Seven Books of Arguments Against the Pagans, Vol. II

for they are of a middle quality, as has been discovered with Christ as author, and they are such that they can perish] These words smack of Valentinianism, as others have also noted. Tertullian, Against the Valentinians, Ch. XXXII: "And the soul is mortal among them, unless it has found salvation through faith." Thus, Arnobius, having followed those who thought that the souls of the impious die, yet they are not extinguished immediately, but are consumed by tortures and pains of the longest duration. Elmenhorst and Heraldus.

if they applied themselves to His threats and His indulgences] The manuscript code reads if they applied themselves to His seeds, which makes no sense; for this Gelenius reads threats, others mercy, Heraldus duties. But threats fits best. To apply oneself to the threats of God means to fear the threats of God, the destruction that God threatens to the wicked. Therefore, threats are well contrasted with indulgences. O.

souls not knowing God] That is, unwilling to know or experience God and His mercy. See above on Book I, Ch. 17, regarding the words: This, therefore, the great gods know. O.

with fierce fire] Arnobius calls it fierce fire just as the old Latin translator of the Bible calls it fierce waves, in Greek ἄγρια κύματα wild waves. Arnobius above: inextinguishable fires. In Book IV: the inextinguishable flames of Gehenna. Cyprian, To Demetrianus, fol. 258: burning Gehenna and living flames. Tertullian, Apology, Ch. 48: continual fire. Lactantius, Book VIII, Ch. 21: everlasting fire, etc. Elmenhorst.

Cap. XV. — what is said by certain new men] This is an emendation by Gelenius, which all other editors have followed, except Salmasius, who reads: what is said to us by certain, etc., which Galland also received into the text. But the conjecture of Fulvius Ursinus is much more pleasing, reading: by certain good men, etc., where "good" is meant ironically, as in Cicero, On Duties II, 25: the best men sitting at the middle Janus, and the oration For Roscius of Ameria, Ch. 8: an excellent man regarding T. Roscius, a most wicked man. O.

nor touching through any handling of the body] Contiguous, that is, things that can be touched, tangible, in a meaning entirely unusual. See Barth on Grattius Faliscus, Cynegetica, vs. 8. Lexicons do not recognize this meaning. In the same sense, incontiguus untouchable appears below in Book VII, Ch. III: and is untouchable by every touch. O.

we live blameless, and therefore irreprehensible, good, just, etc.] These are to be understood ironically. O.

Cap XVI. — But while we slip into bodies] See above on Book I, Ch. 29. O.

by which we are evil and most wicked, and burn with desires and anger] So from the manuscript code edited by Th. Canterus. Previously it read: and with most wicked desires, etc. The Leiden editor notes: by which we are evil, which is not bad if it were may be, for the following burn demands the subjunctive. O.