Institutions of Christian religion framed out of Gods word, and the writings of the best diuines, methodically handled by questions and answers, fit for all such as desire to know, or practise the will of God. Written in Latin by William Bucanus Professor of Diuinitie in the Vniuersitie of Lausanna. And published in English by Robert Hill, Bachelor in Diuinitie, and Fellow of Saint Iohns Colledge in Cambridge, for the benefit of our English nation, to which is added in the end the practise of papists against Protestant princes.

By what meanes did God giue that matter a forme?

By distinguishing and adorning of it. By distinguishing, when as God separated the light from the darknesse, whereupon came

the making and course of the day (by the presence of that light) and of the night, (by the absence of that light.) And the first naturall day was the space of foure and twentie houres, or a night and a day consisting of a day artificiall and a night, and tooke his beginning from the euening, or the night going before. Whereas the artificial day beginneth at Sunne rising vnto Sunne setting. Now that light seemeth to haue bene in some bodie, like vnto a little cloud made of the waters, which by his circular motion made the day and the night: whereupon the Sunne came foorth, and was framed with a most perfect light.

2. When as he stretched foorth like a curtainea 1.1 that part of the waters wherewith the earth was ouerflowed, being rarified and made thinne, by which meanes that spreading abroad is called Ra∣chiang, which word the Greekes interprete, but not so fitly,* 1.2 Fir∣mament, especially to signifie the stabilitie and soliditie of the hea∣uenly Circles, not for the hardnesse, but onely in respect of the firmenesse thereof. For Moses by that word which he vseth, mea∣neth not onely the Firmament and the celestiall Circles, but also the region of the fire, and of the ayre, which were made in the second dayb 1.3. But where it is said, that the firmament or spreading abroad doth separate the waters aboue, from them beneath, it is to be vn∣derstood of the ayre: which diuided the waters aboue, that is, the cloudes which are the cause of raines, snowes, dew, haile, and such other Meteors, fromc 1.4 the waters of the riuers and fountaines which are beneath.

3 When as the greatest part of the waters, wherewith the earth was before ouerflowed and couered as it were with a garmentd 1.5, was gathered into the channels of the earth, whereby the earth appea∣red aboue the waters; and the waters being gathered into one place were called the Seae 1.6. And although there be but one sea, which for the swiftnesse of it is called the Ocean, which doth continually ebbe and flow, and that either naturally from the North (where it is dee∣per by reason of the cold, wherby the waters are not so much dried vp, but rather increased, because much aire is turned into water) vn∣to the South, where because of the great heate, the waters are dimi∣nished, or else by some externall cause, to wit, by the changeable light, and effectuall motion of the Moone, which by the great pro∣uidence of God doth rule waters, and all moist things else by her as∣cending

and descending in the day time, doth speedily eb and flow, that so the waters in the sea might be kept pure, and might not pu∣trifie: yet in regard of diuers places whereby it passeth, it is called by diuers names, and from this there flow other seas along in the midst of the earth, which also are called the Mediterranean seas, and creekes: besides, certaine lakes and gulfes are called Seas in the Scri∣pturesa 1.7, of which Eccles. 1.7. All riuers (either mediatly or immedi∣atly) flow from the sea, and runne againe into the sea: namely, by cer∣taine secret passages of the earth, which also men cal veines, where∣by it commeth to passe, that by dayly addition of so many riuers, the seas neuer increase nor passe their bounds. And though the waters, by reason of the diuers qualities of the veines of the earth thorough which they runne are affected, and some are of the nature of brim∣stone, other sweete, some saltb 1.8, some be hote and some colde, some wholesome, some noisome, some coloured, some without colour, for the great and manifold vse of men; yet the waters in the sea are salt, and for that cause they are called Mare,* 1.9 the sea, because either by creation they be so, or by the force of the Sunne, alwayes working vpon it, the more thinne and sweeter part of them is taken vp out of them: but in fountaines and riuers they be sweete, because as they passe through the pores of the earth they are purged of the saltnesse, neither do they lie open to the continual beames of the Sun. Now that part of the earth which is aboue the waters, although it be be∣neath the sea, is called drie land, because it is dried from the waters wherewith before it was ouerspread and couered, to the end that it may be seene, planted, troden vpon, and inhabited: for which cause the Greekes call it by a word that signifieth Habitable;* 1.10 the Latines by a word which signifieth that it is worne of mens feete and other liuing creatures.* 1.11 And that is also called Habitable or Continent, which containeth the Ilands of the sea, which distinction was made the third dayd 1.12.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Ps. 104.2.3.
• * 1.2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• b 1.3

  Gen. 1.6.7.8
• c 1.4

  Psal. 104.3.
• d 1.5

  Psa. 124.6.7
• e 1.6

  Psal 33.7. Ier. 5.22. Job 28.9. & 10.11.
• a 1.7

  Mat. 4.18. Ioh. 6.1.
• b 1.8

  Exod. 35.23
• * 1.9

  Mare ab ama∣ritudine.
• * 1.10

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.11

  Terra a terēdo.
• d 1.12

  Gen. 1 9 10. Psal. 105.7.8.9.10.