THE WONDERFVLL VVOORKMANSHIP OF THE WORLD wherin is conteined an excellent discourse of Christian naturall Philosophie concernyng the fourme knowledge and vse of all thinges created specially gathered out of the Fountaines of holy Scripture by Lambertus Danaeus and now Englished by T. T. ⧠Imprinted at London for Andrew Maunsell in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Parret 1578. To the right honorable Syr Francis walsingham Knight one of the principall Secretaries to the Queenes Maiestie and of her most honourable priuie Counsell I Haue bin desirous Right honorable and that of long tyme vvith many other to vvhom your most godly disposition hath bin often reported not only to congratulate but also to honor the same vvith some poore testimonie of myne vnfeined good vvill And novv occasion sumdeale fauourably grauntyng vnto my request hope hath also pricked mee forevvarde to myne attempt that no studie or traueill vvherby the true knovvledge feare of God is to bee learned can come vnvvelcome or seeme dishonorable vnto your honour If noneother examples yet the vndoubted vvord of life vvorthily Englished and set foorth vnder your Right Honorable protection doth sufficiently prooue beesides your most feruent zeale in embracing true Religion and aduauncing the syncere vvorshipping of Almightie God by meanes vvhereof your fame is spread far among forreine nations Thus am I not discouraged but rather hartened semblably vvith duetie to offer this my simple trauell vnto your honour beeing the vvoorthy vvoorke of the learned Diuine M. Lambert Danaeus of Geneua concerning Christian Naturall Philosophie the vvonderfull vvoorkemanship of this vvorld A vvoorke doubtlesse of great auaill to the knovvledge of God in his creatures A vvorke of vvonderfull efficacie to set foorth the honour and glorie of God the Creator A vvoorke of merueilous force to stirre vp mens mindes to the contemplation of true knovvledge and learning vvhiche is gathered out of the holy Scriptures only A vvoork of rare effect to declare the prayse of God the vvoorkman and to establishe assured fayth and true religion To bee short a vvoorke so farre surpassing all other vvoorkes of like argument vvriten either by Christian or Heathen Philosophers as the proofes and auctorities vsed by them both bee differing the one beeyng founded vppon the assured ground of Gods vvoord and holy Scriptures the other established vpon the fickle foundation of mans reason iudgement This vvoorke therefore Right Honorable so profitable so pleasant so necessarie so full of varietie of Godly matter so substancially grounded by vvarrant of Scriptures so surely confirmed by auctoritie of Doctours and Fathers in most humble and duetifull maner I present vnto your honor Hoping that as in the Latine it hath bin generally liked of the learned so likevvise you vvill not mislike that it novv go abroad in the Englishe tōgue vnder the protection of your Right Honorable name by him vvho resteth your honours most hūble at cōmaundement Thomas Twyne To the right honourable the Lord Friderike of Nachod Lorde of Danouiz and of Beske c. his verie good Lorde and Patrone AVncient and noble is the question concernyng the originall of the worlde and firste beeginning of all things Right honorable Baron which hath not only long tyme and much troubled the wittes of the Philosophers but also of Christians in the end by reason of the diuerse iudgements of men hath rested so doubtfull that many graue writers coulde not tell what to determine therin For amōg the Christiās Origen in his bookes of the beginnings which bookes aboue the residue most men do iudge to bee his woorthy woork and they which after him wrote the Examera are so diuided in opinions that nothing may seeme certeinly to bee gathered out of their writinges But among the Philosophers men ignorant of God and his trueth there is farre more diuersitie of opinions so that concernyng this matter a man may better gheasse than vnderstand by their doctrine what hee hath to follow Now touchyng these Philosophers perhaps there is no such cause to wonder at their blindnes in so great a matter and that thei were so deepely drowned in darknes forasmuch as they were destitute of Gods woord that is to say the true light of knowledge But among Christians suche disoorde and disagreement cannot with like vprightnes bee excused for that there is but one way of the trueth wherof they might haue found most assured groundes in the woord of God if they had had regard therto What was thā the cause of so greate disagreement among the Christians concernyng this matter Forsooth it was the Heathen Philosophie with the preceptes wherof they were not onely then instructed and infected but many also of them beeing stuffed bee witched and deceiued therwith in respect that they ascribed mostvnto this art would graunt and admit nothyng whiche they supposed to bee repugnant to the principles thereof And this mischeif did not onely continue in the tyme of our forefathers and the firste age of the Churche whiche many hauing learned in the schooles of the Philosophers euen in their tender yeeres and afterward beeing conuerted to the faith of Christ could not easily lay doune and chaunge those opinions whiche they had receiued beefore and of long tyme most studiously embraced Yea now since the name of the Philosophers is extinguished it cannot bee plucked out of the minds of many that would bee called Christians so deepely forsooth the admiration and reuerence of this Heathen Philosophie is imprinted within the mindes of some men and of so great a force it is as the Prouerbe fayeth in tender youth and as it were with the Mothers milke to accustome a mans self vnto errour as it were vnto the preceptes of trueth And therefore I doe not doubt but that this my woorke concerning Christian Naturall Philosophie that is to say how to refourme the opiniōs of the Philosophers by the woord of God shal bee reprooued of many and therfore hath need of some noble and great personage that is welbecloued among all estastes to bee patrone vnto it by whose auctoritie beeing defended and fauour cōmended it may safely and acceptably come abroade into mens hands to bee read You only right honorable are hee vnto whose name therefore I dedicate the same how far soeuer I bee disioyned from you by distance of place And as for your honour there wanteth nothyng in you that may suffice to discomfite the force of all enemies if so bee that you can well like of this woork and doe accept it vnto your protection For if it might please you to oppose that same your moste singulare and true Christian godlines of minde against the old and stubburne crue of heathen men concerning this part of Philosophie in respect that you do syncerely and purely woorshippe God by direction of his vndoubted woord weighyng and examinyng euery thing accordyng to that as a most certeine rule there is no man that doubteth but that there is more credite to be giuen vnto your
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
sinfull and blinde fleshe and therevpon reposeth it self not that whiche discreetly and as farre as neede requireth discourseth of the causes of thinges S. But what alledge thei out of the writynges of the fathers to driue vs from this kinde of â—â—â—die of Naturall Philosophie M. It were an infinite thyng to goe about to report their saiynges but I will onely recite a fewe S. Rehearse them I praie you M. Lactantius in his third booke and viii chapiter writeth thus What felicitie shall I atteine vnto if I knowe where Nilus riseth or whatsoeuer the naturall Philosophers do doate concernyng heauen yea moreouer there is no certein knowledge of those thinges but onely opinion whiche also is variable accordyng to the varietie of mennes wittes S. Augustine also is coÌ„mended who in his fourth Booke de Trinitate of the Trinitie in the Preface writeth thus That minde is more to be commended which knoweth it owne infirmitie rather than that whiche not perceiuyng the same searcheth after the motions of the Planets and the walles of the worlde the foundations of the earth and the top of the heauens And that I maie not touche euery thyng in his Booke de spiritu anima of the spirite and the soule the 56. chapiter hee plainly also setteth doune the same S. Can you answere these aucthorities M. Yea. S. How I praie you M. That these thynges are also spoken by the fathers in comparisoÌ„ as it appeereth out of the same place of S. Augustine whom you erewhile coÌ„mended For the Fathers reproued the disordered studies of men whiche wee see also now a daies to reste in many and that in Christians who conteÌ„nyng the doctrine of saluation and neglecting the studie of the veritie of the Gospell whiche is set for the in a simple stile conuert themselues wholy vnto these swellyng and puffed Artes of Naturall Philosophie addietyng them selues vnto them and openly preferryng the ambicious name of a naturall Philosopher before ChristiaÌ„ godlinesse and Diuinitie Wherfore the Fathers to the intent to reuoke men from this so greate an errour haue vttered muche matter againste Naturall Philosophers and their Art and their opinions and that truely as haue S. Basill S. Chrisostome in their Exameron or woork of sixe daies Howbeeit thei doe not condemne the true knowledge of those thinges whiche certain amongst them were verie skilfull in and moste perfect S. Whiche is the other argument whiche you said was taken a consequenti of the consequente and alledged against naturall Philosophie M. That truely which S. Basile reciteth to be alledged by slouthfull and idle persones therby to colour their filthie ignorance S. What is that M. That the wounderfull miracle of the creation of the worlde is debased and made vile wherein notwithstanding the greate power maiestie and wisedome of God appeareth is laid before our eyes to bee woorshipped if wee bee able to sette it doune in any arte or Methode and if it maie bee saied that so greate a misterie maie bee comprehended For what other thyng were that saie thei than to feigne our selues not onely to bee able to comprehend the woorkes of God whiche doubtlesse are supernaturall and Diuine but also to make vs iudges as it were Censores thereof And finally to make God as it were a Grammarian subiect vnto certein lawes of Nature and Arte. S. What answere you vnto that M. Truly euen that which in the same place S. Basile the best learned amongst the Greek writers answereth S. What saieth hee M. That thereby this miracle of God which appeareth in the Creation of the worlde is more manifestly aduaunced and by vs more religiously adored by howe muche the more it is distinctly declared wherby is set forthe the greater commoditie and force thereof And to the end that you maie vnderstand this to bee true by another example Gods decree concernyng our saluation is it not commoly tearmed in the Scriptures Gods secrete and misterie And verely it is so wherein the Maiestie and Wisedome of GOD is proposed vnto vs no lesse than in the creatioÌ„ of the worlde and yet notwithstandyng Faithe or the Gospell setteth it forthe to our view so plainly so orderly and distinctly that nothyng can bee more Notwithstandyng the worshippyng of God is nothyng thereby diminished in that wee comprehende it by Art and by a Theologicall Methode but rather by so muche the more better and ardently wee praise GOD by how much the more commodiously and distinctly wee atteine to the vnderstandyng of these things And to bee short faith it self through which God will bee worshipped is not a certein ignorance or a confused imagination concernyng God but a cleare and resâ—â—â—te vnderstanding of the minde whiche directly answereth vnto suche questions as are demaunded touching God and his infinite mercie towardes mankinde Vnknowen things are vndesired as the old Prouerbe saieth Wherefore whenas the Historie of the creatioÌ„ of the worlde is set forth by art when the vertues whiche God hath giuen vnto thinges are declared Gods Miracle is not diminished but augmeÌ„ted Neither do wee set doune these things as though wee did professe that we would alledge any other causes of these naturall thynges besides the will and wisedome of GOD onely Or that through them wee can acknowledge or conteine so much in our minde as is the power of God in creating and his goodnes in preseruing them Or els as though wee went about to shewe that our great and good God the cheife gouernour of all thinges were subiect to any of our lawes or decres but onely profitably to busie our selues in setting forth of Gods woorkes so farre as wee may bee holpen by art and as it were through a glasse which looketh into thys schoole of the nature of thinges to keepe such as are lesse heedefull in the noble contemplation of them The thirde Chapter From whence the knowledge of the Generall naturall Phylosophie is to bee had most safely S. THese thinges I vnderstande proceede to the residue M. The next is that wee discusse from wheÌ„ce this knowledge is to bee drawn taken bycause in this point wee disagree from certein who suppose that it maye more safely and certeinly bee deriued out of the bookes of prophane Philosophers thaÌ„ the holy Scriptures in that they saye that it is not all set foorth in the Scripture and if haply there bee anye parte thereof conteined therein it is confusedly handled not by any art or order S. From whence then doe you iudge maye the knowledge of naturall Philosophie most conueniently bee taken M. Uerily of that part which beefore wee tearmed generall naturall Philosophie the knowledge is chiefly to bee learned out of holy Scripture And of that which wee called Particular out of the woorkes of Phisitions or of others which haue written the histories of Plantes and of lyuinge thinges S. How proue you that M. First I suppose this is agreed vpoÌ„ by all men of souÌ„d iudgement that euery workman can best and
the worlde so that it is no maruaile that wee haue iudged that the true and Christian Diuinitie is partly busied also in matter of Naturall Philosophie and the settinge foorth thereof and that for that cause also the holie Scripture is in part occupied in settinge foorth of these things forasmuch as this knowledge also maketh to the aduauncement of gods glory For in these visible thinges the power wisdome and eternitie of God is to bee seene liuely S. What is the other argument of theirs that are of the contrarie opinion M. This forsooth that those thynges which Moses hath written are most plainely and simply set downe and in such kinde of stile which is fitted to our capacitie and applied to the weakenesse of mans sence and not truely and exactly expressed according to the truth of thinges and finally that Moses doeth neither throughly neither subtily search out or set downe the thinges themselues and their natures wherefore they conclude that the true distinct and perfect knowledge of the naturall part is other whence to bee drawne and learned S. What answere you vnto these thinges M. Uerily I confesse that these matters concerning Naturall Philosophie are not gloriously in a filed style set foorth by Moses although hee were the beste learned man that euer lyued but rather in a bare and simple kinde of writinge striped out of all ornament as it were out of apparrell wherby that which hee writeth may the more easily bee vnderstood But as it is to bee graunted that hee spake simply so can it not bee prooued that hee spake or wrote lyingly falsely and ignorantly of those thinges It is one thing therfore to acknowledg that Moses stile is bare simple which kinde of vtterauÌ„ce is meet for the truth and another thing to say that hee is a false man and a lyar which no man can affirme but whoso is of a corrupt conscience Wherfore simply but truely barely but rightly commonly but purely doth hee deliuer vnto vs those thinges which hee writeth concerning the worlde of the principall partes therof of the causes and effectes of thinges to bee beleeued holden and taughte among menne Uerily I confesse that Moses applyed himselfe to the capacitie of our seÌ„ses Howbeit I deney that which they affirme that therfore hee did not roue at the trueth of the matter or had not regarde vnto it for it was his purpose to set downe those things in wrâ—tinge easily barely and truely S. But some are of opinion that all those things which hee wrote in the first chapter of Genesis are to bee interpreted allegorically So neither do they think that those six dayes are the space of time neither that the woman in deede was made of Adams ribbe neither that all the residue are so to bee taken as Moses words doe pretende and sownde Which opinion if it be true what shall bee sure or certeine in all that whole chapter and such like writinges of other Prophetes as apperteining to the knowledge of Naturall Philosophie or that maye teache vs the same M. You saye well Indeede some haue benne of that opinion which notwithstanding S. Augustine confuteth in his 1. booke in the Proheme also in the 8. booke and 2. chapter de Genesiad Literam of Genesis vpon the letter S. Peter likewyse in the 3. chapter and 5. verse of hys seconde Epistle and in the epistle to the Hebrues the 11. chapter and 3. verse doth openly impungne this errour of the Allegorists affirminge that those things which Moses hath reported concerning the creation of the worlde are spoken naturally and plainly and not allegorically or figuratiuely S. And what at the length doe you conclude of all these thinges which you haue recited M. That forsooth which S. Augustine concludeth in hys 5. booke and 8. chapter of Genesis That those things which Moses wrot are true although they can be established by no other reasons For if a man will dispute to proue that these thinges are false or hee himselfe can say no certentie concerning the estate and gouerment of creatures or if hee saye not true will hee suppose these thinges to bee false in that hee himselfe vnderstandeth them not Who will beleeue that Aristotle or Plato did knowe any thinge concerninge the creation of the worlde and the causes of thinges whereof Moses was ignorant who first receiued the thinges which he wrote by most secret reuelation from god Secondly who was wel learned in all liberall artes specially in the knowledge of Naturall Philosophie and Phisick which two artes were at that tyme specially had in price amonge the Aegyptians as it appeareth in the Scripture Actes the 7. chap. and 22. verse And to conclude forasmuch as those that were the chiefest Philosophers amonge the Grecians traueyled into Aegypt to the intent to learne Naturall Philosophie as histories doe rport of Plato and Pithageras And most certeine it is as Diogenes Laertius writeth in hys first booke de vitis Philosophorum of the lyues of the Philosophers that all that parte of Philosophie whiche intreateth of the nature of thinges was deriued to the Grecians froÌ„ strange nations and from the Syrians that is to saie from the Jewes Shal we say theÌ„ against the assured faith of the scripture that any one of the cheifest Philosophers to wit Plato or Aristotle whiche were heathen men were called by GOD to counsell when hee went to framinge and creatinge of the worlde that they shoulde knowe more than Moses the seruaunt of GOD whom God himselfe taught and shewed vnto him such things as hee should commit to writinge to the behoofe of Posteritie and especially for the instruction of his moste deerely beeloued Church Surely this cannot bee thaught muchlesse spoken without notorious blasphemie against God himselfe But rather as S. Augustine teacheth in his 5. booke and third Chapter de Genesiad Literam of Genesis vpoÌ„ the letter that in that Moses speaketh so plainly hee doth it by the assured counsell and iudgemente of the holy Ghost to the intent that by the hight of the thynges hee maye terrifie the proude by the deapth hee may hold them attentiue by the trueth hee may feede the great ones and by hys affabilitie hee maye nourishe the little ones The fourth Chapter The difference beetween Christian and heathen Naturall Philosophie S. WHat differeÌ„ce therfore is ther betwen Moses Aristotle y is to say betweene ChristiaÌ„ and Heathen Natural Philosophers in thys kinde of learninge M. Uery great which notwithstanding maye bee especially perceiued in three poyntes S. Which bee they M. The firste is in the ende of this knowledge whiche thei bothe doe respecte and followe S. Declare thesame M. The Christian Naturall Philosophers whiche intreate of the thinges that are created dooe referre the summe of their disputatioÌ„ to this ende that our greate and good God who is the auctour Father and creatour of them all maie bee knowne praised and extolled and finally woorshipped the more ardently and more feared But
4. verse and wheras in an other place he calleth certain tymes seculare the 2. to Timothie the 2. Chapter and 9. verse to Titus the 1. Chapter and 2. verse vnlesse that wee confesse that all these thinges had a certeine time of beginning and beeing What are these eternall and seculare tymes what ugnifieth this woord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is there not vnderstod therby a laying of the foundacions in time and doth hee not terme those times seculare whiche passed away and must bee numbred from the moment and pricke of time wherein all these thinges began to bee made In which point Sainet Augustine agréeth with vs in his booke againste the Priscillianists the 6. chapter To bee shorte howe shoulde the ages of those auncient men Adam Enoch Noah also the time of the vniuersall flood bee knowne how far distant it is since the beeginninge of the woorlde if there were no beeginning of time in which the world was made In so much as I meruaile what shoulde mooue certaine Ecclesiasticall writers to doubt thereof and specially S. Augustine a man so much exercised in the scriptures as namely in his booke of Genesis vpon the letter althoughe also afterwarde hee bee altogither variable in defending the same and manye times diuerse and dissentinge from him selfe S. But ther bee some that obiect two auctorities which are repugnaunt to your opinion whereof the first is that which is written in the 18. chapter and 5. verse of Ecclesi GOD made althing at once wherevnto I praye you to answere first M. It shall bee an easie matter so to doe For if I lyste I coulde aunswere that which as I suppose wee haue already agreed vpon that the auctoritie of this booke is farre to bee remooued and separated from the Diuine canonicall Scriptures And therefore it prooueth nothing Howbeit I had rather say that that is true which is confirmed by the woordes of the texte and that the place is corruptly translated in this maner God made all thinge at once for the meaninge of the aucthours woordes is this Hee that liueth for euer made all thinges togither hee saith altogither Wherfore wee are taught to acknowledge one onely aucthour and creatuor of all thinges as Ireneus sayth in the 4. booke and 21. chapter it is not there affirmed that all thinges that are created had there beeing beeginninge or were all made in one moment or that they were frō euerlasting or without beeginning of time This is therfore the signification of this woorde Pariter togither to wit that the power to create all thinges is giuen to one and not to many For the same booke in the 16. Chapter and 25. verse setteth downe howe that created things were disposed and made in certein order and time Howbeit I am not ignorant howe much the signification and readinge of this onely woorde Pariter togither did oftentimes trouble S. Augustine in the 5. booke and 3. Chap and also in his 6. booke and 6. Chapter of Genesis vpon the letter ▪ and also many other of the Fathers Thus haue you mine answere to your firste obiection to wyt that for at once you must vnderstande togyther Nowe tell me your other aucthoritie S. They alleage also that whiche is written in S. Iohns Gospell the 1. chapter and 1. verse In the beginnyng was the woord Now if you think that this woord beginnyng is to bee referred to time then must you most impiously affirme that the woord or the Sun of God which is signified thereby had his beeginning in some time and is not eternall M. Truely wee should bee hardly vrged by so great auctoritie of the Scripture vnlesse the matter it selfe whereof wee intreate did minister vnto vs the dissoluing and exposition of this difficultie Wee haue alreadie declared howe that the signification of this woord principium or beeginnyng is sundrie wherfore it ought too bee taken accordyng to the reason and nature of the thyng whereof wee dispute And you see how S. Iohn plainly saith that this woord or Sunne of GOD was not created in the beginning but that it was in the beeginning when God created all thinges so that S. Iohn setteth this his In the beginnyng was against the saying of Moses and creation of all things where the Scripture speaketh thus In the beginnyng God created heauen and not thus in the beginning was heauen And moreouer S. Iohn teacheth that the same woord of God is also the same god And that woord sayeth hee was god But that whiche is God can haue no beeginning of tyme Wherfore the same is most falsly expounded and vnderstoode of time and beeginnyng of existencie in Christ And therefore this woord Beeginnyng hath another signification in that place too wit that by whiche S. Iohn excludeth all beeginnyng of time to the ende that so far as our mindes are able by thinkyng too looke backe and to stretche foorthe themselues wee may not withstanding beeleue moste assuredly that beefore that woorde and Sunne of GOD had beeing and had a distinct substance from the Father By whiche meanes of speaking eternitie is accustomably signified in the Scriptures as it appeareth in the 8. of the Prouerbes And also by the selfe same testimonie of S. Iohn it is declared how that all these thinges were made and brought foorthe in the beeginning of tyme for they were not in the beeginning as was the woorde but they were made for asmuch as they were not in the beeginning The xvi Chapter That the worlde came of it selfe S. NOw since you haue prooued that the worlde had a beeginning of beeing I praye you declare whether it came of it selfe or of some other M I suppose there is no man though hee bee but slenderly learned in the Scriptures that doubteth concernyng this poinct to wit that the worlde came not of it selfe but of another to wit of god For if it came of it selfe it should also bee immortall and eternall and not made in tyme For it were then of abilitie to minister force vnto it selfe to endure perpetually and it should also haue alwayes bene And besides this it should bee a god For what soeuer is of it self and hath life substance must needs be god Forasmuch as the Creatour differeth frō the creature in that respect especially in that the Creatour is and subsisteth by his own power and vertue and the creatures onely by his power and assistance Worthily therfore S. Augustine in his Enchiridion No man saith hee can bee of hymself The omnipotencie of the Creator and the vertue of hym that is omnipotent and possesseth all thyng is the cause of euery creatures subsisting Whosoeuer therefore shall deny this to wit that this world was made by the wil and power of God but will contende that it had the force and vertue in it selfe of beeing plainly repugneth against the whole sacred Scriptures For there is no thing almost better knowne or more oftner inculcated into our eares than that God is
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
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
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
truliest talke and dispute in his owne Art and that hee is rather to bee beleeued therin than any other But what woorkmans woorkmanship thincke you is thys worlde Is it any others than Gods onely so that wee ought to beleeue none rather than him who in hys woorde teacheth vs the maner and order of framinge his woorke that is to saye the worlde To bee shorte who knoweth seeth and vnderstandeth more truely the causes of all things their properties effectes the maner of their beeing the times when first they began then hee who is the maker of them all and the perpetuall gouernour of them all who beeing GOD and sence hee him selfe telleth these thinges what man will at anye time bee so mad but to thinke that hee is rather to bee harkened vnto in thys respect and all other writers to bee neglected Truely wee as also all other Philosophers howsoeuer surpassing in wit abounding in leasure what soeuer diligence they employed in study yet could neuer neither wee nor they attayne vnto certaine obscure slender sparkes of naturall Philosophie And whatsoeuer we define coÌ„cerning these matters without the woorde of God it is so vncerteine doubtfull variable and contrarie to it selfe and many times so contrarie to the trueth that in the ende wee are ashamed that wee either learned so or taught so which may appeare to be true if it wer but only out of Plutarchus booke De Placitis Philosophorum Of the opinions of Philosophers whereas that excellent learned man and great Philosopher sheweth that neuer two of them agreed in the knowledge of the things that are created S. Can you confirme the trueth of your opinion by the auchoritie of Gods woord to wit that this knowledge may well and safely bee learned out of the holy scriptures M. Yeas verily S. Recite them I pray you M. The first testimonie is that which is writen euidently in the epistle to the Hebrues in these woords Through Faith wee vnderstande that the worlde was made by the woorde of God. Wherefore wee vnderstande these thinges by Faith. If by Faith then by the holy scripture for ther can bee no faith without the scripture And therfore wee must certainely conclude that the true and certeine knowledge concerninge these matters is declared vnto vs by the holy scripture The seconde aucthoritie is the 1. chapter of Genesis For Moses who at the commaundement and appointment of God wrot that historie of all other most excellent and wounderfull of the beginninge of the worlde and creation of all thinges is either a vaine fellowe or a lier if the knowledge of naturall Philosophie be not conteined in the holy Scripture For what other thing doth hee in that booke than briefly howbeit truely and orderly set downe the originall of thinges and theyr vertues natures and effectes that is to say Naturall Philosophie The thyrde is a place in the Prouerbes the viii Chapiter and the 20. verse the nexte folowinge where it is saied that all thinges were created by the wysdome of God and afterwarde as they were created so are they preserued The fourth aucthoritie is alleaged out of the 42. Chapiter and 17. verse of Ecclesiast This wisdome hath God giuen to his Sainctes saith hee that they might recoumpt all his miracles and workes and search them all yea hell it selfe c. wherevnto wee may adde that which is written in the vii chapiter of the booke of VVisedom the 22. verse and the next folowing Finally let vs heare the moste holye Martyr of God and good Father Irenaeus who in his seconde booke and 2. Chapter saithe thus To whom therefore shall wee giue more credit concerning the framing of the worlde to those that wee spake of beefore so iangling in folly and inconstancie or to the Disciples of the Lorde and the seruant and Prophet of God Moses who first reuealed the creation of the worlde The selfe same thing S. Basell and S. Ambrose and S. Chrisostome in the prefaces of their Exameron or Six dayes woorke doe with one consent and plainely confirme so that whoso shall deney that the knowledge of Naturall Philosophie may not truely and commodâ—ously bee learned out of holy scripture gainsaith the sacred woorde of GOD and openly repugneth against the learned Fathers In conclusioÌ„ hearken to â—ertullian who in the 46. chapter of hys Apologet doth truely and plainly pronounce that the sacred woorde of God which is most auncient was as it were the treasurie and stoarehouse vnto all later wisdom From thence saith hee the Philosophers haue quenched the thirst of their wits But as men that were ouer riotous in the study onely of glorie and eloquence if they found any thyng in holy scripture when they had digested it according to the purpose of their curiositie they conuerted it to their owne woorkes S. Doe they that are of the contrarie opinion bring nothing against thys M. Yeas two argumentes especially S. What bee they M. This is the first That the ende of euery art ought to bee distinguished and that Naturall Philosophie is one thing and Diuinitie another whereof thys last is conteined in holie write but the other is not so S. Is that consequent and assertion true M. No verily S. Howe so M. For that although they gather that truly that artes ought to bee distinguished and that Diuinitie which conteineth the promises of euerlastinge lyfe teaching also the waye thervnto and the causes thereof ought to bee separated from Naturall Philosophie whiche entreateth of the framinge of this visible worlde and the natures of all thinges in the same yet doe they not say truely in denyinge that the order of the creation of this world the sundrie kindes of things their natures manifold sortes are taught distinguished and orderly set downe in holy Scripture All these thinges are copiously declared there which are the peculiar subiect matter of the Art of Natural Philosophie Wherefore Naturall Philosophie is comprehended in holy scripture The same also you may learne by another example are not Diuinitie and the morall parte of Philosophie both of them as they differ in kinde discerned in the holy scriptures And yet who is so rasbe and folishe that he dare deny that the Ethike or moral Philosophie yea and that most truly and generally is deliuered vnto vs in holie scripture wherefore the distinct endes of Artes and treatises are no impediment but that the Generall Naturall Philosophie and also Diuinitie are conteined in the holy Scriptures forsomuch as Natural Philosophic is as it were a parte of Diuinitie and an handmaideÌ„ vnto the same For it is a notable meane to knowe God by which thing also S Ambrose confesseth with mee What shall I saye more The Heathen Philosophers them selues when they dispute of the worlde and the creation of the partes therof and when they intreat of the nature of thinges they saye that thei play the Diuines and enter into discourse of Diuinitie as Aristotle speaketh in his booke de mundo of
thinges are especially tearmed visible for that our sight is the most certaine most excellent and most noble of all the senses of our bodie and for that also the actions of euery lyuinge thinge and the argumentes whereby we perceiue them to bee aliue are chiefly gathered by the sence of seeinge as moouing and breathinge Finally that bodily thinges are more exactly discerned by the eye than by tastinge or hearinge so that to saye that a visible creature is the matter and subiect of Naturall Philosophie is as much as to meane that wee wold haue euery creature whiche is sensible of it owne nature to be the true proper obiect therof whether the same be bodies as are the substaunces of thinges or whether they bee not bodies as are the vertues properties qualities motions and actions which vnto all corporall thinges by nature and their first creation and beeginning either cleaue vnto them without or are engraffed in them within All these kindes are as I haue sayd naturall thinges and created by God. S. I UnderstaÌ„d these things But tell mee now by how many maner of meanes doeth a Christian Naturall Philosopher handle and consider of these creatures M. Onely twoo waies the first to wit as they are all generally conteined in one and all comprehended as it were within the compasse of one bodie whiche incloseth them all which is called the world Or else euerie one in his kinde which are sundrie wherein the creatures are distincted and seperated one from another Whiche the particular Historie of the creation in the six dayes setteth downe vnto vs. S. How prooue you that M. In that the Scripture many tymes reciteth vnto vs all thinges created and visible vnder the name of the world as in Isay the 38. chapter and 11. verse Iohn the 1. chapter the 9. verse and the 9. chap. the 39. verse And many tymes the Scripture reciteth them distinctly and seuerally thereby the more to set foorth the wounderfull wisedome of God as in the 104. and 147. Plalmes and 8. verse and the 149. Psalme Wherfore wee muste also entreate of them after both these manners that sutch thinges as may bee gathered learned out of these creatures apperteinyng to the knowledge of God and setting foorth of his glorie according as the Scripture teacheth may bee by vs abundantly vnderstoode so that at the length wee may beecome perfect Christian naturall Philosophers S. With whiche of these twoo Methodes must wee first beegin M. Euen with that treatice which proposeth vnto vs all thinges generally comprehended in that one bodie which is called the world S. And why with that M. Bicause that way of teaching is more generall and more easie For whole thinges are better knowne than their partes for a man shal with more ease beehold an whole house than bee able too distinguishe or comprehend in his minde euerie part thereof And moreouer that whiche shal bee saied concernyng the whole world wil open vnto vs the way and entrance too the handling of the particular kindes of thinges For it shal bee as a foundation to the residue that shall ensue The viii Chapter What the world is S. DIscourse then of the world M. I will. S. What is the world M. The signification of the worlde is diuerse and manifold as the Philosophers doe teache vs as Laertius in his 7. booke and Plutarche in his first booke of the Philosophers opinions whiche signification wee must first distinguishe least beeing deceiued by the ambiguitie of the woord either wee do mocke the reader in this whole disputation or else deceiue him S. How many significations therefore are there of this woord world M. Three speciall First the world is taken for the creatures themselues whereof this whole visible frame and woorke consisteth So is it taken in Iohn the first chapter the 10. verse so likewise in the 2. Epistle of S. Peter the 3. chap. and 6. verse And moreouer for the corrupt and miserable condition of this world which falling vnto all these thinges by meanes of mannes transgression now hangeth vppon them whereby there is a most manifest confusion and a great disorder in al thinges So sayth S. Ihon in the 2. chap. and 16. verse and likewise the 5. Chapter and 19. verse Finally it is taken for one parte of the worlde and that the most noble and excellent to wit for men only and manye times for all men as to the Romanes the 5. chapter and 12. verse Ihon the 3. chapter the 16. verse and oftentimes for the faithfull and regenerat as in the 1. Epistle of S. Ihon the 2. chapter and 2. verse and at another time also for the reprobate and vnbeleeuinge as in the 1. Epistle to the Corinthians the 1. chapter and 21. verse and S. Ihon the 14. chapter the 17. and 22. verses Otherwise also if a man would call the definition of this woorde worlde vnto certaine chapters and speciall pointes wee maye saye that vnder the name of the worlde sumtime the place it selfe sumtime the substance of the thinges sumtime the men as the principall part thereof and sumtime the corruption of the same part that is to say of men is to be vnderstoode S. But the worlde was by the Latins called Mundus for the most beutifull order of all things therein coteined like as it was also tearmed by the Grecians Kâ—smoâ— of the cumlynesse thereof which reason of the name truely is repugnant vnto that signification whereby you saye that confusion of thinges and vice is sumtime signified by the name of the worlde M. Uerily you haue alleaged a true definition of thys woorde worlde from which notwithstandinge afterwarde the vse both of the Greeke and Latine tongue hath deflected For men vnderstoode that rebellion corruption and disorder was generally in all things and partes of the worlde they called the same by the name of the worlde bicause it is inseperably distributed throughout the whole aâ—d ingraffed as it were within the marrowe of euery singulare thinge By which meanes men are many times tearmed to bee the common destinie and miserie of men The Hebrues in their tongue call the worlde Gola which woorde the Apostles doe translate Euerlastinge as to the Hebrues the 11. chapter and 3. verse the 1. chapter and 2. verse to the Ephesians the 2. chapter and 2. verse not of eternitie as if the worlde had beene alwayes and from euerlastinge but rather of the fixed and certeine order thereof which the Lorde God hath established in it after that he had created the things that are in it which wee beholde to bee in it to continue in it euen vnto this daye as are the risinge and settinge of the Sunne and the chaunge and alteration of the foure quarters of the yeare And this shall indure so longe as this state of thinges shall continue as it appeareth in the 8. chapter of Genesis the 22. verse the 9. chapter the 9. or 10. verse Iob the 26. chapter the 10. verse
of his woorke whiche hee wroat against heresies But what absurdities and inconueniences doe followe that opinion marke For they muste needes confesse that those thinges these heauenly ideae and Patterns whereof by their Doctrine these earthly thinges are shadowes too bee bodies which is an absurd thing Neither can a bodily thing be an image of thinges that are meere spirituall Moreouer all this whole most beutifull woorke of GOD whiche is called the worlde shal bee a fantasie and a meere dreame and not that thing whiche we suppose it to be which is blasphemous Also to se handle and feele shal bee nothing else but to bee deceiued and to be mocked and after the maner of madde and drunken men too bee sicke and to dreame and this which wee call sumthing shal bee nothing The meates whiche wee eate shal bee imaginations the men with whom wee bee conuersant shadowes the earth whiche wee goe vpon a vanishing shadowe not a sound body and an element And finally Christe himselfe who was made like vnto vs was an imaginarie man only and not a very man in deede and therfore his passion imaginary also And by what meaues might the madnes of the Marâ—iâ—nites bee better called out of Hell againe Yea the case should stande otherwise than hath the olde Prouerbe to wit that the life of man is a stage play and the world the Theater S. What answere you to S. Paule M. That hee doeth not holde with the Valentinians Neyther doth S. Paule speake of the thinges themselues and their nature what manner it is but onely of the state and condition of them howe transitorie and vncertayne it is that wee shoulde make no accompte of it S. How doe you prooue your opinion to bee true M. Beesydes the great absurditie of these thinges which wee haue beefore declared experience it selfe confirmeth the trueth adde here vnto also whiche maketh plainly for the confirmatioÌ„ of mine opinion the saying of S. Peter in the 2. Epistle of S. Peter the 3. Chap. the 10. and 12. verse and Psalme 102. the 25. and 26. verse And to bee short all those places of holy Scripture in whiche the Lorde witnesseth that hee founded the earth created all thinges and not that hee hath cast beefore our eyes vaine representations and emptie shadowes of thinges to deceiue vs with all The xi Chapter Whether there bee one worlde onely or many S. THis I vnderstande discourse now of such thinges as next are wount to bee moued concerninge the worlde M. That is this whether there bee manye worldes or but one onely S. Haue there beene some of opinion that there bee many worldes M. Yea truely And in thys point they are of two opinions S. Declare them M. Some thinke that there bee many and those of sundrie kindes Others also that there are manye but all of them of one nature S. What meane those first which think that the worlds are of sundrie kindes M. They make two sortes of worldes whereof the one is intelligible Ideall or as a patterne which indeede subsisteth but it is resideÌ„t aboue this world the other is earthly and figuratiue which God hath created according to the representation and image of that spirituall and ideall worlde which subsisteth also and it is this worlde which wee mortall men doe inhabite S. Doe some saye thus M. Plainely they affirme it And those not onely prophane â–ª Philosophers as Plato Philo Iudeus and Plu tarch in his booke of the Moones face but also graue men and some among the Christian writers not to bee contemned S. Is their opinion true M. No veryly For the Scripture in no place maketh mention of this ideall worlde as they call it and they that are of that opinion they speake to childishly I will not say reprochfully of GOD as if hee were an ignorant and an vnskilfull younge woorkman that could doe nothing vnlesse hee hadan example or patterne laid before him and that hee could deuise on nothing nor thinke vpon any thing in his mind nor vnderstand any thing without a fourme layd before his eyes All which how well they agree with the omnipotencie of God and his incomprehensible wisedome let them see for I cannot see Finally where and in what place at the length this spirituall world is and how it subsisteth whether it bee in Gods minde as one substaunce in another â–ª Surely it can not so bee For GOD is a most simple nature whiche receiueth and conteineth none other thing then it self but if indeede it were so whether were it as an accident and a certaine fourmyng or a phantasie fiction of Gods mind Truely it cannot bee so neither For there salleth no such accident vpon God who in that hee seeth the thinges that are present hee gathereth not in his minde the fourmes and representations of thinges that are obiect vnto hym when hee thinketh and meditateth hee discourseth not from one thing to another when hee woorketh and maketh somewhat hee doeth not consider of it and examine it according too some patterne which hee hath conceiued in his mind â–ª to the ende hee would not erre S. Howbeit the Lord coÌ„maunded Moses that hee should doo all thing accordong to the example and patterne which was shewed hym in the Mount as in Exod. the 25. chap. and 40. verse and in the Epistle to the Hebrues the 8. chapter and 5. verse M. First if I list I may make exceptioÌ„ that in that place are handled heaueÌ„ly things only not things appertaining to natural Philosophy Then again there is difference betweene God the most wise creatour and Moses a creature a man subiect vnto the same blindnesse infirmitie that other men were Wherefore to theintent hee might well execute that which hee was commaunded to doe surely hee had neede of suche an example or patterne This patterne also which the Lord shewed hym in the Mount did not indeede subsist nor was a substanciall thing as I am of opinion but it was sutch a representation and image sutch as were the images of many thinges to come whiche were afterwarde by God reuealed to the Prophetes and beefore that vnto Abraham and the Patriarkes S. They that defend that there bee many worlds of one kinde what doe they say M. This for sooth that like as wee inhabite this world so others inhabite other worldes in whiche is also an other earth like vnto ours and other heauens and another Sunne and a Moone and all other things in them as in ours Wherefore some of them suppose that there are an infinite number of worldes some moe some fewer Among whom are rekoned the followers of the Philosophers Epicurus and Democritus S. Are there in deede many worldes M. Fie vpon this infinite or multitude of worlds Ther is one and no moe although S. Ierome out of a certeine Epistle of Clements disputeth of the same in his Commentaries vpon the Epistle of S. Paule to the Ephesians the 2. chapter and 2. verse
bee framed also for that the principall and as it were the partes of the whole in respecte of this worlde as are heauen water earth are by our senses themselues perceiued to bee sphericall and rounde vnto whiche it is credible that the compasse of the whole worlde is semblable Howe bee it I can affirme nothinge certeinly therof since although wee admit that this part whiche is neerest vnto vs the lowermost of the circūference of the high heauen which wee beehold and which enuironeth althing be bending holow round notwithstandinge it maye bee imagined that the farthermoste and highermoste parte of the same circūference is of some other forme and I knowe ther bee some that haue saide that the vttermoste and farthermost part of heauen is shaped like a bell S. But in the Prophecic of Isay it is said that heauen is stretched foorthe and sprede abroade like a webbe or a curteine Isay the 40. chapter and 22. verse wherevnto also accordeth that which is written in the 104. Psalme and 2. verse wherfore it is like to a plaine whiche fourme is quite contrarie to a circle For a circle turneth about alwayes in his owne rowmeth M ▪ Uerily both the places which you haue alleaged declareth not the forme but the vttermost top or ende of world which therfore is said by God so to be stretched abroad and to couer the earth both that men may the more commodiously dwell vnder it as it were vnder a most beutifull and wide rough whereof it commeth that wee French men call all such couerings heauen and in our countrey language vn ciell and also to the intente that this is a veile beeinge sprede beefore mens eies they maye bee restrayned from the ouercurious and deepe entring into and searchinge after the secretes and misteries of God. S. But since the same holy Scripture hath plainly distinguished the higher place frō the lower in this worlde as in Isay the 55. chapter the 9. and 10. verses it cannot then seeme to bee sphericall or round For in a circle no part can bee called high or lowe forasmuch as all lines which are drawne from the center to the circumference are equall and the circumference it selfe which way soeuer it stande is alwaye vpwarde and in the higher place M. Of this wee will speake afterwarde and that more at large But nowe to set downe so much as shall bee sufficient to take all doubt out of your minde vnderstande thus much That by the rules of the mathematicians there bee indeede and are noted these positions of the higher and lower place and that they are indeede distinguished one from an other For the middle of the circle which they call the center is the lower place and downewarde and the circumference which is the vpper line which beeinge hollowe and meetyng togither conteineth the whole rounde space within the circle is the higher place and vpwarde so that in that these positions and kindes of places and differences are found in the world you may conclude that which you would to wit that the whole receite of this worlde is not sphericall and rounde The xiiii Chapter Whether the worlde haue one onely soule S. NOW forasmuch as this world is but one onely and since it is finite is it gouerned by some one speciallsoule onely whiche is dispersed throughout euerie parte thereof as it were in the members as wee see the soule to bee in a mans bodie M. That this whole world hath a soule and that one onely certain Philosophers of noble fame haue long since bene of opinion ▪ as Aristotle certayne other whose opinion hath hee folowed who wrote in this maner Firste heauen and earth and of the seas that flitring feeldes and fines These glorious starres this glistringe globe of Moone so bright that shines One liuely soule there is that feedes them all with breath of loue One minde throughe all these members mixt this mightie masse doth moue But this is not so much a solemne sentēce or saying as it is a great errour as S. Augustine teacheth in his booke against Felicia Aria ▪ the 12. Chapter S. Why so M. Bicause those bodies which are conteined within the gouenrment of one spirite and one soule are all one not diuided as is the bodie of euery one of vs not separate one from an other as a flocke and not one touching or neere ioyning to an other as are the fingers of a mans hande houses that stande one close to an other As for the parts of this bodie which wee call the worlde they are not onely distinguished one frō an other but separated also diuided frō thēselues by distāce of space For euery sheepe euery horse euery tree euery particulare mā is a part of this world yet are they so deuided by place mole of body and by circumscription of distance that it cannot bee saide that all and euerye one of these haue one soule onely For what would come to passe if it were imagined that in deed there were one onely soule and spirite in all these thinges For sooth this absurditie That the soule which is a certein simple nature and altogither spirituall were to be diuided as bodily things are and not by imagination onely Neither can this inconueniēce bee auoyded seeinge that those thinges in which that onely and singulare soule is conteined are in truth separate and diuided by place and determined euerye one of them by circumscription of their owne bodye Moreouer it shoulde folowe that all the partes of the world had life as the Sunne the moone the starres the heauē it selfe yea all the celestial bodies which notwithstanding S. Augustine moste plainely denieth in hys booke against Priscillia the 8. 9. Chapters that thys opinion of S. Augustine against the Mamches is true the effect prooueth For who woulde euer affirme that the starres had lyfe or reason Finally since of the partes of the worlde some bee mortall as brute beastes and certeine immortall as men howe can it bee that this singulare and one onely soule of the whole world can admit in it selfe qualities and conditions so contrarie and repugnaunt one to an other that it shoulde bee one parte of it mortall and another immortall specially beeing it selfe singulare one and simple not double and compounded Moreouer amonge such thinges as die someperyshe verie soone as wormes and flies some continue verie long as Ceder trees the Crowe and the Heart by this reckonyng it cummeth to passe that this soule of the world which notwithstanding in these mens opinion is onely one and in number singulare and a lone may bee called partly dead and partly a liue All which how foolish false and repugnant they bee you see S. I see indeede and I agree with you in that you doe moste truely deny that there is one onely soule and that in number singulare of this whole world M. Yea farther beesides the reasons aboue recited wee will lastly alleage this
one out of holy Scripture as the strongest of them al. To wit that by this meanes the goodnes and wisedome of God who giueth vnto euery thing and ingraffeth within them their proper and distincte vertues is not only obscured but vtterly extinguished and plucked out of mennes mindes whiles wee attribute these vertues the administration and gouernment of those thinges not vnto GOD hymselfe but vnto a certaine other nature and soule contrarie to that whiche wee are taught too beeleeue and confesse Psalme 147. and 15. and 16. verses To the Ephesians the 3. chapter verse 20. and Iob the viii chapter the 5. verse S. If then there bee not one certeine soule of this whole vniuersalitie as you teache truely the opinion of the Stoikes Platonikes and of certeine other Philosophers and likewise of the Priscillianist Heretikes is ouerthrowen who say that this worlde is a liuyng creature and indued with will and reason M. You gather wel For their opinion is altogether foolish and vnreasonable For since that is only a liuyng creature and so to bee called whose partes and members are not conteined only in one continuall compas of the bodie but also gouerned by one spirite verely this worlde is not a liuyng creature For the mēbers thereof are disioyned and separate As for the auctoritie of the Stoikes and other Philosophers which you named erewhile it should mooue vs verie little had not S. Augustine sometyme written that hee doubted whether this worlde were a liuyng creature or not whiche thyng as hee would not deny so durst hee not affirme whose doubt notwithstandyng we ought not to followe or allowe of The xv Chapter That this world was made in tyme and is not eternall S. BUt I aske you this question whether this world beegan sometime to bee or whether it were alwayes and bee eternall M. Many argumentes doe prooue that the world once beegan to bee among whiche all Philo in his booke De Mundo of the worlde hath gathered fiue speciall ones We wil declare ours and those whiche bee most Christian S. Whiche be they M. These foure First the voyce and auctoritie of the diuine Scripture whiche speaketh in this maner In the beeginnyng God made heauen and earth Genesis the 1. chapter and 1. verse The second reason is certeine For if the world were coeternall with GOD it selfe also were God for eternitie is not only proper to diuine nature but also the most it selfe substance therof and the principall part and definition Exodus the 2. chapt and 14. verse Reuelat. the 1. chap. and 8. verse The thirde that forasmuch as this world shall haue an ende and euery thing hath meanes whereby it doth consist it followeth necessarily that it had a beeginnyng of beeyng For although that bee truely sayde not whatsoeuer had a beeginnyng shall haue an ende forasmuche as there bee many thinges made which through the singulare benefite of God are not subiect to death and corruption as Angels and the soules of men whiche are immortall notwithstandyng it is moste certeinly affirmed that whatsoeuer shall haue an ende the same also had beeginnyng of beeing Which Rule is so generall that it admitteth no exception Finally the fourth is this that not onely the causes of the creation of the worlde are set downe and also the certeine tyme noted but also for the preseruation of the perpetuall memory therof there are certeine spaces of tyme prescribed as the order of weekes doe plainly teache and also the space of fiftie yeares which is called by the Hebrues the yere of Iubile whiche God hymself commaunded to bee obserue whereby wee might easely knowe and vnderstande how many ages are past since the first beeginning of the world S. Concerning that auctority whiche you alleage out of the Scripture and the 1. chapter of Genesis some doe otherwise interprete it They graunte that all these things indeede were made in the beeginnyng but not in tyme For the meaning and signification of a beeginnyng or of this woord principium is manifolde and in that place they saye it must not bee vnderstoode of the beeginning of tyme. M. The signification of a beeginnyng or of this woord principium is threefold For it respecteth either the time either the thing the causes or else the order The beginnynge of time in those things which are brought forth in a certein time is that moment of an houre either wherein they are conceiued or are brought foorth into the world Those thinges haue onely the beeginnyng of tyme which are doone in tyme That which is called the beginning of a thing and is taken for the cause in those thinges which are of one age and time is that relation and affection whereby one thyng is the cause of the beeing of another So if wee make a conference beetweene the day and the night wee saye that the Sun is the beeginning of the daye and light although both of them do appeere vnto vs at one moment Sutch a beeginning a diuerse or certeine time doth not establish Finally a beeginnyng in respect of order is called that which ministreth the beeginnyng of numbryng in sutch thinges as are disposed in one order as for example The father is the beginning among the three persons in trinitie which are one god y magistrate is one amōg many of like auctoritie with whō in telling we do begin like as we do with our cheif Magistrate or Judge in this our Citie of Geneua S. In this respect then they woulde haue God to bee the beginninge of this worlde as beeinge the cause and woorkeman therof as hee that is first numbred is called the beginninge M. Marke howe absurde this is Firste what shall bee the sence and meaning of this saying In the beeginnyng God made heauen and earth if so be they wil thus expound it God in the beeginnyng that is to saye God in God created heauen and earth Moreouer why saide hee did create which woorde doth not onely determine a beginning of beeing but also the force of woorking and a determinate beeginning of time is therein manifestly comprehended and included Beesides will wee nill wee by this reason we shal fall into that damnable heresie of the Hermogenians who make the woorke to bee eternall with the woorkeman and so wee muste needes make moe Gods than one Of which errour me thinketh I shoulde speake sumwhat more at large were it not that Tertullian longe science had vtterly ouerthrowne it in a whole woorke yea the Scripture it selfe doth manifestly expounde this sayinge of Moses of the beeginning of time Prouerbes the 8. Chap. and verses 25. 27. and 28. Hee vseth also the same woords and the same comparison whē hee speaketh of the beginninge of the worlde wherein there muste needes bee vnderstood a beginning and moment of tyme and of beeing Neither can that which S. Paule repeateth so often speakinge of the beginning of the world bee vnderstoode of the laying of the foundations thereof to the Ephesi the 1. Chapter and
proper and naturall force and signification of this woorde Create For in the 43. chap. and 13. verse of Isay the Lorde calleth himselfe the creatour of Israell which people notwithstandinge are knowne to haue beene borne of seede And againe in in the 65. Chapter and 18. verse of the same Prophet he saith Beeholde I create Hierusalem Whiche place whether it bee vnderstoode of the citizens or of the citie it selfe it is certayne that God made neyther of them without seede or matter but the men of the one and the Citie of the other For this woorde Barah is vsed in both places so that I am of opinion that wee ought not to sticke to religiously or percisely to the interpretation of one poore woorde Likewise they alleage this saying of the same Prophete Beeholde I create a newe heauen and a newe earth When as indeede the Lorde will onely renue these bodyes which nowe are heauen and earth and not make theÌ„ again of nothing M. It is writen in Isay as you say But these places doe plainly confirme mine opinion much lesse confute it For the woorde create is taken Metaphorically and wrested a litle from the proper significatioÌ„ wherby the power of God may appeare the greater more excellent in restoringe his people and holy Citie beesides al hope and other thinges beesides all ordinarie meanes For lyke as the thinges that are created are beesides the course of nature made of nothinge so likewise bycause the Lord promiseth that hee will restore and renue his people and Citie hee vseth properly the woorde of creating for that this which the Lord will woorke is as it were a new creation and a certayne wonÌ„derfull bringing foorth and generation out of nothinge Althoughe I will not deney but that the signification of this word Barah is ofteÌ„times translated and vsed more largely as when it is sayd Create a cleane hart within mee O God the 51. Psalme and 12. verse and againe The seat of the frowarde createth iniquitie Psalme 94. and 20. verse Of this sayinge and opinion of Sainct Augustine that I maye saye so much by the licence of so woorthy a man I doe not well alowe Who in his first booke against the aduersaries of the lawe and the Prophetes the 23 chap writeth thus And when there is anye difference made beetweene makinge and creatinge this maye bee the oddes beetwene those two woordes as I sayde that that is made which beefore was not at all and that created which is ordeyned of sumthinge that was beefore Hee distinguished those two woordes Make and Creat toto subtily whiche oftentimes are vsed one for an other S. How then should it bee M. Thus the Scripture plainly defineth to wit that God is the creatour of the world that is to say of all thinges that are who made framed brought foorth them all out of nothing and not out of any matter preexisting or made to his hande or whiche is coeternall with God himself or ministred vnto him by some other woorking God as the Manichees doe suppose For that opinion induceth two Goddes and in making twayne it leaueth none For either there is no God or there is but one Finally as saith S. Ambrose God should bee onely the diuiser of the figure and not the maker of Nature and hee had founde and receiued more than hee had made if there had bin any matter readie to his hande S. But there bee some that saie that this matter is signified in the scripture by this woorde Tohu where vpon afterward the Grecians and the Philosophers who receiued those thinges first of the Hebrues and of the Phenicians neere borderers to the Hebrues whiche thei haue written concernyng the beeginnyng of the worlde thei deuised this woorde Hyle by a small alteration of certein letters made according to the vse and proprietie of their tongue For this woorde Hyle saiethei signifieth among the Grecians as muche as a rude heape vnformed and as it were a certein moiste and waterishe yearth or quagmire or dregges out of whiche many thinges are engendred through the force of the heate whiche commeth vnto it From the whiche woorde Hyle is the woorde Hilys deriued which signifieth dregges and froath that is to saye a dirtie and moyst earth out of whiche many thinges doe growe in the Sea. M. I doubted not but those that goe about to defend the same errour of theirs concerning a firste matter pre-existing as though it were verie necessarie and they that haue throughly receiued the same doe deuise many suche foolishe fantasies But how small or none at all the affinity of these two woordes is Tohu and Hyle in writing of the Letters or rather how farre this is from the trueth your selfe doe see and it shall not bee needefull to seeke farther forasmuch as God is openly called the creatour of heauen and earth S. Yea God is termed Gosâ—he Ioâ—ser that is to say the maker and the fourmer as it is written in Isay the 66. chapt and 10. verse and Iob the 35. chap. and 10. verse and Isay the 54. chap. 8. verse as also in the 90. Psalme the 2. verse M. That was doone not rashly nor in vaine but to the intent to take awaye sutch errours as the spirite of God foresawe would grow afterward amongst men For there are twoo errours among men concernyng the beeginning of all thinges beesides the errour of the materiare heretikes For some thinke that first and alwaies there was existing a certein whole masse and that rude and confused whiche was the heape of all the principall partes and thinges of the worlde whiche now are existing and fourmed but then disorderly mingled togither which they call Chaos And this opinion Hesiodus folowed in his Theogonia whiche Ouid describeth in his Metamorphosis in these wordes Beefore the sea and lande were made the heauen that all doth hide In all the worlde one onely face of nature did abyde Whiche Chaos hight an huge rude heape and nothinge else but eeuen An heauie lumpe and clottred clod of feedes togither driuen Of thinges at strife amonge themselues for want of order due No sunne as yet with lightsome beames the shapelesse worlde did viewe c. This muche therefore they doe attribute vnto God that hee is the distinguisher trimmer and setter foorth of this so confused a Chaos mole and heape and not the creatour of it in time giuinge vnto it the first meanes of beeinge And therefore the Poet sayde There was as it were from euerlasting and not the same Chaos was made and created by god And for this cause they doe not call God the Creatour of the world but onely the beutifier and as Sainct Ambrose sayeth the deuiser of the shape and fourme thereof as though hee hadde giuen a certeine comlinesse and order vnto thinges that existed before and which had of themselues their owne proper strength and nature whiche hee accomplished by a certaine wise and apt distinction of them and by separating
distributing of euery part into it owne conuenient place Othersome there bee that doe attribute more vnto god For they holde opinion that the matter was a great mole from eternitie mary but matter onely and not that althinges were encluded and comprehended within it whiche the firste sorte doe also holde but that it was rude and vnshapen Which matter for that it was great GOD taking it in hande diuided it into smale peaces and as hee is a moste wise and cunninge woorkeman facioned it into sundrye fourmes And so endued euerye parte thereof with hys owne proper fourme which wee see them nowe rertaine Euen so out of one and the selfesame barre of yron cut into sundry pieces the Smith frameth forgeth a key an hammer a sawe fetters and many other thinges seruinge to sundrie purposes whereof they tearme God Demiurgus and not the creatour or maker Howbeit the scripture attributeth all this vnto god To wyt both that they bee thinges and also haue the same force power nature and fourme which wee see to bee in them And finally in that they are situate in such place and distinguished in sutch order as wee doe beeholde that they decke foorth this mole in such cumly sorte as in hugenesse beutie we do perceiue they do and in such maner as ther is no man able sufficiently to expresse Wherefore the Scripture saith that God doeth not onely Barah that is to say create And in the Greeke tongue Kâ—â—zin or Poem but also Gascha which is to say woorke And in Greeke also to doe some woorke or Demiurgin and also Iarsar that is to say to bring things into a cumly order which in the Greeke tongue is called â—â—smiâ— and that all things which are in this world which are seene do take their beeginning from God to bee thinges at all and to bee suche maner thinges as they are wee muste so determine moste certeinely with ourselues vnderstande so and confesse the same beeing thereto constrained by the force of truth S. Haue you any proofes to confirme this your opinion by M. Yea truely that especially out of these places of holy scripture Isay the 42. chapter and 5. verse the 43. chapter the 1. and 7. verses the 45. chapter the 12. 18. verses Likewise Iob the 26. chapter and 13. verse the 25. chapter 10. verse wher the onely and felfesame God is termed by so many and diuerse names The xix Chapter Of the ende for which God created and made this worlde S. WHat cause mooued God specially to make this worlde hee himselfe lacking nothing and dwelling in that euerlastinge felicitie vnto which there can bee no encrease of felicitie immortalitie added by meanes of al this gret woorke M. Euen his mere goodnes that is to saye his moste louing good will to communicate the same his felicitie vnto certeine thinges so farre foorth as the nature of those thinges whiche hee created was able to receiue the same Wherefore hee created Angels in heauen and men vpon the earth to the intent hee might make them after a sort companions and partakers of his felicitie beeing hymself most good moste louing moste perfect and also in himselfe and through himself most perfectly and wholy blessed S. How proue you this M. Both by auctoritie and reason And auctoritie is that whiche is cheifly taken out of the Scriptures as the the 36. Psalme the 5. verse Lord thy mercy stretcheth vnto the heauens Psalme 33. the 5. verse The earth is full of the mercy of the lord Psalme 34 the 9. verse See how good the Lord is and in the 103. Psalme the 17. verse The mercie of the Lord indureth from one age vnto another And in the 111. Psalme and 4. verse But specially in the 136. Psalme throughout and in the Psalme 145. and 9. verse The Lorde is good to all and his mercies are ouer all his woorkes And next out of the Fathers For S. Augustine in his 1. booke of Genesis vpon the letter the 8. chapter and also is his Enchiridion the 9. booke sayeth plainly that the only goodnes of God was the cause wherefore God made all these things The same is likewise affirmed by Ireneus in his third boooke the 45. and 46. chapters and also by Fulgentius in his booke de fide ad Petr. the 3. chapt And if you will also commend Heathen writers in this respect you haue Plato in Timeo a most graue auctour among them who beeing led by a naturall light and the testimonie of his owne conscience wrote in this maner whiche Cicero hath expressed is his booke de vniuersitate Let vs thaÌ„ seeke out the cause which mooued hym that made these thinges to beegin a new originall and frame of thinges Hee was good And hee that is good enuieth no man. And therefore some say thus God knew and would haue his felicitie to bee communicated to others For although that the diuine goodnes is and was in God most fully and most perfectly without al these thinges as it appeareth in the 60. Psalme and is also kepte vndefiled Notwithstandyng these things which are created are manifestatiue as they speake in the scholes do declare the excellencie of Gods goodnes that is to saye they shewe that the same goodnes is altogether agreeable vnto god This muche say they S. I haue heard the auctorities declare now the reasons M. Forasmuche as there proceedeth nothyng from vs men neither from the blessed and elect Angels wherby God may be more established in respect of his eternitie or more blessed in respect of his state and condicion as it is written in the 16. Psalme and 2. verse for it is not possible that any thing should bee added vnto hym who of himself is altogether perfect truely ther was no neede that draue him to make these thinges but only this one cause to wit his owne louing good will. Wherefore like as it is writen in the 3. chapter to Titus the 4. verse that the mere goodnes of GOD was the cause of mans saluation so was it also the cause of mans creation And if it were the cause of men doubtlesse it was also the cause of the creation of all other thinges The xx Chapter This world cannot bee called the Sunne of God. S. I Do wel vnderstand so much as you haue hetherto sayd of God who is the efficient cause of thys world not as a woorkeman onely or a discriber or painter or trimmer vp but rather as a creator and a bringer foorth of it out of nothyng Tell mee now this one thing more whether in respect of these causes this world may bee called the Sunne of God M. You renue an old question which S. Augustine plainly discusseth in his Enchiridion the 38. and 39. chapters Truely if we will speake properly and to vnderstandyng this world neither can nor ought bee called the Sun of god First bicause it is not made of the substance of god For they that are properly called
earth For like as it is said in the 1. chap. and 11. verse of Genesis Let the earth bring foorth euery greene hearbe that beareth seede and let the water bring foorth fish the 1. chap. of Genesis and 20. verse so is it not likewise written and comaunded by God let heauen bring foorth the Sunne and the Moone but onely thus Let there bee lightes in the face of the open heauen Genesis the 1. chapter and 14. verse Whereby it sufficiently appeareth that the firste Heauen was not in suche manner the matter of heauenly things as it were a certein plentiful and frutefull Father of them neither that the matter of heauenly thinges was so ordeined as the earth was appointed by GOD too bee the matter and mother of earthly thinges S. Why would the Lorde haue thinges so diuersly to bee made out of those matters and that heauenly thinges should not bee made out of heauen as well as the earthly are out of the earth M. Not onely for this cause that like as they were made by hym of diuerse matter and differing in kinde although they bee all partakers of bodie so likewise it beehooued them to declare their vse and execute their duetie in diuerse maner too the ende their difference might bee vnderstoode and perceiued but also that God might reueale vntoo vs the better his mightie power and also his manifolde wisedome in so greate varietie of bringing foorth thinges So likewise in the framing of man onely God hath vsed one meane in creating his bodie and another his soule and by those meanes continually createth and maketh them notwithstanding that hee is able to make them both by one meane The. xxvii Chapter What is the fourme of the worlde S. HEthertoo concernyng the matter of the worlde saie sumwhat now if you can touchyng the fourme thereof M. I will doe so S. What therefore is the fourme of this so greate a woorke M. There cannot bee one onely and that substantiall thereof assigned For as I haue shewed beefore it is not possible that there should bee one onely and particulare soule of all the worlde whiche beeyng dispersed throughout euerie parte of the bodie thereof should wag stirre and mooue this so hugie frame and mole whatsheuer the Aristotelians and Platonikes doe suppose Likewise S. Augustine in his 7. booke de Genesiad Literam and 12. chapter doeth iustly deney that GOD is the soule of this worlde as of some liuing creature forasmuche as hee dwelleth aboue the bodie of the worlde and aboue euery Spirite and stretcheth beeyonde the endes of the whole worlde But God hath giuen vnto euery kinde his proper nature and forme ▪ whiche are disputed of in speciall treatises which are written of euery kinde of thyng As for roundenesse whiche some attribute to the worlde as the naturall fourme thereof it ought not too bee counted or called the inward or essentiall forme of the worlde but onely the outward and accidentall S. But dooeth not the Scripture attribute vnto the world partes and differences of situation as it were to a liuyng creature and countries and regions also distinct one from another M. It doeth so indeede but notwithstanding it prooueth not that there is but one and theself same fourme spirite and soule beelongyng to this worlde and that it is a liuyng creature S. Why so M. For forasmuche as there bee three kindes of bodies and ioynynges in composition one simple and continuall as a man the seconde ioyned and touchyng one another as an whole house the third disioyned as a flocke it is truely saied that euery kinde of bodie as it were a certeine whole thyng hath euermore some partes into whiche it is deuided and also sundrie differences of place and situation whiche may bee noted in it howbeeit euery kinde of bodie is not gouerned by one soule onely or one Spirite or one fourme but that onely whiche wee termed beefore simple and continuall as euery one of vs for example The xxviii Of the partes of the world and first of the Ethereall and Elementare region S. WHiche then bee the principall partes of the world whereof the scripture maketh mention M. They are of sundrie kindes For some bee integral which are the partes constituting the whole world whiche wee terme substanciall othersome distinguishing it onely and limited by reason of certeine vses and commodities S. Whiche are the integrall and constituting partes of the world M. There are briefly twayne for the most part proposed by the Scripture to wit the heauen and earth as it appeareth to the Colossians the 1. chapter and 16. verse and Genesis the 1. chap. and 2. verse and Isay the 1. chap. and 1. verse and in other places almost infinite although in Genesis the 49. cha and 25. verse heauen and the deapthes bee also reckned S. What did the Scripture then conteine vnder the name of heauen M. All that region of this world whiche is called by the Philosophers Ethereall and conteineth the celestiall and vnengendred bodies which continue and are not chaunged since the first day of their creation as sayth S. Peter 2. of Peter the 3. chapter and 4. verse S. And what vnder the name of the earth M. Not onelye this bodye and element whiche wee properly call the earth but also that whole region of this world whiche by the Philosophers is termed Elementare which conteineth in it such bodies as are engendred and are continually subiect to alteration S. Doe these twoo regions differ M. Yea very much both in name and effect In name for that the first is called heauen and this latter parte of the worlde is tearmed by the name of the elementes yea and that by the scripture For S. Peter in the 2. Epistle the 3. Chapter the 10. and 14. verses distinguisheth these words Heauen and y Elementes In effect for that this endureth and continueth in the old state the other is dayly chaunged and at one time is engendred and at an other tyme perisheth The first God hath reserued to himselfe the other hee hath giuen to the vse of man Psalme 115. and 16. verse The first as wee are taught shall perishe at the latter day but with sinale noyse and a lyght flashe of flame for that it consisteth of a fine and subtill nature but the other shall burne with great heat and bee dissolued with mightie rage of fyre eeuen in such sorte as looke how it hapeneth in our earthly material fire whē it flameth the stickes crack smoke sende foorth a vapour which proceedeth from the moyst partes therof so it is saide that the elementes shall glowe with heat and melt for that they are of an hard thick and clammie nature and not pure and cleane This difference also may bee obserued betwene the two partes of the worlde that the thinges which are in the first are the efficient principall causes of those thinges that are engendred in the other But the thinges that are in the second
elemētare part of the world are the materiall causes of those thinges whiche are heare engendred Wherefore they be in the things doe constitute and make their substance which vse and functiō the woord element when it is properly taken doth signifie S. How farre doth eche of these regions extend which bee the farthest endes and boundes of them both M. I will nowe touche them in fewe woordes and at an other tyme perhapes declare them more at large Some determine the ethereall and heauenly region from the highest heauen vnto the circle of the Moone And the elementare from that place whiche is vnder this circle sphere vnto the lowest center of the earth Howbeit othersome suppose rather that the Moone belongeth to the elementare and earthly region of the woorlde concerning which varictie of mens opiniōs reade Plutarches booke of the face whiche appeareth in the globe of the Moone Howbeit I haue alwayes thought the first opinion to bee truest S. What thincke you then of that generall diuision of thinges whereby all thinges that are in this worlde are diuided not into two partes but into foure generall kindes to wit of thinges that are in heauen vppon the earth vnder the earth and in the sea as it is to bee seene in the Reuelat. the 5. chapter and 13. verse And Sainct Paule likewise hath plainly distinguished three kindes of things to wit of heauen of the earth and of vnder the earth To the Philip. the 2. chapter and 20. verse M. Those generall diuisiōs of things wherof you spake and whatsoeuer other there bee may easily bee reuoked vnto these two generall kindes of thinges which I proposed For that which is called the earthly and elementare Region comprehendeth all thinges that are vpon the earth and in the earth in the waters yea those things also that are called things vnder the earth whiche for the most part are none other in the Scripture than the things that are in the sea as it apeareth by the interpretatiō which God himself made in the 20. chap. of Exodus and 4. verse And the ethereall region conteineth all things that are called heauenly The xxix Chapter Of the East West North and South partes of the worlde S. DIscourse now of that kinde of partes whi che you termed distinguishing and not constituting partes of the worlde M. These bee foure in number called thus in the Hebrue tongue Quedem Iamin Tsaphon Negeb or Iamita and amonge vs thus East West North and South all whiche Sainet Augustine thinketh to bee comprehended and signified by this woorde Adam applying the Hebrue woorde to the Greeke S. But what was the cause and reason of fyrst deuising these names M. It is not needefull to seeke out the causes and reasōs of the Greeke and Latine woords For they are commonly knowne And as for the Hebrue woords this I thinke is the reason of them The East is called Quedem bicause it is the firste or foremost parte of the worlde The west Iamin which signifieth the sea bycause in the West part of the worlde lieth the great sea which is called Mare Mediteraneum the midlande sea The North Tsaphon for that that part of the worlde was hid and vnknowne to the Hebrues in respect of the regions of the earth and of the people with whō they had no trafycque nor dealinge bicause of the distance of place beetweene them So that the case stoode contrarie with them and vs nowe who dayly beholde the North stare and poale And as for the South it is alwaies hidden from vs The South is called by them Negeb bycause that quarter of the worlde is drie barrein and burnt with the perpetuall heate and skorching of the Sunne or it may bee called Iamin the firste sillable beeing long that thereby it may differ from the fyrst Iamin whiche hath the fyrste syllable shorte bycause that when wee looke into the East y South is on our right hand not on our left S. Where doth the scripture make mentiō of these foure quarters of the worlde M. Almost in infinite places of whiche wee will alledge these few Genesis the 13. chap. and 14. verse and the 28. chap. 14. verse Psal 107. and 3. verse Isay y 47. chap. and 5. and 6. verses Psal the 75. and 7. verse S. Why do you call these onely distinguishing partes M. Bicause wee obserue them onely for the vse and commoditie of men S. For what commoditie M. Specially for foure whereof two do appertain to the publike and common vse of all men and other twoo do concerne the priuate commodity of euery place and countrey S. Declare this more at large M. This distinction of the quarters of the worlde was necessarie for the vse of man for two causes The first to the ende that the nations and people of this world might be distinguished one frō another wherof we say some dwel East some west some north some south Moreouer to obserue the course of the Sūne whose benefit al nations do enioye who rising in the East goeth by the south vntill at length he cōmeth into the West And finally to declare the force originall of the windes all which cannot possibly bee vnderstood and obserued vnlesse these foure quarters of the worlde bee distinguished And as touching priuat vse also it was necessarie that they should bee distinct First to the entent that the limites and situation of euery kingdom people and countrie may be discribed And also that it might bee signified and set foorth where the boundes and endes are of the houses fendes and places of euery territorie and so thereby in the ende all strife and contention bee taken from among priuate men concerning the boundes of their landes S. I vnderstād what you say But what are these regiōs distinct by nature or rather are they fantasied by the opiniō of men so that euerie priuate people or man may wheresoeuer hee will make East West North and South For that region of heauen and earth which is called by the Hebrues Tsaphon that is to say hidden and by vs the North the same is oftentimes vnto vs wide playne and open to bee seen like as that region of Heauen whiche was vnknowen too the Jewes is vnto all the Northren people And contrariwise the Southren Region of Heauen and the Poale of the worlde whiche was seen of them is hidden from vs as is also the Starre called Canopus with suche other Moreouer that parte of the worlde whiche is on the right hand to vs is oftentimes on the lefte hand to others whereof came that whiche Virgill spake of the Articke Poale This top ouer our heades aloft remaineth still in fight The other black Styx seeth below and ghostes that dwell in night And that saying also of the Poet Lucane Arabians you now are come into a strangie land Much woundring not to see thee shadowes fall on your left hand with other suche like to that purport M. No
truely For these quarters of the world bee by nature determined forasmuche as it can not bee Easte but where the Sunne riseth neither West but where hee goeth downe Neither North or South bee appointed but in plaine contrarie partes of the worlde the Northe where the Northren people dwell and South in the contrarie part And although wee doc here vse these woordes the rising and setting of the Sunne generally and strictly and not for anie one precise part or point in heauen for the Sunne riseth mone place in the Winter in another in y Spring and in another in Summer notwithstanding hee riseth alwaies in one certein place of the world neither doth he passe y determinate bounds which the Lorde hath appointed vnto hym too keepe his course in throughout the whole yere Wherefore this distinction of the partes of the world consisteth not in the opinion of men or at euerie mans pleasure but is defined and limited by nature true separation and experience S. Concerning those fiue quarters and zones which the Astronomers doe describe in heauen and vppon the earth of whiche Virgill hath writen thus Fiue zones there bee whiche Heauen whole deuide and that whiche followeth Again so many coastes there are vpon the earth below Whereof the middle vnhabitable is it so with heat doth glowe And twayne are drenched deepe in snow wherof the one lieth to the Northren Poale the other to the Southren as for the middie ones betweene them both he placed And with iust temperature of heate and cold hee interlaced and therefore are called habitable tell mee what is your opinion M. Although the scripture doe not so plainly distinguishe them yet it calleth one of them Arets and the earth the other Tebet and the habitable worlde Isay the 33. chapter 1. verse and the 38. and 11. verse wherby it is declared that certeine Regions of this worlde are more commodiously and commonly inhabited forasmuch as wee dauy see that the extreame force of cold and heate are many tymes intollerable vntoo men Psalme 149. the 17. verse and Psalme 91. and 6. verse and Psalme 121. and 6. verse Wherefore experience teaâ—â—th this to bee true neither doe I thinke that this partition is too vee reiected for that it serueth too some vse howbeit these places beeing searched out by the newe nauigations vndertaken by men of our age may bee the more commodiously knowne ¶ The. xxx Chapter Where these positions are to bee found high low beefore behind on the right hand and on the left S. DIscourse nowe concernyng the sundrie differences of situations and places whiche are noted and marked in this worlde M. Thei are in number sixe and thei are taken from those three dimensions whiche properly beelong vnto bodies To wit high lowe beefore beehinde on the right hande on the left S. How so M. For that is proper vnto euery naturall bodie too bee long broad deepe or thicke As for those deliniations whiche are plaine and flat thei are not bodies but superficies that is to saie vppermoste faces and therefore one of those three dimensions is noted and taken by a right line But there bee twoo extreme partes or endes of euery streight line Wherefore there bee sixe extreame partes or endes of those three dimensions or streight lines whiche doe distinguishe and make so many sundrie differences of place or situation And in lengthe wee terme one ende highe another lowe In breadth wee place those on the right hande and on the lefte hande In deapthe or thicknesse beefore and beehinde Howbeeit these twoo latter differences can not bee obserued in euery kinde of bodie but onely in that whiche is called the bodie of a liuyng Creature and is endued with sense S. How commeth this about that you recken onely thre dimensions of a bodie and S. Paule reciteth fower to wit length breadth height and deapth to the Ephesians the 3. chapter and 18. verse likewise in Iob the 11. chapiter and 8. and 9. verses the same are recited M. You saie truely Howbeeit these twoo deapthe and heighth are indeede and subiect all one and in reason onely distinguished S. Declare this more at large M. Like as it is the very same waie saith Aristotlâ— which leadeth from Athenes to Thebes and from Thebes to Athenes and like as in one and the self same ladder and staiers indeede and in respecte of the subiecte the goyng vp and the goyng doune is all one the goyng vp if a man climbe from the lowest step to the higstest the goyng doune if hee descende from the highest step too the lowest So in verie deede are highth and deapth but it is then called highth when a man looketh vp from the lowest to the highest and deapth when hee looketh doune from the top to the bottome so that we vse but one kinde for bothe these dimensioÌ„s And thus it commeth to passe that there bee onely sixe differences of place and not eight S. Maie there then or ought any regions in this world bee called on the right hande on the lefte hande firste last high or lowe M. Uerely if I should stande to declare how diuerse the opinions of men bee touchyng this poincte onely â–ª I should not onely bee wearisome but also farre passe the boundes of mine argument whiche I haue taken in hande For Astronomers doe otherwise and in other places appointe them and Southsaiers otherwise and Historicians otherwise To bee short eeuen in that verie pointe sundrie nations are of sundrie opinions as for example the Egiptians who will haue the East to bee the forepart of the worlde the West the hinder parte The North the right side and the South the left as Plutarche writeth in Iside contrarie vntoo that whiche Nature and common course of all thynges doeth admit The Easte is the right side of the worlde saieth Aristotle and the Weste the lefte for the worlde mooueth eeuen like a man that beeginneth at the right hande to set forthe vpon his iourney on whose right side then is the Northe and the South parte of the worlde on his lefte Varro in his 6. booke de lingua Latina is of an other opinioÌ„ to wit that the East is on the lefte hande the Weste on the right the Southe right beefore and the Northe beehinde But the Scripture saieth otherwise S. What saieth the Scripture M. It constantly calleth the Easte the fore parte of the world the West the hinder the South the right side and the North the left S. How prooue you that M. First out of that place of Iob whiche is in the 23. chapiter 8. and 9. verses and bicause it followeth necessarily that if you make the East the foremoste part of the worlde that then the Northe multe bee on the left hande and the South on the right it plainly appeareth vnto him whosoeuer shall looke into the East And likewise Dionisius Halicarnasseus teacheth that the same is necessarily gathered S. Why doeth the Scripture make the Easte to bee the
face and foremoste part of the worlde M. Bicause like as our senses specially our eyes and countenance are placed in the face and foremoste part of the man so dooeth the light first rise vnto vs from that part of the worlde Whereby it commeth to passe that al men turne their countenances thither yea the brute beastes also of the fielde who in the mornynges as thei feede in the Medowes doe turne themselues towardes the risyng of the Sunne for light Thus by verie instinct of Nature all thynges doe acknowledge and confesse that this parte of the worlde is as it were the face eyes and fore part of the worlde S. Me thinkes that these thyngs in the worlde are distinguished rather in respect of vs than of Nature M. Truely the worlde is distinguished indeede specially in respecte of vs For in a circle properly and of it self nothyng can bee saied to bee on the right hande nothyng on the left nothyng beefore nothyng beehinde forasmuche as all partes of the circumference in that kinde of figure are equally placed And therefore Arnobius saieth well in his 4. booke The worlde of it owne nature hath neither right hande neither left neither high regions neither lowe neither beefore neither beehinde For whatsoeuer is rouÌ„d hath neither beginning neither ending And therfore when we say this countrie is on the right hande this on the left we speake it not in respecte of the worlde but of the place where wee ourselues are situate and dwelâ—yng This farre Arnobius Whereby it appeareth how foolishe and without grounde that opinion of the auncient Hetruscane Southsaiers is who iudged that lefte hande lightnyng lefte hand birde fliyng lette hande signes of heauen are of nature more fortunate than those whiche appeared in any other parte of the worlde For that whiche is on the lefte hande to mee maie bee on the right hande to you because these differences of place and situation are chaunged by the diuerse respecte and reason of men S. What doth the Scripture also note high and low in the worlde M. Yea plainely S. Where M. In the 11. chapte of Iob the 8. and 9. verses and Exodue the 20. chapter and 4. verse S. Is there then some place of the world high and some lowe M. The whole region of heaueÌ„ is called high and aboue and the earth lowe and beneath S. How proue you that M. Out of the aboue recited places of Iob Exodus whervnto also you may adde if you please the 6. verse of the 10. chapter to the Romaines and Deut. the 5. chapter and 8. verse and almost infinite other like places as Isay the 44. chapter and 23. verse and Prouerbes the 25. chapter and 1. verse S. But tell mee is it so of nature or consisteth it onely in the opinion of men that one parte of the worlde is high and another lowe M. Of nature surely for those thinges that are lyght do naturally tende vpwarde and goe towardes heauen and the thinges that are heauie downwarde and towardes the earth Moreouer if we consider the order of thinges God hath thus appointed that those higher thinges shall woorke vpoon these lower For heauen woorketh vppon these earthly thinges and wee perceiue the influences and effectes thereof diuersely and either it bringeth foorthe or distroyeth manye things vpon the earth as it were with to much rain or drought Wherefore Heauen both by nature of the place and also situation is higher than the earth Howbeit concerning this poinet S. Augustine grauely disputeth in the 83. booke and 29. question For hee demaundeth this question whether in this vniuersalitie and world which is conteined within a circulare fourme sumthing may bee called high and sumthing lowe seeinge all the partes thereof consist in equall situation M. Concerning the circumfereÌ„ce of a circle perhaps this question may bee demaunded which indeed was S. Augustines meaning whether the one part thereof bee high an other lowe for in truth in respect of themselues thei are al of equall situatioÌ„ But touching the thinges themselues which are comprehended within the Circle thys question is cleere and out of doubte For in euery circle the circumfereÌ„ce is the vpper part therof the centre the lower vnto which parte those thinges whiche come neerest of lowest like as those highest that are neerest to the circumference of the circle S. Which is the middle parte of the worlde M. The midest of the worlde may bee doubly considered either in respect of substance or of place Whiche the great Philosopher Plutarche first obserued in his booke of the contrarietie of the Stoikes The midds of the worlde in respect of substance is not some oâ—e certein body but many as y aier water with other that â—â—â—e partly of the nature of heauen and partly of the earth But the midds in respect of place is the earth as it is agreed vpon by those that holde opinion that the compasse and capablenesse of the world is of a round and sphericall figure For as they affirme the earth standeth in stead of a centre in coÌ„parison of the whole world Touching which opinion although they contende against it which dency that there bee any Antipodes or dwellers on the otherside of the earth right against vs as Lactantius and S. Augustine good and allowed auctours haue doone yet is it more true and credible that there are such Antipodes the rather for that there can bee nothing alleaged out of the Scriptures to confyrme the auctoritie of Lactantius and S. Augustine by and also reason plainely prooueth it to bee true to wit the situation of countries and the eleuation of the Poales The. xxxi Chapter The cheif end of the creation of the world is the glory and knowledge of God the creatour S. HEthertoo you haue declared the efficient materiall and formall cause of the world it remaineth also that you say sumwhat of the fourth whiche is the finall cause concernyng whiche I demaunde this question of you what is the finall cause of the creation of the worlde as the scripture noteth M. You did well to adde that clause as the Scripture noteth For there is none among the Philosophers except onely Plato and Trimegistus that although they wounder at the worlde doeth declare notwithstanding for what cause it was made and what is the ende of the creating or now subsisting thereof No not Aristotle himself although hee wroate about 30. sundry bookes more or lesse concerning the nature of thinges which bookes are extant at this day and tossed in all mens handes S. Tell mee therefore what is the ende of the creating and conseruyng of the world M. To speake breifly eeuen the euerlasting and immortall GOD himsef for the acknowledging and setting foorth of whose glorie it was created S. How prooue you that M. Not onely for that Father Ireneus writeth so in his 2 booke and 64. chap. but bicause the spirite of God teacheth vs so For firste the holy Scripture sheweth plainlye that
them somewhat and sum while that they cannot plainely be seene of many Howbeit they do not altogither obscure or wholy take awaie y appearing of those the vertues of God which he hath imprinted in his woorkes And moreouer forasmuch as these confusions as you terme them are the effectes of his iust iudgement if wee so consider of them as wee ought surely they shall the more set foorth the power and wisedome of God and not obscure it The xxxii Chapter What knowledge of God may bee had by the beeholdinge of this worlde S. BUT that knowledge of God which maye bee hadde by beeholding the worlde and the visible creatures is it sufficient of it selfe to get the perfect vnderstanding of him or rather doeth it conteine and deliuer vnto vs certeine principles thereof which wee must more perfectly and at full afterward seeke and learne by some other meanes to wit out of the woorde of God which is written and reuealed vnto vs For by the framinge and creation of the world wee cannot knowe that Christ is our Sauiour and mediatour vnto God for vs. M. You saye well For Sainct Paule aunswereth in the Epistle to the Romanes the 1. chapter and 20. verse that although the knowledge which is had by the worlde bee trewe yet is it not fully sufficient that thereby wee may vnderstande anye thing concerning our saluation through Christ but that it is in this respecte profitable that therby wee are made vnaccusable For it teacheth vs that God is our Creatour but it is not able to enfourme vs y he is also our redeemer thorow Christe For wee are not able to atteine to that knowledge without the preachinge of the Gospell Wherefore wee must not begin with that knowledge of God whereby wee vnderstande that hee is our sauiour but rather that hee is our creatour whereat wee must indeede beeginne and consequently proceed vnto better and higher things For the Heathen people Philosophers who chiefly folowed this knowledge of Naturall thinges neyther perceiued they the reason of mans saluation which is in Christ onely neither were thei theÌ„selues saued bicause they lacked faith It profiteth notwithstanding and it mutch profiteth too that wee seeke the true God that hath created all these thinges and when wee haue founde hym that wee woorship hym and praye vnto hym as farre as hee shall giue vs grace so to doe This much at the leastwise hee wringeth from vs whether wee will or no that he ought both to bee sought and worshipped who hath first created and now gouerneth al this world Wherfore if we neither seeke him neither woorship hym hee maketh vs vnexcusable S. But there bee many that either haue not seene at all that way of finding out God or when they were entred haue not perceiued that glorie of God whereof you spake or else by how muche the more they haue profited in the knowledge of this world and naturall thinges so muche the more securely and boldly haue they dispised God like as in times past did the Epicurian Philosophers and at this day also to many doe M. These are the greate imperfections and vices of men whiche you speake of and a sharpe accusation of the wonderfull frowardnes of mans nature not the woorkmans fault or want of the light of Gods glorie whiche shineth most brightly in his woorkes For that light shineth clearely enough in this world and in sutch sorte as it cannot bee put out and also is easily seene whoso will lift vp his eyes vnto it and looke vpon it For God hath engrauen in the world greate and wonderfull tokens of his goodnes power and wisedome hee layeth also beefore our eyes most manifest testimonies and documentes that may bee vnderstoode yea by the most ignorant persons Whiche whoso doeth not see let hym accuse hym selfe or his owne sluggishnes and not the hardnes of the booke which God hath sayd before our eyes or the difficultie of the style thereof or the dimnesse of the looking-glasse whiche indeede wee haue a most bright one in the contemplation of this worlde For the 19. Psalme doth sufficiently remooue this slaunder from God and his woorkmanship saiyng that hee hath founded his trueth in the heauens Psalme 89. and 3. verse Who hath distinguished and depainted with liuely colours the other argumentes and tokens of his praise in them as it were by a certein ingrauyng Therefore in that men of olde times haue not seene so manifest signes of God neither see at this day neither doe profit by them towardes the atteining of the knowledge of God it commeth by meanes of their owne fault who by reason of their sinne haue lost the true light of their myndes whiche if it had continued in the firste state of it owne creation truely then should they haue seen these signes not obscurely and fayntly but acknowledged them plainly and perfectly and confessed them too bee great and wonderfull S. How then commeth it to passe that if this world bee the lookinglasse of so great vertues in God and that so bright and so cleare why in another place is man and why also is Christ called the image of God wherin hee setteth himself downe beefore vs to bee seen and knowne It is in vaine that you tell vs of another lookinglasse if this world bee so faire an one as you make it Câ—lâ—sâ— the 1. chapter and 15. verse M. If wee saye that one thing may haue many images and that in sundrie respectes wee shall not graunt any absurditie So that although these three bee called looking glasses wherin God representeth himfelf yet thei be so called in diuerse respects with a large difference The worlde is not called the image of God which notwithstanding is verified of man Christe for the world is onely the looking glasse of Gods vertues as it is their subiect that is to say that wherein they do expresse and shew themselues by sundry meanes and effectes And man is the image of God and not onely the lookinge glasse of his power but also of his nature after a manner for man of all other creatures of the worlde commeth neerest to the nature of God and caried the very fourme of him in the light of his minde and the vprightnes of his will which was in him at his first creation But Christ who is God manifested in the fleshe who was without sinne in whome the Godhead remained who in his whole life and by al meanes shewed foorth the nature similitude fygure of God through his great power wisedome and clemencie is in a farre more excellent respect the image of God than was the first man althoughe hee were sounde and perfect Wherefore the world hath no such similitude and likelinesse with Christ who is vnto vs not onely the ymage and as it were the shadow of the goodnesse Wisedome and Power of God but also the most bright and selfesame representation of the fathers substance Hebrues the 1. chapter and 3. verse And therefore
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
by reason of impoteÌ„cie wearines or weakenesse in God that he was six dayes in making it but bicause he is most wise by most wise good reasoÌ„ he would thus finish his workes For whatsoeuer is made requireth some order in the making And order requireth distinct time and number First therfore god putteth vs in minde hereby that hee wrought not confusedly nor out of order and so consequently that wee must not meditate and thinke vpon his works lightly and as it were a farre of in general but in order seuerally and particularly of euery one Hee sheweth moreouer howe great diligence wee ought to vse in considering of them seing that hee declareth that hee paused vppon the order of his woorks by this distinctioÌ„ of the daies labours Beesides this hee declareth that wee are not able sufficiently to comprehend his workes the reason therof and manner of creating them is such and so generall that wee haue sufficient matter in them to thinke vpon and beeholde euery daye in the weeke and so throughout the whole yeare For what other thinge is a yeare than a continuall repeating of one and the selfe same weeke For there was an whole day spent in the finishinge of euery part and worke Moreouer god wold not creat the world at once but by piece meale that is to say in some space of time for he ment immediatly after the creatioÌ„ of the world to declare the state law naturall order which the things that hee had made should afterward folow to wit that by which all thinges doe require a space of time for their beeing that is to saye are brought foorth in tyme and are not perfectly growne in a moment as wee see dayely So those thinges that growe out of the earth doe at this daye keepe this order that they springe not suddeynly but by processe of time So the woman is delyuered of hir child after a certaine season so seedes growe out of the earth so trees bringe foorth their frutes and there is nothing done suddenly but wonderfull miraculously Wherfore that time of creation was the fyrst lawe of thinges that shoulde afterward growe and bee ingendred S. And why did God at length cease the seauenth day M. Bicause he would haue it so for there can be no truer reason alleaged For in that hee would haue it so the reason is good although to vs it bee vnknowne For as touching those thinges whiche are disputed by S. Ambrose im his 39. Epistle and also by S. Augustine in sundrie places and likewise by certein others and finally by the Heathen Philosophers themselues concernyng the dignitie of the seauenth number I refer them to the Mathematicians and specially to the Arithâ—meticians and Pithagorians The. xxxviii chapter Of the place wherein the world was made S. HEtherto you haue declared what y worlde is what is the cause therof and what was the maner of making it Adde hereunto also that which may bee demaunded concernyng the place tyme and state of this created world so that at length wee may conclude this whole disputation M. I will doe so if you aske mee of them all in order S. Firste therefore I demaunde concerning the place wherin the worlde is made what it was and what maner one it was M. It must needes bee that it was some voyde place whiche the Grecians call Kenos the Hebrues Tohu wherin it should be created and placed S. Why so M. For bicause if the place wherein the worlde beeyng so greate a frame was placed had bin already full of bodies there could not bee another body placed in a roomth that was full alreadie For twoo bodies cannot bee togither in one place Moreouer this whiche I say is plainly confirmed The Hebrues say out of the 26. chapter of Iob and 7. verse He stretched foorth the North vpon the void place c. Although that before this worlde was made GOD occupied that place wherein the world now standeth filled it with his power which is vnknowne to vs and in an vnspeakable maner as now also hee filleth althinges after they bee made by the vertue and meanes of his presence maiestie and power whereof God is called Megonah that is to say that filleth all thinges Deuteron the 33. chapter and 27. verse notwithstanding in respect of this filling which cummeth by the creation of thinges verily the place wherin this world now standeth was a certein voyd place S. How then will you haue that there shal bee some void place in the world against whiche thing Aristotle contendeth so mutch and experience also M. To the ende that I may cut of all occasion of the vain errours of the Valentines concernyng Bythus whom Ireneus aboundantly confuteth in his 2. booke and 4. and 7. chapters thus I say That beefore the world was made the place and space wherein it nowe standeth was voyde but since the worlde was made that it is not voyd now but full S. But doe you leaue nowe any voide place within the compasse of the worlde M. Uerily if you call that onely ful that is filled with this aire whiche wee drawe in and breath foorth there bee many places too bee called voyd For all that space of the worlde whiche is aboue the Circle of the Moone which some say is very large is void But if you call that full whiche is replenished with some bodie and nature of it owne kinde then maye I call no parte of this whole worlde voide no not so muche as that whiche the Astronomers saye is conteined within the Globe and space of the Heauens but all full and occupied Not onely bicause God made nothing in vain for that is repugnant to his wisedome but also for that the whole stretching foorth of the heauens howe big soeuer it be is an heauenly body For ther is now no effect no vse of a voide place in the nature of thinges whiche is created but there are seene daylie many and most excellent vses in this pointe I meane in that nature will haue all thinge to bee full And that indeede ther is nothing voyd and emptie both the vse of cupping glasses in Physicke also in the plucking vp of Welles and waters into high places by Pumpes and other deuises sufficiently doe teache Suche Philosophers therfore as contend that there is some void place in this world are not onely theÌ„selues voide of wit and iudgment but striue also moste manifestly against certeine experience whom therefore I iudge not too bee esteemed of ¶ The. xxxix Chapter Of the tyme wherein the worlde was made S. YOU haue spoken of the place speake now also of the tyme wherein this worlde was made M. That this worlde beegan sometyme to existe and is not eternall neither of like antiquitie with GOD not onely the Maiestie of Gods holie woorde doeth testifie but also the opinions of the moste auncient Philosophers doe declare Whoe as thei were nerer too the beeginnyng of the worlde so did thei
vnto the leading away of the Jewes into the captiuitie of Babylon I meane that whiche beegan vnder King Ioachim are about 167. yeres or sumwhatlesse In this captiuitie the people aboade the space of 70. yeeres according as Ieremy the Prophet foretold them in the 25. chapter And from the departure of the Jewes out of the captiuitic of Babylon and from the day of the publication of Cyrus edict concerning the deliueryng and sendyng home of the Jewes into their owne coūtrey vnto the passion of Christ are 70. weekes of yeeres that is to saye 490. yeeres as the Prophet Daniell writeth Daniell the 9. chapter And from the passion of Christ vnto this our present tyme are 1578. yeeres So that if all these numbers be gathered toogether into one summe they make 5298. whiche is the distance of yeeres since the creation of the worlde although the Rabbines of the Jewes do dissent from this summe of yeres Howbeit we follow the Scriptures herein and also the best learned auctours that haue written most truely in this beehalf The. xl Chapter God created this world good S. THese thinges now I doe vnderstand proceede therefore vnto other poinctes whiche you proposed and promised to entreate of M. What other poinctes S. Declare now at the length in what kinde of state and maner God made the world M. I can easily tell you that and dispatche the whole matter in one woorde The worlde was created a good world not onely generally but also euerie parte thereof For after euerie dayes woorke Moses addeth playnly and perfectly these woordes And God saw that it was good for so it is written in the 1. Chapter of Genesis S. What doth that goodnes comprehend and signifie M. Uerily not holinesse of life and conuersation neither vprightnes of conscience For most of the partes of the worlde haue neither sense neither reason nor conscience without whiche there can bee no holinesse of life Wherefore this word Good seemeth vnto mee to signifie three things specially S. What bee they M. First the perfection integritie of the natures which God created and of the whole worlde secondly the beautie thirdly the commoditie I iudge to bee noted by that word For those thinges whiche are perfect and whole and likewise faire and profitable are called good and that by common custome of all men Although S. Augustine in his booke de natura boni against the Manichees besides the substance and essence of those three thinges hath set doune these three thinges as certeine vniuersall good thinges too wit measure fourme and ordre of whiche he saieth thus Therefore where these three bee great there bee great good thinges where they bee small there bee small good thinges and where they bee not there is no goodthing Howbeit I choose rather to follow mine owne opinion and to keepe the effect and meaning of these wordes and hee saw that they were good S. Expounde this more plainly M. This worlde and all thinges that are created therein were euery one of them good if wee consider of thē as thei were made by GOD at the beeginning in respecte of their owne nature For thei had it then perfecte and whole that is to saie in no parte failyng at that tyme sounde and strong and not as it is nowe weake sicke and wounded So that the Nature of Heauen and Earth was moste perfecte and likewise of all Beastes and liuyng thynges Hearbes Trees and other creatures of God their strength also pliant and forcible and not as thei bee now adaies weake and imperfect scarce able to susteine themselues or to doe theyr duety and function neyther alwaies able to dooe it Moreouer if wee consider the beautie of those thynges and of the whole worlde as it was made at the firste in respecte whereof bothe the whole worlde was good and euery one of his partes were good For thei had in themselues a merueilous comelinesse of outward fourme and shape and glistering beautie thei were pleasant and delectable to beholde and had due and conuenient proportion of all the partes and members in euery bodie in respecte whereof and also for that as yet there remaine many tokens of it it is now at this daie called by the Grecians Kosmos of the comelinesse thereof Thei had also a wounderfull order in respecte of the whole worlde For euery thyng was by GOD placed in conuenient and apte place moste wisely and thei agreed among themselues with wounderfull concorde and mutuall good will one toward another and heauen was answerable too the earth and the earth to heauen so farre foorthe and at what tyme the one had neede to helpe the other Whiche now discord through synne beyng dispersed amōg them dooe seldome helpe one another neither dooeth heauen yeilde raine in due season vnto the earth neither dooeth the earth sende vp erhalations and vapours vnto heauen in conueniente tyme and when neede requireth To bee shorte the profite also and commoditie of these thynges as thei were by GOD created was very greate in respect wherof the whole worlde and all his partes were called good For the strength and powers of euery one of them were soūd and of force to woorke and bryng forthe that wherevnto God had ordeined them Thei were frutefull bicause they reteined as yet the power and blessynge whiche GOD had giuen them whole and vndefiled synne had not yet hindred or diminished it whiche power is as it were now deade and buried so that there appeareth not so muche as the least part thereof vnto vs specially in this latter and as it were crooked old age of the worlde whiche so greate and manifold giftes of God should haue perpetually continued in all creatures if man had not transgressed ¶ The. xli Chapter What maner one this world is now at this present after sinne S. WHat maner one is this worlde nowe since Adams trangression M. Euen such an one as S. Paule describeth in one woorde to wit a creature now subiect vnto vanitie And therefore it sigheth and groneth looking for the restoaring of the sunnes of God Romanes the 8. chapter and 20. verse So that this vanitie is contrarie too that goodnes wherein thinges were first created S. How then did mans transgression take away the essence and nature of thinges M. Not so but it impaired the integritie and perfection of them For sinne brought in three thinges with it especially which are contrarie vnto those three aboue named commodities To wit weakenesse as it were a sicknes in the naturall powers disorder and disagreement among thinges for lacke of order and then when they are not fitly answerable one too another there followeth barrennes in ingendring and bringing foorth of young and fruites the 4. of Esdras the 5. chapter and 52. verse In so much that the strength and plentifulnes of the earth and of all other thinges decreaseth dayly and are nothing nowe in respect as God first created them whiche cummeth too passe by reason of mans trangression
as it may easily bee gathered out of the 4. chapter of Ieremie and 24. and 25. verses Finally in respect hereof this whole world is made as it were a confused mist specially the inferiour and elementare part thereof Iob the 10. chap. and 21. and 22. verses also mortall and transitorie as it is writen in the Prouerbes the 31. chapter and 8. verse and 2. of Peter the 3. chapter and 10. verse so that it may one day perish and bee destroied S. Was not then this worlde mortall and transitorie beefore mans transgression M. I can say nothyng concerning that point bicause the Scripture herein teacheth mee not any thyng Howbeit this one thing I may affirme that this world of it self and in respect that it was a creature was subiect to alteration vnlesse GOD did susteine and preserue it But whether God would alwaies haue preserued and susteined it if man had not trangressed I will not say As for man for whose sake this worlde was created to bee as it were his dwelling house although hee should haue bin immortall as S. Augustine writeth after the booke of wisedome in his booke De Agone Christiano yet should they at length one after another haue binne translated into heauen into a better state But whether there should alwaies haue bin some men in the worlde and some should alwayes haue liued heere I doe not know The xlii Chapter From whence poysons and hurtfull thinges sprang in the world S. NOw if the worlde and all the partes thereof were created so good at the first from whence then sprang so many poysons so many hurtfull things and deadlye hearbes so many Serpentes with the sight of their eyes only pestiferous vntoo men M. By sinne and for the sinne of man these so many Plagues venimes poysons hurtful hearbes and noysom beastes sprang vp as the wordes of the Lorde doe declare in the booke of Moses Genesis the 3. chapter and 18. verse For God made nothing at the beginnyng that was vnto any thing poyson deadly hurtfull and discommodious Wherfore if thinges had continued in that nature wherein almightie God created them at the first there should now be neither poysons neither euill thinges For it is not possible that any thing sauyng that which is good should bee made or proceede from hym that is most good Yea there is nothyng at this day that is absolute and in all respectes poyson but that whiche is hurtfull as too man is profitable and holsome to another as to a Serpent S. I vnderstand you But why will God haue poysons noysom herbes and hurtfull beastes to remaine now in the earth since mans transgression M. There maye sundrie causes bee alleaged but specially two which S. August bringeth forth in his 3. booke and 17. chap. de Genesi ad Literam The first cause why these doe continue is for punishment and reuenge against man And therefore they doe all hurt Man for whose offence sake they bee made poison Moreouer they bee profitable to prooue tempt and exercise Man to the entent that hee maye acknowledge his owne infirmitie aske helpe of god But this thirde reason may bee also alledged that those hearbes whiche bee hurtfull vnto man as Hemlock woulfbane coloquintida such like are the euil iuce of the earth and as it were certeine excremētes which are needful too bee expelled to the ende that the iuce of the other frutes of the earth maye remaine good and sincere holsome and commodious vnto vs. S. If the thinges which God created first were so good for Moses sayde not onely that they were good but also that they were very good what difference then is there beetweene God himfelfe and his woorkes M. There is a threefolde and that most large wide difference between them To wit that God of himself is most excellent vnchangeable good But the creatures are not so of thēselues but of God not excellently but so far as their nature will suffer not so vnchangeably good but that they might fall away from it For that goodnesse coulde neuer haue decayed in them haue bene chaunged into vanitie if so bee thei had bene vnchaungeably good Howbeit to the ende wee shoulde not doubt y they were good Moses added this plainly God sawe that they were good The xliii Chapter Why the thinges that were created are playnly saide too bee good S. WHy did Moses adde these words expresty M. For two causes To the intent we should not lightly passe ouer these woordes of God as many doe as though they conteined in them no excellencie or notable qualitie whiche mighte mooue vs vnto admiration For in deed they haue so in them and the Lorde himselfe testifieth the same And therefore much lesse that wee ought to condemne dispraise and mocke at so excellent woorkes of God bicause of the confusion and disorder which nowe is in them through Mans transgression as did that blasphemous felowe Momus and the Mamchees and Marcianite heretikes For wee cannot so doe with out offeringe greate iniurie vnto God and in so doeing wee take the Lordes name in vaine Wherefore the Mamchees are to bee condemned and whosoeuer else doe contende that the creatures of themselues and as God first made them were euill For that is most false as it appeareth in the 1. to Timothie the 4. Chapter and 4. verse Moreouer this admonition and sayinge mooueth mee not to dispute this question whiche certaine curious felowes haue doone to wit whether God could haue created euery particulare thing or the whole worlde better or now coulde if neede were frame it in more absolute state than hee first created it For to seeke and searche this what is it other than to passe those bondes whiche the Spirite of God hath laide beefore vs and to folowe our owne wandringe mindes For God made all things that hee created very good To conclude this admonition is very profitable vnto vs in this respect that wee doe not rashely abuse the creatures of God which many tymes seeme vile vnto vs intemperately at our lust and pleasure which y holy Ghost himselfe pronounceth to bee so precious Wherefore wee ought to vse them soberly modestly and wisely S. But why was that saiyng And the Lorde sawe that it was good let passe in the woorke of some daies as of the seconde daie M. Bicause that daie conteineth onely the beginnyng of the whole woorke whiche was made afterward and not the consummation and finishyng thereof And therefore that blessyng is deferred vnto the ende of the woorke ¶ The. xliiii Chapter Whether in the first creation of all thinges God made two Contraries S. BUt forasmuch as now you are in handling the state of the world wherin it was first made tell mee I pray you whether that opinion bee true concerninge the thinges that were first created whether God made two contraries the one to striue against an other Thus they saye colde thinges and hotte highe and lowe white and blacke greate
and small were first created to the ende that the force of things might bee preserued in a certaine temperament by these contraries This is written in Ecclesiasticus the 42. chapter and 25. verse and the 33. Chapter 15. verse Whiche also S. Augustine in his 2. booke de Ciuitate Dei and 18 chapter and Irenaeus in his 2. booke and 43. chapter doe followe M. It is true whiche you say For God made not althinges at the firste of one qualitie colour and greatnes neither of one kind and nature But hee made some high some lowe some moyst some drie some warme some cold the day to bee one thing and the night another Yet God made nothing that was eeuill But why hee created them in suche varietie this is the cause both for that the power and wisedome of God is thereby more apparant and also the thinges themselues by this repugnancie of contrarie vertues and natures and mitigacion of them may bee the more easely preserued For what maner state of thinges would there haue bin if all thinges had bin hoat what numnesse if all thinges had bin cold what miserie if all wayes there had bin darknes what wearisomnesse if it had alwaies bin daye And therefore when God had created the natures of this worlde and of the thinges conteined therein hee thought it conuenient to refresh and ease them with change and course because they were bodies or apperteinyng to bodies and likewise to nourishe them with a certein mutuall knot and temperament bicause they were diuerse partes of one whole thyng hee ingraffed also contrarie qualities in them that the one should bee a let bridle and temperament to the other And to bee short to the intent there should bee chaunge and alteration in these thinges that there might bee some differēce plainly perceiued beetweene the essence of them and of the angels also of God hymself who needeth no sutch meanes for his preseruation Euen so likewise a well gouerned citie consisteth of sundry orders and of diuerse fortes of men ritche poore faire foule Subiectes Magistrates young olde Husbandmen Souldiours who are of diuerse states and vnlike callinges and many tymes also of contrarie Notwithstanding they bee necessarie for the preseruation of the mutuall safetie of the whole citie wherby it beecummeth the more beautifull the more plentifull and conuenient for the vse of this life And therfore I will confirme this opinion with the moste excellent testimonie of Tertullian who in the 45. chapter of his Apologeticum writeth thus which reason made the vniuersalitie out of diuersitie that all thinges might appeare togither from many substances into an vnitie out of voyd and sound out of liuyng and vnliuyng out of comprehensible and incomprehensible out of light and darknes and out of life and death Neither doe wee notwithstanding fauour the errour of the Manichees who hold opinion that at the beeginning there were twoo Giauntes whiche afflicted mutually one another one of the light and another of darknes There is one and the same and onely God who made all thinges and moste wisely instituted this contrarietie for the preseruation of the whole woorke S. But this varietie of things seemeth to bring in great discord when it had bin more meete that this worlde beeing as it were a certein whole thing should haue bin builded and compacted of partes freindly and louingly agreeing one with another Which thing this contrarietie among creatures doth seeme very mutch to withstande M. You gather not well For this dissimulitude amonge thinges and varietie of contrarie qualities and properties bringeth in no discorde but rather causeth great concorde and agreement Like as in mans bodie the diuersitie of the partes members and theyr force action moouinge place and office which many times are contrarie declareth that there is greate agreement amonge the members and is also necessarie for the life gouerment and defence of the whole body The like truely is to bee seene in the world for it is one bodie and conteined within one compasse And why the discorde of thinges so muth disagreeing is so friendly and agreeinge and so consenting vnto it selfe and also firme and durable the great and incomprehēsible wisedom of almighty God is the cause who hath contempered all those thinges excellently one with another as they ought to bee and hath made them of apt and conuenient weight number and measure both in respect of themselues and in comparison also of other thinges as it is written in the booke of Wisdom the 11. chapter and 21. verse ▪ and S. Augustine afterwarde also declareth the same in his 4. booke de Genesi ad Literam But what weight number and measure this is or what is the proportiō of their mingling togither by reason of whiche this world is so agreeing and meete one parte with another and of all among themselues although the Philosophers haue by disputation curiously vexed themselues herein and yet neither founde it out neither declared it God knoweth and hee himselfe onely The. xlv Chapter In what sense it is sayd that God rested after the creation of the world S. THere remaineth yet one thing whiche I would demaund M. What is that S. Whether GOD haue ceassed altogither to create any thing since the time y hee made an ende of the world seeing hee seemeth dayly to create mens soules out of nothing and hee yet woorketh still as Christe teacheth vs in the 5. chapter and 17. verse of S. Iohn M. An easie matter to aunswere For God is saide to ceasse onely in respect of this worlde and the woorke which then hee had vndertaken to doe that is to say in comparison of an other as S. Augustine answereth in his 4. booke de Genesi ad Literam And not altogether absolutely as although God neither gouerned nowe this world which he made neither were able to make any new thing more seeing there is nothyng made or doone now but by his woorking Whose most louing tender prouidence hath alwaies gouerned doeth now gouerne whatsoeuer he hath created Whose infinite power woorketh euery thing in euery thing as S. Paule writeth to the Ephesians the 1. chapter and 23. verse Finally whose strength and vertue are neither impaired by weakenes through processe of time wherby they are lesse able euery day to create many things neither are they beecome slacker or slower in woorkinge Therefore the Lorde yet euery daye createth many newe thinges to wit the soules of men Howbeeit all that his purposed woorke and the fulnesse and bewtie of this worlde hee made moste perfectly and finished most absolutely in euery poinct part in the space of those sixe dayes rested the seauenth day God sanctified sayth S. Augustine no day of hys woorke but onely the day of his rest that it might bee vnderstoode that God is more blessed than his woorkes For hee was delighted with none of his woorkes so much as with himselfe So hee sanctified the daye of his rest and