vpon Mundaye and so shall you haue sixe daies after which followeth the Sabbath which is the seauenth Thus First Sunday then Munday Tuesdaye Wedensday Thurseday Fryday after which followeth the Seauenth whiche are the Sabbath dayes So that the Lorde began his woorke of creating the worlde vpon Sunday which is confirmed to bee true by a counsell holdeÌ„ in Iudaea as Eusâ—bius writeth in the 5. booke of his historie and the 23. and 25. Chapters S. But in what Moneth seemeth it vnto you that the worlde was made M. I will vtter in this poinct that whiche seemeth vnto mee most likely and I craue pardon herein that no man thinke mee to bee curious notwithstanding I muste needes vtter my minde for that this question is demaunded by many Uerily it semeth vnto mee that the worlde was created in that moneth which is called by the Hebrues Tisri and is answereable partly vnto our moneth of August and partly to September for doubtles it began after the Autumnal or Haruast equinoctium So that I doe nothinge agree vnto those that write suppose that the world was made in the Moneth of March and in the Springe S. Can you confirme your opinion by any reason M. Yea and that by diuerse And not onely this that in the time of Autumne or Haruast the earth is most apt to receiue the seedes of good fruites as of Wheat and Barly and such like For at that time it seemeth most meete and fit to conceiue as in the Springe to bring-foorth fruite and in Summer to yelde them vp and as for winter then the earth digesteth and concocteth the seedes that are coÌ„mitted vnto hir and embracing them in the middes of hir bosome frameth nourisheth them as a mother doeth hir young whiche notwithstanding shee bringeth foorth in the spring tune when they bee sumwhat growne and in Summer is quite delâ—uered of them as beeinge then ripe and perfecte Wherefore the springe and Summer doe seeme rather to bee as it were midwiues to the earth than to minister vnto it any force or vertue to bringe foorth whiche vertue notwithstandinge Autumne yeeldeth vnto the earth as beeing yet mindefull of the first creation of all thinges and of hir owne bringinge foorth of all manner commodities reteininge vnto this present the force effect and power of the auncient commaundement which the Lorde enioyned at that time So y the Hebrues will haue it that this moneth Tisri shall not be so called of must or newe wine but of iuce wherof the earth is full at that season And these bee the two reasons of mine opinion The fyrst for that as the scripture teacheth in the 28. chapter and 9. verse and so folowinge of Leuiticus this moneth hath beene alwayes since the firste age of man as farre as euer there can bee had any remembrance the beeginninge of the yeare and first moneth And therefore in contractes and bargaines in coÌ„mon and priuate affaires and to bee briefe in supputation of the yeares and age of the worlde which was done by the yeares of Iubilee the yeare euer beegan in this moneth among the auntient Fathers in old time and among the Jewes and ended also in the same So that the yeares age of Adam and the residue of the Fathers whiche liued both beefore the floude and since are to bee reckened from this moneth The seconde reason is this For that the feast of Trumpettes which God commaunded to bee kept vpon the first daye of this moneth seemeth to haue beene specially instituted by God to the intente that the remembraunce of the first originall and creation of the worlde whiche was doone vppon that day might bee holily preserued continued in the Church Truely it was not in vaine that the Lord would haue that day kept holy so great honour reuereÌ„ce attributed vnto these trumpettes Instruments whiche wee reade at that time were so tossed blowne But by that great and pleasant sownd hee ment to admonish and put in remeÌ„braunce men the whole world also of their first natiuitie which as by the special prouision of God it fell vpon the firste daye of this moneth so was it godlily and reuerently renued and remembred in the Church that the world might not bee ignorant of it owne byrth daye Whereby also it came to passe that God coÌ„maunded many feastes and holidaies to bee kept in the seauenth moneth which moneth was called also Aetanim that is to saye the Moneth of strength or strong thinges 1. Kinges the 8. chap. and 2. verse Yea some saye also that our Sauiour Christ was borne the same moneth and not without some reason S. But it is saide in the 12. Chapter and 1. verse of Exodus that Nisan was the first moneth of the yeare answering vnto our monethes of March and April and falling in the Uernall or Springe equinoctium M. You say well But therevnto I answere two waies First that Nisan or March was not alwayes the beeginning of the yeere but at length after that the children of Israell returned out of Egyt in the remeÌ„brance of so great a benefite that is to say for the conseruation of the memorie of the newe founding restoaringe of that people Moreouer Nisan was not the beeginning of the yeere for all things that were done among the people of God but onely in respect of their holie festiuall daies and of the tabernacle For the tabernacle as it had it owne peculiare reuolution and differinge from the common so had it also a proper beginninge of the yeere not agreeing with the order of the Politike yeere to the intent that men mighte knowe that there was a difference too bee put beetweene the Politike and Ecclesiastical gouernment and that the reason of them both is diuerse and their nature separate and distinct S. How many yeeres doe you now accoumpt since the world was first made M. As some doe suppose since the tyme that the worlde was made vnto this present yeere 1578. wherin this booke was written are about 5298. yeeres S. Howe doe you beegin this number or by what meanes doe you gather it M. Euen by this short reckninge FroÌ„ the creation of the world vnto the generall diluge whiche happened in the daies of Noe are numbred in the Historie of the holy Scriptures 1656. yeeres And from the diluge vnto the promise whiche God made firste vnto Abraham and his departing vpon commaundment out of Vr a Citie of the Chaldees and Charris a citie of Mesopotamia are 427. yeeres And from that promise vnto the departure of the children of Israell out of the land of Egypt which was vnder Moses are 430. yeeres as it is written in the 12. chapter and 40. verse of Exodus And from the departure out of the land of Egypt vnto the beginning of the building of Salomons temple which was begun the fourth yeere of Salomons reigne are 480. yeeres as it appeareth the 1. Kinges and 6. chap. And from that tyme
hee is not called onely the image but also the liuely brightnesse of the Fathers glorye And yet farther to the intent it may bee the better vnderstoode what and how great the difference is wee must note that the world and man are a notable but yet a shadowed representation of those things which they do teach vs cōcerning god And Christ the expresse and liuely fourme in whose inward natural and substanciall brightnesse wee may most euidently behold the infinite power of God and incomprehensible loue towardes vs men Thus therefore when wee thincke vppon God and beholde him in all other thinges suche is our vanitie that immediatly wee decay and come to naught but when wee looke vppon him in Christ wee are quieted and stayed most firmely and substantially Wherefore there ought no comparison bee made betweene these which differ in kinde and manner of representation The xxxiii Chapter Two endes of the worlde not chiefe S. BUT bee ther not also other finall causes of the worlde M. Yeas there bee two but not chiefe S. What bee they M. The first is this to wit the vse of al men For this worlde was created for mans sake and man for god The seconde is for the Church or congregation For the worlde was created to the entent it should bee an house and dwelling place prepared for the Church and congregation that should bee hereafter where in it might remaine of it owne right which congregation God woulde establishe there and afterward bring to heauen S. Howe prooue you this M. First out of the 8. Psalme And secondly by that which S. Paule writeth to the Romanes the 4. Chapter and 13. verse The xxxiiii Chapter Of the meanes and engins whereby God raysed this so great a frame of the worlde and first of the woorde of God which was the meanes whereby this worlde was created S. HEtherto you haue declared the causes of this worlde nowe shewe the meanes and instrumentes wherby it was created And when mention is made of the creation of the woorlde some do demaunde what wedges what tooles and engins were occupied to the rearinge vp of so great a mole and they thinke themselues not satisfied vnlesse aunswere bee made vnto those doubtes of their minde M. Thei that seeke to know with what instruments this worlde was created do verie foolyshly forasmuch as this woorde create doth sufficiently declare that all this whole woorke is plainly miraculous and supernaturall For God vsed no tooles nor engins as carpenters vse to doe thereby to supplie the infirmitie of their strength But all his framing and buildinge and the woorkemanship of thys worlde doeth differ farre from all our meanes and pollices S. Tell mee then what it was M. In declaringe the meanes by which this world was created ther are foure things annexed which we must not pretermit and they perteine to the settinge foorth of Gods glory and omnipotencie wherof the fyrst is this that the worlde was created at the woorde and commaundement of God. S. Howe prooue you that M. Behold a most manifest place of the Scripture in the 33. Psalme 9. verse For hee spake and it was doone hee commaunded and it stoode fast and in the 148. Psalme and 5. verse Hee commaunded and they were created Moreouer Moses in the first chapter of Genesis beefore the creation of euery thing as they were made and created orderly in euery daye so doeth hee plainely shewe that the woord and cōmaundement of God went alwayes before And the Lorde sayde let it bee made c. Yea the Stoikes haue saide that the woorde of God was the efficient cause of the whole nature of thinges as Laertius writeth in his 7. booke in the life of Zeno. S. But there bee twoo impedementes that it can not bee so M. Which bee they S. The fyrst is that which is written in the 45. Chapter and 12. verse of Isay My handes haue stretched foorth the heauens Ergo God made not these things with his woord but with his handes M. Uerily this saiyng conteineth a most manifest Metaphore when hee attributeth handes vnto God and when in respect of the weakenesse of our vnderstanding God is cōpared to an handie craftes man which woorketh with his owne hāds the like wherof there are many authorities to be foūde in y scriptures And whereas this woorde of creating is vsed in the same place it plainly calleth vs backe vnto that diuine and extraordinarie woorke of God and to thinke vppon that meane onely which Moses hath recited M. The seconde impediment is that wheras in another place in like kind of thinges and semblable argument mention is made of the woorde of God notwithstanding Gods secret will is ment thereby whiche is not expressed in any woord or commaundemēt as in the 147. Psalme 15. and 18. verses where he speaketh of Ice Hee sendeth out his woorde and melteth it M. You say well Howbeit in Genesis the verye text also Moses minde teatheth vs that wee must say and thinke otherwise where it is plainly writen that God spake and cōmaunded that to bee which was made Wherfore the only bare and secrete will of God is not there to bee vnderstood and taken but that which is reuealed by the prolation and vtteringe of some woorde of his and commaundement Which opinion of mine is confirmed by an interpretation which the Scripture it self maketh noting that this was doone by vttering of some woorde or voyce For in the 33. Psalme and 6. verse after that it is declared that these things were made by the woorde of God for true exposition sake it is added by the spirite of his mouth For a voice is made by the breathing foorth of aire which is doone by the mouth S. But by this meanes feigning that God hath a tōgue roofe of the mouth and teeth with out whiche instruments no voyce can bee vttered you seeme to reuoke againe out of Hell the abominable errour of the Antropomorphites M. God forbid that I should thinke so wickedly of the infinite and omnipotent maiestie of god But like as the Lorde spake so as he might bee heard and vnderstoode when hee gaue the law in mount Sinai which no man can deney as likewise when hee spake to Moses whē he gaue answere by Vrim Thumim y Lord spake vttered a voice in the hearing of the people yet not withstāding we must not feigne y god hath a tongue a mouth a palate of the mouth teeth So in the beginning creation of the world when it is sayd that God spake his diuine shape was not chaunged intoo an humane fourme but it came to passe by a speciall prouidence and pollicie For the Lord tooke vpon him for a tyme suche meanes as were necessarie for the bringing foorth a cleare and audible voice wherof afterward hee left the vse S Doe you thinke then that the Lord spake plainly and distinctly M. Yea verely Howbeeit I am not ignorant what S. Augustine thinketh
principles and causes of their beeyng and compoundyng And likewise that is the Generall part of naturall Philosophie which sheweth vs the generall maner and order of preseruyng and increasyng of all thynges beecause it deliuereth vnto vs all thynges in generall And these poinctes for the more part are comprehended in the first chapiter of Genesis S. Whiche is then the Particulare part M. That whiche diligently setteth doune the peculiare natures operations properties and effectes of euery kinde which are seuerally distinguished in these created and visible thynges as for example What is the Nature of a Man what of an Horse what of euery kinde of liuyng Creature with the operations also of Trees and Hearbes These thynges are partly conteined in the rules of Phisick and partly also in those treatises whiche by the Auctours thereof are intitled by the names of Histories of liuyng thynges and of Plantes and suche like certaine partes whereof and sparkes are founde shinyng heere and there dispersed in holie Scripture as it were beautifull precious stones Howbeit the whole historie general discourse of these thinges is not conteined in the Scripture since that Salomons Bookes whiche were written copiously of the Nature of all thynges are through the negligence of men perished ¶ The seconde Chapiter Whether Naturall Philosophie bee meete for a Christian S. IS there any profite in Naturall Philosophie M. Yea manifolde But that I may not run ouer them all for thei are almoste infinite I wil alledge fiue onely The first is that thereby wee knowe God not onely to bee the Creator of all thinges but also to bee euerlasting omnipotent and mercifull c. The seconde that by it wee learne the thynges that are created with their operations and natures The third for that therein wee see ourselues and perceiue what wee are of what thynges and partes wee consist and eche part of ours that is to saie what maner of thing our Soule is and what likewise is the state and condition of our bodie which all men do confesse to bee the best profitabliest moste excellēt knowledge of all other The iiii that wonderyng at in our myndes and beholdyng with our eyes these woorkes of God so greate so many so wonderfull beyng thervnto holpē by none other meanes than by this Arte wee are with greate zeale and affection stirred vp to set foorth the won̄derfull praises of God and to giue him thankes Whiche thing happened also vnto Galene yea although he were a prophane Philosopher that after hee had described the Nature of one of Gods woorkes that is to saie of Man and the partes of his bodie hee was enforced yea almoste against his will to syng an Himne to god Heerehence it commeth that suche multitude of hymnes so many Epodes and songes of praise so many Psalmes are written and celebrated The v. that wee vnderstandyng these thinges maie easily and plainly expounde and freely enter into many places of holie Scripture whiche vnto suche as bee ignorante of these matters are not onely obscure but also cannot possibly bee attained vnto or by any meanes vnderstoode Wherefore S. Augustine writeth that Naturall Philosophie is verie profitable and necessarie for a christen diuine What shall I speake of the singulare pleasure whiche this knowledge bringeth vnto the minde of the great cōmodities whiche it ministreth vnto the life of man S. How doe you prooue these thinges to bee true M. Specially out of these places of holie scripture The whole 104 Psalme The 136. and 145. Psalme 10. verse The 147. and 148. Psalmes Iob the 12. chapiter and verse 8. 9. 10. and the 36. Chapiter and 24. 25. 26. verses The 14. Chapiter of the Actes and 17. verse The first Chapiter to the Romanes and 20. verse Unto these moreouer maie bee added the 7. Chapiter of the booke of Wisedome and 9. verse with the nexte followyng and likewise the 13. Chapiter and 1. verse and the nexte followyng Likewise the holie Fathers S. Basill S. Chrisostome S. Ambrose in their Exameron or woorke of sixe daies doc teache the same thyng And moreouer the holie and absolutely learned father S. Augustine in his booke of christian doctrine and in the viii booke of Gene. vpon the letter the viii chapiter S. But there be certain obiections made declaryng that the knowledge of Naturall Philosophie is not onely vnprofitable but also vnwoorthie for a christian yea that it is hurtfull and dangerous for hym M. Yea truely And although many men haue gathered sundrie yet all of thē maie bee referred specially vnto twoo kindes of argumentes whiche are alledged againste the knowledge of these thynges whereof the firste is framed ab auctoritate from auctoritie The second a ratione turpi from reason and vnseemelinesse or from a moste hurtfull consequent S. Declare them M. First thei gather sundrie sentences partly out of the Scriptures and partly out of the Ecclesiasticall Fathers out of whiche afterwarde thei frame their reasons and make their conclusions S. Whiche bee thei M. Out of holie scripture this is specially alledged which is written in the Booke of Ecclesiastes or of the Preacher the 1. Chapiter and 15. verse in these woordes I set my harte to seeke and to finde out with wisedome whatsoeuer thyng is doone vnder heauen This euill exercise hath GOD giuen to the Sonnes of men to occupie them selues therein Unto whiche thei ioyne that saiyng of S. Paule the 1. to the Corinthians the 1. Chapiter and 20. verse God hath made foolishe the wisedome of this worlde with other suche places like vnto these whiche maie easely bee answered S. How I praie you M. Forsoothe that that in the Booke of the Preacher is not spoken absolutely but onely in comparison of the true woorshippyng of god Neither doeth Salomon cōdemne or disprooue the true knowledge of the nature of thinges whiche GOD gaue vnto hym as a greate benefite of all other moste surpassyng for then should hee haue bin of all men the moste vnthankfullest man to God and in respecte whereof hee was then greatly esteemed of by the Queene of Saba and other Princes neere vnto hym Howbeeit this knowledge of Naturall Philosophie if it bee compared with true Godlinesse if with faithe if with the true feare of GOD if with inwarde regeneration of the mynde if with the knowledge of euerlastyng life and saluation surely in comparison of these thynges it is but a light busiyng of the minde vnfruitfull rather weariyng vs then relieuyng or comfortyng our consciences For it bryngeth not the true felicitie as faithe to Godwardes doeth although a manne consume his whole life in it and as it were tyre his minde aboute it And as touchyng the place of S. Paule I see not how it oppugneth the knowledge of Naturall Philosophie seeyng S. Paule condemneth the wisedome of the worlde not the wisedome concernyng the worlde and thynges created But that is called the wisedome of the world whiche is wholy ruled by the counsell and iudgement of the
hearbes and flowers without seede or slippe But hee that is the true creatour hee maketh his matter and stuffe in whiche and of which hee woorketh of nothing hee hath it not alreadie prepared or ministred from some other place But to saie that the matter was coeternall with God himselfe or existing of it selfe and to deny that it was firste made and brought foorth by God out of nothing is not the part of Christians but plainly of the Hermogenian heretikes So that there is a moste large distinction beetweene creation and engendring Those thinges are created whiche are made of no substanciall or materiall beeginnyng Those are engendred or made not whiche are made out of nothing but out of a former substance and matter Wherefore neither good Angels nor bad nor diuelles bee or ought to bee called creatours mutch lesse men for it is onely proper to God to create whiche these places following doe confirme to wit S. Augustine in his 3. booke of the Trinitie the 8. chap. Isay the 45. chapt Iob the 26. chapt the 33 Psalme Actes the 17. chap. and 24. verse Yet am I not ignorant notwithstandyng what othersome doe dispute against this that the power of creating may also bee giuen vnto creatures S. But there be many thinges that doe withstand your opinion M. What bee they S. First that whiche your selfe alleaged and is a moste certeine position among the naturall Philosophers and confirmed in all mens iudgementes by continual experience Nothyng is made of nothyng How then should God haue made al these thinges if so bee that hee had no matter prepared to his hand that is to say if hee had nothing to make them of M. Truely this is an olde obiection and often repeated by Heathen men in expoundyng whereof Iustine the Martyr or whosoeuer he was else that answered the obiections of the Ethnikes hee tooke great paines therin which difficultie mee thinkes I can easilye resolue First in that the insinite incomprehensible omnipotencie of God the creatour is not only a misse but peruersly called to the lawes of nature which was made and created For what is that other than to go about to make the creature equall to the Creatour But as the Lorde witnesseth that his thoughtes doe differ farre from ours so likewise is the force power farre discrepant from ours and farre excelling the strength and vertue of this nature Iob the 10. chapter and 45. verse Now if a man woulde thus conclude At this present and since the tyme that the Lorde appointed this order that nothing shoulde bee made of nothing there is nowe nothing made without matter readye and prepared beefore Wherefore in the beeginning and before that God had ordeined these lawes it toke place then neither coulde anye thinge bee made other wise Your selfe perceiue how much they are deceiued that doe so conclude As for example if a man would thus dispute that in the beeginning the first trees at the same verie instant wherin God made them could not bring foorthe their fruites bicause y now adaies they bee not so forwarde but neede longer time to beare and ripen them if a man I say shoulde reason thus euerie body woulde laughe him to skorne and woulde perceiue that hys sayinge were falfe out of Isay the 46. chapter and â–ª 8. verse and not onely out of the first Chapter of Moyses For whoso were of that opinion were deceiued through great ignorance and confusion of diuerse tymes and conditions which amonge thinges are to bee distinguished And euen so they who as you say doe obiect against the first creation of thinges That Nothing is made of nothing bycause that nowe nothing is made of nothing hee disputeth of most different and vnlike times and conditions To wit from the nature whiche was to bee created and not yet tied by any law vnto the nature created which is now reuoked constrained by sure certein lawes Which kynde of conclusion S. Augustine also laugheth at in his booke 2. booke against Pelagia the 25. Chapter Thus haue you my answere vnto that most common and vsuall argument of the Philosophers What is the seconde argument which you say may be brought against vs S. The aucthoritie which they alleage out of the xi cha and 18. verse of the booke of VVisedome For vnto thyne almightie hande that made the worlde out of a rude and vnfourmed matter there lacked no strength to sende a multitude of beares or of fierce Lions amonge them Ergo the worlde was made of rude and vnformed matter and not of nothyng To which opinion Sainct Augustine seemeth to agree in the 3. booke the 5. and 6. Chapters of the Trinitie For hee sayth that There is a certaine common matter consisting in the causes of the worlde M. Indeede this which you doe aleage hath seemed vnto some to bee a verie forceable argument And therfore the materiar heretikes which are called also the Hermogenians doe chiefly staye themselues vppon that against whom Tertullian hath writen manye noble and learned woorkes And that I may saye nothinge of the aucthoritie of that booke lyke as I sayde beefore notwithstanding I will answere this which is most true that it is there taught and beleeued that the same rude and vnformed matter out of which it is said the worlde was made was first created by GOD of nothing not out of any other matter wrought or supplied for so shoulde wee runne foorth infinitely neithere existinge of it selfe for then shoulde it bee verye god But whosoeuer he was that wrote that booke hee wrote in such manner out of the opinion whiche was then receiued and knowne amonge the Hebrue Rabbines and was afterward alowed of and embraced of all to wit that heauen and earth which two are saide in the 1. of Genesis to haue beene created the firste daye were as it were the first matter of Gods woorkes which were created afterwarde whiche God by his mightie vertue prepared vnto him self and cast togither ministred first rudely whereby afterwarde hee might finishe and forme the residue of that so greate a woorke And as touching Sainct Augustine they that alleage him against vs do altogither wreast hys auctority For S. Augustine intreateth not there of the first matter of thys whole worlde as though hee would haue it to bee one or feigned or imagined it to bee coeternall with God but hee speaketh of the seconde matter through which as in thinges nowe alreadye created one thinge sprunge of an other by the commaundement of GOD as out of the earth trees and beastes and as at thys daye also they are made and doe proceede There was foresowne saith hee eeuen in those thinges the matter of such thinges as arose and sprung out of them the 3. booke of Genesis vppon the letter the 14. chapter and the 2. booke the 15. chapter and the 1. booke the 14. and 15. Chapter and the 5. booke the 5. chap. S. Thirdly they saye that that is not the
a mans children or sunnes are beegotten of the fathers seede and substance Moreouer whatsoeuer is said to spring and come of another ought not by and by to be called the sunne of that from whiche it springeth For Lice doe breede out of a mannes fleshe yet are thei not called the sunnes of men or of their fleshe To cōclude since the comparison and respecte of GOD vnto the worlde is rather like the woorkeman to the woorke than like the Father to the Sunne truely the worlde may bee termed the woorke and perfected labour of God but by no meanes called his Sunne The. xxi Chapter What God created first to bee the matter for thinges that were created afterward S. HEtherto you haue discoursed of the efficiēt cause now saye sumwhat concernyng the materiall cause of the world M. What matter can I name vnto you since there was none at all as I haue sufficiently disputed and proued beefore as this woord Create declareth if you haue regarde to it owne proper signification Neither do I thinke it woorth the traueill to confute the opinions of the Philosopers who haue almoste euerie one of them stūbled at this block or else to conuince the heresie of the Hermogenians who reuoked that errour whiche was nowe long since extinguished in the Churche of God out of the scooles and opinions of the Stoikes and chose rather to learne how the world beegan at the handes of naturall Philosophers than of true Christians and out of Gods woord Al whose argumentes Tertullian hath confuted in a noble and profitable woorke whiche is now abroade in mens handes and is most worthie to bee read S. I doe not require after that which was not but this rather whether that among those thinges whiche God created of nothing there were any thing disposed prepared and brought foorth that afterward serued the turne and stoode in steede in the creation of other things out of which God did afterward facion and fourme al thinges else that remained to be made M. You mooue mee to enter into a difficult question which consisteth both of like number of weightie reasons and of auctorities of graue writers For among the learned auctours some thinke that Heauen and earth of whiche in the 1. chapt of Genesis and 1. verse it is writen In the beginnyng God made heauen and earth were made by God of nothyng howbeit first and before all thinges to the intent that they might be the prepared matter of all other thinges that were to be afterward created And therfore they say that God did nothyng the other daies following but onely distinguysh this matter and masse which was first confusedly brought foorth and conteined in it the seedes of all other thinges into the proper kindes and elementes and that euerie thing should be trimmed foorth in it owne kind and gouerned by it owne lawe Other dooe suppose otherwise that these thinges were only set downe in the beginning as it were in maner of a preface or supposition of some discourse that should ensue to the end that the summe of the whole matter following might be the better vnderstoode and the boundes of so great a frame as the world is bee drawne foorth In like maner cunning Carpenters when they are about to build some goodly and large house they firste drawe out a platfourme in certeine proportions and lines conteining the fourme of the whole woork that shal bee to the intent they may point out and place the other roomthes of the buildyng within that circuite so conteine themselues within those limites Thus say they heauen and earth are proposed by Moses and that in the beeginning of his Narration to the ende wee might vnderstande what limites the discription following and the whole woorke should haue Like as he also repeateth again those limites after the narration of the creation concludeth the whole woorke whiche hee set foorth after the same manner Genesis the 2. chapter and 1. verse Wherefore In the beginnyng God created heauen and earth that is to saye firste of all the summe of all Gods woorkes is layd beefore vs to bee thought on Moreouer Ireneus in his 2. booke the 10. 11. and 16. chapters sheweth that GOD is not like men as not hauing neede of any matter that hee had created or prepared before hand to finish or make his other woorkes of S. Howe then doe you thinke otherwise M. Truely the interpretation and opinion of the fyrste sorte seemeth vnto mee the more probable which hold that the heauen and earth in suche maner as thei are there spoken of were firste created by GOD of nothing howbeit as it were a rude matter of the whole woorke and bewtie that shoulde folowe out of which God by his mightie power brought foorth all the residue Although almightie God lacked no matter to create firste heauen and earth with all neither yet to bring forthe the woorkes of the other daies like as at this day also he needeth not the seede of man to bryng foorth men of if hee lust to doe otherwise notwithstanding in these questions wee must not enquire how much hee was able to doe sayeth S. Augustine in his 2. booke de Genesi but rather what the course of nature in things will suffer and what his pleasure is and what hee hath reuealed vnto vs by his woorde Neither doth this mine opinion want iust and sufficient confirmation either of the auctoritie of men or of reason And as for auctoritie there is none against mee seeing bothe Philo Iudaeus and the Rabbines commonly and the best learned of the Hebrues doe so expounde that place of Moses yea S. Augustine also oftentimes as in the 5. booke de Ge nesi ad Literam the 3. and 5. chapters and the 1. booke the 5. chapter S. Ambrose likewise in Examero and S. Chrysostome and S. Basile with others S. But can you confirme your opinion by any reason M. Yea by twaine And the first is that this exposition doth very well agree with Moses woordes and order and againe that it seemeth to be plainly confirmed by this woord Beeginning and the signification therof For a beeginning is sayd in comparison of other thinges And therefore to the intent hee might shewe how all other thinges were made afterwarde out of those twayne Moses plainly vseth this preface to wit that the same heauen and the same earth were created in the beeginning that is to saye beefore all the other woorkes that God made and also to the vse of all the other that is to saie from whence afterward the residue were taken and as it were made The very footsteppes as it were of whiche opinion howbeeit the trueth beeyng now and then manifestly intercepted do appeare to be exstant in Hesiodus in his Theogonia and Ouid also in that place of the firste booke of his Metamorphosis which is so well knowne Beefore the Sea and Earth c. This reason also may bee alleaged that the thing itself and specially
concerning this matter in the 1. booke of Genesis ad literam and 9. chapter S. But these things are referred to the Sunne when it is sayd that the Lord created all thing by his woord so that Christe is ment by the woorde for by him all thinges were made Coloss the 1. chapter and 16. verse M. I will not much contende herein so that they will graunt mee that as the Sunne is called the woorde so likewise that woorde was a signe and token of his presence power and person and also of his woorking Whiche doeth likewise distinguishe the Father from the Sunne S. Why did God speake commaund them to be made M. Hee commaunded to the intent that the thinges that were afterward made might be knowne not to haue bin made by the Water or Earth out of whiche they came or the heauens or to bee short by the vertue or power of any creature ▪ but by the commaundement of the Lord onely and the power of his woord Wherfore let vs giue prayse vnto hym for all thinges that are created And he spake not that hee could not haue fourmed all thinges by the vertue and decree of his alonely will who hadde already made Heauen and Earth without speaking of any word but when as it pleased God to reueale manifest himself outwardly by his works hee vsed those meanes wherby hee willeth and commaundeth himselfe to bee most certeinly knowne to wit his woorde voice The summe and scope of this word is Christ y euerlasting Sūne of y euerlastīg father who was afterward manifested in y flesh therfore hereof they do rightly gather y Christ the Sunne of God did woorke in the creation of the world For ther is a threefold meane booke wherby God reuealeth himself vnto vs to wit the booke of creatures y boke of scripture the boke of life That which is called y booke of scripture is far more sure true and plentifull thā the other two therfore God doth especially propose and commende the same vnto vs And finally to confirme myne opinion I alledge that whiche Ireneus sayeth That God created all thyng with his word that is to saye with his voice in his seconde booke and 5. chapter and that also whiche is written by Tertullian in his 4. booke againste the Marciomtes in these woordes Is it altogether incredible how the power of the creatour should procure the remedie of one transgression with his woord who by his word hath brought foorth so great a mole of the world In whiche saiyng doubtlesse the woord is taken for the voice and in the 1. chapter and 3. verse of the Epistle too the Hebrues the Scripture vseth the woord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The. xxxv Chapter Of the light which was vsed at the creation of the world S. WHat say you is secondly to be obserued and considered of in declaring the creation M. The light For God made that as a necessarie thyng for the creatyng of his other woorkes S. Whyso M. Both that by appliyng as it were a Candle or other light that confused mole might bee seen and diuided into meete partes and members and also bicause it was necessarie that some firie qualitie should bee applied vnto that moyste matter too warme it and to make it frutefull For all thinges that are in this inferiour world are engendred by a firie heate as it were by a warme and woorking father And therefore that first light was created to bee the continuall and common Nurse and moother and fountaine of the externall and accidentall liuely heate whiche God prepared as an instrument to bring foorth all other things withall Not that God was not able to see all things that were in the greate mole who at this present beholdeth the most secret thinges and obscurest darkenesse and from whom there is nothing hid not also that he needed that kind of meane who of himself is Almightie but to the intent we might vnderstand how great wisedome it was that created these visible things and what second causes of them hee appointed first which now wee doe behold to woorke in them And finally how in the making of these visible thinges hee vsed moste conueniently other thinges of the same kinde which at this day are the naturall and instrumentall and chief and principall causes of the engendryng of all thinges For there are three thinges of them too wit moist earth and that shining bright and liuely heate which is appliable and conuenient for all thinges in that all thinges haue that naturall heate in them This is therefore the second thing whiche I suppose needfull to bee considered in the meanes and maner of creating the world ¶ The. xxxvi Chapter That God made this worlde without any payne or wearisomenesse vnto him S. WHat do you thirdly consider M. This forsooth that GOD framed this so greate and huge a Mole of the worlde without anye payne or wearysomnesse at all that the Epicures neede not to feare leaste wee ascribe any greife and paine vnto God in that men are not able to finishe the least woorke that they haue to doe without some trauayle and wearinesse of bodye And therefore it plainely appeareth hereby howe greate the omnipotencie of God is aboue the strēgth of man This which I say is cōfirmed by Isay in the 40. chapt and 28. verse and likewise by S. Augustine in hys 4. booke de Genesi ad Literam and 8. chapter In somuch that it is sayde that all thinges that were created were suddeinly brought foorthe and appeared as it were in the twinckling of an eye Psalme 33. 9. chap. and Esdras the 4. booke the 6. chapter and 48. verse for nothing coulde withstande the pleasure and cōmaundement of God. The xxxvii Chapter The worlde was created by partes and not all at once S. WHat thinke you fourthly to bee obserued M. That this whole worlde was made by partes and in six dayes as Moses teacheth in the 1. chapter of Genesis as it appeareth also in the 4. booke of Esdras the 44. Chapter and the nexte folowinge and not made altogither at one instante And to the entente it may bee the better borne in memorie what was made vppon euery daye I my selfe made these verses folowing The first day made both heauen and earth pleasant glittring light The seconde streached out the space beetweene the waters quite ▪ The thirde diuided Sea from Lande and clad the earth with greene The fourth created Sunne Moone starres that bright do sheene The fifth brought foorth all feathered soules and fishes of the lake The sixt made Cattell in the fieldes then man the Lorde did make And after worke the seauenth to rest himselfe hee did betake S. But why did not god create al things togither in one day seeing hee is almightie M. Bicause hee is almightie hee needed not time for the establishing of this worlde as Sainct Ambrose saith in his 39. Epistle neither came it to passe