thirty generations removed from Adam. And indeed thus admitting but the Greek account of less than five thousand years since the flood, we may easily bring all sober or probable accounts of the Egyptians, Babylonians, and Chinese, to begin since the dispersion at Babel. Thus having expressed at last the time so far as it is necessary to be known, I shall conclude this second consideration of the nature and notion of creation. Now being under the terms of heaven and earth, we have proved all things beside God to be contained, and that the making of all these things was a clear production of them out of nothing; the third part of the explication must of necessity follow, that he which made all things is God. This truth is so evident in itself, and so confessed by all men, that none did ever assert the World was made, but withal affirmed that it was God who made it. There remaineth therefore nothing more in this particular, than to assert God so the Creator of the World as he is described in this Article. Being then we believe in God the Father, maker of heaven and earth, and by that God we expressed already a singularity of the Deity; our first assertion which we must make good is, That the one God did create the World. Again, being whosoever is that God, cannot be excluded from this act of creation, as being an emanation of the Divinity, and we seem by these words to appropriate it to the Father, beside whom we shall hereafter shew that we believe some other persons to be the same God; it will be likewise necessary to declare the reason why the creation of the World is thus signally attributed to God the Father. The first of these deserves no explication of itself, it is so obvious to all who have any true conception of God. But because it hath been formerly denied (as there is nothing so senseless but some kind of heretics have embraced, and may be yet taken up in times of which we have no reason to presume better than of the former), I shall briefly declare the creation of the World to have been performed by that one God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. As for the first, there is no such difference between things of the World, as to infer a diversity of makers of them, nor is the least or worst of creatures in their original, any way derogatory to the Creator. "God saw every thing that he had made, and behold it was very good," (Gen. i. 31.) and consequently likely to come from the Fountain of all goodness, and fit always to be ascribed to the same. Whatsoever is evil, is not so by the Creator's action, but by the creature's defection. In vain then did the heretics of old, to remove a seeming inconvenience, remove a certain truth; and while they feared to make their own god evil,* they made him partial, or but half the Deity, and so a companion at least with an evil god. For dividing all things of this World into nature substantially evil, and substantially good, and apprehending a necessity of an origination conformable to so different a condition, they imagined one God essentially good, as the first principle of the one, another god essentially evil, as the original of the other. And this strange heresy began upon the first spreading of 'Inde Manichæus, ut Deum a conditione malorum liberet, alterum mali inducit auctorem.' S. Hier. in Nahum, c. 3. This For we must not look upon Manes as the first author of the heresy, though they who followed him were called from him Manichæans. Nor must we be satisfied with the relation of Socrates, who allots the beginning of that heresy, Mixpòv iμπροσθεν τῶν Κωνσταντίνου χρόνων,a little before Constantine; being, Epiphanius asserts, the first author of it, στέλλεσθαι τὴν πορείαν ἐπὶ τὰ Ἱεροσόλυμα περὶ τοὺς χρόνους τῶν ̓Αποστόλων, to have gone to Jerusalem even about the Apostles' times. Hæres. Ixvi. §. 3. Manes then, formerly called Cubricus, (not Urbicus, as St. Augustin,) who disseminated this heresy in the days of Aurelianus or Probus the emperor, about the year 277, had a predecessor, though not a master, called first Terebinthus, after Buddas. For this Buddas left his books and estate to a widow, who saith Epiphanius, ibid. Eusive πολλῷ τῷ χρόνῳ οὕτως, continued with his estate and books a long time, and at last bought Cubricus for her servant. Buddas had a former master called Scythianus, the first author of this heresy. Beside these, between Scythianus and Cubricus there was yet another teacher of the doctrine, called Zaranes. "Hv de πρὸ τούτου (Μάνητος) καὶ ἕτερος τῆς κακίας διδάσκαλος ταύτης, Ζαράνης ονόματι, ὁμόφρων αὐτοῦ ὑπάρχων. If then we insert this Zaranes into the Manichæan pedigree, and consider the time of the widow between Buddas and Cubricus, and the age of Cubricus, who was then but seven years old, as Socrates testifies, when she resolved to buy him, and discover the heresy to him; there will be no reason to doubt of the relation of Epiphanius, that Scythianus began about the apostolical times. Nor need we any of the abatements in the animadversions of Petavius, much less that redargution of Epiphanius, who cites Origen as an assertor of the Christian faith against this heresy; for though he certainly died before Manes spread his doctrine, yet it was written in several books before him, not only in the time of Buddas, to whom Socrates and Suidas attribute them, but of Scythianus, whom St. Cyril and Epiphanius make the author of them. Neither can it be objected that they were not Manichæans before the appearance of Manes; for I conceive the name of Manes (thought by the Greeks to be a name taken up by Cubricus, and proper to him) not to be any proper or peculiar name at all, but the general title of heretic in the Syriac tongue. For I am loath to think that Theodoret and the author in Suidas were so far mistaken, when they call Scythianus Manes, as to conceive Cubricus and he were the same person: when we may with much better reason conclude that both Scythianus and Cubricus had the same title. For I conceive Manes at first rather a title than a name, from the H ,signifying a heretic מינאי or מין Hebrew And although some of the Rabbins derive their from Manes, yet others make it more ancient than he was, referring it to Tzadock and Bajethos, called w¬ o`rn the first or chief heretics, who lived one hundred years before Christ. Wherefore it is far more rational to assert, that he who began the heresy of the Manichees was called as a heretic in the oriental tongues, and from thence Mávne by the Greeks (to comply with pavia or madness in their language), than that Mávng was first the name of a man counted a heretic by the Christians; and then made the general name of all heretics, and particularly for the Christians by the Jews. Which being granted, both Scythianus and Cubricus might well at first have the name of Manes, that is, heretic. However, the antiquity of that heresy will appear in the Marcionites, who differed not in this particular from the Manichees. Duos Ponticus Deos affert tanquam duas Symplegadas naufragii sui: quem negare non potuit, id est, creatorem, id est, nostrum; et quem probare non potuit, id est, suum. Passus infelix hujus præsumptionis instinctum de simplici capitulo Dominica pronunciationis, in homines non in Deos disponentis exempla illa bonæ et malæ arboris, quod neque bona malos neque mala bonos proferat fructus.' Tertull. adv. Marcion. I. i. c. 2. This Marcion lived in the days of Antoninus Pius, and as Eusebius testifieth, Justin Martyr wrote against the Gospel; as if the greatest light could not appear without a shadow. Whereas there is no nature originally sinful, no substance in itself evil, and therefore no being which may not come from the same fountain of goodness. "I formed the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil; I the Lord do all these things," (Isa. xlv. 7.) saith he who also said, "I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no god besides me." (Isa. xlv. 5.) Vain then is that conceit which framed two gods, one of them called Light, the other Darkness; one good, the other evil; refuted in the first words of the CREED, I believe in God, maker of heaven and earth. But as we have already proved that one God to be the Father, so must we yet farther shew that one God the Father to be the Maker of the World. In which there is no difficulty at all the whole Church at Jerusalem hath sufficiently declared this truth in their devotions. Lord, thou art God which hast made heaven and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is : against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together." (Acts iv. 24. 27.) Jesus then was the child of that God which made the heaven and the earth, and consequently the Father of Christ is the Creator of the World. We know that Christ is the light of the Gentiles by his own interpretation; we are assured likewise that his Father gave him, by his frequent assertion: we may then as certainly conclude that the Father of Christ is the Creator of the World, by the prophet's express prediction: "For thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens and stretched them out, he which spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles." (Isa. xlii. 5, 6.) And now this great facility may seem to create the greater difficulty: for being the apostles teach us, that the Son made all things, and the prophets that by the Spirit they were produced, how can we attribute that peculiarly in the CREED him. Hist. 1. iv. c. 11. Irenæus relates how he spake with Polycarpus bishop of Smyrna, who was taught by the apostles, and conversed with divers who saw our Saviour, l. iii. c. 3. Neither was Marcion the first who taught it at Rome, for he received it from Cerdon. Habuit et Cerdonem quendam informatorem scandali hujus, quo facilius duos Deos cæci existimaverunt.' adv. Marcion. 1. i. c. 2. This Cerdon succeeded Heracleon, and so at last this heresy may be reduced to the Gnostics, who derived it from the old gen tile philosophers, and might well be embraced by Manes in Persia, because it was the doctrine of the Persian Magi, as Aristotle testifieth. ̓Αριστοτέλης ἐν πρώτῳ περὶ φιλοσοφίας καὶ πρεσβυτέρους( τοὺς Μάγους) εἶναι τῶν Αἰγυπτίων, καὶ δύο κατ ̓ αὐτοὺς εἶναι ἀρχὰς, ἀγαθὸν δαίμονα καὶ κακὸν δαίμονα. Laert. in Prooemio, p. 2. And this derivation is well observed by Timotheus, pres byter of Constantinople, speaking thus of Manes : Παρὰ δὲ Μαρκίωνος καὶ τῶν πρὸ ἐκείνου αἰσχροποιῶν καὶ δυσσεβῶν καὶ τῶν κατὰ Περσίδα μάγων ἀφορμὰς λαβὼν δογματίζει δύο ἀρχάς. unto the Father, which in the Scriptures is assigned indifferently to the Son and to the Spirit? Two reasons may particularly be rendered of this peculiar attributing the work of the creation to the Father. First, in respect of those heresies arising in the infancy of the Church, which endeavoured to destroy this truth, and to introduce another creator of the World, distinguished from the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. An error so destructive to the Christian religion, that it raseth even the foundations of the Gospel, which refers itself wholly to the promises in the Law, and pretends to no other god, but that God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob; acknowledgeth no other speaker by the Son, than him that spake by the prophets and therefore whom Moses and the prophets call Lord of heaven and earth, of him our blessed Saviour signifies himself to be the Son, rejoicing in spirit, and saying, "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth." (Luke x. 21.) Secondly, in respect of the paternal priority in the Deity, by reason whereof that which is common to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, may be rather attributed to the Father, as the first person in the Trinity. In which respect the apostle hath made a distinction in the phrase of emanation or production: "To us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him." (1 Cor. viii. 6.) And our Saviour hath acknowledged, "The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do." (John v. 19.) which speaketh some kind of priority in action, according to that of the person. And in this sense the Church did always profess to believe in God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth.* The great necessity of professing our faith in this particular appeareth several ways, as indispensably tending to the illustration of God's glory, the humiliation of mankind, the provocation to obedience, the aversion from iniquity, and all consolation in our duty. God is of himself infinitely glorious, because his perfections are absolute, his excellences indefective, and the splendour of his glory appeareth unto us in and through the works of his hands. "The invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead." (Rom. i. 20.) For "He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion." (Jer. x. 12. li. 15.) After a long enumeration of the wonderful works of the creation, the Psalmist breaketh forth into this pious meditation, "O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all." (Psal. civ. 24.) If then the glory of God be made apparent by the creation, If he have "made all things for himself," (Prov. xvi. 4.) that is, for the manifestation of his glorious attributes, if the "Lord rejoiceth in his works," because "his glory shall endure for ever." (Psalm. civ. 31.) then is it absolutely necessary we should confess him Maker of heaven and earth, that we may sufficiently praise and glorify him. "Let them praise the name of the Lord," saith David," for his name alone is excellent, his glory is above the earth and heaven." (Psal. cxlviii. 13.) Thus did the Levites teach the children of Israel to glorify God: "Stand up and bless the Lord your God for ever and ever and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and priase. Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their hosts, the earth, and all things that are therein." (Neh. ix. 5, 6.) And the same hath St. Paul taught us: "For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things, to whom be glory for ever. Amen." (Rom. xi. 36.) Furthermore, that we may be assured that he which made both heaven and earth will be glorified in both, the prophet calls upon all those celestial hosts to bear their part in his hymn: "Praise ye him all his angels, praise ye him all his hosts. Praise ye him sun and moon, praise ye him all ye stars of light. Praise him ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded, and they were created." (Psal. cxlviii. 2—5.) And the twenty-four elders in the Revelation of St. John fall down before him that sitteth on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns," the emblems of their borrowed and derived glories, " before the throne," the seat of infinite and eternal majesty, "saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." (Rev. iv. 10, 11.) Wherefore, "if the heavens declare the glory of God," (Psal. xix. 1.) "and all his works praise. him," then "shall his saints bless him, they shall speak of the glory of his kingdom, and talk of his power." (Psal. cxlv. 10, 11.) And if man be silent, God will speak; while we through ingratitude will not celebrate, he himself will declare it, and promulgate: "I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power, and by my outstretched arm." (Jer. xxvii. 5.) Secondly, The doctrine of the World's creation is most properly effectual towards man's humiliation. As there is nothing more destructive to humanity than pride, and yet not any thing to which we are more prone than that; so nothing can be more properly applied to abate the swelling of our proud conceptions, than a due consideration of the other works of God, |