46. But, to say the same things again and again,487    Lit., “again and more frequently.” let this belief, so monstrous and impious, be put far from us, that God, who preserves488    Lit., “the salvation of.” all things, the origin of the virtues and chief in489    Lit., “height of.” benevolence, and, to exalt Him with human praise, most wise, just, making all things perfect, and that permanently,490    Lit., “things perfect, and preserving the measure of their completeness;” i.e., continuing so. either made anything which was imperfect and not quite correct,491    So the ms., LB., Oberthür and Oehler, reading claudum et quod minus esset a recto. All other edd. read eminus—“at a distance from the right.” or was the cause of misery or danger to any being, or arranged, commanded, and enjoined the very acts in which man’s life is passed and employed to flow from His arrangement. These things are unworthy of492    Lit., “less than.” Him, and weaken the force of His greatness; and so far from His being believed to be their author, whoever imagines that man is sprung from Him is guilty of blasphemous impiety, man, a being miserable and wretched, who is sorry that he exists, hates and laments his state, and understands that he was produced for no other reason than lest evils should not have something493    Lit., “material.” through which to spread themselves, and that there might always be wretched ones by whose agonies some unseen and cruel power,494    Lit., “some power latent and cruelty.” adverse to men, should be gratified.

XLVI. Sed procul haec abeat, ut eadem rursus frequentiusque dicamus, tam immanis, et scelerata persuasio, ut ille salus rerum Deus omnium, virtutum caput, benignitatis et columen, atque ut eum laudibus extollamus humanis, sapientissimus, justus, perfecta omnia faciens, et integritatis suae conservantia mansiones, aut aliquid fecerit claudum, et quod eminus esset a recto, aut ulli rei fuerit miseriarum aut discriminum 0887A causa, aut ipsos actus quibus vita transigitur et celebratur humana, ordinaverit, jusserit, et a sua fluere constitutione praeceperit. Minora haec illo sunt, et magnitudinis ejus destruentia potestatem: tantumque est longe ut istarum auctor rerum esse credatur, ut in sacrilegae crimen impietatis incurrat quisquis ab eo conceperit hominem esse prognatum, rem infelicem et miseram, qui esse se doleat: qui conditionem suam detestetur et lugeat: qui nulla alia de causa sese intelligat procreatum, quam ne materiam non haberent per quam diffunderent se mala, et essent miseri semper, quorum cruciatibus pasceretur nescio quae vis latens et humanitati adversa crudelitas.