The Wonderful Workmanship of the World, Discourse · Chapter 8 – Chapter 9
The viii. Chapter. What the world is.
S.
DIſcourſe then of the world.
M.
I will.
S.
What is the world?
M.
The ſignification of the worlde is diuerſe and manifold, as the Philoſophers doe teache vsus, as Laertius in his 7. booke, and Plutarche in his firſt booke of the Philoſophers opinions, whiche ſignification wee muſt firſt diſtinguiſhe, leaſt beeing deceiued by the ambiguitie of the woord, either wee do mocke the reader in this whole diſputation, or elſe deceiue him.
S.
How many ſignifications therefore are there of this woord, world?
M.
Three ſpeciall. Firſt, the world is taken for the creatures themſelues, whereof this whole viſible frame and woorke conſiſteth. So is it taken in Iohn the firſt chapter, the 10. verſe: ſo likewiſe in the 2. Epiſtle of S. Peter, the 3. chap. and 6. verſe. And moreouer, for the corrupt and miſerable condition of this world, which falling vntounto all theſe thinges by meanes of mannes tranſgreſſion, now hangeth vppon them: whereby there is a moſt manifeſt confuſion, and a great diſorder in al thinges. So ſayth S. Ihon in the 2. chap. and 16. verſe: and likewiſe the 5. Chapter, and 19. verſe. Finally, it is taken for one parte of the worlde, and that the moſt noble and excellent, to wit, for men only, and manye times for all men, as to the Romanes the 5. chapter, and 12. verſe: Ihon the 3. chapter, the 16. verſe: and oftentimes for the faithfull and regenerat, as in the 1. Epiſtle of S. Ihon the 2. chapter, and 2. verſe. and at another time alſo for the reprobate and vnbeleeuinge, as in the 1. Epiſtle to the Corinthians, the 1. chapter. and 21. verſe: and S. Ihon the 14. chapter, the 17. and 22. verſes. Otherwiſe alſo if a man would call the definition of this woorde worlde, vntounto certaine chapters and ſpeciall pointes, wee maye ſaye, that vnderunder the name of the worlde, ſumtime the place it ſelfe, ſumtime the ſubſtance of the thinges, ſumtime the men as the principall part thereof, and ſumtime the corruption of the ſame part, that is to ſay, of men, is to be vnderſtoode.
S.
But the worlde was by the Latins called Mundus, for the moſt beutifull order of all things therein coteined, like as it was alſo tearmed by the Grecians, K…ſmo…, of the cumlyneſſe thereof: which reaſon of the name, truely is repugnant vntounto that ſignification, whereby you ſaye that confuſion of thinges and vice is ſumtime ſignified by the name of the worlde.
M.
Uerily, you hauehave alleaged a true definition of thys woorde worlde, from which notwithſtandinge afterwarde the vſe both of the Greeke and Latine tongue hath deflected. For men vnderſtoode that rebellion, corruption, and diſorder was generally in all things and partes of the worlde, they called the ſame by the name of the worlde, bicauſe it is inſeperably diſtributed throughout the whole, a…d ingraffed, as it were, within the marrowe of eueryevery ſingulare thinge. By which meanes, men are many times tearmed to bee the common deſtinie and miſerie of men. The Hebrues in their tongue call the worlde Gola (which woorde the Apoſtles doe tranſlate Euerlaſtinge, as to the Hebrues the 11. chapter, and 3. verſe: the 1. chapter, and 2. verſe, to the Epheſians the 2. chapter, and 2. verſe: not of eternitie, as if the worlde had beene alwayes and from euerlaſtinge, but rather of the fixed and certeine order thereof, which the Lorde God hath eſtabliſhed in it after that he had created the things that are in it, which wee beholde to bee in it & to continue in it euen vntounto this daye: as are the riſinge and ſettinge of the Sunne, and the chaunge and alteration of the foure quarters of the yeare. And this ſhall indure ſo longe as this ſtate of thinges ſhall continue, as it appeareth in the 8. chapter of Geneſis, the 22. verſe: the 9. chapter, the 9. or 10. verſe: & Iob the 26. chapter, the 10. verſe: & Eccleſiaſt the 8. chapter, and 11. verſe. Wherfore, whē this age and figure of this worlde is paſt, this order of thinges ſhall periſhe alſo: the 1▪ to the Corinthians the 7. chapter, and 30. verſe: the 1. Epiſtle of S. Peter the 3 chapter the 4. and 7. verſes, but it ſhall continue vntill that time. For the Hebrues themſelues do plainle ſignifie, that this worlde ſhall one day hauehave an end, callinge the ſame worlde by the name of Chadel. Pſalme 39. verſe 5.
S.
By which definition therefore, or by whiche of thoſe three ſignifications, muſte the worlde bee taken in this diſputation?
M.
By the fyrſt.
S.
What is the worlde?
M.
The worlde is not onelyonly a certeine comprehenſyon and heapinge togither of all theſe viſible thinges, but alſo a moſt orderly and wiſe diſtinction, ordeined by God in eueryevery kinde and ſpace, whereof hee made heauen and earth to bee the extreame partes.
S.
Whence doe you prooue this your definition?
M.
Firſt, out of the verie ſame places of the ſcripture, by whiche I prooued that all thinges viſible and whiche can bee ſeene, are the matter of this Arte: and alſo by that ye ſcripture, for the moſt part, vſeth to tearme the moſt excellently and beutifully ordered frame of thys whole worlde, by the name of the worlde as in Geneſis the 24. Chapter, and 22. verſe: the 2. Chapter the 4. verſe: Mathew the 11. Chapter, the 25. verſe: and in other places alſo almoſt infinite.
S.
Why hauehave you comprehended both theſe pointes in your definition, to wit, that the worlde is not onelyonly a general comprehēſion of al things togither, but alſo of them ſeuerally diſtinguiſhed?
M.
Bycauſe, if wee wil conceiue in our minde confuſedly all thinges whereof this world conſiſteth, and is diforderly heaped togither, or lyinge one vponupon an other not yet diſpoſed into any order, but as it were ye rubbiſhe of ſome houſe that were fallen downe, or as it were ſtuffe prepared to build ſome houſe withall: ſuch an heape of thinges can not yet bee called a worlde. It is rather that whiche the Grecians, both Poetes & others, tearmed by the name of Chaos: the Hebrues call the ſame Bohu, that is to ſay, a diſordered heape, from whiche ſome thinke the woord Chaos was deriued, by a ſmal chaūge, to wit of the letter B. into C. as though the Grecians, beeing diſdainfull hearers, and vnſkilfull Schollars, had vnderſtoode the woord rather after that maner: Hereof that phraſe and maner of ſpeaking in the Latine toungue is knowne, whiche Verrius the learned Grammarian hath noted, that in the olde tyme the auncient people called the world Cohum, and from thence this woord, in…h…are, to beeginne and leaue vnperfect, was deriued. But by the Apoſtle, in the Epiſtle to the Hebrues, the 3. chapter, and 4. verſe, the worlde is called an houſhold, and compared to a familie well and orderly diſpoſed: neither is it a diſordered heape in deede.
The. ix. Chapter. Whether the world may truely and Chriſtianly bee called an vniuerſalitie.
S.
BUt in that this world is by ſome Latine Writers called vniuerſitas, an vniuerſalitie, and by the Grecians all and the whole, doo you allow of it?
M.
Although I know, that ſo proud a name as that is, doth ſcarce pleaſe well ſome very well learned and godly men: notwithſtanding, foraſmuche as graue auctours, and alſo Eccleſiaſticall Fathers and writers hauehave vſed that woorde, truely I iudge that it is not to bee reiected. For S. Auguſtine in his Enchirid. the 10. chapt. and in the 8. booke, and 25. chapt. of Geneſis accordyng to the Letter: and Tertullian alſo in ſome place: and Ireneus likewiſe in the 2. booke and 12. is not afeard to vſe this woord for the world: that I may not alſo commende vntounto you in this reſpecte S. Ambroſe, and S. Baſill, whoſe opinions perhaps may bee confirmed out of the 3. chap. and 4. verſe of the E. piſtle to the Hebrues. For although, beſides this viſible world, there bee other creatures of God, and thoſe alſo many very excellent & beutifull, as are the Angels, and the ſeates of the Sainctes, and bleſſed men: and this name, vniuerſalitie, ſeemeth to bee an arrogant and bold name: yet all men knowe in what ſenſe they call it ſo, and how wee ought to vnderſtand it, to wit, that the worlde is an vniuerſalitie, not of all Gods creatures, but of thoſe onelyonly that can bee ſeen, and are corporall.
S.
Hetherto concernyng the name of the world: now let vsus come to the thing it ſelf.
M.
Yes, for ſo the order of the diſputation requireth.