Saint Augustines confessions translated: and with some marginall notes illustrated. Wherein, diuers antiquities are explayned; and the marginall notes of a former Popish translation, answered. By William Watts, rector of St. Albanes, Woodstreete

CHAP. 13. That before those times which God created, there was no time.

1. IF any giddy braine now should wildly roaue ouer the images of fore-passed times, and wonder with him∣selfe, that thou the God omni∣potent

and All-creator, work∣master of heauen and earth, didst if or innumerable ages for∣beare to set vpon such a work, before thou wouldst make it: let him wake himselfe and consider well; how that hee wonders at meere faife con∣ceyts. For how should such innumerable ages passe ouer, which thou madest not; thou being the Author and Creator of all ages? or what times should these be, which were not made by thee? or, how should they passe ouer, if so be they neuer were? Seeing ther∣fore thou art the Creator of all times; if any time had pas∣sed before thou madest heauen and earth; why then is it sayd, that thou didst rest from thy worke? For that very time didst thou make: nor could there any time passe ouer, be∣fore thou hadst made those times. But if before heauen

and earth there were no time, why is it then de∣maunded, what thou Then didst? For there was no THEN, when as there was no time. Nor doest thou in Time, precede Time: for so thou shouldest not precede all Times.

2. But thou goest before all time passed, by the high aduantage of an euer-present Eterniti••: and thou goest beyond all times to come, euen because they are to come; seeing that they shall no sooner come, but they shall be past: whereas thou art still * 1.1 the same, and thy yeeres fayle not. Thy yeeres neyther goe nor come; whereas these yeeres of ours, doe both goe and come, that (in their order) they may all come. Thy yeeres are in stand∣ing all at once, because they are still at a stay: nor

are those that goe, thrust out by those that come, for that they passe not away at all; but these of ours shall all bee, euen when they shall not all be. Thy yeeres are one day; and thy day, is not euery day, But to day: seeing thy To day giues not place vnto To morrowe, nor comes in place of yesterday. Thy To¦day, is Eternity: therefore didst thou beget Him coeter∣nall to thy selfe, vnto whome thou saydst, This day haue I * 1.2 begotten thee. Thou hast made all times; and before all times thou art: neyther in any time, was there not a time.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Psal. 101. 27
• * 1.2

  Psala. 7.