Chapter XXXII.—Of the Particular Works of God, More Especially of Man.

47. Thanks to Thee, O Lord. We behold the heaven and the earth, whether the corporeal part, superior and inferior, or the spiritual and corporeal creature; and in the embellishment of these parts, whereof the universal mass of the world or the universal creation consisteth, we see light made, and divided from the darkness. We see the firmament of heaven,1304    In his Retractations, ii. 6, he says: “Non satis considerate dictum est; res enem in abdito est valde.” whether the primary body of the world between the spiritual upper waters and the corporeal lower waters, or—because this also is called heaven—this expanse of air, through which wander the fowls of heaven, between the waters which are in vapours borne above them, and which in clear nights drop down in dew, and those which being heavy flow along the earth. We behold the waters gathered together through the plains of the sea; and the dry land both void and formed, so as to be visible and compact, and the matter of herbs and trees. We behold the lights shining from above,—the sun to serve the day, the moon and the stars to cheer the night; and that by all these, times should be marked and noted. We behold on every side a humid element, fruitful with fishes, beasts, and birds; because the density of the air, which bears up the flights of birds, is increased by the exhalation of the waters.1305    Compare De Gen. con. Manich. ii. 15. We behold the face of the earth furnished with terrestrial creatures, and man, created after Thy image and likeness, in that very image and likeness of Thee (that is, the power of reason and understanding) on account of which he was set over all irrational creatures. And as in his soul there is one power which rules by directing, another made subject that it might obey, so also for the man was corporeally made a woman,1306    “‘Concipiendam,’ or the reading may be ‘concupiscendam,’ according to St. Augustin’s interpretation of Gen. iii. 16, in the De Gen. con. Manich. ii. 15. ‘As an instance hereof was woman made, who is in the order of things made subject to the man; that what appears more evidently in two human beings, the man and the woman, may be contemplated in the one, man; viz. that the inward man, as it were manly reason, should have in subjection the appetite of the soul, whereby we act through the bodily members.’”—E. B. P. who, in the mind of her rational understanding should also have a like nature, in the sex, however, of her body should be in like manner subject to the sex of her husband, as the appetite of action is subjected by reason of the mind, to conceive the skill of acting rightly. These things we behold, and they are severally good, and all very good.

CAPUT XXXII. Compendio enarrat opera Dei.

47. Gratias tibi, Domine. Videmus coelum et terram, sive corporalem partem superiorem atque inferiorem, sive spiritualem corporalemque creaturam; atque in ornatu harum partium quibus constat vel universa mundi moles, vel universa omnino creatura, videmus lucem factam, divisamque a tenebris. Videmus firmamentum coeli: sive inter spirituales aquas superiores et corporales inferiores (Lib. 2 Retract., cap. VI, n. 2), primarium corpus mundi; sive hoc spatium aeris, quia et hoc vocatur coelum, per quod vagantur volatilia coeli inter aquas quae vaporaliter eis superferuntur, et serenis etiam noctibus rorant, et has 0866 quae in terris graves fluitant. Videmus congregatarum aquarum speciem per campos maris; et aridam terram, vel nudatam, vel formatam ut esset visibilis et composita, herbarumque atque arborum materiem. Videmus luminaria fulgere desuper; solem sufficere diei, lunam et stellas consolari noctem, atque his omnibus notari et significari tempora. Videmus humidam usquequaque naturam, piscibus et belluis et alitibus fecundatam, quod aeris corpulentia, quae volatus avium portat, aquarum exhalatione concrescit. Videmus terrenis animalibus faciem terrae decorari; hominemque ad imaginem et similitudinem tuam cunctis irrationabilibus animantibus ipsa tua imagine ac similitudine, hoc est rationis et intelligentiae virtute, praeponi. Et quemadmodum in ejus anima aliud est quod consulendo dominatur, aliud quod subditur ut obtemperet: sic viro factam esse etiam corporaliter feminam, quae haberet quidem in mente rationalis intelligentiae parem naturam; sexu tamen corporis ita masculino sexui subjiceretur, quemadmodum subjicitur appetitus actionis ad concipiendam de ratione mentis recte agendi solertiam. Videmus haec et singula bona, et omnia bona valde.