Meditations X.26

A man passes seed into a womb and goes his way, and anon another cause takes it in hand and works upon it and perfects a babe—what a consummation from what a beginning!³⁷ Again he³⁸ passes food down the throat, and anon another cause taking up the work creates sensation and impulse and in fine, life and strength and other things how many and how mysterious! Muse then on these things that are done in such secrecy, and detect the efficient force, just as we detect the descensive and the ascensive none the less clearly that it is not with our eyes.

• 37.Compare the remarkable parallel in Justin Martyr, Apology i. 19.

  In First Apology 19 Justin Martyr argues for the resurrection from the formation of a human being out of a drop of seed, which would be as incredible as resurrection to one who had not seen it.

• 38.There is no subject expressed. It is possible to take the child as the subject.