The Wonderful Workmanship of the World, Discourse · Chapter 15 – Chapter 16
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 hauehave an ende, and eueryevery 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 hauehave 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 hauehave 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 onelyonly 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 ye order. The beginnynge of time, in thoſe things which are brought forth in a certein time, is yt moment of an houre either wherein they are conceiued, or are brought foorth into the world. Thoſe thinges hauehave onelyonly 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 vntounto vsus 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, wt whō in telling we do begin: like as we do wt our cheif Magiſtrate or Judge in this our Citie of Geneua.
S.
In this reſpect then, they woulde hauehave 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 onelyonly 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 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 foreign, 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 vsus, 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 vponupon 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 hauehave already agreed vponupon, 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 onelyonly 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 yt 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 onelyonly 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 vponupon the letter▪ and alſo many other of the Fathers. Thus hauehave 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 vntounto vsus the diſſoluing, and expoſition of this difficultie. Wee hauehave 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 hauehave 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 hauehave 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 vntounto it ſelfe, to endure perpetually, and it ſhould alſo hauehave 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 ye Creatour differeth frō ye creature in yt reſpect eſpecially, in yt the Creatour is, and ſubſiſteth by his own power and vertue: and the creatures onelyonly 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 eueryevery 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 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 vntounto 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 vntounto 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.