and trembling Against whom Father Ireneus writeth cloquently and sharply in his 2. booke and 3. chap. But now that I may answere and alleage that which belongeth to this question I say that the Lorde who made all thinges to the intent hee might make the ritches of his glorie and power knowne would specially reueale hymself in creatyng the world by this meanes and maner and by vsing the same to that purpose Wherefore like as it was the parte of a moste wise God to finde out and choose the way that he thought most conuenient to reueale himselfe so is it likewise our duetie too allowe reuerence and adore the same that hee hath chosen For faithe ought to bee the rule and leader of our mindes to vnderstande these woorkes of God by whiche vnlesse wee followe wee shall conceiue nothing holsomly or profitably in all this whole woorke of God bee it neuer so wide and beautifull For as it is writen in the 11. chapt and 3. verse to the Hebrues By faith we vnderstand that the world was made And therefore wee ought not to followe the reason of our owne braines in defining these matters S. But doth not this mention whiche is made of darkenesse which was spread ouer the first matter coÌ„firme Aristotles opinion concerning priuation whiche hee maketh to bee the thirde beeginning of all naturall thinges in his 1. booke of Physikes Fye awaye with this Priuation as a dreame or dotage in respect of a beeginning of the world For how can a Priuation whiche is nothing bee called the cause of a thing as though a man would defend that fyre were the cause of cold Moreouer Aristotles PriuatioÌ„ sticketh fast infused in the matter but the darknesse whereof Moses speaketh was without the bodie of the matter and brought no commoditie to the taking of a fourme which Aristotles priuation doth yea the darkenesse rather tooke away al hope of receiuing fourme so that Aristotles opinion is quite repugnant to Moses The xxv Chapcer Why the spirite of God was vpon this mole and matter S. YOu haue discoursed of the firste matter of this world and of the wouÌ„derful confusion therof or as I may call it troubling togither declare now why Moses speaketh of the spirite of God. M. For many causes specially for three Firste that the creation of the world might bee vnderstoode not only to bee the woorke of the Father and of the Sunne but also of the holy ghost who is likewise in person distinct from them twaine Howbeit if wee consider more narrowly of the woord The spirit of GOD noteth vnto vs in that place not the third person in Trinitie whiche is infinite and comprehended in no place but onely a certein effect and power and presence which reuealed and manifested it selfe there But it is coÌ„mon in the scripture that the giftes and tokens of the holy Ghoste are taken for the holy Ghoste himselfe and when they are recited hee likewise is vnderstoode to bee there by his owne special meanes as appeareth in the 3. chap. of S. Matthewe because wee cannot know hym any other way than through those his effectes and giftes Whererefore the Spirite of God had also his owne proper function and office openly and distinctly in the creation of this world Secondly that wee might know by what power and spirite that first mole whiche was so greate was at the beeginning susteined and helde vp Truely not of it self neither by the waters that were round about it neither by the darknesse that was vppon it whiche rather couered that firste matter whiche was now a growing as it were in a wombe and made it an vntimely fruite but by the almightie spirite of God whiche susteineth and quickneth all thinges by his diuine power by whom that huge and vnprofitable mole of earth and water subsisted flourished was quickned was susteined was reteined and as I may saye made aliue to the ende wee should ascribe all these thinges and their vertues onely to the glorie of God. S. How prooue you that M. For that all thynges at this present doe subsiste and are susteined by the spirite of God although now thei haue gotten their peculiare force and nature and yet were not destitute thereof at that tyme as it is written in the 146. Psalme and 5. verse and the 139. and 7. verse Likewise in the 1. to Timothe the 6. Chapter and 13. verse and Actes the 1. chapter the 28. verse S. What is the third reason M. To the ende it might bee the better declared by what meanes moouing and proceeding all thinges were by God drawne foorth and framed out of that firste matter and mole Euen as wee see at this day that the firste Seeâ—es of thinges after that once they bee sowne by Gods power are not onely susteined but also nourished quickned and made warme and so doe burgein and sendfoorth that bodie which naturally they conteined with in theÌ„ so was it in y first matter of all thinges so that the same Spirite by his power did susteine and nourishe the first seedes of thinges and now also continually mooueth the same howbeit that same action was then more manifestly declared in that there was not as yet any ordinarie vertue of engendring or bringing foorth engraffed into things by the word of God for that was giuen afterwarde And therefore the spirite of GOD manifested himself mightily in those thinges and nourished that mole Whiche thing Moses also teacheth plainly in that kind of phrase which hee vseth S. Expounde your saying more euidently M. Moses woordes do not onely signifie this which I say but plainely declare it S. What woordes bee they M. These that folowe and the spirite of God mooued itselfe vppon the top of the waters S. What is the meaning of those woordes M. To wit that the Spirite of God had giuen a lyuely force vnto that greate mole not onely by whiche it should exist susteine and as it were beare vp it selfe but also that it ingraffed engendred raised vp in it a â—ertâ—uâ—e vertue where by it should afterwarde waxe hot as it were to conceiue and to bringe foorth For the Hebrue woorde Merachephet signifieth both those thinges not onely I saye to susteine and mooue but also to nourish as birdes do nourish their youÌ„g ous also to giue force to wax warme to moue it self Deuteron the 32. chapter and 11. verse which Sainet Paule seemeth to translate to cherish to y Ephesians y 5. chapter and 29. verse Likewyse as the same Spirite of GOD is sayde in the 139. and 7. verse to woorke and to bee sent foorth to the intent that at thys present also things may bee ingeÌ„dered brought foorth Who if hee shoulde cease or bee taken away nothing would grow although the seedes of theÌ„ were sowne and men labored and toyled all that they coulde but woulde lye choaked within the bowels of the earth wombes of their mothers S. But why is the action and woorking of
iudgement than to all the rabble of those blind Philosophers But as touching other I will obiect your greate honour and auctoritie for a shielde beetweene them and mee for my defence whiche auctoritie of yours beeyng by you purchased in the sight of all men by meanes of infinite benefites by you beestowed vpon the Churches of Boheme and Morauia is farre and wide renouined in the mouthes of all people and knowne vnto those nations that know not your person whiche also is easily able by the excellencie thereof to put to silence the slaunderous tongues of certein light persons And whereas all men whiche know you doe graunt and confesse that I doe not falsly attribute these prayses vnto you then your moste noble Sunne and no lesse heire to your vertues than successour to your goodes Iohn George prooueth and declareth the same VVho both of hys owne naturall inclination and by the instruction and diligence of the right learned and godly man Vuenceslaus Lauanus his scholemaster beeyng the expresse patterne and image of your vertue how greate the same vertues bee in you may bee by euery man easily perceiued And truely all wee that liue heere professe that wee are mutch beeholden vnto you for this cause for that you haue giuen vs a pleadge of youre singulare loue towardes vs namely your Sunne at whose handes wee expect all good things And in that you would haue this notable testimony of the agreement of your Churches with ours in the true and auncient fayth to bee extant in the sight of all men which that it may continually so remaine and neuer bee broken of through any contention amongest men wee cease not to make our prayers to Almightie god And that same desire whiche is in you to deserue well of all nations bee they neuer so farre of is not only a singulare vertue but also most worthy of a Christiā which aboue all other is most familiar and proper vnto you And although you doe farre excell in nobilitie of birthe as descendyng from the most auncient house of the Nachosij whom I suppose to bee the onely remainders of the moste renoumed stock of the Narisci and also of the moste stout and martiall family of the Moranians who are successours to the people called Marcomanni that were sumtyme fearefull enemies to the Romanes yea when they were in their most florishyng state amōg whom you enioye very large possessions notwithstanding your greate humanitie and gentlenes which is vnto you a peculiare vertue shal farre more excellently aduaunce your name among al ages And as touchyng my booke I had rather it were knowne by the effect it selfe than by my report what and how greate the commoditie thereof is How beeit this will I say in fewe woordes that therein I haue breifly comprehended whatsoeuer I coulde reade to haue binne disputed by the auncient and holy Fathers either against the Philosophers or Heretikes and that I haue not intermingled any question which they haue not handled beefore neither haue omitted any thing whiche seemed might stande in steede towardes the vnderstanding of their writinges Wherein I will plainly confesse vnto you I haue not so mutch studied to satisfie the humour of curious persons as to aduaunce the commoditie of studious young men And therfore I hope it will come to passe that your honours moste noble Sunne the Lord Iohn with other young Princes beeyng mooued by your auctoritie will follow sutch kindes of studies whiche they shall perceiue to bee acceptable and that woorthily vnto so greate estates Fare you well VVritten the Calendes of December 1575. Your honours most assured and euer readie Lambert Danaeus Frenchman AN EXCELLENT DISCOVRSE OF CHRISTIAN NATURALL PHILOSOPHIE ¶ The first Chapiter ¶ What naturall Philosophie is and how many kindes there bee thereof S. WHat is naturall Philosophie M. It is the true knowledge or discourse concerning the Creation and distinction of all this whole worlde with the partes therof of the causes by whiche it was so wrought and likewise of the effectes whiche followe thereon apperteinyng to the praise of God the Creatour S. From whence do you gather this your definition M. Specially out of twoo places of holie scripture wherof the first is the. 30. chapt and 4. verse of the Prouerbes The other the first chapiter of Genesis in whiche those fower poinctes are briefly recited vnto whiche also that place maie bee added whiche is in the 7. Chapter and 17. and 18. verses where it is euidently declared that suche thinges bee handled in this Science S. Is this knowledge termed by this name onely or is it called by some other also M. Yea truely For out of S. Paule it maie bee called The knowledge of Gods woorkes Rom. the 1. chap. and 20. verse Out of the Epistle to the Hebrewes The knowledge ofseculare thynges And finally wee maie as fitly and conueniently call it The knowledge of thinges created as naturall Philosophie was so called Of the searchyng of Nature if so bee that the vse of that name had bin familiar and receiued by the Greekes and Latines S. Why then doe you call it naturall Philosophie which is a woorde vsed by the Heathen Philosophers M. For twoo causes The firste is for that Christians ought not to bee so scrupulous or rather superstitious that thei should bee afeard to vse suche common woordes and names as the Heathē doe for somuche as with them wee do vse and enioy the self same Sū aire earth water light meates and Cities Neither doeth the Scripture it self refuse that woorde as vnseemely or monstrous as appeareth in the 2. chapiter and 3. verse to the Ephesians and the 1. Chapiter and 5. verse of the seconde Epistle of S. Peter Also the auncient and Catholike fathers in euery place doe terme this knowledge of thynges by the name of Naturall Philosophie as did Basile Chrisostome Ambrose Augustine in his Enchiridion to Laurence Naturall Philosophers saieth hee are thei that searche the nature of thynges Secondly that for as muche as this woorde Nature in the common vse of the Greeke tongue is for the moste parte applied to suche thynges as doe consiste not of essence onely of whiche sorte GOD is but are compounded with certein accidentes adioined suche as are all the thynges that wee beholde with our eyes and whereof this visible worlde consisteth that knowledge seemeth moste properly to bee termed naturall Philosophie whiche is busied in the handlyng of the mixt cōpoūded and materiall thinges that it maie bee distinguished from Diuinitie Wherefore Naturall Philosophie saie thei is the knowledged of Materiall and Instrumentall beginnynges S. How many sortes are there of naturall Philosophie M. Twoo the one Generall the other Particulare S. Whiche is the Generall part M. That whiche entreateth of the Generall and moste principall partes of the worlde with their originall nature and causes suche are heauen and the fower elementes for that these in respect of the other partes are as it were the first beeginnynges 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
the maker and creatour of this world and that all thinges were fashioned brought foorth by his hande will power And that I may not traueill in the gathering togither of these testimonies I will here recite vnto you twayne for all the one in the Psalme 104. and 29. verse If thou hyde thy face they are troubled if thou take away their breath they die and returne vnto their dust if thou send foorth thy spirite they are created and thou renuest the face of the earth the other in Isay the 45. chap. and 18. verse For thus sayth the Lorde that created heauen God hymself that formed the earth and made it hee that prepared it hee created it not in vayne hee formed it to bee inhabited And therefore the auncient Fathers commonlie termed the worlde a woorke perfectlie wrought The xvii Chapter Of the causes of the worlde and first of the cause efficient thereof which is God not Angels nor Diuells S. WHiche bee the causes of this world M There bee foure first the efficient or producing cause the materiall formall and finall S. Can you declare them seuerally vnto mee M. I will. S. Tell mee then whiche is the efficient cause M. God and hee onely S. Haue you anye reason wherby you can prooue thys your so short resolution M. Yea I haue And first Moses proueth that it was God y made this world Genesis y 1. chap. In the beginning God made heauen earth And Dauid also cōfirmeth same in y 33. Psalme and 6. verse By the woorde of the Lorde were the heauens made and all the hoste of them by the breath of his mouth For hee spake and it was doone hee commaunded and it stoode Likewise Isay in the 44. chap. And Iob the 12. chap. And finally both the newe and old Testament The same also did Anaxagoras the Philosopher signifie sum what obscurely hauing before receiued it by some auncient tradition who called the mynde that is to saye God the Creatour of all thinges who although hee were therefore laughed at by the other naturall Philosophers of his tyme yet he helde the true opinion Howbeeit the Marcionites and after them the Manichees doe vrge farther They say that this world wherin there is sutch disturbance and disorder among thinges is vnworthy to bee called or counted Gods woork For what confusion what calamitie what perturbacion is there seene in this worlde and in all these thinges where wicked men doe rule good men are vexed the Summer sometyme is colde the Haruest greeuous and daungerous and sutch other like accidentes doe happen And therfore if wee say that God made these things God is not the auctour of order in the world but of greate confusion S. But what is your opinion hereof M. They iudge amisse for God is the creatour and producyng cause of all those thinges and substaunces wherof the world consisteth and not of the confusion and disorder whiche now is and afterward came vppon them for that is the effect of mans transgression and a great part of that vanitie wherunto in the beeginnyng through Adam all thinges were subiect Romanes the 8. chap. Therefore it is not caused by GOD neither ingraffed by hym nor proceedyng from hym For hee created all thinges first good and in good order and subiect to no disorder confusion or deformitie So Romulus builded the Citie of Rome not those seditions which many hundred yeres after his death sprang vp at Rome through y ambition of men Wherfore against the Marcionites and Manichees we ought to distinguishe and deuide the thinges themselues their nature and substance from the deformitie whiche afterward hapned and came vpon them For the Heathen Philosophers themselues as Thales for example haue called this worlde a beutifull woorke and counted it woorthy of God agreate deale better than those Heretikes haue doone S. Proceede then with that which you began M. It was God therfore that created and fourmed this worlde what GOD Forsooth hee which is one in substance and three in person to wit the Father the Sunne and the holy Ghost and so is it to bee vnderstoode that God made the world to wit that it is the woorke of them all three indifferently and not either the Fathers or the Sunnes or the holy Ghosts specially or principally the woorkes also of the whole Trinitie are vndiuided althoughe the woorkemanship of either of the persons is distinct in the self same woorke S. Declare this which you spake more plainely M. Meses teacheth in the 1. of the Genesis that the Father wrought in the creation of the worlde and also the woord that is to say the Sunne like wise the holy ghost The father createth by his wil the woord or y Sunne createth by woorkinge and bringing foorth and the holy Ghost treateth by implāting of strength and nature and by giuing of motion and life whiche is in euery thinge for the bringinge foorth and preseruation therof And therfore S. Ihon in the 1. chap. and 3. and 14. verses when hee had declared that all thinges were made by the woorde hee saieth afterwarde that the same was the Sunne of god Wherfore the Sunne is and is also rightly called the creatour of the world And the holy Ghost giueth strength to liue and to mooue and also susteineth both that they may exist and liue also continue bee preserued Wherefore hee also in the creation of the world woorthily challengeth vnto himselfe some parte of so woorthie a woorke which also by Isay in the 40. chap. and 7. verse and the 41. chapter 29. verse are plainlyascribed and attributed vnto him S. There bee othersome that doe otherwise interprete this which you saye and by this name VVoorde and also the holy Ghost do not vnderstand certain substances or any thinge existing of themselues but suppose rather that thereby the meane is taught by which this worlde was made to wit not that by anye engin or frame not by ironwoorkes not by any handie crafte so hugie a mole was framed and brought foorth but onely by the commaundement and the word of Gods will that is to saye onely by the declaring and publishing of Gods decree which of it selfe is of sufficient power and efficacie M. I doe not deney but that those thinges which vnto vs of their owne nature are misticall and incomprehensible are opened and declared by suche parables set and set foorth in such wordes metaphores as by vs they may bee vnderstoode To wit that the eternall Sunne of God is called the woorde and the holie Ghost which is that diuine person substancial vertue subsistinge by it selfe and proceeding from the Father and the Sunne and is distinct notwithstāding is called a spirite But forasmuch as the scripture in an other place teacheth that that woorde is not a certain sound or declaratiō of Gods will a certeine common enuntiane or spoken woord that the spirite is not a power and vertue infused into thinges but that hee
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
a mans children or sunnes are beegotten of the fathers seede and substance Moreouer whatsoeuer is said to spring and come of another ought not by and by to be called the sunne of that from whiche it springeth For Lice doe breede out of a mannes fleshe yet are thei not called the sunnes of men or of their fleshe To cōclude since the comparison and respecte of GOD vnto the worlde is rather like the woorkeman to the woorke than like the Father to the Sunne truely the worlde may bee termed the woorke and perfected labour of God but by no meanes called his Sunne The. xxi Chapter What God created first to bee the matter for thinges that were created afterward S. HEtherto you haue discoursed of the efficiēt cause now saye sumwhat concernyng the materiall cause of the world M. What matter can I name vnto you since there was none at all as I haue sufficiently disputed and proued beefore as this woord Create declareth if you haue regarde to it owne proper signification Neither do I thinke it woorth the traueill to confute the opinions of the Philosopers who haue almoste euerie one of them stūbled at this block or else to conuince the heresie of the Hermogenians who reuoked that errour whiche was nowe long since extinguished in the Churche of God out of the scooles and opinions of the Stoikes and chose rather to learne how the world beegan at the handes of naturall Philosophers than of true Christians and out of Gods woord Al whose argumentes Tertullian hath confuted in a noble and profitable woorke whiche is now abroade in mens handes and is most worthie to bee read S. I doe not require after that which was not but this rather whether that among those thinges whiche God created of nothing there were any thing disposed prepared and brought foorth that afterward serued the turne and stoode in steede in the creation of other things out of which God did afterward facion and fourme al thinges else that remained to be made M. You mooue mee to enter into a difficult question which consisteth both of like number of weightie reasons and of auctorities of graue writers For among the learned auctours some thinke that Heauen and earth of whiche in the 1. chapt of Genesis and 1. verse it is writen In the beginnyng God made heauen and earth were made by God of nothyng howbeit first and before all thinges to the intent that they might be the prepared matter of all other thinges that were to be afterward created And therfore they say that God did nothyng the other daies following but onely distinguysh this matter and masse which was first confusedly brought foorth and conteined in it the seedes of all other thinges into the proper kindes and elementes and that euerie thing should be trimmed foorth in it owne kind and gouerned by it owne lawe Other dooe suppose otherwise that these thinges were only set downe in the beginning as it were in maner of a preface or supposition of some discourse that should ensue to the end that the summe of the whole matter following might be the better vnderstoode and the boundes of so great a frame as the world is bee drawne foorth In like maner cunning Carpenters when they are about to build some goodly and large house they firste drawe out a platfourme in certeine proportions and lines conteining the fourme of the whole woork that shal bee to the intent they may point out and place the other roomthes of the buildyng within that circuite so conteine themselues within those limites Thus say they heauen and earth are proposed by Moses and that in the beeginning of his Narration to the ende wee might vnderstande what limites the discription following and the whole woorke should haue Like as he also repeateth again those limites after the narration of the creation concludeth the whole woorke whiche hee set foorth after the same manner Genesis the 2. chapter and 1. verse Wherefore In the beginnyng God created heauen and earth that is to saye firste of all the summe of all Gods woorkes is layd beefore vs to bee thought on Moreouer Ireneus in his 2. booke the 10. 11. and 16. chapters sheweth that GOD is not like men as not hauing neede of any matter that hee had created or prepared before hand to finish or make his other woorkes of S. Howe then doe you thinke otherwise M. Truely the interpretation and opinion of the fyrste sorte seemeth vnto mee the more probable which hold that the heauen and earth in suche maner as thei are there spoken of were firste created by GOD of nothing howbeit as it were a rude matter of the whole woorke and bewtie that shoulde folowe out of which God by his mightie power brought foorth all the residue Although almightie God lacked no matter to create firste heauen and earth with all neither yet to bring forthe the woorkes of the other daies like as at this day also he needeth not the seede of man to bryng foorth men of if hee lust to doe otherwise notwithstanding in these questions wee must not enquire how much hee was able to doe sayeth S. Augustine in his 2. booke de Genesi but rather what the course of nature in things will suffer and what his pleasure is and what hee hath reuealed vnto vs by his woorde Neither doth this mine opinion want iust and sufficient confirmation either of the auctoritie of men or of reason And as for auctoritie there is none against mee seeing bothe Philo Iudaeus and the Rabbines commonly and the best learned of the Hebrues doe so expounde that place of Moses yea S. Augustine also oftentimes as in the 5. booke de Ge nesi ad Literam the 3. and 5. chapters and the 1. booke the 5. chapter S. Ambrose likewise in Examero and S. Chrysostome and S. Basile with others S. But can you confirme your opinion by any reason M. Yea by twaine And the first is that this exposition doth very well agree with Moses woordes and order and againe that it seemeth to be plainly confirmed by this woord Beeginning and the signification therof For a beeginning is sayd in comparison of other thinges And therefore to the intent hee might shewe how all other thinges were made afterwarde out of those twayne Moses plainly vseth this preface to wit that the same heauen and the same earth were created in the beeginning that is to saye beefore all the other woorkes that God made and also to the vse of all the other that is to saie from whence afterward the residue were taken and as it were made The very footsteppes as it were of whiche opinion howbeeit the trueth beeyng now and then manifestly intercepted do appeare to be exstant in Hesiodus in his Theogonia and Ouid also in that place of the firste booke of his Metamorphosis which is so well knowne Beefore the Sea and Earth c. This reason also may bee alleaged that the thing itself and specially