camps, tribes, decuries, the palace, the senate, the forum. We have left you only the temples. Where see Havercamp, p. 311. Cf. Irenaeus I, 3. O.

in qua cum homines sint in which when they are men] Stewechius, instead of sint they are, prefers essent they were and thinks sint arose from a shorthand writing of hominES sent men feel misunderstood. But the present tense holds up well: for at the very time Arnobius wrote this, Rome was full of the worshippers of the Gods. O.

Numae regis artibus by the arts of King Numa] Stewechius conjectures reading ritibus rites, which Heraldus approves. O.

res patrias patriotic things/ancestral affairs] Heraldus thinks it should be read as ritus patrios ancestral rites. But one must understand not only the rites and public sacred acts, but also many other things, especially the affairs of the forum, which those embracing the Christian religion were saying goodbye to. O.