Bulk and Selvage of the World, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
WHether there may not have been ſome other worlds or world before ours was; or Whether there may not yet be ſome ſuch a great way off, while this of ours is?
Anſw. A moreneſs of worlds, and a ſoonerneſs of this world, may alwayes be, and often are, grounded upon a like way of reaſoning; that is, the boundleſs and everlaſting power and goodneſs of the Almighty Maker: for ſo pleads the avoucher, God being all way boundleſs in power and goodneſs, and every where withal, wherever and whenever he is, he may give ſhew of his power and his goodneſs; there being nothing to hinder his making worlds elſewhere than where this was pitcht, or other-while than when this was begun, but only time and room imaginary which are nothing; and it being good in it ſelf for a world to be, the more of them there were, or the ſooner they began, ſo much the better. Now if all this makes any thing for a moreneſs or more earlineſs of worlds, by the ſelf-ſame Argument we may hold, That this world began ſooner than we are told it did begin. Which is both impoſſible to be, and wicked to think: For the Maker Almighty being everlaſting as well as all-filling, and ever as well as then, boundleſly powerful and good; and it being good in it ſelf for this world, as much as for any former or other world to be, Why might he not 10000 ages before the world was, give it its bidding to ſtep forth, whilſt the ſooner it was the better? But we muſt alſo note, That the Argument drawn from Gods unbounded power and goodneſs, as looking towards the behoof of the Creature will ever fall ſhort upon this ſcore: For why, there is not a full reckoning up of thoſe attributes of his that have to do in the work; boundleſs wiſdom and good liking being left out. For we are to know, That then only infinite power and goodneſs could make the world, when infinite wiſdom and good-liking thought it meet, that ſuch a being ſhould begin to be. Now that was when we read in Moſes it did begin to be. Whence I think it follows. That it could begin no ſooner. For infinite wiſdom pitching upon that time for its beginning, choſe out the very beſt time that could be lighted on for its beginning: Had it then begun ſooner, it had been better for it not to have begun ſo ſoon. But to miſtruſt boundleſs wiſdom, to contrive ſo, that it might have better been contrived, is to unmake its boundleſneſs. And to pitch upon two or more beſt times, for a thing to begin in, is to pitch upon one of the worſer kinds of awkwardneſs.
Hence then we gather thus much, That as boundleſs wiſdom took in with a moment, wherein it was deem'd moſt meet, that Creatures ſhould begin, ſo are we to think again it ſettled upon a certain number of Creatures, which it was beſt of all, ſhould ſometimes have beginning. For if there were no more reaſon, why God ſhould make the world, then when he did make it, than why he ſhould make it ſooner or later than he did, it had nere been made at all, any more than it was made ſooner or later than it was: and if there were no more reaſon why he made ſo many beings in the world, than why he ſhould make more or fewer, he had never made ſo many at all, any more than he made fewer or more than he did make. Now the ſame moſt truſtful witneſs that tells us when the world began, telling us alſo that it was, in the beginning; that is, (if I underſtand the firſt word in the Bible foreign) in the beginning of thoſe things that were ever made, or before all worlds, or the firſt made bodies were the heaven and the earth which now are: and when he tells us what things were then made; tells us alſo that they were made up into a world that was one. And the ſame argument that makes for worlds more or ſooner, proves alſo with the ſame ſtrength that our own world was more or ſooner, or might have been. We have the ſame reaſon to deny its force for more or earlier worlds at all, that we have to deny it for the forebeing or morebeing of this.
Beſides, To gather that God has or may have, more or earlyer worlds, becauſe he can do the moſt that can be done, and the ſooneſt that could be done, is no leſs than the very ſcum of emptineſs. For God being as boundleſs in his goodneſs as he is his mightineſs, at this rate, would be forc't to reach out that love to all mankind at leaſt, that we read he has bounded only to ſome choſen ones: ſo not only the few names in Sardis and the remnant of Iſrael, but the All of thoſe Churches and mankind too, ſhould at length arrive at everlaſting bliſs. But as we find his goodneſs as boundleſs in the making ſome happy for ever, as it would be in the making all ſo; and that God has thought meet that his infinite goodneſs ſhould have enough to do, to ſave ſome, without ſaving all or moſt: ſurely we are to think too, that his boundleſs power has enough to do, and begins ſoon enough to do, or did as much as it needed to do, and began as ſoon as it needed to begin, in making one world as he did, and beginning it, when he did. If then boundleſs good will and ruthfulneſs in ſparing ſome from everlaſting burnings, has ſpared as many as it needs to ſpare, for the ſake of its boundleſneſs; in like manner boundleſs mightineſs in making the world or this whole Crowd of beings, as late as tis, and as little as tis, has made it as ſoon and as big, as a world or number of beings needs to be made, for the ſake of its boundleſsneſs, ſo as if more or ſooner worlds ſhould be made, it would not better become, or more fully ſpeak forth its boundleſſneſs. And if ſo, then had God made, ſooner or bigger or more worlds, he had done that which was altogether needleſs to be done, and what not ſo well done, as that which he has already done; becauſe what is done is the beſt that can be done: And that would be an unbeſeemingneſs, which would as much take from the boundleſsneſs of his wiſdom, as it would put to the boundleſsneſs of his power.
Again, This ill weighed reaſoning would put God upon the doing of things, with a meaner forecaſt than we do things our ſelves. For ſhould God have made worlds, before or beſides this, that ſo his works might hold ſome fuller proportion or meetſomneſs with his everlaſting and Almighty power; it would be a making of God to do things, for ſuch ends as he ſhould never be able to reach, nor in the leaſt draw nearer to. For ſhould God have made any worlds ſome thouſands of years before this, there would have been the ſame everlaſting power, before all ſuch worlds, as is before this, and no leſs: as there is now the ſame everlaſting power before our world, that would be before ſuch worlds, and no more. And ſhould God make other worlds together with, or wide off this world, there would be the ſame Almighty power beyond them, and taken up in the making of them, that is beyond, and in the making of this, and no more, as there is in this, and no leſs. Upon the ſame account that God may make or might have made, one world more than this, he may make or might have made 10000, and upon the ſame ſcore he may or might 10000, he may or might 100000, and when he has made all of them, be yet no nearer doing any thing like his boundleſs ſelf than he was in the making this one; for his whole boundleſs power was ſet a work or taken up, in the making of this, and no more than the whole could be, in the making of never ſo many more worlds, or never ſo many more early worlds.
God did not make the world or worldly beings, that the bigneſs or manifoldneſs of them ſhould ſet forth to us his alfillingneſs, or that the earlineſs of them ſhould give us the likeneſs of his everlaſtingneſs, but that the unutterable curiouſneſs of its frame and workmanſhip, the unthinkable care and forecaſt in all its evenneſſes and entwinings, ſhould beget in us as well an awfulneſs of, as wonder for, a greatneſs and wiſdom ſo unbounded. As alſo that the thoughts of thoſe manifold layers of hallowed drifts, and everlaſting well wiſhes for the happineſs of worthleſs ſinful man, ſhould enkindle in us the flames of holy love and hearty worſhippings, of a boundleſs goodneſs, ſo boundleſly endearing. All which are to be done well enough, without looking at the time before, the room beyond, or the while taken up, in the doing of the things we ſo much wonder at, and bow down while we think upon. Elſe ſhould we have lower thoughts of Almighty Power and Wiſdom making the world in ſix days, than if the ſame had been done in one, or leſs than one. Iſaac Habrechtus that cunning Handywright who made the Clock at Straſburgh is as much talkt of, and wondred at, far and wide, for the bare framing of it at ſuch a bigneſs, ſometime in his life, once, in ſo long while as he thought fit, as if he had made it bigger or earlier, and had made more beſides it, and in a ſhorter time: for, for its workmanſhip alone, tis matchleſs, as to mans skill, and it would have been no more than ſo, by reaſon of the reſt.
God Almighty by making this one world in ſix days, beginning it when he did, and bounding it where he did, has made it a Noneſuch altogether; and had he by making it more, or quicker, or ſooner, or bigger, fulfill'd the mindes of ſuch as would have it ſo, it had been no more ſtill than a Noneſuch altogether. He that cannot enough praiſe Almighty wiſdom, and love everlaſting goodneſs, for the making one world of nothing when he did, would never find in his heart to do it, for his making more, or quicker, or ſooner or bigger: Boundleſs wiſdom, love and power brought about the firſt, and no more than boundleſs could the latter.
The worthy Doctor More has ſuprizingly effay'd the infinity or boundleſs manifoldneſs of worlds from the Head of lightſomneſs. For ſo he pleads, Either there muſt be infinite Suns and Worlds or elſe, (which is frightful to think), there muſt be infinite darkneſs, for nothing bounded could ever enlighten it?
To which we ſay firſt, that having taken away altogether that boundleſs waſtfulneſs beyond the world, we are no whit careful, about the light or darkneſs of it; that which is nothing at all, being neither light nor dark at all: let them ſay, which of the two it had beſt to be, who hold it. And again we cannot but mark here, how hard a thing 'tis for us, to lay aſide the things which befal bodies, while we are ſpeaking of things, which are not ſo. For the outworldiſh emptineſs before the income of lightſome worlds is owned to be no body, and yet it ſeems, muſt needs be dark, if unenlightned, body-like: according to which that Learned Gentleman might as well have proved the ſoul it ſelf to have been dark, no Sun ſhining into it, as that emptineſs, a thing as much not body (a ſort of which alone are enlightned with ſunbeams), would have been ſo: not to ſay that even God himſelf before the making of the Sun, muſt thus have been in ſtate of darkneſs too; for God, who, whilſt no body, is yet ſomthing, ſtands fairer for being an enlightned ſomthing, than that does, which, whilſt no body, is alſo nothing at all, and muſt therefore firſt become ſomthing, before it can get up to be an enlightned ſomthing.
Moreover, to ſay nothing how light may otherwiſe ariſe than from ſuns, (as may be ſeen by Mr. Clayton's Diamond, the Bononian Stone, ſtale Sprats, the ſouce drink of Mackrel, the off-ſcourings of an Oyſter-ſhell, &c,) 'tis clear that darkneſs or Sun-light, are ſuch narrow betiders of body, that they are too ſcant to cover all that are bound up under that name, unleſs any will be ſo uncouth as to ſay, that a Mill-ſtone is inwardly dark; which he that does, muſt ſee further into than I can, or any man elſe that I know; or that a ſhining piece of rotten wood, has leſs of its lightſomneſs in the dark than in the day.
As for the lights that have been ſeen in Mr. Boyles Air pump, When it once be made clear, as the lights we are ſpeaking of, that all body is indeed and indeed ſuckt out of it, that light cannot beam in that thinneſs where a breather can't live nor a bladder be blown, that the hollow ſide of the glaſs throws in no rayes or ſteams, nor the outſide of the ſhining body any at all or any but thoſe of light, or that none of thoſe rayes of other atoms that are ſhacking all over the worlds waſts come riding or drilling through both; it will behove us to bethink our ſelves of ſome kind of Anſwer for it: But until that be done, we ſhall think that the world cannot at all, or at leaſt by man, be crowded into a leſs room than God at firſt allow'd it, (and that it muſt be, if the empty Receiver has nothing of the world in it); and that all the light that we ſee is body in body, (the world, as we think, being all over glutted with body). So that he who at the ſelvedge of the world does but ſee light as far as he can ſee any thing, he needs not take thought for that darkneſs beyond which neither his eyes ſee, nor underſtanding kens. Which might be enough wherewith to cloſe the laſt thing we laid down, that is, the moreneſs or more earlineſs of worlds.
Unleſs that we may put to the reſt one Objection more for the plurality of worlds, or infinity of this, from ſuch ſayings in the Engliſh tongue, as ſeem to ſpeak it a truth with us, time out of mind: Some whereof having room either in the daily offices of the Liturgy, or in the Creed it ſelf, the over-looking of them without any remark, may ſeem ſo like a ſlight that Book, or thoſe things which holy and wiſe men have had both good thoughts of, and much love for, that I hope we may be forgiven, while we go on to ſhew, that their right meanings do as much befriend theſe our thinkings, as their miſtaken ones may ſeem to lye croſs to them.
The firſt is that which comes, as other-where, ſo ofteneſt in the Gloria patri,—World without end; which may ſeem to ſpeak the world everlaſting or boundleſs. The other is moſt remarkably in the Nicene Creed—Before all worlds; which ſeems too to be well enough bottom'd upon Holy Writ it ſelf; For ſo we read, Heb. 1. 2, By whom alſo he made the worlds. And 11. 3, Through faith we underſtand the worlds were framed. Whence one would think, that we do believe in good earneſt, that there were worlds before this, or are beſides it.
Anſw. If we had but that inſight into the happy ſpeech of our fore-fathers that were to be wiſht for, the words could never afford us the leaſt of a ſtumbling-block. But ſo few men having thought good to meddle with it of late, and ſcarce any but Mr. Somner at this day, we ſhall take upon us, as ſhortly as we can, to give the meaning of thoſe ſayings, ſo as no man who has not ſo much as lookt back to old Engliſh, ſhould at any time be miſled by them.
We are then to underſtand, That the word [World] though we now take it for that bulk of bodily beings we ſee, yet of old it was as well, and oftner too, taken for ages and laſtingneſs time out of mind. And the word with our Saxon Fore-fathers, for what we now call the World, was moſtly Middan eard, Middle earth. The old word World anſwering to the Seculum of the Latines, as the fore-named did to their Mundus. Which they have ſtuck ſo cloſely to in their Engliſhings of Latine, that not only Aelfrick in his Gloſſary, (ſet forth by the Learned and painful Mr. Somner,) turns ſeculum, World, (as he does aevum yld & ece). But the word ſeculum being to be met with 70 times and upwards in the Pſalms, according to the vulgar Lat. the Saxon tranſlations, (printed by the Great Spelman,) have alwayes turn'd it world; and as often as it happens in the Saxon Goſpels 'tis the ſame too. And whereas Mundus comes in in the Goſpels about 20 times, 'tis alſo read Middan eard: As alſo foreign in Aelfrick's Gloſſary. And though Orbis terrarum be the ſame in ſence with both, that is Engliſhed by neither word, but evermore, (if I miſtake not,) in the Pſalms and Goſpels by ymbhwyrft eorthena, or all the round-about of earthly beings. And laſtly, Though in aeternum, in perpetuum, and in ſempiternum, mean the ſame with in ſeculum, yet are they ever turn'd on ecnyſſe, unto endleſneſs.
But how little they thought them to differ in ſence, will be ſhown by an Inſtance or two among many. Pſal. 135, His mercy endureth for ever; It being in aeternum, 'tis made on ecnyſſe: But the very ſame thing, Pſal. 117, being ſpoken by in ſeculum, 'tis Engliſht on worulde, to or for world. Pſal. 9. 5, in aeternum, and in ſeculum ſeculi being together, 'tis on ecnyſſe and on worulde a worulde, for ever and ever. And Pſal. 27. the laſt— life them up for ever, being in aeternum, the Trin. Coll. MSS. reads oth on worulde and on ecnyſſe, for ever and ever as we ſay. Whence 'tis clear, that with our Fore-fathers, World and Evermore were often the ſame.
And they were ſo ready to make World ſpeak ſeculum, that where we give a much unlike meaning, they ſtill hold to it. So Pſal. 89, (90.) 8, where we read, our ſecret ſins. The Lat. having it ſeculum noſtrum, (and the 70 the ſame in Gr.) from the Heb. foreign, they have it worulde ure, our world. So they hold it in the Ajective too: Whence in King Aethelſ…ans Laws, as we have them from Mr. Lambert, we find Meſſe thegn, and weoruld thegn, turn'd in Brampton, as the Great Selden has it, Presbyteri & Seculares. And in K. Edm. Laws, Church-men and Secular men are ſhared into God…nda hada and woruld…da, and worldmanna dome is judicium ſeculare.
Beſides, We are to know that World, whether it be in the ſingular number or plural, may betoken plurally or indefinitely, and as much adverbially as nominally. So where we read, Pſal. 54. 21, Abideth of old, ante ſecula, plurally, 'tis atforan worulde, ſingularly. And in St. Luke, in ſecula is on worulde, as in ſeculum is ſometimes on a worulda, Pſal. 132. 4. and ſometimes one ſometimes the other, Pſal. 117. So that world needs not be one age only, but ages time out of mind, and hereafterward.
Again, If we compare a few Doxologies of the Saxon times, with the ſayings we before ſpake of, it will yet further be ſeen.
Thus in the Saxon Sermon in Mr. Liſle and Mr. Fox, we read on ealra worulda woruld, unto all ages of ages. And in the pieces of Saxon Homilies by Mr. Wheelock, on ealra woruld, unto all ages; yeond ealra worulda woruld, beyond all ages of ages, or times of times; a butan ende, aye without end; on ealra worulde woruld a butan ende, unto all ages of ages, aye without end; a a on ecnyſſe, for aye, to eternity; a to woruld, aye for ever, or for ever and for aye. And K. Canute ſhuts up his Church-Laws with ſymble efre to woruld Amen, alwayes, for ever, to endleſneſs; after our full way of ſpeaking over and over what is boundleſs, when we ſay, for ever and ever.
And ſince we were over-run by the Normans, this way of ſpeaking has been kept up. Thus in a MSS. now by me of the N. T. written (as I gheſs) about the time of Ric. 1. where 'tis ſaid, Rom. 1. 25, Benedictus in ſecula, 'tis that is bleſſ…d into worldis of worldis, who is bleſſed for ever. 1 Cor. 2. 7, Ante ſecula, bifore worldis. 2 Cor. 11. 31, In ſecula, into worldis. Eph. 2. 7. In ſeculis ſupervenientibus, in the worldis above comyng, in the ages to come. Col. 1. 26, Hid from ages and generations, fro worldis and generaciouns. Laſtly, in the Cordial, one of the earlieſt printed Books coming forth a. 1478, quoting Iſa. 34, 'tis ſaid, The ſinner ſhall be in deſolation time and world withouten ende.
From all which 'tis as clear, that we meant in the dayes of yore by the word World, time, ages, all the while that has been heretofore or is to be hereafter boundleſly, as that we mean by it now adayes, that frame of bodies in which we live and ſpeak it.
And indeed 'tis eaſie enough to be aware, that we ſtill take World for that which is vaſt in bulk, boundleſs in tale or laſtingneſs, or any wayes elſe that we can think of. In thoſe Country ſayings of a world of water in the Sea, a world of Sea-ſtones on the ſhingle, or a world of moments ſince the world began; and when we ſay, this or that is nothing in the world, ſuch a thing is like another for all the world.
So then, to make an end, When we read in the Penman of the Hebr. of Worlds that were made or framed by God, we mean (if we know what we mean) as the Gr. and V. Lat. mean; that is, foreign, fecit ſecula, and foreign, ap…ata eſſe ſecula; he made or there were framed, the ſundry ages or by-runnings and wheelings about of things in this world, or the whole gathering of them call'd world: foreign betokening rather a laſting than the thing that laſts; and yet may ſometimes be both, as the Heb. foreign is Seculum and Mundus. Likewiſe when we read in the Nicene Creed, or Maeſſe Creda, as in the Saxon, that Chriſt was begotten of the Father ante omnia ſecula; we have it ae r ealle worulda, before all worlds, that is, before all ages or wheelings about of times, and things in time. And world without end, in the Doxology, is ages, or evermore without end, or beyond all ages or ſet times. The keeping to which old ſayinge in Holy Writ, or about holy things, (as we do elſewhere to thoſe of two tenth deals of flower, reward thee in this plat, ſeek after leaſing, go with him twain, &c.) while we have taken in ſo many new wayes of ſpeaking, and later meanings of the word World, has made thoſe more loneſome Speeches ſomewhat leſs underſtood, and more likely to be miſtaken.
FINIS.