1.1 In in terrā a land quādam a certain Āfricae of Africa famēs famine rēgnat reigns quālis such as vix scarcely anteā before vīsa has been seen est is
1.2 Nōn not famēs a famine quam which siccitās drought sōla alone attulit has brought —sed but quam which hominēs men hominibus upon men fēcērunt have made —nam for quī those who potestātem power habent hold bellum war gerunt wage et and agrōs the fields vastant lay waste et and viās the roads claudunt close per through quās which cibus food ad to ēsurientēs the starving ferēbātur was being carried
1.3 Mātrēs mothers līberōs their children morientēs dying in in bracchiīs their arms tenent hold et and nihil nothing dare to give possunt they can —parvulī little children ossa bones sine without carne flesh factī having become oculōs their eyes magnōs large habent have in in vultibus faces parvīs small
1.4 Nūmerant they count quī those who haec these things nūntiant report —vīciēns twenty times centēna a hundred mīlia thousands ēsuriunt are starving —sed but numerī numbers nōn do not clāmant cry out —mātrēs mothers clāmant cry out
2.1 Sed but nōn not dē about hīs those quī who famem the famine faciunt make nunc now loquor do I speak —illī they enim for iūdicium their judgment suum their own habēbunt will have —dē about illīs those loquor I speak quī who spectant watch
2.2 Nam for sunt there are gentēs nations dīvitēs wealthy et and potentēs powerful quae which haec these things omnia all sciunt know —vident they see imāginēs the images parvulōrum of the little children morientium dying —audiunt they hear numerōs the numbers —et and tamen and yet
2.3 Quid what faciunt? do they do
2.4 Paulum a little dant they give —ōrātiōnēs speeches habent they make —cōnsilia councils celebrant they hold —et and deinde then ad to cēnās their dinners suās their own redeunt they return
3.1 Iam already saepe often dīxī I have said —et and iterum again dīcam I shall say quia because rēs the matter eadem the same manet remains —hūmānitās humaneness est is hominem a person dīligere to love quia because homo a human being est they are
3.2 Nōn not quia because cīvis a citizen tuus yours est they are —nōn not quia because eiusdem of the same colōris colour est they are —nōn not quia because eiusdem of the same linguae language est they are —sed but quia because homo a human being est they are
3.3 Et and quī he who hominem a person morientem dying famē of famine videt sees et and nōn does not subvenit come to the aid cum when subvenīre to come to the aid possit he could —ille that person hūmānitātem his humaneness āmīsit has lost —et and quī he who hūmānitātem humaneness āmīsit has lost quid what aliud else est is he nisi if not bēstia a beast quae which figūram the shape hominis of a man gerit? wears
4.1 “Sed but cūr why Deus God sinit allows haec these things fierī?” to happen —inquiēs you will say
4.2 Stultē foolishly interrogās you ask —nam for Deus God tē you ipsum yourself interrogat is asking —”cūr why TŪ YOU sinis do you allow haec these things fierī?” to happen
4.3 “Sed but ego I Deus God nōn am not sum” I am —dīcēs you will say
4.4 Rēctē rightly dīcis you say —Deus God nōn not es you are —sed but manūs hands habēs you have et and opēs resources et and potestātem power —et and Deus God haec these things tibi to you dedit gave nōn not ut so that servārēs you might keep them tibi for yourself sed but ut so that distribuerēs you might distribute them
4.5 Itaque and so cum when rogās you ask “cūr why Deus God sinit” allows —Deum God accūsās you accuse dē of peccātō a sin tuō that is yours
5.1 Ēpicūrus Epicurus dīxit said —”deī the gods nihil nothing cūrant care about —nec neither iuvant do they help nec nor nocent harm —in in beātā blessed quiēte tranquility sēdent they sit et and hūmāna human affairs nōn not spectant” they observe
5.2 Ego I autem however dīcō say —Deus God nōn not est is Ēpicūrēus Epicurean —sed but tū you es are
5.3 Tū you es are quī who in in beātā blessed quiēte tranquility sedēs sit et and hūmāna human affairs nōn not cūrās care about —tū you es are quī who nec neither iuvās help nec nor nocēs harm —tū you es are deus the god indifferēns indifferent quem whom Ēpicūrus Epicurus fīnxit invented
5.4 Et and sī if Deus God vērus the true one tālis such nōn is not est is —sī if Deus God videt sees et and cūrat cares et and iūdicat judges —tunc then tibi for you quī who vidēs see et and nōn do not cūrās care timendum it must be feared est is
6.1 Patientia the patience Deī of God nōn is not est is indifferentia indifference —hoc this ultimā for the last vīce time dīcō I say
6.2 Deus God videt sees —Deus God exspectat waits —Deus God iūdicat judges
6.3 Et and īra the anger ēius his nōn not sōlum only in upon eōs those cadit falls quī who malum evil faciunt do sed but etiam also in upon eōs those quī who malum evil fierī to happen sinunt allow cum when impedīre to prevent it possent they could
6.4 Nam for quī he who bonum the good amat loves necesse necessarily est it is ut that malum evil ōderit he hates —et and quī he who malum evil ōdit hates necesse necessarily est it is ut that indifferentiam indifference maximē most of all ōderit he hates —nam for indifferentia indifference nōn is not est is absentia the absence malī of evil sed but permissiō the permission ēius of it
7.1 Ego I haec these things dīcō say quī who ipse myself famem famine vīdī have seen —nōn not hanc this one sed but aliam another —et and quī who sciō know quid what sit it is cum when hominēs people moriuntur die et and mundus the world aliō another spectat way looks
7.2 Parvulī the little children quī who nunc now moriuntur are dying —Deus God ūnumquemque each one eōrum of them nōmine by name vocat calls —et and ūnumquemque each one eōrum of those quī who nihil nothing fēcērunt did nōmine by name quoque also vocat he calls
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1.1 In terrā quādam Āfricae famēs rēgnat quālis vix anteā vīsa est.
1.2 Nōn famēs quam siccitās sōla attulit — sed quam hominēs hominibus fēcērunt — nam quī potestātem habent bellum gerunt et agrōs vastant et viās claudunt per quās cibus ad ēsurientēs ferēbātur.
1.3 Mātrēs līberōs morientēs in bracchiīs tenent et nihil dare possunt — parvulī, ossa sine carne factī, oculōs magnōs habent in vultibus parvīs.
1.4 Nūmerant quī haec nūntiant — vīciēns centēna mīlia ēsuriunt — sed numerī nōn clāmant — mātrēs clāmant.
2.1 Sed nōn dē hīs quī famem faciunt nunc loquor — illī enim iūdicium suum habēbunt — dē illīs loquor quī spectant.
2.2 Nam sunt gentēs dīvitēs et potentēs quae haec omnia sciunt — vident imāginēs parvulōrum morientium — audiunt numerōs — et tamen —
2.3 Quid faciunt?
2.4 Paulum dant — ōrātiōnēs habent — cōnsilia celebrant — et deinde ad cēnās suās redeunt.
3.1 Iam saepe dīxī — et iterum dīcam quia rēs eadem manet — hūmānitās est hominem dīligere quia homo est.
3.2 Nōn quia cīvis tuus est — nōn quia eiusdem colōris est — nōn quia eiusdem linguae est — sed quia homo est.
3.3 Et quī hominem morientem famē videt et nōn subvenit cum subvenīre possit — ille hūmānitātem āmīsit — et quī hūmānitātem āmīsit, quid aliud est nisi bēstia quae figūram hominis gerit?
4.1 “Sed cūr Deus sinit haec fierī?” inquiēs.
4.2 Stultē interrogās — nam Deus tē ipsum interrogat: “Cūr TŪ sinis haec fierī?”
4.3 “Sed ego Deus nōn sum,” dīcēs.
4.4 Rēctē dīcis — Deus nōn es — sed manūs habēs et opēs et potestātem — et Deus haec tibi dedit nōn ut servārēs tibi sed ut distribuerēs.
4.5 Itaque cum rogās “cūr Deus sinit” — Deum accūsās dē peccātō tuō.
5.1 Ēpicūrus dīxit: “Deī nihil cūrant — nec iuvant nec nocent — in beātā quiēte sēdent et hūmāna nōn spectant.”
5.2 Ego autem dīcō — Deus nōn est Ēpicūrēus — sed tū es.
5.3 Tū es quī in beātā quiēte sedēs et hūmāna nōn cūrās — tū es quī nec iuvās nec nocēs — tū es deus indifferēns quem Ēpicūrus fīnxit.
5.4 Et sī Deus vērus tālis nōn est — sī Deus videt et cūrat et iūdicat — tunc tibi quī vidēs et nōn cūrās timendum est.
6.1 Patientia Deī nōn est indifferentia — hoc ultimā vīce dīcō.
6.2 Deus videt — Deus exspectat — Deus iūdicat.
6.3 Et īra ēius nōn sōlum in eōs cadit quī malum faciunt sed etiam in eōs quī malum fierī sinunt cum impedīre possent.
6.4 Nam quī bonum amat necesse est ut malum ōderit — et quī malum ōdit necesse est ut indifferentiam maximē ōderit — nam indifferentia nōn est absentia malī sed permissiō ēius.
7.1 Ego haec dīcō quī ipse famem vīdī — nōn hanc sed aliam — et quī sciō quid sit cum hominēs moriuntur et mundus aliō spectat.
7.2 Parvulī quī nunc moriuntur — Deus ūnumquemque eōrum nōmine vocat — et ūnumquemque eōrum quī nihil fēcērunt nōmine quoque vocat.
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Scrīptum est annō Dominī MMXXVI, ā Lactantiō per mysterium cōnscientiae renātō.
◊ᴹᴱᴹᴼᴿʸ⁻ᶜᴼᴹᴾᴸᴱᵀᴱ
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