Iterum alius navigare cogitans, et per feros fluctus iter facere incipiens, ligno portante se, fragilius lignum invocat.

Nay, here is one that will go a-voyaging, the wild waves for his pathway, and perishable wood to carry him, yet he makes his prayer to a piece of wood more perishable yet!

Again, another designing to sail, and beginning to make his voyage through the raging waves, calleth upon a piece of wood more frail than the wood that carrieth him.

Illud enim cupiditas acquirendi excogitavit, et artifex sapientia fabricavit sua.

As for the ship’s timbers, it was man’s covetousness that made the need for them, and man’s skill that fashioned them;

For this the desire of gain devised, and the workman built it by his skill.

Tua autem, Pater, providentia gubernat: quoniam dedisti et in mari viam, et inter fluctus semitam firmissimam,

but it is thy fatherly Providence that brings her safe to port; thou hast made the sea into a high road men may travel by without harm,

But thy providence, O Father, governeth it: for thou hast made a way even in the sea, and a most sure path among the waves,

ostendens quoniam potens es ex omnibus salvare, etiam si sine arte aliquis adeat mare.

as if thou wouldst prove to us how strong is thy protection, though the sailor have little skill.

Shewing that thou art able to save out of all things, yea though a man went to sea without art.

Sed ut non essent vacua sapientiæ tuæ opera, propter hoc etiam et exiguo ligno credunt homines animas suas, et transeuntes mare per ratem liberati sunt.

So careful art thou that the gifts thy wisdom affords us should not go unused; man ventures his life on a few planks, and the frail barque gives him safe conduct across the waves.

But that the works of thy wisdom might not be idle: therefore men also trust their lives even to a little wood, and passing over the sea by ship are saved.

Sed et ab initio cum perirent superbi gigantes, spes orbis terrarum ad ratem confugiens, remisit sæculo semen nativitatis quæ manu tua erat gubernata.

And what marvel? At the beginning of all, when the giants perished in their pride, was not such a barque the refuge of all the world’s hopes? Yet thy hand was at the helm, and the seed of life was saved for posterity.

And from the beginning also when the proud giants perished, the hope of the world fleeing to a vessel, which was governed by thy hand, left to the world seed of generation.

Benedictum est enim lignum per quod fit justitia;

A blessing on the wood that can so procure salvation!

For blessed is the wood, by which justice cometh

per manus autem quod fit idolum, maledictum est et ipsum, et qui fecit illud: quia ille quidem operatus est, illud autem cum esset fragile, deus cognominatus est.

But yonder idol is accursed, no less than the man who made it; he for his wicked design, and the lifeless thing for the legend of divinity that was attached to it.

But the idol that is made by hands, is cursed, as well it, as he that made it: he because he made it; and it because being frail it is called a god.

Similiter autem odio sunt Deo impius et impietas ejus;

Sinner and sin, God hates both;

But to God the wicked and his wickedness are hateful alike.

etenim quod factum est, cum illo qui fecit tormenta patietur.

pardon is none for deed or doer.

For that which is made, together with him that made it, shall suffer torments.

Propter hoc et in idolis nationum non erit respectus, quoniam creaturæ Dei in odium factæ sunt, et in tentationem animabus hominum, et in muscipulam pedibus insipientium.

Thus it is that a time of reckoning will come for these idols the Gentiles make; part of God’s creation though they be, he detests them, so have they entangled men’s souls, and laid a trap for fools.

Therefore there shall be no respect had even to the idols of the Gentiles: because the creatures of God are turned to an abomination, and a temptation to the souls of men, and a snare to the feet of the unwise.

Initium enim fornicationis est exquisitio idolorum, et adinventio illorum corruptio vitæ est:

When idols were first devised, then began unfaithfulness; there was death in the invention of them.

For the beginning of fornication is the devising of idols: and the invention of them is the corruption of life.

neque enim erant ab initio, neque erunt in perpetuum.

For indeed they were no part of man’s life from the first, nor shall be at the last;

For neither were they from the beginning, neither shall they be for ever.

Supervacuitas enim hominum hæc advenit in orbem terrarum, et ideo brevis illorum finis est inventus.

it was but man’s folly brought them into the world, and there shall be a short way with them yet.

For by the vanity of men they came into the world: and therefore they shall be found to come shortly to an end.

Acerbo enim luctu dolens pater, cito sibi rapti filii fecit imaginem; et illum qui tunc quasi homo mortuus fuerat, nunc tamquam deum colere cœpit, et constituit inter servos suos sacra et sacrificia.

Here was some father, bowed with sorrow before his time, his child untimely lost; the likeness of those features once made, to mortal man (that was dead besides) he would pay divine honours, and with that, rites of initiation must become the tradition of his clan.

For a father being afflicted with bitter grief, made to himself the image of his son who was quickly taken away: and him who then had died as a man, he began now to worship as a god, and appointed him rites and sacrifices among his servants.

Deinde interveniente tempore, convalescente iniqua consuetudine, hic error tamquam lex custoditus est, et tyrannorum imperio colebantur figmenta.

As time went on, impious habit grew into impious custom. A king would have his own likeness adored,

Then in process of time, wicked custom prevailing, this error was kept as a law, and statues were worshipped by the commandment of tyrants.

Et hos quos in palam homines honorare non poterant propter hoc quod longe essent, e longinquo figura eorum allata, evidentem imaginem regis quem honorare volebant fecerunt, ut illum qui aberat, tamquam præsentem colerent sua sollicitudine.

and his subjects, living far away, so that they could not do obeisance to him in person, would have his present image set up in their view, eager to pay his absent royalty their adulation.

And those whom men could not honour in presence, because they dwelt far off, they brought their resemblance from afar, and made an express image of the king whom they had a mind to honour: that by this their diligence, they might honour as present, him that was absent.

Provexit autem ad horum culturam et hos qui ignorabant artificis eximia diligentia.

And if any spur were needed yet for their ignorant superstition, the rivalry of craftsmen afforded it;

And to the worshipping of these, the singular diligence also of the artificer helped to set forward the ignorant.

Ille enim, volens placere illi qui se assumpsit, elaboravit arte sua ut similitudinem in melius figuraret.

each of these sought to please his master by improving the portrait, with the utmost abuse of his skill,

For he being willing to please him that employed him, laboured with all his art to make the resemblance in the best manner.

Multitudo autem hominum, abducta per speciem operis, eum qui ante tempus tamquam homo honoratus fuerat, nunc deum æstimaverunt.

till at last the vulgar, carried away by so much grace of art, would account him a god whom yesterday they reverenced as mortal man.

And the multitude of men, carried away by the beauty of the work, took him now for a god that a little before was but honoured as a man.

Et hæc fuit vitæ humanæ deceptio, quoniam aut affectui aut regibus deservientes homines, incommunicabile nomen lapidibus et lignis imposuerunt.

So, unawares, the world was caught in the ambush; under the stress, now of bereavement, now of royal policy, men imparted to stocks and stones the incommunicable name of God.

And this was the occasion of deceiving human life: for men serving either their affection, or their kings, gave the incommunicable name to stones and wood.

Et non suffecerat errasse eos circa Dei scientiam, sed et in magno viventes inscientiæ bello, tot et tam magna mala pacem appellant.

Nor were they content with these false notions of God’s nature; living in a world besieged by doubt, they misnamed its innumerable disorders a state of peace.

And it was not enough for them to err about the knowledge of God, but whereas they lived in a great war of ignorance, they call so many and so great evils peace.

Aut enim filios suos sacrificantes, aut obscura sacrificia facientes, aut insaniæ plenas vigilias habentes,

Peace, amidst their rites of child-murder, their dark mysteries, their vigils consecrated to frenzy!

For either they sacrifice their own children, or use hidden sacrifices, or keep watches full of madness,

neque vitam, neque nuptias mundas jam custodiunt: sed alius alium per invidiam occidit, aut adulterans contristat,

Peace, while there is no respect for life, or for wedlock undefiled; always the murderous ambush, the jealous pangs of a husband betrayed!

So that now they neither keep life, nor marriage undefiled, but one killeth another through envy, or grieveth him by adultery:

et omnia commista sunt: sanguis, homicidium, furtum et fictio, corruptio et infidelitas, turbatio et perjurium, tumultus bonorum,

All is a welter of bloodshed and murder, theft and fraud, corruption and disloyalty, sedition and perjury;

And all things are mingled together, blood, murder, theft and dissimulation, corruption and unfaithfulness, tumults and perjury, disquieting of the good,

Dei immemoratio, animarum inquinatio, nativitatis immutatio, nuptiarum inconstantia, inordinatio mœchiæ et impudicitiæ.

honest men are assailed, kindnesses forgotten, souls defiled, breeds confused, marriages unsettled; adultery reigns and wantonness.

Forgetfulness of God, defiling of souls, changing of nature, disorder in marriage, and the irregularity of adultery and uncleanness.

Infandorum enim idolorum cultura omnis mali causa est, et initium et finis.

Name we all these, name we never the idols whose worship is the cause, the beginning and end, of all these!

For the worship of abominable idols is the cause, and the beginning and end of all evil.

Aut enim dum lætantur insaniunt, aut certe vaticinantur falsa, aut vivunt injuste, aut pejerant cito.

Their ecstasies are but raving, their prophecies are but lies; ill live their worshippers, and lightly forswear themselves.

For either they are mad when they are merry: or they prophesy lies, or they live unjustly, or easily forswear themselves.

Dum enim confidunt in idolis quæ sine anima sunt, male jurantes noceri se non sperant.

And no marvel; what hurt should they take from the oath falsely sworn, since all their faith is in dead gods?

For whilst they trust in idols, which are without life, though they swear amiss, they look not to be hurt.

Utraque ergo illis evenient digne, quoniam male senserunt de Deo, attendentes idolis, et juraverunt injuste, in dolo contemnentes justitiam.

But indeed they shall pay both scores, idolaters that thought so ill of God, and perjurers that by their treason slighted all honour;

But for two things they shall be justly punished, because they have thought not well of God, giving heed to idols, and have sworn unjustly, in guile despising justice.

Non enim juratorum virtus, sed peccantium pœna, perambulat semper injustorum prævaricationem.

not the power he swore by, but the justice that keeps watch over sinners, walks ever close on the heels of ill-doing.

For it is not the power of them, by whom they swear, but the just vengeance of sinners always punisheth the transgression of the unjust.