St. Augustine, Of the citie of God vvith the learned comments of Io. Lod. Viues. Englished by I.H.

Of the first sixe daies that had morning, and euening, •…•…re the Sunne was made. CHAP. 7.

〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ordinary (a) daies, wee see they haue neither morning nor euening but 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…e Sunne rises and sets. But the first three daies of all, had no Sunne, for 〈◊〉〈◊〉 made the fourth day. And first, God made the light, and seuered it from 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…nesse, calling it day, and darkenesse, night: but what that light was, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…nne a course to make morning and night, is out of our sence to iudge, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 we vnderstand it, which neuerthelesse we must make no question but be∣•…•…▪ (b) for the light was either a bodily thing placed in the worlds highest pa•…•… farre from our eye, or there where the Sunne was afterwards made: (c) or 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the name of light signified that holy citty, with the Angells and spirits whereof the Apostle saith: Ierusalem which is aboue is our eternall mother in heauen. * 1.1 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 another place hee saith: yee are all the children of light, and the sonnes of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…re not sonnes of night and darkenesse. (d) Yet hath this day the morne and e∣•…•…, because (e) the knowledge of the creature, compared to the Creators, is 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…ery twilight: And day breaketh with man, when he draweth neare the loue

and praise of the Creator. Nor is the creature euer be nighted, but when the loue of the Creator forsakes him. The scripture orderly reciting those daies, neuer mentions the night: nor saith, night was, but, the euening and the morning were the first day, so of the second, and soon. For the creatures knowledge, of it selfe, is as it were farre more discoloured, then when it ioynes with the Creators, as in the * 1.2 arte that framed it. Therefore, euen, is more congruently spoken then night, yet when all is referred to the loue, & praise of the Creator, night becomes mor∣ning: and when it comes to the knowledge of it selfe it is one full day. When it comes to the Firmament that seperateth the waters aboue and below, it is the se∣cond day. When vnto the knowledge of the earth, and all things that haue roote thereon, it is the third day. When vnto the knowledge of the two lights the grea∣ter and the lesse, the fourth: when it knowes all water-creatures, foules and fi∣shes, it is the fifth, and when it knowes all earthly creatures, and man himselfe it is the sixth day.

L. VIVES.

ORdinary (a) daies] Coleynes coppy reades not this place so well. (b) For the] The schoole men Sent. 2. dist. 24. dispute much of this. But Augustine calleth not the light a body here: but saith God made it either some bright body, as the Sunne, or e•…•…s the contraction of the incorporeall light, made night, and the extension, day, as Basil saith, moouing like the Sun, in the egresse making morning, in the regresse euening. Hug. de. S. Victore, de Sacram. lib. 1. (c) Or els] Aug. de genes ad lit. lib. 1. (d) Yet hath] A diuers reading, both to one purpose. (e) The knowledge] De genes. ad lit▪ lib. 4. Where hee calleth it morning when the Angells by contem∣plating of the creation in themselues (where is deepe darkenesse) lift vp themselues to the knowledge of God: and if that in him they learne all things (which is more certaine then all habituall knowledge) then is it day: It growes towards euening when the Angels turne from God to contemplate of the creatures in themselues, but this euening neuer becommeth night for the Angells neuer preferre the worke before the worke man: that were most deepe, darke night. Thus much out of Augustine, the first mentioner of mornings & euenings knowledges.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Gal. 4. 26.
• * 1.2

  Knowledge of a crea∣ture.