74. And why, my opponent says, did God, the Ruler and Lord of the universe, determine that a Saviour, Christ, should be sent to you from the heights of heaven a few hours ago, as it is said? We ask you too, on the other hand, what cause, what reason is there that the seasons sometimes do not recur at their own months, but that winter, summer, and autumn come too late? why, after the crops have been dried up and the corn662    Pl. has perished, showers sometimes fall which should have dropped on them while yet uninjured, and made provision for the wants of the time? Nay, this we rather ask, why, if it were fitting that Hercules should be born, Æsculapius, Mercury, Liber, and some others, that they might be both added to the assemblies of the gods, and might do men some service,—why they were produced so late by Jupiter, that only later ages should know them, while the past ages663    Lit., “antiquity.” of those who went before knew them not? You will say that there was some reason. There was then some reason here also that the Saviour of our race came not lately, but to-day. What, then, you ask, is the reason? We do not deny that we do not know. For it is not within the power of any one to see the mind of God, or the way in which He has arranged His plans.664    Lit., “things.” Man, a blind creature, and not knowing himself even, can665    So Gelenius emended the ms., reading potens—“being able,” which he changed into potest, as above, followed by later edd. in no way learn what should happen, when, or what its nature is: the Father Himself, the Governor and Lord of all, alone knows. Nor, if I have been unable to disclose to you the causes why something is done in this way or that, does it straightway follow, that what has been done becomes not done, and that a thing becomes incredible, which has been shown to be beyond doubt by such666    Lit., “by such kinds of.” virtues and667    The ms. and first edd. read et potestatibus potestatum—“and by powers of powers;” the other edd. merely omit potestatibus, as above, except Oehler, who, retaining it, changes potestatum into protestata—“being witnessed to by,” etc.; but there is no instance adduced in which the participle of this verb is used passively. powers.

LXXIV. Et quid, inquit, est visum Deo regi atque principi, ut ante horas, quemadmodum dicitur, pauculas sospitator, ad vos Christus coeli ex arcibus mitteretur? Interrogamus et vos contra: quae causa, quae ratio est, ut non suis aliquando reddantur mensibus tempora, sed serius hyems , serius aestas, atque autumnitas fiant? Cur post messes arefactas, atque extincta frumenta, nonnumquam decidant pluviae, quas rebus oportuit incolumibus labi, atque temporis opportunitatibus ministrari? Immo illud exquirimus potius, cur, si Herculem oportuit nasci, si Aesculapium, Mercurium, Liberum, aliosque nonnullos, qui et conciliis adjungerentur deorum, et mortalibus aliquid 0931B utilitatis afferrent, tam sero a Jove sint proditi, ut sola illos posteritas sciret, superiorum vero ignoraret antiquitas? Rationem aliquam fuisse dicetis. Ratio ergo et hic fuit, cur non nuper, sed hodie sospitator nostri generis adveniret. Quaenam igitur ratio? Non imus inficias nescire nos. Neque enim promptum est cuiquam Dei mentem videre, aut quibus modis ordinaverit res suas. Homo animal caecum, et ipsum se nesciens nullis potest rationibus consequi. Quid oporteat fieri, quando, vel quo genere: ipse rerum cunctarum pater, moderator, et Dominus scit solus. Nec si ego nequivero causas vobis 0931C expromere, cur aliquid fiat illo vel hoc modo, 0932A continuo sequitur ut infecta fiant quae facta sunt, et amittat res fidem, quae generibus virtutum tantis et potestatum indubitabilis esse monstrata est.