To make men recognise what God can give
And man can suffer, and thus live? But since
Neither predictions earlier nor facts
180 The latest can suede senseless frantic men
That God became a man, and (after He
Had suffered and been buried) rose; that they
May credit those so many witnesses
Harmonious, who of old did cry aloud
185 With heavenly word, let them both learn to trust
At least terrestrial reason.
When the Lord
Christ came to be, as flesh, born into the orb
In time of king Augustus’ reign at Rome,
First, by decree, the nations numbered are
190 By census everywhere: this measure, then,
This same king chanced to pass, because the
Will
Supreme, in whose high reigning hand doth lie
The king’s heart, had impelled him: he was first
To do it, and the enrolment was reduced
195 To orderly arrangement. Joseph then
Likewise, with his but just delivered wife
Mary, with her celestial Son alike,
Themselves withal are numbered. Let, then, such
As trust to instruments of human skill,
200 Who may (approving of applying them
As attestators of the holy word)
Inquire into this census, if it be
But found so as we say, then afterwards
Repent they and seek pardon while time still
205 Is had
The Jews, who own to having wrought
A grave crime, while in our disparagement
They glow, and do resist us, neither call
Christ’s family unknown, nor can affirm
They hanged a man, who spake truth, on a tree:
210 Ignorant that the Lord’s flesh which they bound
Was not seed-gendered. But, while partially
They keep a reticence, so partially
They triumph; for they strive to represent
God to the peoples commonly as man.
215 Behold the error which o’ercomes you both!
This error will our cause assist, the while,
We prove to you those things which certain are.
They do deny Him God; you falsely call