FIRMICUS, MATERNUS JULIUS, an ecclesiastical writer, who lived about the middle of the fourth century. Nothing is known with certainty respecting his country, profession, or character, as we find no mention made of him in the writings of ancient authors. Some say that he was by birth a Sicilian, and practised in the forum as a barrister for some time, becoming a convert to Christianity when far advanced in years; which appears to derive considerable support from different passages in his writings. He was author of a treatise De errore profanarum religionum, which was dedicated to the emperors Constantius and Constant. This work must
Firmness
||
First Fruits must have been written between 340 and 350, in which
Constans was slain by Magnentius. It is allowed to be
a learned, able, and well written performance, in which
the reasonableness of the Christian religion is strongly con-
trasted with the absurdity and immorality of the gentile
creed. It must not be dissembled, however, that he
sometimes betrays such a spirit of intolerance as is wholly
incompatible with the genius of the Christian religion,
which breathes nothing but benevolence towards
the whole human race. The arguments employed by
him in its defence are disgraced by an exhortation to
the civil power to propagate it by force of arms, and to
crush the advocates of error by severe edicts. This
work was first published at Strasbourg in 1562, at Hei-
delberg in 1559, and at Paris in 1610.
The greater part of critics ascribe to him a work en-
titled Astronomucorum, seu de Mathesi, lib. viii. In it
he treats of the power and influence of the stars, agree-
ably to the doctrine of the Egyptians and Babylonians,
blending a considerable degree of mathematical knowl-
edge with the unmeaning jargon of judicial astrology.
Those who imagine that so good a man as Firmicus
could not have been the author of such an absurd per-
formance, should remember that it was probably com-
posed prior to his conversion, when such absurdities
would constitute a part of his creed.