Commodian — Carmen de Duobus Populis 121–160
Though he is invisible, he makes himself seen by some. He who is shaped one way now pours himself into the airs; it is not lawful to seek his beginning or end. This God is always without beginning and without end, who, before he made heaven, was borne in the age; whatever heaven holds, he looks out everywhere from heaven and pierces the whole with eyes and hears with ears. So it pleased him that there be a fleshly course of the world, that only everlasting majesty be exalted. For what was before is hard to tell now; though it be written, let us not care for those things. Since we cannot touch all we see, who can know what is beyond Ocean’s bound? We see heaven too, but what is done inside there no one is given to know until the age’s exit. Let it be enough to know the promises about the future; let us stretch to those things eager, devoted with whole mind. As the bird Phoenix plans to be born again from death, it gives us an example that we can rise after funerals; this God almighty most of all urges us to believe: that a time will come for the dead to live again. Though he be dust now, though bones lie stripped, the man is remade as he was who once died, and then the grace of that age will be greater: then there will be no pain or tears in our body; flesh will not take iron, no blister will rise. God will set this up so that there be greater glory for him. He had first made man to be eternal, but that one fell into death when he neglected the commands. For which things God prepared such stories to uncover all the devil’s inventions. God had given that angel as ruler on earth: who, while he envies man, perishes himself first. Meanwhile he sees the just brought through to deeds and keeps wicked Cain for gehenna. The whole human race began to turn in crime, not looking back who their creator was. The high God bore that with indignation and proposed to cast down almost all created things. It is cast down, and Noah is read freed from water. ****** Dust will not have the last word. The invisible God urges phoenix-hope: the dead will live again.
Latin
Cum sit inuisibilis, facit se uideri quibusdam. Qui formatur modo, <modo> se diffundit in auras, Cuius nec initium nec finem quaerere fas est. Hic sine initio semper est Deus et sine fine, Qui, prius quam faceret caelum, ferebatur in aeuum; Quidquid tenet caelum, prospicit ubique de caelo Et penetrat totum oculis et auribus audit. Huic ergo placuit carnalem mundi tenorem, Ut exaltaretur sola sempiterna maiestas. Nam, quod erat ante, referre nunc ardua res est; Sit licet descriptum, non sit nobis cura de illis. Cum haec, quae uidemus, non possumus tangere tota, Quis poterit scire, quid sit trans Oceani fine<m>? Et caelum uidemus, sed illic quid intus agatur, Nullo datur scire, donec fiat exitus aeui. Sufficiat tantum de futuro nosse promissa; Ad illa tendamus cupidi, tota mente deuoti. Sicut auis Phoenix meditatur a morte renasci, Dat nobis exemplum, post funera surgere posse; Hoc Deus omnipotens uel maxime credere suadet, Quod ueniet tempus defunctorum uiuere rursum; Sit licet nunc puluis, iaceant licet ossa nudata, Integratur homo, ut fuerat, qui mortuus olim, Et gratia maior tunc erit istius aeui, Non dolor nec lacrimae tunc erunt in corpore nostro, Non caro recipiet ferrum, non pustula surget. Hoc Deus instituet, ut sit illi gloria maior. Hic fecerat primum hominem, ut esset aeternus, Sed ruit in mortem neglectis ille praeceptis. Propter quae storias tantas Deus esse parauit Ut inuentiones diabuli detegeret omnes. Rectorem in terra dederat Deus angelum istum: Qui, dum inuidetur homini, perit ipse priorque. Interea iustos per ipsos cernit ad actos Et facinerosa Cain [in] gehenna reseruat. In scelere coepit uersari gens omnis humana, Nec respicientes, quis esset creator eorum. Quod Deus excelsus indigne pertulit illud, Deicere proposuit uniuersa paene creata. Deicitur et legitur Noe liberatus ab aqua,