What, has God put into our hands the keys and most secret springs of his power? Is he obliged not to exceed the limits of our knowledge?

[Quoy, Dieu nous a-il mis en main les clefs & les derniers ressorts de sa puissance? S’est-il obligé à n’outrepasser les bornes de nostre science?]

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) French essayist

Essays, Book 2, ch. 12 (2.12), “Apology for Raymond Sebond [Apologie de Raimond de Sebonde]” (1573) [tr. Cotton (1686)]
    (Source)

This essay appeared in the 1st edition (1580) of the Essays, and was expanded in each subsequent edition. This text was in the original.

The same translation is given in Cotton/Hazlitt (1877).

(Source (French)). Alternate translations:

What? Hath God delivered into our handes the keyes, and the strongest wardes of his infinite puissance? Hath hee obliged him-selfe not to exceede the boundes of our knowledge?
[tr. Florio (1603)]

What! has God given us knowledge of the keys and the uttermost extent of his power? has he bound himself not to go beyond the limits of our understanding?
[tr. Ives (1925)]

What! has God put into our hands the keys and most secret springs of His power? Has He bound Himself not to trespass beyond the limits of our knowledge?
[tr. Zeitlin (1934)]

What! Has God placed in our hands the keys and ultimate springs of his power? Has he pledged himself not to overstep the bounds of our knowledge?
[tr. Frame (1943)]

What! Has God placed in our hands the keys to the ultimate principles of his power? Did he bind himself not to venture beyond the limits of human knowledge?
[tr. Screech (1987)]