But all men are vain, in whom there is not the knowledge of God: and who by these good things that are seen, could not understand him that is, neither by attending to the works have acknowledged who was the workman:

Vani autem sunt omnes homines in quibus non subest scientia Dei; et de his quæ videntur bona, non potuerunt intelligere eum qui est, neque operibus attendentes agnoverunt quis esset artifex:

What folly it argues in man’s nature, this ignorance of God! So much good seen, and he, who is existent Good, not known! Should they not learn to recognise the Artificer by the contemplation of his works?

But have imagined either the fire, or the wind, or the swift air, or the circle of the stars, or the great water, or the sun and moon, to be the gods that rule the world.

sed aut ignem, aut spiritum, aut citatum aërem, aut gyrum stellarum, aut nimiam aquam, aut solem et lunam, rectores orbis terrarum deos putaverunt.

Instead, they have pointed us to fire, or wind, or to the nimble air, wheeling stars, or tempestuous waves, or sun and moon, and made gods of them, to rule the world!

With whose beauty, if they, being delighted, took them to be gods: let them know how much the Lord of them is more beautiful than they: for the first author of beauty made all those things.

Quorum si specie delectati, deos putaverunt, sciant quanto his dominator eorum speciosior est: speciei enim generator hæc omnia constituit.

Perhaps the beauty of such things bewitched them into mistaking it for divinity? Ay, but what of him who is Master of them all; what excellence must be his, the Author of all beauty, that could make them!

Or if they admired their power and their effects, let them understand by them, that he that made them, is mightier than they:

Aut si virtutem et opera eorum mirati sunt, intelligant ab illis quoniam qui hæc fecit fortior est illis:

Or was it power, and power’s exercise, that awoke their wonderment? Why then, how many times greater must he be, who contrived it!

For by the greatness of the beauty, and of the creature, the creator of them may be seen, so as to be known thereby.

a magnitudine enim speciei et creaturæ cognoscibiliter poterit creator horum videri.

Such great beauty even creatures have, reason is well able to contemplate the Source from which these perfections came.

But yet as to these they are less to be blamed. For they perhaps err, seeking God, and desirous to find him.

Sed tamen adhuc in his minor est querela; et hi enim fortasse errant, Deum quærentes, et volentes invenire.

Yet, if we find fault with men like these, their fault is little by comparison; err they may, but their desire is to find God, and it is in that search they err.

For being conversant among his works, they search: and they are persuaded that the things are good which are seen.

Etenim cum in operibus illius conversentur inquirunt, et persuasum habent quoniam bona sunt quæ videntur.

They stop short in their enquiry at the contemplation of his creatures, trusting only in the senses, that find such beauty there.

But then again they are not to be pardoned.

Iterum autem nec his debet ignosci.

Excuse them, then, we may not;

For if they were able to know so much as to make a judgment of the world: how did they not more easily find out the Lord thereof?

Si enim tantum potuerunt scire ut possent æstimare sæculum, quomodo hujus Dominum non facilius invenerunt?

if their thoughts could reach far enough to form a judgement about the world around them, how is it they found, on the way, no trace of him who is Master of it?

But unhappy are they, and their hope is among the dead, who have called gods the works of the hands of men, gold and silver, the inventions of art, and the resemblances of beasts, or an unprofitable stone the work of an ancient hand.

Infelices autem sunt, et inter mortuos spes illorum est, qui appellaverunt deos opera manuum hominum: aurum et argentum, artis inventionem, et similitudines animalium, aut lapidem inutilem, opus manus antiquæ.

But there are men more wretched yet, men who repose all their confidence in a world of shadows. They give the name of god to what is made by human art, gold and silver that human workmanship has turned into the likeness of living things, blocks of senseless stone that human hands have carved, long ago.

Or if an artist, a carpenter, hath cut down a tree proper for his use in the wood, and skilfully taken off all the bark thereof, and with his art, diligently formeth a vessel profitable for the common uses of life,

Aut si quis artifex faber de silva lignum rectum secuerit, et hujus docte eradat omnem corticem, et arte sua usus diligenter fabricet vas utile in conversationem vitæ;

What would you? Here is a craftsman in wood has been to the forest and sawed off a fine straight branch; deftly he strips off the bark, and fashions, with patient skill, some piece of carpentry apt for man’s needs.

And useth the chips of his work to dress his meat:

reliquiis autem ejus operis ad præparationem escæ abutatur,

As for the chips in his workshop, they cook his meal for him, to eat and take his fill.

And taking what was left thereof, which is good for nothing, being a crooked piece of wood, and full of knots, carveth it diligently when he hath nothing else to do, and by the skill of his art fashioneth it and maketh it like the image of a man:

et reliquum horum quod ad nullos usus facit, lignum curvum et vorticibus plenum sculpat diligenter per vacuitatem suam, et per scientiam suæ artis figuret illud, et assimilet illud imagini hominis,

But one more piece of refuse wood is left, that is fit for nothing; so crooked is it and so gnarled. See him, in an idle moment, pick it up and spend his leisure carving it! A master craftsman this; ere long it has taken shape, made into a man’s likeness;

Or the resemblance of some beast, laying it over with vermilion, and painting it red, and covering every spot that is in it:

aut alicui ex animalibus illud comparet: perliniens rubrica, et rubicundum faciens fuco colorem illius, et omnem maculam quæ in illo est perliniens;

or it may be he gives it the form of a senseless beast. And now he paints it with ochre; ruddled it must be till all its native colour is lost, all its faults hidden away.

And maketh a convenient dwelling place for it, and setting it in a wall, and fastening it with iron,

et faciat ei dignam habitationem, et in pariete ponens illud, et confirmans ferro

That done, he must find a suitable room to house it, and there lets it into the wall, making it fast with iron clamps.

Providing for it, lest it should fall, knowing that it is unable to help itself: for it is an image, and hath need of help.

ne forte cadat, prospiciens illi: sciens quoniam non potest adjuvare se: imago enim est, et opus est illi adjutorium.

No pains does he spare to keep it from falling; fall if it does, it shall find no remedy; please you, this is but an image, and cannot shift for itself!

And then maketh prayer to it, inquiring concerning his substance, and his children, or his marriage. And he is not ashamed to speak to that which hath no life:

Et de substantia sua, et de filiis suis, et de nuptiis votum faciens inquirit: non erubescit loqui cum illo qui sine anima est.

And so, unashamed, for home and children and wife he utters his prayer, addressing himself all the while to a senseless thing.

And for health he maketh supplication to the weak, and for life prayeth to that which is dead, and for help calleth upon that which is unprofitable:

Et pro sanitate quidem infirmum deprecatur, et pro vita rogat mortuum, et in adjutorium inutilem invocat.

A weak, foolish thing, and for health he asks it; dead, and he will have life of it; shiftless, and he will have aid of it.

And for a good journey he petitioneth him that cannot walk: and for getting, and for working, and for the event of all things he asketh him that is unable to do any thing.

Et pro itinere petit ab eo qui ambulare non potest; et de acquirendo, et de operando, et de omnium rerum eventu, petit ab eo qui in omnibus est inutilis.

How should it set forward his journeyings, that cannot walk? What service should it do, if trade he want, or skill, or good fortune, that is every way unserviceable?