"Alas! Lord, what would they do with it," sighed Lactantius. "They
have not tuneful voices to sing your praises. They would not be able to
celebrate your mysteries."

"Without doubt," said St. Augustine, "they would not observe the divine
law."

"They could not," said the Lord.

"They could not," continued St. Augustine. "And if, Lord, in your
wisdom, you pour an immortal soul into them, they will burn eternally
in hell in virtue of your adorable decrees. Thus will the transcendent
order, that this old Welshman has disturbed, be re-established."

"You propose a correct solution to me, son of Monica," said the Lord,
"and one that accords with my wisdom. But it does not satisfy my mercy.
And, although in my essence I am immutable, the longer I endure, the
more I incline to mildness. This change of character is evident to
anyone who reads my two Testaments."

As the discussion continued without much light being thrown upon the
matter and as the blessed showed a disposition to keep repeating the
same thing, it was decided to consult St. Catherine of Alexandria. This
is what was usually done in such cases. St. Catherine while on earth had
confounded fifty very learned doctors. She knew Plato's philosophy in
addition to the Holy Scriptures, and she also possessed a knowledge of
rhetoric.