Christian Religion, Catechism · Part 6 – Part 7
GEN. 1. verſ. 14. to the 25.
14 And God ſaid, let there be lights in the firmament of the heauen, to ſeparate the day from the night, and let them be for ſignes and for ſeaſons, and for dayes and yeeres, &c.
WHat is generall in the creation of the compound bodies?
Firſt, that prouiſion is made for his inhabitants of the earth ere they be made, as graſſe for the beaſts, and light for all liuing and mouing creatures, and all for man.
What learne you from hence?
Not to be carking for the things of this life: nor to ſurfet with the cares thereof, ſeeing God prouided for the neceſſitie and comfort of the beaſts ere hee would bring them into the world.
What is generall in all the earthly creatures?
That God proceedeth from the things that be more imperfect to thoſe that are perfecter, vntill hee come to the perfecteſt, as from the trees, corne, herbs, &c. which hauehave but one life, that is, whereby they increaſe and are vegetatiue, vntounto the beaſts which hauehave both an increaſing, and feeling or ſenſitiue life, as fiſhes, fowles, beaſts, &c. and from them to man, which hath beſides both them a reaſonable ſoule.
What learne you from thence?
That wee ſhould therein follow the example of the Lord to goe from good to better, vntill we come to be perfect.
What elſe is generall?
To hauehave power and vertue giuen them to bring foorth the like vntounto themſelues for the continuance of their kinde, is generally giuen to all thoſe that are expreſſed in the creation here, albeit there be creatures, as ſtones and minerals, that bring not forth the like. And this bleſſing of multiplication is principall in the things that hauehave the life of ſenſe, beſide the life of increaſe. And therefore the Lord is brought in to ſpeake to them in the ſecond perſon: which he did not to the groſſe corne and trees, Gen. 1.22.
What learne you from hence?
That the chiefe and ſpeciall cauſe of the continuance of eueryevery kinde of creatures to the worlds end, is this will & word of God: without the which, they, or ſundrie of them, would hauehave periſhed ere this, by ſo many meanes as are to conſume them.
What is the firſt creation of the compound bodies?
God hauing cauſed the waters to retire into their veſſels the third night, in the third day, which followed that night, hee clad the earth with graſſe for the vſe of beaſts only, corne and trees for the vſe of man.
Seeing that the growth of theſe is from the influence of the heauenly bodies, how commeth it to paſſe that he firſt maketh the graſſe, corne, and trees, ere hee made the heauenly bodies of the Sunne, Moone, and Starres?
To correct our error, which tie the increaſe of theſe ſo to the influence of the heauenly bodies, euen to the worſhipping of them, therein forgetting the Lord, who hereby ſheweth, that all hangeth vponupon him, and not on them: for as much as he made them when the heauenly bodies were not.
What elſe?
That the fruitfulnes of the earth ſtandeth not ſo much in the labour of the husbandman, as in the power which God hath giuen to the earth to bring foorth fruite.
What was made the fourth day?
Lights: all which, although they be great in themſelues, to the end they might giuegive light to the darke earth, that is, farre remoued from them: yet are they diſtinguiſhed into
great,
Sunne,
Moone,
ſmall,
the Stars,
which are as it were certeine veſſels wherein the Lord did gather the light, which before was ſcattered in the whole bodie of the heauens.
Why doth Moſes call the Sunne and Moone the greateſt lights, when there are Starres that exceed the Moone by many degrees?
Becauſe they are greateſt firſt in their vſe and vertue that they exerciſe vponupon the terreſtriall bodies. Secondly, for that they ſeeme ſo to vsus: it being the purpoſe of the holy Ghoſt by Moſes to applie himſelfe to the capacitie of the vnlearned.
What is the vſe of them?
Firſt, to diſtinguiſh the times, Spring, Summer, Autumne, and Winter, from whence their work and naturall effect vponupon the earthly creatures is gathered: alſo to diſtinguiſh the night from the day, the day from the monethmonth, the monethmonth from the yeere: laſt of of all, to giuegive light to the inhabitants of the earrh.
HaueHave they not operation alſo in the extraordinarie euents of ſingular things and perſons for their good and euill eſtate?
No verely, there is no ſuch vſe taught of them in the Scriptures.
What was the worke of the fifth day and night?
To create the
Fiſhes and
Birds.
What were the fiſhes made of?
Of all foure elements, but more (as ſeemeth) of the waters then other liuing things.
VVhat were the birds made of?
Gen. 2.19.Of all foure elements, yet hauehave more of the earth, and therefore that they are ſo light, and that their delight is in the aire, it is ſo much the more maruellous.
What is the worke of the ſixth night and day?
Probable.In the night thereof he made the beaſts of ye earth,
going,
tame, or home-beaſts.
wilde, or field-beaſts.
creeping.
GEN. chap. 1. verſ. 26, 27. and chap. 2. verſ. 7.
26. Furthermore God ſaide, Let vsus make man in our image according to our likeneſſe, and let them rule ouer the fiſh of the ſea, and ouer the foule of the heauen and ouer the beaſts, and ouer all the earth, and ouer eueryevery thing that creepeth and mooueth on the earth.
27 Thus God created the man in his image: in the image of God created he him: he created them male and female.
WHat was made the ſixth day?
Man in both ſexes, that is, both man and woman.
Why was he made laſt of all?
Firſt, becauſe hee is the end of all vnreaſonable creatures, and therefore that hee might glorifie God for all. Secondly, for that hee would hauehave him firſt prouided for, ere hee brought him into the world; and if he had care of him before he was, how much more now he is?
What note you thereof?
That man hath not to boaſt of his antiquitie, all the creatures being made before him, euen to the vileſt worme.
What is to be obſerued in his creation?
That here, for the excellencie of the worke, God is brought in as it were deliberating with himſelfe, the Father with the Sonne and the holy Ghoſt, and they with him; for where the other creatures were made ſuddenly, man was (as we ſhall ſee) not ſo, but with ſome ſpace of time. Hitherto alſo belongeth that the holy Ghoſt ſtandeth longer vponupon his creation then vponupon the reſt.
What learne you from thence?
That we ſhould marke ſo much the more the wiſedome and power of God in the creation of him.
Wherein doth his excellencie ſtand?
In the perfection of his nature indued with excellent gifts, which is called the image of God.
Wherein doth that image conſiſt?
In that which is inward, and that which is outward.
Wherein ſtandeth that part of the image of God that is inward?
Firſt, in knowledge of all duties either concerning God, his neighbour, or himſelfe; vntounto which knowledge may be referred wiſedome, to vſe knowledge, to diſcerne whē, where, and how eueryevery thing ſhould be done; conſcience to accuſe or excuſe, as his doings ſhould be good or euill: memorie to retaine; prouidence to foreſee what is good, to doe it, what is euill to auoid it. Reaſon to diſcuſſe of the lawfulnes or vnlawfulnes of eueryevery particular action of a mans owne ſelfe. Hitherto referre the knowledge of the natures of the creatures, whereby hee was able to name them according to their nature.
Secondly, in holineſſe of minde and will: whereof it is that God ſaith, Be ye holy, as I am holy.
Thirdly, in iuſtice, or vprightnes of deſires and affections.
So much of the inward gifts, what is the outward image of God?
That God ſet ſuch a grace and maieſtie in the perſon, eſpecially in the face of man, as all the creatures could not looke vponupon without feare and trembling: as appeareth when they all came before man to receiue their names. From all which both inward and outward, riſeth the dominion that God gaue him ouer all the creatures, of which dominion the authoritie to name them was a ſigne.