CONCERNING THE TRINITY. 313 well visibleas invisibleis given,both at all timesand in allforms,by thenaturewhich His providencerulesand governs. This God, then, settingaside the fablesand figmentsof heretics,the church knows and worships,to whom the uni versaland entirenature of thingsas wellvisibleas invisible giveswitness; whom angelsadore,starswonder at,seasbless, landsrevere,and allthingsunder theearthlookup to; whom the whole mind of man is consciousof,even if it does not express[itsconsciousness]; at whose command allthingsare set in motion,springsgush forth,riversflow,waves arise, allcreaturesbring forththeiryoung, winds are compelledto blow, showers descend,seasare stirredup, allthings every where diffusetheirfruitfulness; Who ordained,peculiarto the protoplastsof eternallife,a certainbeautifulparadisein the east; He planted the treeof life,and similarlyplaced near itanothertreeof the knowledge of good and evil,gave a command, and decreed a judgment againstsin; He pre served the most righteousNoe from the perilsof the deluge, for the merit of his innocence and faith; He translated Enoch ; He electedAbraham intothe societyof His friend ship; He protectedIsaac; He increasedJacob; He gave Moses fora leaderunto the people; He deliveredthe groan ing childrenof Israelfrom the yoke of slavery;He wrote the law; He brought the offspringof our fathersintothe landof promise ; He instructedthe prophetsby His Spirit,and by allof them He promised His Son Christ; and at the time at which He had covenanted that He would give Him, He sent Him, and through Him He desiredto come into our knowledge, and shed forthupon us the liberalstoresof His mercy, by conferringHis abundant Spiriton the poor and abject. And, becauseHe of His own free-willisboth liberal and kind, lestthe whole of thisglobe,being turned away from the streamsof His grace,shouldwither,He willedthe apostles,as foundersof our family,to be sent by His Son intothe whole world,that the conditionof the human race might be consciousof itsFounder; and ifitshouldchooseto