- ANF06. Fathers of the Third Century: Gregory Thaumaturgus, Dionysius the Great, Julius Africanus, Anatolius, and Minor Writers, Methodius, Arnobius

40. Was it for this He sent souls hither, that while the other creatures are fed by what springs up spontaneously, and is produced without being sown, and do not seek for themselves the protection or covering of houses or garments, they should be under the sad necessity³⁶⁸⁴

³⁶⁸⁴ Lit., “the sad necessity should be laid upon them, that,” etc.
of building houses for themselves at very great expense and with never-ending toils, preparing coverings for their limbs, making different kinds of furniture for the wants³⁶⁸⁵

³⁶⁸⁵ Lit., “for the want of daily things,” diurnorun egestati, for which Stewechius would read diurna egestate—“from daily necessity.”
of daily life, borrowing help for³⁶⁸⁶

³⁶⁸⁶ Lit., “of.”
their weakness from the dumb creatures; using violence to the earth that it might not give forth its own herbs, but might send up the fruits required; and when they had put forth all their strength³⁶⁸⁷

³⁶⁸⁷ Lit., “poured forth all their blood.”
in subduing the earth, should be compelled to lose the hope with which they had laboured³⁶⁸⁸

³⁶⁸⁸ Lit., “of their labour.”
through blight, hail, drought; and at last forced by³⁶⁸⁹

³⁶⁸⁹ Lit., “at last by force of.”
hunger to throw themselves on human bodies; and when set free, to be parted from their human forms by a wasting sickness? Was it for this that they which, while they abode with Him, had never had any longing for property, should have become exceedingly covetous, and with insatiable craving be inflamed to an eager desire of possessing; that they should dig up lofty mountains, and turn the unknown bowels of the earth into materials, and to purposes of a different kind; should force their way to remote nations at the risk of life, and, in exchanging goods always catch at a high price for what they sell, and a low one³⁶⁹⁰

³⁶⁹⁰ So the ms. and edd., reading vilitatem, for which Meursius proposed very needlessly utilitatem—“and at an advantage.”

for what they buy, take interest at greedy and excessive rates, and add to the number of their sleepless nights spent in reckoning up thousands³⁶⁹¹

³⁶⁹¹ So, adhering very closely to the ms., which gives e-t sanguine supputandis augere-t insomnia milibus, the t of e-t being omitted and n inserted by all. The first five edd. read, -tandi se angerent insania: millibus—“harass themselves with the madness of reckoning; by miles should extend,” etc.,—the only change in Heraldus and Orelli being a return to insomnia—“harass with sleeplessness,” etc.
wrung from the life-blood of wretched men; should be ever extending the limits of their possessions, and, though they were to make whole provinces one estate, should weary the forum with suits for one tree, for one furrow; should hate rancorously their friends and brethren?
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