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Bible Encyclopedias
Firmicus, Julius Maternus
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
or a Christian writer of the 4th century, of whom little is known. There was an astrologer of the same name and time, who wrote Matheseos lib. viii. There was a bishop of Milan of the same name, who flourished at the same time, but probably not the same person. He wrote a book, De Errore Profanarum Religionum, which he dedicated So Constantius and Constans; and from this it appears he was bred up in heathenism, and afterwards converted to the Christian faith. He is not mentioned by any ancient writer; and there is no direct evidence that he held any sacred office in the Christian Church. From internal evidence, it appears certain that the treatise was written between A.D. 343 and 350.' An analysis of it is given by Ceillier, Auteurs Sacres (Pat. 1865), 4:310 sq. The object of the treatise is to trace the history of the pagan faith, and to demonstrate the falsehood of its various forms. It adopts and applies the theory of Euhemerus (q.v.). It was first 'printed by Matthew Flacius (Strasburg, 1562); the latest separate edition is that of Munter (Copenhagen, 1826, 8vo), with prolegomena and notes. It may be found also in Bib. Mar. Patrol. 4:164; Galland, Bib. Patrol. v, 23-; and Migne, Patrol. Lat. vol. xii.
Firmilian, St.
bishop of Ceesarea, in Cappadocia, was an intimate friend both of Origen (Euseb. 6:27) and Cyprian, with the latter of whom he took part in the controversy relative to the necessity of rebaptizing those who had been baptized by heretics. On this subject he wrote an Epistle to St. Cyprian, which was undoubtedly written in Greek, though the epistle, extant in St. Cyprian's works is in Latin; it is generally allowed to have been translated by Cyprian himself. It is very valuable in disproving the authority of the bishop of Rome is pope in the 3d century. This epistle, which is a very long one, is the sixty-fifth among those of St. Cyprias, and may be found in Oberth-Ur's edition of Cyprian (i, 254);. also in Routh, Seript. Eccl. Opuscula (Oxon. 1840, i, 227); and in Migne, Patrol. Lat. vol. iii. Baronius places the death of Firmilian A.D. 272.-Clarke, Succession of Sacred Literature. i, 172; Cave, Hist. Liter. (Geneva, 1720), i, 78; Ceillier, Auteurs Sacrss (Paris, 1865), ii, 435 sq.
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McClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'Firmicus, Julius Maternus'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tce/f/firmicus-julius-maternus.html. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1870.
