The Wonderful Workmanship of the World, Discourse · Chapter 39
¶ The. xxxix. Chapter. Of the tyme wherein the worlde was made.
S.
YOU hauehave 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 onelyonly 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 learne the truthe more better of the Fathers, and reteined the ſame more freſhly in memorie. For yt Plato in Timeo was of that opinion, and all the Stoikes alſo, their owne writynges do beare witneſſe, yea, moreouer, this hath bin agreed vponupon, 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 vntounto 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 onelyonly 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 hauehave 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 vsus 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: vntounto 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 vsus of his doinges, and forepaſſed life, who muſt bee our iudge? what needed hee too hauehave 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 vntounto 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• MonethMonth, or of the Yeere?
S.
Mary, of eueryevery one of them ſeuerally.
M.
Concerning the day, mee thinkes this much may bee ſayd, that the beginning and firſt daye of ye 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 vponupon Sundaye, not vponupon Mundaye: and ſo ſhall you hauehave 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, vponupon Sunday: which is confirmed to bee true, by a counſell holdē in Iudaea, as Euſ…bius writeth in the 5. booke of his hiſtorie, and the 23. and 25. Chapters,
S.
But in what MonethMonth ſeemeth it vntounto you, that the worlde was made.
M.
I will vtter, in this poinct that whiche ſeemeth vntounto 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 vntounto mee, that the worlde was created in that monethmonth which is called by the Hebrues Tiſri, and is anſwereable partly vntounto our monethmonth of Auguſt, and partly to September: for doubtles it began after the Autumnal or Haruaſt equinoctium. So that I doe nothinge agree vntounto thoſe, that write & ſuppoſe that the world was made in the MonethMonth of March, and in the Springe.
S.
Can you confirme your opinion by any reaſon?
M.
Yea, and that by diuerſe. And not onelyonly 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 bringfoorth fruite: and in Summer to yelde them vp: and as for winter, then the earth digeſteth and concocteth the ſeedes that are cōmitted vntounto hir, and embracing them in ye 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 del…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 vntounto it any force, or vertue to bringe foorth: whiche vertue notwithſtandinge Autumne yeeldeth vntounto the earth, as beeing yet mindefull of the firſt creation of all thinges, and of hir owne bringinge foorth of all manner commodities, reteininge vntounto this preſent the force, effect, and power of the auncient commaundement, which the Lorde enioyned at that time. So y• the Hebrues will hauehave it, that this monethmonth Tiſri, ſhall not be ſo called of muſt or newe wine, but of iuce, wherof ye 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 monethmonth 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 monethmonth. And therefore, in contractes and bargaines, in cōmon 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 monethmonth among the auntient Fathers in old time, and among the Jewes: and ended alſo in the ſame. So that ye yeares & age of Adam, and the reſidue of the Fathers whiche liued both beefore the floude and ſince, are to bee reckened from this monethmonth. The ſeconde reaſon is this: For that the feaſt of Trumpettes which God commaunded to bee kept vponupon the firſt daye of this monethmonth, ſeemeth to hauehave 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 ye Lord would hauehave that day kept holy, & ſo great honour & reuerēce attributed vntounto 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 remēbraunce, men, & the whole world alſo, of their firſt natiuitie, which as by the ſpecial prouiſion of God, it fell vponupon the firſte daye of this monethmonth, 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 cōmaunded many feaſtes and holidaies to bee kept in ye ſeauenth monethmonth, which monethmonth was called alſo Aetanim, that is to ſaye, the MonethMonth 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 monethmonth, and not without ſome reaſon.
S.
But it is ſaide in the 12. Chapter, and 1. verſe of Exodus, that Niſan was the firſt monethmonth of the yeare, anſwering vntounto 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 remēbrance 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 onelyonly 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, vntounto 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. Frō the creation of the world vntounto 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, vntounto the promiſe whiche God made firſte vntounto Abraham, and his departing vponupon commaundment out of Vr, a Citie of the Chaldees, and Charris a citie of Meſopotamia, are 427. yeeres. And from that promiſe, vntounto the departure of the children of Iſraell out of the land of Egypt, which was vnderunder 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, vntounto 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, vntounto the leading away of the Jewes into the captiuitie of Babylon, I meane that whiche beegan vnderunder 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, vntounto 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 vntounto 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 hauehave written moſt truely in this beehalf.