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
learne the truthe more better of the Fathers and reteined the same more freshly in memorie For that Plato in Timeo was of that opinion and all the Stoikes also their owne writynges do beare witnesse yea moreouer this hath bin agreed vpon by a generall consent of the moste auncient writers that the worlde had a beginnyng whereof Linus the eldest Poete of all who liued before Orpheus writyng of the creation of the worlde beeginneth thus A tyme there was when all thynges framed were togither once as Diogenes Laertius reporteth S. There bee twoo speciall poinctes repugnant to your opinion whereof the one is alledged by the Aristotelians and the other by the Epicurians M. What bee thei S. The first is this Seeyng the worlde is rounde and of a Sphericall fourme there can neither beginnyng nor endyng bee noted therein whereby it commeth to passe that when it mooueth it mooueth circularly or rounde whiche motion also hath neither beeginnyng nor endyng but is a continuall and perpetuall motiō and is therefore eternall Now if the worldes motiō bee eternall the worlde also must needes bee eternall Thus the Peripatetikes by the figure and motion of the world doe conclude y the world it self is also eternall M. Truely this is a verie slender argumente For firste who will graunt vnto them that all the partes of the world doe mooue by that circulare and sphericall motion seeyng that as thei them selues doe write neither the fire neither the aier neither the water neither the earth dooe mooue by this motion but by a right line and a pendent to wit the fire and aire vpwarde the water and earth dounewarde Moreouer if wee deale thus liberally with them to graunte that the worlde is of a sphericall fourme and figure who is able to prooue notwithstandyng that there can bee no beeginning of motion assigned and obscrued therein Seeyng it is not mooued of it self but by an other too wit the greate God or as thei terme it by a certeine firste intelligence or Angell And whereas it is saied of a wheele of a sphere or of a circle that the beginnyng of the motion there of cannot bee assigned in this poincte of the circumference more than in another it is true onely in respecte of the thing the figure and not if you respect the hande that turneth it or the forcyng of the cause that mooueth it in respect whereof the poinct is called the beeginnyng of moouyng in the sphere or circle where hee beginneth to mooue it first that turneth the circle sphere or wheele about Wherfore although the worlde can haue no beginnyng of moouyng neither of it self neither of it owne figure notwithstandyng it hath of God who once beegan it and turned it from a certeine poincte of the circumference and a certeine place to wit from the East continually to mooue into the Weste whether it turneth now daiely beeyng by hym mooued and not of it self And although it bee vnknowne to vs nowe whiche parte of the circumference of heauen God first moued for you see how many and diuerse thynges men dooe affirme concernyng the greate yeere of the worlde whiche is that state of the worlde wherein Heauen and all thinges returne to their place where thei wer first created yet it is certein that heauen began sometyme to mooue from some one prefixed poincte and part of the circumference S. The other repugnancie is this Thei saie it is to absurde to saie that God did not create this world from eternitie and tyme euerlastyng For after so many infinite spaces of yeres paste what should moue hym at length that hee would Create the worlde Thei demaunde therefore why GOD remained so long sluggishe and idle why hee slept so long what he did then why hee ceased from dooyng somethyng so long why hee made not this noble and goodlie woorke sooner These and suche like floutes thei cast foorthe against the maiestie of God. M. You doe alleage the argument of Velleius the Epicure vnto whiche I will answere that which as S. Augustine writeth was spoken by a certein mery old man a Christian Who beeyng likewise demaunded by suche kinde of men what God did beefore hee created the worlde answered He made Hell wherein hee might tormente perpetually suche curious fellowes as doe demaunde suche questions For what wickednesse is this to go about to enter into suche secretes what impudencie to creepe so farre what blasphemie to looke that God should rendre an accoumpt to vs of his doinges and forepassed life who must bee our iudge what needed hee too haue created these thinges sooner whiche hee neither hath neede of too his existence neither thereby to liue in greater felicitie For God hath in himself and that from all eternitie a most perfect most happie and most full state of nature whiche is vnto himselfe sufficient for all thinges and he hath neede of none other thing neither of Angell nor man Psalme 16. and 2. ver Neither was GOD then idle that the Epicures maye not mock neither did hee sleepe in slouthfulnes beefore he made this world But euen then as also now he was inwardly occupied in his woorkes that is to say hee was wonderfully delighted in the contemplation of hymself hee enioyed then himself and his perfect and vnspeakeable glorie hee was busied in the most large and incomprehensible light of his substance and essence as may easily bee vnderstoode out of the Prouerbes the 8. chapter and 30. verse and Iohn the 17. chapt and 4. verse and likewise out of Irenaeus the 4. booke and 28. chapter S. This I vnderstande declare nowe what time thys worlde was created M. Doe you demaund this either of the day or of y Moneth or of the Yeere S. Mary of euery one of them seuerally M. Concerning the day mee thinkes this much may bee sayd that the beginning and first daye of the creation of the worlde was that day which wee Christians doe nowe call Sundaye and which the Jewes called the first daye of the Sabbathes and not that which wee commonly call Munday S. Howe so M. Bicause it is euidente that the Lorde wrought sixe whole dayes togither before the Sabbath seuenth daye And amonge the Hebrues in olde time that was the Sabbath and seuenth daye which wee nowe call Satterdaye whiche is the next daye beefore Sundaye and next after Fridaye For Christians to the entente that they woulde not retaine the auncient ceremoneis of the Jewes but deuoutly to honour the resurrection of our Lorde Jesus Christ wherby ther began a new state of the Church in stead of the Sabbath they chose the next daye following to rest on as it appeareth in the 20. Chapter of the Actes the 1. to the Corinthians the 16. chapter and the first Chapter of the Reuclation and also it is extant in the Ecclesiasticall historie which day they called the Lords day or Sundaye But if you woulde number sixe dayes beefore the Sabbath daye you muste begin vpon Sundaye not
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
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
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