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consider the archetypal and invisible beauty; for nothing in us is without a master or self-moved or spontaneous, but everything that is both seen and understood around us depends on the high and ineffable power. 2.1.225 This is not articulate speech, but through the things that are seen it instills in souls the knowledge of the divine power more than if speech proclaimed it through a voice. Just as, therefore, the heaven declares and does not speak, and the firmament proclaims the work of God and does not require a voice, and the day utters a word and there is no speech, and no one would say that the prophecy has failed, in the same way, since the teacher is one for both Moses and David, I mean the Holy Spirit, who, in saying that the command led the creation, does not present God to us as a creator of words, but of things made known through the meaning of words. For so that we might not think creation to be masterless and self-generated, he both says that it has come to be from the divine nature and states 2.1.226 that it was established with a certain order and sequence. And it would be a long task to philosophize about the order of the things concerning the creation of the world, spoken dogmatically by Moses in the character of a history. For indeed, through each of the things written, the erroneous and vain character of the contrary opinion would have been clearly refuted. But it is possible for one who wishes, by consulting our works on Genesis, to test which argument is more coherent, ours or that of our opponents. 2.1.227 But we must bring the argument back to the matter before us, that the word 'to say' does not in every case indicate a voice and a word on God's part, but by showing that power runs together with the will of God, it points out to us the intelligible 2.1.228 contemplation in a more perceptible way. For since all things were established by the will of God, and it is customary for men first to signify their will by a word and then to bring about the work in accordance with the will, and the scripture of the world's creation is in a way an introduction to the knowledge of God for beginners, presenting the strength of the divine nature through things more ready for comprehension, and comprehension through the senses is more readily available for the knowledge of intelligible things, for this reason Moses, by means of God's <τὸ> Saying that this should come to be, first sets forth the impelling authority of his will, and by adding 'And it was so,' he shows that there is no difference between will and act in the divine nature; but he teaches that in God's case, thought precedes the act, but the thing being effected does not lag behind the thought, but that the two are contemplated together and at the same time, both the movement of the mind and the power that accomplishes the 2.1.229 matter. For the account has given no intermediate to be conceived between the choice and the action, but just as with the kindling of a flame the light also appears, both being from it and shining forth with it, in the same way the substance of the things that have come to be is the work of the divine will, yet it is not second in order after the will. 2.1.230 For it is not as with others, in whom some practical power is inherent by nature, that one thing is considered in potentiality and another according to the fulfillment of the activity—as, for instance, we say that a man who has the ship-building art is always a shipbuilder in potentiality, but is active only when he demonstrates his skill on his works—it is not so with the blessed life. But whatever is understood in it is wholly activity and action, the will passing immediately to the intended end 2.1.231. As, therefore, the arrangement in the heaven bears witness to the glory of the Creator and confesses the one who made it and does not require a voice, so it seems to me, one might take the opposite from the writing of Moses and reason, that God also calls the world his own creation, he who by his command gave substance to the universe, and does not require words for the declaration of this 2.1.232 thought. As, therefore, he who heard the heaven declaring did not seek a detailed account (for it speaks to one who has a mind through the things

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πρωτότυπον καὶ ἀόρατον κάλλος ἀναλογίσασθε· οὐδὲν γὰρ ἐν ἡμῖν ἀδέσποτον ἢ αὐτοκίνητον ἢ αὐτόματον, ἀλλὰ πᾶν τὸ φαινόμενόν τε περὶ ἡμᾶς καὶ νοούμενον τῆς ὑψηλῆς τε καὶ ἀφράστου δυνάμεως ἤρτηται. 2.1.225 ταῦτα λόγος μὲν ἔναρθρος οὐκ ἔστιν, ἐντίθησι δὲ διὰ τῶν φαινομένων ταῖς ψυχαῖς τὴν γνῶσιν τῆς θείας δυνάμεως μᾶλλον ἢ εἰ διὰ φωνῆς ὁ λόγος ἐκήρυσσεν. ὥσπερ τοίνυν διηγεῖται ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ οὐ φθέγγεται, καὶ ἀναγγέλλει τὸ στερέωμα τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ ποίησιν καὶ φωνῆς οὐ προσδέεται, καὶ ῥῆμα προΐεται ἡ ἡμέρα καὶ λαλιὰ οὐκ ἔστιν, καὶ οὐκ ἄν τις εἴποι διεσφάλθαι τὴν προφητείαν, κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον ἐπειδὴ εἷς ἀμφοτέροις τῷ Μωϋσεῖ καὶ τῷ ∆αβὶδ ὁ διδάσκαλος, τὸ πνεῦμα λέγω τὸ ἅγιον, ὁ τὸ πρόσταγμα καθηγήσασθαι τῆς κτίσεως λέγων οὐ ῥημάτων ἡμῖν δη μιουργὸν τὸν θεὸν ὑποτίθεται, ἀλλὰ πραγμάτων τῶν διὰ τῆς τῶν ῥημάτων σημασίας γνωριζομένων. ἵνα γὰρ μὴ ἀδέσποτόν τινα καὶ αὐτοφυῆ τὴν κτίσιν εἶναι νοήσωμεν, καὶ γεγενῆσθαι ταύτην παρὰ τῆς θείας φύσεως λέγει καὶ τάξει 2.1.226 τινὶ καὶ ἀκολουθίᾳ συστῆναί φησι. καὶ μακρὸν ἂν εἴη περὶ τῆς τάξεως φιλοσοφεῖν τῶν κατὰ τὴν κοσμοποιΐαν ὑπὸ τοῦ Μωϋσέως ἐν ἱστορίας χαρακτῆρι δογματικῶς εἰρημένων. ἦ γὰρ ἂν μᾶλλον δι' ἑκάστου τῶν γεγραμμένων τὸ πεπλανη μένον τε καὶ μάταιον τῆς τῶν ἐναντίων ὑπολήψεως φανερῶς διηλέγχθη. ἔξεστι δὲ τῷ βουλομένῳ τοῖς εἰς τὴν Γένεσιν πεπονημένοις ἡμῖν ἐντυχόντι δοκιμάσαι τῶν τε ἡμετέρων καὶ τῶν ὑπεναντίων τὸν ἀκολουθότερον λόγον. 2.1.227 Ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὴν προκειμένην ἡμῖν σπουδὴν ἐπανακτέον τὸν λόγον, ὅτι οὐ πάντως ἐπὶ θεοῦ φωνὴν καὶ ῥῆμα ἡ τοῦ Εἰπεῖν λέξις ἐνδείκνυται, ἀλλὰ τῷ βουλήματι τοῦ θεοῦ σύν δρομον ἀποφαίνων τὴν δύναμιν αἰσθητικώτερον ἡμῖν τὴν 2.1.228 νοητὴν ὑποδείκνυσι θεωρίαν. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ θελήματι τοῦ θεοῦ συνέστη τὰ πάντα, σύνηθες δὲ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις λόγῳ πρῶτον διασημαίνειν τὸ βούλημα καὶ οὕτως ἐπάγειν τὸ ἔργον συμ φωνοῦν τῷ βουλήματι, ἡ δὲ γραφὴ τῆς κοσμογενείας εἰσ αγωγή πως εἰς θεογνωσίαν τοῖς ἀρχομένοις ἐστί, διὰ τῶν ἑτοιμοτέρων εἰς κατανόησιν τὴν ἰσχὺν τῆς θείας παριστῶσα φύσεως, προχειρότερον δὲ εἰς γνῶσιν τῶν νοουμένων ἡ διὰ τῆς αἰσθήσεως κατάληψις γίνεται, τούτου χάριν ὁ Μωϋσῆς διὰ μὲν τοῦ <τὸ> Εἰπεῖν τὸν θεὸν τόδε γενέσθαι προτάξαι τὴν ὁρμητικὴν τοῦ θελήματος ἐξουσίαν παρίστησι, διὰ δὲ τοῦ προσθεῖναι τὸ Καὶ ἐγένετο οὕτως, τὸ μηδεμίαν εἶναι δια φορὰν βουλήσεως καὶ ἐνεργείας ἐπὶ τῆς θείας ἐνδείκνυται φύσεως· ἀλλὰ διδάσκει καθηγεῖσθαι μὲν ἐπὶ θεοῦ τῆς ἐν εργείας τὴν νόησιν, οὐκ ἐφυστερίζειν δὲ μετὰ τὸ νοηθὲν τὸ ἐνεργούμενον, ἀλλ' ἅμα τὰ δύο καὶ κατὰ ταὐτὸν θεω ρεῖσθαι, τήν τε τοῦ νοῦ κίνησιν καὶ τὴν ἀποτελεστικὴν τοῦ 2.1.229 πράγματος δύναμιν. οὐδὲν γὰρ ἔδωκεν ἐννοῆσαι μέσον ὁ λόγος τῆς προαιρέσεως καὶ τῆς πράξεως, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ τῇ ἐξάψει τῆς φλογὸς καὶ ἡ αὐγὴ συνεκφαίνεται καὶ ἐξ ἐκείνης οὖσα καὶ μετ' αὐτῆς συνεκλάμπουσα, κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον ἔργον μὲν τοῦ θείου θελήματος ἡ τῶν γεγονότων ἐστὶν ὑπόστασις, οὐ μὴν δευτερεύει τῇ τάξει μετὰ τὸ βούλημα. 2.1.230 οὐ γὰρ ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων, οἷς τις πρακτικὴ δύναμις ἐκ φύσεως ἔνεστι, τὸ μὲν δυνάμει θεωρεῖται τὸ δὲ κατὰ τὴν τῆς ἐνεργείας ἐκπλήρωσιν, ὡς φέρε εἰπεῖν ἀεὶ μὲν εἶναι ναυπηγόν φαμεν τῇ δυνάμει τὸν τὴν ναυπηγικὴν ἔχοντα τέχνην, ἐνεργεῖν δὲ τότε, ὅταν ἐπὶ τῶν ἔργων δείξῃ τὴν ἐπιστήμην, οὐχ οὕτως καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς μακαρίας ζωῆς. ἀλλ' ὅλον ὅτιπέρ ἐστιν ἐν ἐκείνῃ νοούμενον ἐνέργεια καὶ πρᾶξίς ἐστιν, ἀμέσως τοῦ βουλήματος πρὸς τὸ κατὰ πρόθεσιν τέλος 2.1.231 μεθισταμένου. ὡς τοίνυν μαρτυρεῖ τῷ δημιουργῷ τὴν δόξαν ἡ ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ διακόσμησις καὶ ὁμολογεῖ τὸν πεποιηκότα καὶ φωνῆς οὐ προσδέεται, οὕτω μοι τὸ ἔμπαλιν ἐκ τῆς τοῦ Μωϋσέως γραφῆς μεταλαβὼν ἄν τις λογίσαιτο, ὅτι καὶ ἑαυτοῦ κτίσμα ὁ θεὸς λέγει τὸν κόσμον ὁ τῷ προστάγματι τὸ πᾶν οὐσιώσας καὶ ῥημάτων πρὸς δήλωσιν τῆς ἐννοίας 2.1.232 ταύτης οὐκ ἐπιδέεται. ὡς οὖν ὁ ἀκούσας οὐρανοῦ διηγου μένου διεξοδικὸν οὐκ ἐζήτησε λόγον (λαλεῖ γὰρ τῷ νοῦν ἔχοντι διὰ τῶν