Of Genesis

Picus Earl of Mirandula (happier in no one thing in this
life, then in the Author which writ it to us) being a man
of an incontinent wit, and subject to the concupiscence
of inaccessible knowledges and transcendencies, pursuing
the rules of Cabal, out of the word Bresit, which is the
title of this first Book, by vexing, and transposing, and

anagrammatizing the letters, hath express'd and wrung
out this Sum of Christian Religion [The Father, in and
through the Son, which is the beginning, end, and rest, created
in a perfect league, the head, fire and foundation (which he
calls Heaven, Air and Earth) of the great man] (which he
calls the World). And he hath not onely delivered Moses
from any dissonance with other sound Philosophers, but
hath observed all other Philosophy in Moses's words; and
more, hath found all Moses's learning in every verse of
Moses. But since our merciful God hath afforded us the
whole and intire book, why should wee tear it into rags, or
rent the seamless garment? Since the intention of God,
through Moses, in this, was, that it might be to the Jews
a Book of the generation of Adam; since in it is purposely
propounded, That all this Universe, Plants, the chiefest
contemplation of Naturall Philosophie and Physick, and
no small part of the Wisdom of Solomon, [who spake of
plants, from Cedar to Hyssop:] And Beasts, who have often
the honour to be our reproach, accited for examples of
vertue and wisdome in the scriptures, and some of them
seposed for the particular passive service of God in Sacrifices
(which hee gave to no man but his Son, and withheld
from Isaac:) And Man, who (like his own eye) sees
all but himself, in his opinion, but so dimly, that there are
marked an hundred differences in mens Writings concerning
an Ant: And Spirits, of whom we understand no more,
then a horse of us: and the receptacles and theaters of all
these, Earth, Sea, Air, Heaven, and all things were once
nothing: That Man chusing his own destruction, did what
he could to annihilate himself again, and yet received a
promise of a Redeemer: That Gods mercy may not be
distrusted, nor his Justice tempted, since the generall
Deluge, and Joseph's preservation are here related, filling
an History of more then 2300 yeers, with such examples
as might mollifie the Jews in their wandering. I say, since
this was directly and onely purposed by Moses; to put him
in a wine-presse, and squeeze out Philosophy and particular
Christianitie, is a degree of that injustice, which all
laws forbid, to torture a man, sine indiciis aut sine probationibus.

Of the time when Moses writ this booke, there
are two opinions which have good guides, and good followers.
I, because to me it seems reasonable and clear, that
no Divine work preceded the Decalogue, have before
engaged my selfe to accompany Chemnitius, who is perswaded
by Theodoret, Bede, and Reason (because here is
intimation of a Sabboth, and distinction of clean and
unclean in beasts,) that this book was written after the
Law; And leave Pererius, whom Eusebius hath won to
thinke this booke was written in Madian, induc'd only by
Moses forty years leisure there; and a likelihood, that this
Story might well conduce to his end, of reclining the Jews
from Egypt.
And thus much necessarily, or conveniently, or pardonably,
may have been said, before my Entrance, without
disproportioning the whole work. For even in Solomon's
magnificent Temple, the Porch to the Temple had the
proportion of twenty Cubits to sixty. Our next step is
upon the threshold it self, In the beginning, &c.

PART 1

'In the Beginning whereof, O onely Eternall God, of
whose being, beginning, or lasting, this beginning is no
period, nor measure; which art no Circle, for thou hast
no ends to close up; which art not within this All, for it
cannot comprehend thee; nor without it, for thou fillest
it; nor art it thy self, for thou madest it; which having
decreed from all eternity, to do thy great work of Mercy,
our Redemption in the fulnesse of time, didst now create
time it selfe to conduce to it; and madest thy glory and
thy mercy equal thus, that though thy glorious work of
Creation were first, thy mercifull work of Redemption
was greatest. Let me in thy beloved Servant Augustine's
own words, when with an humble boldnesse he begg'd
the understanding of this passage, say, Moses writ this,
but is gon from me to thee; if he were here, I would hold
him, and beseech him for thy sake, to tell me what he meant.

If he spake Hebrew, he would frustrate my hope; but if
Latine, I should comprehend him. But from whence should
I know that he said true? Or when I knew it, came that
knowledge from him? No, for within me, within me there is
a truth, not Hebrew, nor Greek, nor Latin, nor barbarous;
which without organs, without noyse of Syllables, tels me
true, and would enable me to say confidently to Moses, Thou
say'st true.'
Thus did he whom thou hadst filled with faith, desire
reason and understanding; as men blest with great fortunes
desire numbers of servants, and other Complements
of honour. But another instrument and engine of thine,
whom thou hadst so enabled, that nothing was too
minerall nor centrick for the search and reach of his wit,
hath remembred me; That it is an Article of our Belief,
that the world began. And therefore for this point, we are
not under the insinuations and mollifyings of perswasion,
and conveniency; nor under the reach and violence of
Argument, or Demonstration, or Necessity; but under the
Spirituall, and peaceable Tyranny, and easie yoke of sudden
and present Faith. Nor doth he say this, that we
should discharge our selves upon his word, and slumber in
a lazy faith; for no man was ever more endeavourous then
he in such inquisitions; nor he in any, more then in this
point. But after he had given answers to all the Arguments
of reasonable and naturall men, for a beginning of this
world; to advance Faith duly above Reason, he assignes
this with other mysteries only to her comprehension. For
Reason is our Sword, Faith our Target. With that we prevail
against others, with this we defend our selves: And
old, well disciplined Armies punished more severely the
loss of this, then that.
This word, In the beginning, is the beginning of this
book, which we finde first placed of all the holy books;
And also of the Gospel by Saint John, which we know to
be last written of all. But that last beginning was the first;
for the Word was with God, before God created Heaven
and Earth. And Moses his In the Beginning, hath ever been

16

used powerfully, and prosperously, against Philosophers
and Hereticks relapsed into an opinion of the worlds
eternity. But Saint John's In the Beginning, hath ever had
strength against the Author of all errour, the Divel himself,
if we may beleeve the relations of exorcists, who in
their dispossessings, mention strange obediences of the
Divell at the naked enunciation of that word. It is not then
all one Beginning; for here God Did, there he Was. That
confesses a limitation of time, this excludes it. The great
Philosopher, (whom I call so, rather for his Conversion,
then his Arguments) who was Arius his Advocate at the
first Nicene Councell, assign'd a beginning between these
two beginnings; saying, that after John's eternal Beginning,
and before Moses's timely beginning, Christ had his beginning,
being then created by God for an instrument in his
generall Creation. But God forbid that anything should
need to be said against this, now. We therefore confessing
two Beginnings, say, that this first was simul cum tempore,
and that it is truly said of it, Erat quando non erat, and that
it instantly vanished; and that the last Beginning lasts yet,
and ever shall: And that our Mercifull God, as he made
no Creature so frail and corruptible as the first Beginning,
which being but the first point of time, dyed as soon as it
was made, flowing into the next point; so though he made
no creature like the last Beginning, (for if it had been as
it, eternall, it had been no creature;) yet it pleased him to
come so neer it, that our soul, though it began with that
first Beginning, shall continue and ever last with the last.
We may not dissemble, nor dare reprove, nor would avoid
another ordinary interpretation of this Beginning, because
it hath great and agreeing autority, and a consonance with
our faith: which is, that by the beginning here, is meant
the Son our Savior; for that is elsewhere said of him, I am
first and last, which is, and was, and is to come. And hereby
they would establish his coeternity, and consubstantialness,
because he can be no creature, who is present at
the first Creation. But because although to us, whom
the Spirit hath made faithfully credulous, and filled us
with an assurance of this truth, every conducing, and

C

convenient application governs and commands our assent,
because it doth but remember us, not teach us. But to the
Jews, who roundly deny this Exposition, and to the Arians,
who accept it, and yet call Christ a creature, as forecreated
for an Assistant in this Second Creation; these
detortions have small force, but as Sun-beams striking
obliquely, or arrows diverted with a twig by the way, they
lessen their strength, being turned upon another mark
then they were destined to. And therefore by the Example
of our late learned Reformers, I forbear this interpretation;
the rather, because we are utterly dis-provided of
any history of the Worlds Creation, except we defend and
maintain this Book of Moses to be Historical, and therefore
literally to be interpreted. Which I urge not with that
peremptorinesse, as Bellarmine doth, who answers all the
Arguments of Moses's silence in many points maintained
by that Church, with this only, Est liber Historiarum, non
Dogmatum. For then it were unproperly argued by our
Saviour, If ye believed Moses, ye would believe me, for he
writ of me. There is then in Moses, both History and Precept,
but evidently distinguishable without violence. That
then this Beginning was, is matter of faith, and so, infallible.
When it was, is matter of reason, and therefore
various and perplex'd. In the Epistle of Alexander the
Great to his Mother, remembred by Cyprian and Augustin,
there is mention of 8000. years. The Caldeans have delivered
observations of 470000 years. And the Egyptians of
100000. The Chineses vex us at this day, with irreconciliable
accounts. And to be sure, that none shall prevent
them, some have call'd themselves Aborigenes. The poor
remedy of Lunary and other planetary years, the silly and
contemptible escape that some Authors speak of running
years, some of years expired and perfected; or that the
account of dayes and monthes are neglected, cannot ease
us, nor afford us line enough to fathom this bottom. The
last refuge uses to be, that prophane history cannot clear,
but Scripture can. Which is the best, because it is halfe
true; But that the later part is true, or that God purposes
to reveal it in his Book, it seems doubtfull, because Sextus

Senensis reckons almost thirty severall supputations of the
years between the Creation, and our blessed Saviours birth,
all of accepted Authors, grounded upon the Scriptures;
and Pererius confesses, he might have encreased the number
by 20. And they who in a devout melancholy delight
themselves with this Meditation, that they can assigne the
beginning of all Arts which we use for Necessity or Ornament;
and conclude, that men which cannot live without
such, were not long before such inventions, forget both
that many Nations want those commodities yet, and that
there are as great things perish'd and forgot(t)en, as are
now remaining. Truly, the Creation and the last Judgement,
are the Diluculum and Crepusculum, the Morning and
the Evening twi-lights of the long day of this world. Which
times, though they be not utterly dark, yet they are but
of uncertain, doubtfull, and conjecturall light. Yet not
equally; for the break of the day, because it hath a succession
of more and more light, is clearer then the shutting
in, which is overtaken with more and more darknesse; so
is the birth of the world more discernable then the death,
because upon this God hath cast more clouds: yet since
the world in her first infancy did not speak to us at all (by
any Authors;) and when she began to speak by Moses, she
spake not plain, but diversly to divers understandings; we
must return again to our strong hold, faith, and end with
this, That this Beginning was, and before it, Nothing. It is
elder then darknesse, which is elder then light; And was
before Confusion, which is elder then Order, by how much
the universall Chaos preceded forms and distinctions. A
beginning so near Eternity, that there was no Then, nor a
minite of Time between them. Of which, Eternity could
never say, To morrow, nor speak as of a future thing, because
this Beginning was the first point of time, before which,
whatsoever God did, he did it uncessantly and unintermittingly;
which was but the generation of the Son, and
procession of the Spirit, and enjoying one another; Things,
which if ever they had ended, had begun; And those be
terms incompatible with Eternity. And therefore Saint
Augustin says religiously and exemplarily, If one ask me

what God did before this beginning, I will not answer, as
another did merrily, He made Hell for such busie inquirers:
But I will sooner say, I know not, when I know not, then
answer that, by which he shall be deluded which asked too
high a Mystery, and he be praysed, which answered a lie.'

PART 2

Now we have ended our Consideration of this beginning,
we will begin with that, which was before it, and was
Author of it, God himself; and bend our thoughts first
upon himself, then upon his Name, and then upon the
particular Name here used, Elohim.

Of God

Men which seek God by reason, and naturall strength,
(though we do not deny common notions and generall
impressions of a soveraign power) are like Mariners which
voyaged before the invention of the Compass, which were
but Costers, and unwillingly left the sight of the land.
Such are they which would arrive at God by this world,
and contemplate him onely in his Creatures, and seeming
Demonstration. Certainly, every Creature shewes God,
as a glass, but glimeringly and transitiorily, by the frailty
both of the receiver, and beholder: Our selves have his
Image, as Medals, permanently, and preciously delivered.
But by these meditations we get no further, then to know
what he doth, not what he is. But as by the use of the
Compass, men safely dispatch Ulysses dangerous ten years
travell in so many dayes, and have found out a new world
richer then the old; so doth Faith, as soon as our hearts
are touched with it, direct and inform us in that great
search of the discovery of Gods Essence, and the new
Hierusalem, which Reason durst not attempt. And though
the faithfullest heart is not ever directly, and constantly
upon God, but that it sometimes descends also to Reason;
yet it is (not) thereby so departed from him, but that it
still looks towards him, though not fully to him: as the
Compass is ever Northward, though it decline, and have
often variations towards East, and West. By this faith, as

by reason, I know, that God is all that which all men can
say of all Good; I beleeve he is somewhat which no man
can say nor know. For, si scirem quid Deus esset, Deus essem.
For all acquired knowledg is by degrees, and successive;
but God is impartible, and only faith which can receive it
all at once, can comprehend him.
Canst thou then, O my soul, when faith hath extended
and enlarged thee, not as wind doth a bladder (which is
the nature of humane learning) but as God hath displaid
the Curtain of the firmament, and more spaciously; for
thou comprehendest that, and him which comprehends it:
Canst thou be satisfied with such a late knowledg of God,
as is gathered from effects; when even reason, which feeds
upon the crums and fragments of appearances and verisimilitudes,
requires causes? Canst thou rely and leane
upon so infirm a knowledg, as is delivered by negations?
And because a devout speculative man hath said, Negationes
de Deo sunt verae, affirmationes autem sunt inconvenientes,
will it serve thy turn to hear, that God is that
which cannot be named, cannot be comprehended, or
which is nothing else? When every negation implyes some
privation, which cannot be safely enough admitted in God;
and is, besides, so inconsiderable a kind of proofe, that
in civill and judic(i)all practice, no man is bound by it,
nor bound to prove it. Can it give thee any satisfaction,
to hear God called by concrete names, Good, Just, Wise;
since these words can never be without confessing better,
wiser, and more just? Or if he be called Best, etc. or in such
phrase, the highest degree respects some lower, and mean,
one: and are those in God? Or is there any Creature, any
Degree of that Best, by which we should call God? Or
art thou got any neerer, by hearing him called Abstractly,
Goodness; since that, and such, are communicable, and
daily applied to Princes? Art thou delighted with Arguments
arising from Order, and Subordination of Creatures,
which must at last end in some one, which ends in none?
Or from the preservation of all this Universe, when men
which have not had faith, and have opposed reason to

reason, have escaped from all these, without confessing
such a God, as thou knowest; at least, without seeing
thereby, what he is? Have they furthered, or eased thee
any more, who not able to consider whole and infinit God,
have made a particular God, not only of every power of
God, but of every benefit? And so filled the world (which
our God alone doth better) with so many, that Varro
could account 30000 and of them 300 Jupiters. Out of
this proceeded Dea febris, and Dea fraus, and Tenebrae, and
Onions, and Garlike. For the Egyptians, most abundant in
Idolatry, were from thence said to have Gods grow in their
gardens. And Tertullian, noting that Gods became mens
Creatures, said, Homo incipit esse propitius Deo, because
Gods were beholden to men for their being. And thus did
a great Greek Generall, when he pressed the Ilanders for
money, tell them, that he presented two Gods, Vim et
Suasionem; and conformably to this they answered, that
they opposed two Gods, Paupertatem et Impossibilitatem.
And this multiplicity of Gods may teach thee, that the
resultance of all these powers is one God, and that no place
nor action is hid from him: but it teacheth not, who, nor
what he is. And too particular and restrain'd are all those
descents of God in his word, when he speaks of a body,
and of passions, like ours. And such also is their reverend
silence, who have expressed God in Hieroglyphicks, ever
determining in some one power of God, without larger
extent. And lastly, can thy great capacity be fulfilled with
that knowledg, which the Roman Church affords of God?
which, as though the state of a Monarchy were too terrible,
and refulgent for our sight, hath changed the Kingdome
of heaven into an Olygarchy; or at least, given God leasure,
and deputed Masters of his Requests, and Counsellers in
his great Starr-chamber?
Thou shalt not then, O my faithfull soul, despise any
of these erroneous pictures, thou shalt not destroy, nor
demolish their buildings; but thou shalt not make them thy
foundation. For thou beleevest more then they pretend
to teach and art assured of more then thou canst utter.

For if thou couldest express all which thou seest of God,
there would be somthing presently beyond that. Not that
God growes, but faith doth. For, God himself is so unutterable,
that he hath a name which we cannot pronounce.

Of the Name of God

Names are either to avoid confusion, and distinguish particulars,
and so every day begetting new inventions, and the
names often overliving the things, curious and entangled
Wits have vexed themselves to know, whether in the world
there were more things or names;) But such a name, God
who is one needs not; Or else, names are to instruct us, and
express natures and essences. This Adam was able to do. And
an enormous pretending Wit of our nation and age undertook
to frame such a language, herein exceeding Adam,
that whereas he named every thing by the most eminent
and virtuall property, our man gave names, by the first
naked enuntiation whereof, any understanding should
comprehend the essence of the thing, better then by a
definition. And such a name, we who know not Gods
essence cannot give him. So that it is truly said, there is
no name given by man to God, Ejus essentiam adaequate
representans. And Hermes says humbly and reverently, Non
spero, I cannot hope, that the maker of all Majesty, can be
call'd by any one name, though compounded of many. I
have therfore sometimes suspected, that there was some
degree of pride, and overboldness, in the first naming of
God; the rather, because I marke, that the first which
ever pronounced the name, God, was the Divell; and presently
after the woman; who in the next chapter proceeded
further, and first durst pronounce that sacred and
mystick name of foure letters. For when an Angell did but
Ministerially represent God wrastling with Jacob, he reproves
Jacob, for asking his name; Cur quaeris nomen meum?
And so also to Manoah, Why askest thou my Name, quod
est mirabile? And God, to dignify that Angell which he
promises to lead his people, says, Fear him, provoke him
not, &c. For my Name is in him; but he tels them not what
it is. But since, necessity hath enforced, and Gods will

hath revealed some names. For in truth, we could not say
this, God cannot be named, except God could be named.
To handle the Mysteries of these names, is not for the
straitness of these leaves, nor of my stock. But yet I will
take from Picus, those words which his extream learning
needed not, Ex lege, spicula linquuntur pauperibus in messe,
the richest and learnedst must leave gleanings behind
them. Omitting therefore Gods attributes, Eternity, Wisdom,
and such; and his Names communicable with Princes,
and such; there are two Names proper, and expressing his
Essence: One imposed by us, God; The other taken by
God, the Name of four letters; for the Name, I am, is
derived from the same root. The Name imposed by us,
comes so near the other, that most Nations express it in
four letters; and the Turk almost as Mistically as the
Hebrew, in Abgd, almost ineffably: And hence perchance
was derived the Pythagorean oath, by the number of four.
And in this also, that though it be given from Gods Works,
not from his Essence, (for that is impossible to us) yet the
root signifies all this, Curare, Ardere, and Considerare; and
is purposed and intended to signifie as much the Essence,
as we can express; and is never afforded absolutely to any
but God himself. And therefore Aquinas, after he had
preferred the Name I am, above all, both because others
were from formes, this from Essence; they signified some
determined and limited property, this whole and entire
God; and this best expressed, that nothing was past, nor
future to God; he adds, yet the Name, God, is more proper
then this, and the Name of four letters more then that.
Of which Name one says, that as there is a secret property
by which we are changed into God, (referring, I
think, to that, We are made partakers of the godly nature)
so God hath a certain name, to which he hath annexed
certain conditions, which being observed, he hath bound
himself to be present. This is the Name, which the Jews
stubbornly deny ever to have been attributed to the
Messias in the Scriptures. This is the name, which they
say none could utter, but the priests, and the knowledg

of it perished with the Temple. And this is the name by
which they say our Blessed Saviour did all his miracles,
having learned the true use of it, by a Scedule which he
found of Solomon's and that any other, by that means,
might do them.
How this name should be sounded, is now upon the
anvile, and every body is beating and hammering upon it.
That it is not Jehova, this governs me, that the Septuagint
never called it so; Nor Christ; nor the Apostles, where
they vouch the old Testament; Nor Origen, nor Hierome,
curious in language. And though negatives have ever their
infirmities, and must not be built on, this may, that our
Fathers heard not the first sound of this word Jehova. For
(for any thing appearing,) Galatinus, in their Age, was the
first that offered it. For, that Hierome should name it in
the exposition of the eighth Psalm, it is peremptorily
averred by Drusius, and admitted by our learnedst Doctor,
that in the old Editions it was not Jehova. But more then
any other reason, this doth accomplish and perfect the
opinion against that word, that whereas that language
hath no naturall vowels inserted, but points subjected of
the value and sound of our vowels, added by the Masorits,
the Hebrew Criticks, after Esdras; and therefore they
observe a necessity of such a naturall and infallible concurrence
of consonants, that when such and such consonants
meet, such and such vowels must be imagined, and
sounded, by which they have an Art of reading it without
points; by those rules, those vowels cannot serve those
Consonants, nor the name Jehova be built of those four
letters, and the vowels of Adonay.

Elohim

Of the name used in this place, much needs not. But as old
age is justly charged with this sickness, that though it
abound, it ever covets, though it need less then youth did:
so hath also this decrepit age of the world such a sickness;
for though we have now a clearer understanding of the
Scriptures then former times, (for we inherit the talents

and travels of al Expositors, and have overlived most of the
prophecies,) and though the gross thick clouds of Arianism
be dispersed, and so we have few enemies; yet we affect,
and strain at more Arguments for the Trinity, then those
times did, which needed them more. Hereupon hath an
opinion, that by this name of God, Elohim, because it is
plurally pronounced in this place, and with a singular
verbe, the Trinity is insinuated, first of any begun by
Peter Lumbard, been since earnestly pursued by Lyra,
Galatin, and very many. And because Calvin, in a brave
religious scorn of this extortion, and beggarly wresting of
Scriptures, denyes this place, with others usually offered
for that point, to concern it, and his defender Paraeus
denyes any good Author to approve it, Hunnius opposes
Luther, and some after, but none before, to be of that
opinion. But, lest any should think this a prevarication in
me, or a purpose to shew the nakedness of the Fathers of
our Church, by opening their disagreeing, though in no
fundamentall thing, I will also remember, that great pillars
of the Roman Church differ with as much bitterness, and
less reason in this point. For, when Cajetan had said true,
that this place was not so interpretable, but yet upon false
grounds, That the word Elohim had no singular, which is
evidently false, Catharinus in his Animadversions upon
Cajetan, reprehends him bitterly for his truth, and spies
not his Errour: And though Tostatus long before said the
same, and Lumbard were the first that writ the contrary,
he denies any to have been of Cajetan's opinion. It satisfies
me, for the phrase, that I am taught by collation of many
places in the Scriptures, that it is a meer Idiotism. And
for the matter, that our Saviour never applyed this place
to that purpose: And that I mark, the first place which the
Fathers in the Nicen Councel objected against Arius his
Philosopher, was, Faciamus hominem, and this never mentioned.
Thus much of him, who hath said, I have been
found by them which have not sought me: And therefore
most assuredly in another place, If thou seek me, thou shalt
finde me. I have adventured in his Name, upon his Name.

Our next consideration must be his most glorious worke
which he hath yet done in any time, the Creation.

PART 3

Mundum tradidit disputationi eorum, ut non inveniat homo
opus quod operatus est Deus ab initio usque ad finem. So that
God will be glorified both in our searching these Mysteries,
because it testifies our liveliness towards him, and
in our not finding them. Lawyers, more then others, have
ever been Tyrants over words, and have made them accept
other significations, then their nature enclined to. Hereby
have Casuists drawn the word Anathema, which is consecrated
or separated, and separated or seposed for Divine
use, to signify necessarily accursed, and cut off from the
communion of the Church. Hereby Criminists have commanded
Heresie, which is but election, (and thereupon
Paul gloryed to be of the strictest Heresie, a Pharisee; and
the Scepticks were despised, because they were of no Heresie)
to undertake a capitall and infamous signification.
Hereby also the Civilists have dignified the word Priviledge,
whose ancientest meaning was, a law to the disadvantage
of any private man (and so Cicero speaks of one
banished by priviledg, and lays the names, cruel and capitall
upon Priviledg) and appointed it to express only the
favours and graces of Princes. Schoolmen, which have
invented new things, and found out, or added Suburbs to
Hell, will not be exceeded in this boldness upon words.
As therefore in many other, so they have practised it in
this word creare: which being but of an even nature with
facere, or producere, they have laid a necessity upon it to
signifie a Making of Nothing; For so is Creation defined.
But in this place neither the Hebrew nor Greek word afford
it; neither is it otherwise then indifferently used in the
holy books. Sometimes of things of a preexistent matter,
He created man of Earth, and he created him a helper out of
himself. Sometimes of things but then revealed, They are
created now, and not of old. Sometimes of that, whereof God

is neither Creator, nor Maker, nor Concurrent, as of Evill;
faciens Pacem, et creans malum : And sometimes of that
which was neither created nor made by God, nor any
other, as darkness, which is but privation; formans lucem,
et creans tenebras . And the first that I can observe to have
taken away the liberty of this word, and made it to signify,
of Nothing, is our countryman Bede upon this place. For
Saint Augustin was as opposite and diametrall against it,
as it is against truth. For he says, facere est quod omnino non
erat; creare vero est, ex eo quod jam erat educendo constituere.
Truly, it is not the power and victory of reason, that evicts
the world to be made of Nothing; for neither this word
creare inforces it, nor is it expressly said so in any Scripture.
When Paul says himself to be Nothing, it is but a diminution
and Extenuation (not of himself, for he says there, I
am not inferior to the very chief of the Apostles, but) of Mankind.
Where it is said to Man, Your making is of Nothing,
it is but a respective, and comparative undervaluing; as in
a lower descent then that before, All Nations before God
are less then Nothing. As in another place by a like extreme
extending it is said, Deus regnabit in aeternum et ultra :
Only it is once said, Ex nihilo fecit omnia Deus; but in a
book of no straight obligation (if the matter needed
authority) and it is also well translated by us, Of things
which were not. But therefore we may spare Divine Authority,
and ease our faith too, because it is present to our
reason. For, Omitting the quarelsome contending of Sextus
Empiricus the Pyrrhonian, (of the Author of which sect
Laertius says, that he handled Philosophy bravely, having
invented a way by which a man should determine nothing
of every thing) who with his Ordinary weapon, a twoedged
sword, thinks he cuts off all Arguments against production
of Nothing, by this, Non fit quod jam est, Nec quod
non est; nam non patitur mutationem quod non est; And
omitting those Idolaters of Nature, the Epicureans, who
pretending a mannerly lothness to trouble God, because
Nec bene promeritis capitur, nec tangitur ira, indeed out of

their pride are loth to be beholden to God, say, that we
are sick of the fear of God, Quo morbo mentem concusse?
Timore Deorum; And cannot therefore admit creation of
Nothing, because then Nil semine egeret, but ferre omnes
omnia possent, And subito exorirentur, incerto spacio, with
such other dotages. To make our approches nearer, and
batter effectually, let him that will not confess this Nothing,
assign som(e)thing of which the world was made.
If it be of it self, it is God: and it is God, if it be of God;
who is also so simple, that it is impossible to imagine any
thing before him of which he should be compounded, or
any workman to do it. For to say, as one doth, that the
world might be eternall, and yet not be God, because
Gods eternity is all at once, and the worlds successive, will
not reconcile it; for yet, some part of the world must be
as old as God, and infinite things are equall, and equalls to
God are God. The greatest Dignity which we can give
this world, is, that the Idaea of it is eternall, and was ever
in God: And that he knew this world, not only Scientia
Intellectus, by which he knows things which shall never be,
and are in his purpose impossible, though yet possible and
contingent to us; but, after failing, become also to our
knowledg impossible, (as it is yet possible that you will
read this book thorow now, but if you discontinue it
(which is in your liberty) it is then impossible to your
knowledge, and was ever so to Gods;) but also Scientia
Visionis, by which he knows only infallible things; and
therefore these Idaeas and eternall impressions in God,
may boldly be said to be God; for nothing understands
God of it self, but God; and it is said, Intellectae Jynges a
patre, intelligunt et ipsae: And with Zoroaster (if I misconceive
not) Jynx is the same as Idaea with Plato. The
eternity of these Idaeas wrought so much, and obtained so
high an estimation with Scotus, that he thinks them the
Essence of this world, and the Creation was but their
Existence; which Reason and Scaliger reprehend roundly,
when they do but ask him, whether the Creation were
only of accidents.
But because all which can be said hereof is cloudy, and

therefore apt to be mis-imagined, and ill interpreted, for,
obscurum loquitur quisque suo periculo, I will turn to certain
and evident things; And tell thee, O man, which art said
to be the Epilogue, and compendium of all this world, and
the Hymen and Matrimoniall knot of Eternal and Mortall
things, whom one says to be all Creatures, because the
Gospel, of which onely man is capable, is sent to be
preached to all Creatures; And wast made by Gods hands,
not his commandment; and hast thy head erected to
heaven, and all others to the Center; that yet only thy
heart of all others, points downwards, and onely trembles.
And, oh ye chief of men, ye Princes of the Earth, (for to
you especially it is said, Terram dedit filiis hominum; for
the sons of God have the least portion thereof; And you
are so Princes of the Earth, as the Divell is Prince of the
Air, it is given to you to raise storms of warr and persecution)
know ye by how few descents ye are derived from
Nothing? you are the Children of the Lust and Excrements
of your parents, they and theirs the Children of
Adam, the child of durt, the child of Nothing. Yea, our
soul, which we magnify so much, and by which we consider
this, is a veryer upstart then our body, being but of
the first head, and immediately made of Nothing: for
how many souls hath this world, which were not nothing
a hundred years since? And of whole man compounded
of Body and Soul, the best, and most spirituall and delicate
parts, which are Honour and Pleasure, have such
a neighbourhood and alliance with Nothing, that they
lately were Nothing, and even now when they are, they
are Nothing, or at least shall quickly become Nothing:
which, even at the last great fire, shall not befall the most
wretched worme, nor most abject grain of dust: for that
fire shall be a purifier, not consumer to nothing. For to be
Nothing, is so deep a curse, and high degree of punishment,
that Hell and the prisoners there, not only have it
not, but cannot wish so great a loss to themselves, nor
such a frustrating of Gods purposes. Even in Hell, where
if our mind could contract and gather together all the old
persecutions of the first Church, where men were tormented

with exquisite deaths, and oftentimes more, by
being denyed that; And all the inhumanities of the Inquisition,
where repentance encreaseth the torture, (for
they dy also, and lose the comfort of perseverance;) And
all the miseries which the mistakings, and furies, and sloth
of Princes, and infinity and corrosiveness of officers, the
trechery of women, and bondage of reputation hath laid
upon mankind, since it was, and distil the poyson and
strength of all these, and throw it upon one soul, it would
not equall the torment of so much time as you sound one
syllable. And for the lasting, if you take as many of Plato's
years, as a million of them hath minutes, and multiply
them by Clavius his number, which expresses how many
sands would fill the hollowness to the first Mover, you
were so far from proceeding towards the end, that you
had not described one minute. In Hell, I say, to escape
which, some have prayed to have hils fall upon them, and
many horrours shadowed in the Scriptures and Fathers,
none is ever said to have wished himself Nothing. Indeed,
as reposedly, and at home within himself no man is an
Atheist, however he pretend it, and serve the company
with his braveries (as Saint Augustine sayes of himself, that
though he knew nothing was blameable but vice, yet he
seemed vicious, lest he should be blameable; and fain'd
false vices when he had not true, lest he should be despised
for his innocency;) so it is impossible that any man should
wish himself Nothing: for we can desire nothing but that
which seems satisfactory, and better to us at that time;
and whatsoever is better, is something. Doth, or can any
man wish that, of which, if it were granted, he should,
even by his wishing it, have no sense, nor benefit? To
speak truth freely, there was no such Nothing as this
before the beginning: for, he that hath refin'd all the old
Definitions, hath put this ingredient Creabile, (which cannot
be absolutely nothing) into his Definition of Creation:
And that Nothing which was, we cannot desire; for mans
will is not larger then Gods power; and since Nothing was
not a pre-existent matter, nor mother of this All, but
onely a limitation when any thing began to be; how

impossible is it to return to that first point of time, since
God (if it imply contradiction) cannot reduce yesterday?
Of this we will say no more; for this Nothing being no
creature, is more incomprehensible then all the rest: but
we will proceed to that which is All, Heaven and Earth.