Book II.3398
| 3398
There has been much confusion in dealing with the first seven
chapters of this book, owing to the leaves of the ms. having been arranged in wrong order, as was pointed out
at an early period by some one who noted on the margin that there was
some transposition. To this circumstance, however, Oehler
alone seems to have called attention; but the corruption was so
manifest, that the various editors gave themselves full liberty to
re-arrange and dispose the text more correctly. The first leaf of
the ms. concludes with the words sine
ullius personæ discriminibus inrogavit, “without any
distinction of person,” and is followed by one which begins with
the words (A, end of c. 5) et non omnium virtutum, “and
(not) by an eager longing,” and ends tanta experiatur
examina, “undergoes such countless ills” (middle of c.
7). The third and fourth leaves begin with the words (B. end of
c. 1) utrum in cunctos…amoverit? qui si dignos, “Now
if He was not worthy” (see notes), and run on to end of c. 5,
quadam dulcedine, “by some charm;” while the fifth
(C, middle of c. 7) begins atque ne (or utrumne)
illum, “whether the earth,” and there is no further
difficulty. This order is retained in the first ed., and also by
Hildebrand, who supposes three lacunæ at A, B, and C, to account
for the abruptness and want of connection; but it is at once seen that,
on changing the order of the leaves, so that they shall run B A C, the
argument and sense are perfectly restored. This arrangement seems
to have been first adopted in LB., and is followed by the later
editors, with the exception of Hildebrand. |
————————————
1. Here, if any means could be found, I
should wish to converse thus with all those who hate the name of
Christ, turning aside for a little from the defence primarily set
up:—If you think it no dishonour to answer when asked a question,
explain to us and say what is the cause, what the reason, that you
pursue Christ with so bitter hostility? or what offences you remember
which He did, that at the mention of His name you are roused to bursts
of mad and savage fury?3399
| 3399
Lit., “boil up with the ardours of furious spirits.” |
Did He ever, in claiming for
Himself
power as king, fill the whole
world with
bands of the fiercest
soldiers; and of
nations at
peace from the beginning, did He
destroy
and put an end to some,
and compel others to submit to His yoke
and serve Him? Did He ever, excited by grasping
3400
| 3400 Lit.,
“by the heats of.” |
avarice, claim as His own by right all that
wealth to have
abundance of which men
strive eagerly? Did He
ever, transported with
lustful passions,
break down by force the
barriers of
purity, or stealthily
lie in wait for other men’s
wives? Did He ever, puffed up with haughty arrogance,
inflict at
random injuries and insults, without any distinction of persons?
(B) And if He was not worthy that you should listen to and
believe
Him, yet He should not have been
despised by you even on
this account, that He showed to you things concerning your
salvation,
that He prepared for you a path
3401
| 3401 So
Meursius, reading a- for the ms. o-ptaret, which is retained by LB.,
Orelli, and others. The ms. reading is
explained, along with the next words vota immortalitatis,
by Orelli as meaning “sought by His prayers,” with
reference to John xvii.
24, in which he is clearly
mistaken. Heraldus conjectures p-o-r-ta-s a-p-er-taret,
“opened paths…and the gates of immortality.” |
to
heaven, and the immortality for which
you long; although
3402
| 3402 The
words which follow, ut non in cunctos, etc., have been
thus transposed by Heraldus, followed by later editors; but formerly
they preceded the rest of the sentence, and, according to Oehler, the
ms. gives utrum, thus:
“(You ask) whether He has both extended to all…ignorance?
who, if He was not,” etc. Cf. book i. (this page) note 3,
supra. |
He neither extended the
light of
life to
all, nor delivered
all from the danger which threatens them
through their ignorance.
3403
| 3403
So the ms., reading periculum
i-g-n-ora-tionis, for which Meursius suggests
i-n-teri-tionis—“danger of destruction.” |
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