Homily I.

 1. It is right that any one beginning to narrate the formation of the world should begin with the good order which reigns in visible things. I am abou

 2. “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” I stop struck with admiration at this thought. What shall I first say? Where shall I begin

 3. Do not then imagine, O man! that the visible world is without a beginning and because the celestial bodies move in a circular course, and it is di

 4. One day, doubtless, their terrible condemnation will be the greater for all this worldly wisdom, since, seeing so clearly into vain sciences, they

 5. It appears, indeed, that even before this world an order of things existed of which our mind can form an idea, but of which we can say nothing, bec

 6. Such being the different senses of the word beginning, see if we have not all the meanings here. You may know the epoch when the formation of this

 7. Among arts, some have in view production, some practice, others theory. The object of the last is the exercise of thought, that of the second, the

 8. “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” If we were to wish to discover the essence of each of the beings which are offered for our

 9. Do you suppose that a heavier body prevents the earth from falling into the abyss? Then you must consider that this support needs itself a support

 10. There are inquirers into nature who with a great display of words give reasons for the immobility of the earth. Placed, they say, in the middle of

 11. We might say the same thing of the heavens. With what a noise of words the sages of this world have discussed their nature! Some have said that he

 Homily II.

 1. In the few words which have occupied us this morning we have found such a depth of thought that we despair of penetrating further. If such is the f

 2. But the corrupters of the truth, who, incapable of submitting their reason to Holy Scripture, distort at will the meaning of the Holy Scriptures, p

 3. God created the heavens and the earth, but not only half —He created all the heavens and all the earth, creating the essence with the form. For He

 4. “Darkness was upon the face of the deep.” A new source for fables and most impious imaginations if one distorts the sense of these words at the wil

 5. Do not then go beyond yourself to seek for evil, and imagine that there is an original nature of wickedness. Each of us, let us acknowledge it, is

 6.  And the Spirit of God was borne upon the face of the waters  .

 7.  And God said, Let there be light  .

 8. “  And God called the light Day and the darkness he called Night  .”

 Homily III.

 1. We have now recounted the works of the first day, or rather of one day. Far be it from me indeed, to take from it the privilege it enjoys of having

 2. And God said “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” Yesterday we heard God’s decree,

 3. In the second place, does the firmament that is called heaven differ from the firmament that God made in the beginning? Are there two heavens? The

 4. “  And God said, let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and

 5. But let us continue our explanation: “  Let it divide the waters from the waters  .”

 6. Survey creation you will see the power of heat reigning over all that is born and perishes. On account of it comes all the water spread over the e

 7. Therefore we read: “  Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters  .” I have said what the wo

 8. “  And God called the firmament heaven  .”

 9. But as far as concerns the separation of the waters I am obliged to contest the opinion of certain writers in the Church who, under the shadow of h

 10. “  And God saw that it was good  .” God does not judge of the beauty of His work by the charm of the eyes, and He does not form the same idea of b

 Homily IV.

 1. There are towns where the inhabitants, from dawn to eve, feast their eyes on the tricks of innumerable conjurors. They are never tired of hearing d

 2. “  And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear, and it was so  .” And the water

 3. “Let the waters be gathered together.” It was ordered that it should be the natural property of water to flow, and in obedience to this order, the

 4. To say that the waters were gathered in one place indicates that previously they were scattered in many places. The mountains, intersected by deep

 5. And God said: “  Let the waters be gathered together unto one place and let the dry land appear  .” He did not say let the earth appear, so as not

 6. “  And God saw that it was good  .”

 7. Thus, in the eyes of God, the sea is good, because it makes the under current of moisture in the depths of the earth. It is good again, because fro

 Homily V.

 1. “  And God said Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself 

 2. “  Let the earth bring forth grass yielding seed after his kind  .” So that although some kind of grass is of service to animals, even their gain i

 3. Up to this point, the order in which plants shoot bears witness to their first arrangement. Every herb, every plant proceeds from a germ. If, like

 4. What shall I say? What shall I leave unsaid? In the rich treasures of creation it is difficult to select what is most precious the loss of what is

 5. “  Let the earth bring forth grass  .” What spontaneous provision is included in these words,—that which is present in the root, in the plant itsel

 6. “  Let the earth  ,” the Creator adds, “  bring forth the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself 

 7. But let us return to the examination of the ingenious contrivances of creation. How many trees then arose, some to give us their fruits, others to

 8. Plants reproduce themselves in so many different ways, that we can only touch upon the chief among them. As to fruits themselves, who could review

 9. But what need is there to continue, when in the same fig tree we have the most opposite flavours, as bitter in the sap as it is sweet in the fruit?

 10. “  Let the earth bring forth  .” This short command was in a moment a vast nature, an elaborate system. Swifter than thought it produced the count

 Homily VI.

 1. At the shows in the circus the spectator must join in the efforts of the athletes. This the laws of the show indicate, for they prescribe that all

 2. “  And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, and to divide the day from the night  .”

 3. And let no one suppose it to be a thing incredible that the brightness of the light is one thing, and the body which is its material vehicle is ano

 4. “  And let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years  .”

 5. But those who overstep the borders, making the words of Scripture their apology for the art of casting nativities, pretend that our lives depend up

 6. But what effects are produced? Such an one will have curly hair and bright eyes, because he is born under the Ram such is the appearance of a ram.

 7. They do not, however, stop here even our acts, where each one feels his will ruling, I mean, the practice of virtue or of vice, depend, according

 8. Let us return to the words which follow. “Let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years.” We have spoken about signs. By times, we u

 9. “  And God made two great lights  .”

 10. See again another evident proof of its greatness. Although the heaven may be full of stars without number, the light contributed by them all could

 11. On its variations depends also the condition of the air, as is proved by sudden disturbances which often come after the new moon, in the midst of

 Homily VII.

 1. “  And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life  ” after their kind, “  and fowl that may fly above the e

 2. “Let the waters bring forth moving creatures after their kind.” God caused to be born the firstlings of each species to serve as seeds for nature.

 3. The food of fish differs according to their species. Some feed on mud others eat sea weed others content themselves with the herbs that grow in w

 4. It is not thus with us. Why? Because we incessantly move the ancient landmarks which our fathers have set. We encroach, we add house to house, fiel

 5. I myself have seen these marvels, and I have admired the wisdom of God in all things. If beings deprived of reason are capable of thinking and of p

 6. Let husbands listen as well: here is a lesson for them. The viper vomits forth its venom in respect for marriage and you, will you not put aside t

 Homily VIII.

 1. And God said “  Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle and creeping things, and beast of the earth after his kind an

 2. “  Let the earth bring forth a living soul  .” Why did the earth produce a living soul? so that you may make a difference between the soul of cattl

 3. There are also innumerable kinds of birds. If we review them all, as we have partly done the fish, we shall find that under one name, the creatures

 4. What a variety, I have said, in the actions and lives of flying creatures. Some of these unreasoning creatures even have a government, if the featu

 5. How shall we make an exact review of all the peculiarities of the life of birds? During the night cranes keep watch in turn some sleep, others mak

 6. It is said that the turtle-dove, once separated from her mate, does not contract a new union, but remains in widowhood, in remembrance of her first

 7. “  Let the waters bring forth the moving creatures that have life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven  .” They r

 8. If we simply read the words of Scripture we find only a few short syllables. “Let the waters bring forth fowl that may fly above the earth in the o

 Homily IX.

 1. How did you like the fare of my morning’s discourse? It seemed to me that I had the good intentions of a poor giver of a feast, who, ambitious of h

 2. “  Let the earth bring forth the living creature  .”

 3. “  Let the earth bring forth the living creature  .” Thus when the soul of brutes appeared it was not concealed in the earth, but it was born by th

 4. Virtues exist in us also by nature, and the soul has affinity with them not by education, but by nature herself. We do not need lessons to hate ill

 5. But let us return to the spectacle of creation. The easiest animals to catch are the most productive. It is on account of this that hares and wild

 6. Beasts bear witness to the faith. Hast thou confidence in the Lord? “Thou shalt walk upon the asp and the basilisk and thou shalt trample under fee

11. We might say the same thing of the heavens. With what a noise of words the sages of this world have discussed their nature! Some have said that heaven is composed of four elements as being tangible and visible, and is made up of earth on account of its power of resistance, with fire because it is striking to the eye, with air and water on account of the mixture.  46  This is the doctrine of Plato vide Tim. The Combef. mss. reads not μίξις, mixture, but μέθεξις, participation. Others have rejected this system as improbable, and introduced into the world, to form the heavens, a fifth element after their own fashioning. There exists, they say, an æthereal body which is neither fire, air, earth, nor water, nor in one word any simple body. These simple bodies have their own natural motion in a straight line, light bodies upwards and heavy bodies downwards; now this motion upwards and downwards is not the same as circular motion; there is the greatest possible difference between straight and circular motion. It therefore follows that bodies whose motion is so various must vary also in their essence. But, it is not even possible to suppose that the heavens should be formed of primitive bodies which we call elements, because the reunion of contrary forces could not produce an even and spontaneous motion, when each of the simple bodies is receiving a different impulse from nature. Thus it is a labour to maintain composite bodies in continual movement, because it is impossible to put even a single one of their movements in accord and harmony with all those that are in discord; since what is proper to the light particle, is in warfare with that of a heavier one. If we attempt to rise we are stopped by the weight of the terrestrial element; if we throw ourselves down we violate the igneous part of our being in dragging it down contrary to its nature. Now this struggle of the elements effects their dissolution. A body to which violence is done and which is placed in opposition to nature, after a short but energetic resistance, is soon dissolved into as many parts as it had elements, each of the constituent parts returning to its natural place. It is the force of these reasons, say the inventors of the fifth kind of body for the genesis of heaven and the stars, which constrained them to reject the system of their predecessors and to have recourse to their own hypothesis.  47  Here appears to be a reference to Arist., De Gen. Ann. ii. 3, 11, πάσης μὲν ουν ψυχῆς δύναμις ἑτέρον σώματος ἐ& 231·ικε κεκοινωνηκέναι καὶ θειοτέρου τῶν καλουμένων στοιχείων· ὡς δὲ διαφέρουσι τιμιότητι αἱ ψυχαὶ καὶ ἀτιμί& 139· ἀλλήλων οὕτω καὶ ἡ τοιαύτη διαφέρει φύσις, and again, πνεῦμα…ἀνάλογον οὖσα τῷ τῶν ἄστρων στοιχεί& 251·. On the fifth element of Aristotle cf. Cic., Tusc. Disp. i. 10. Aristoteles…cum quatuor illa genera principiorum erat complexus, equibus omnia orirentur, quintam quandam naturam censet esse, equa sit mens. Aug., De Civ. Dei xxii. 11. 2, and Cudworth’s Int. Syst. (Harrison’s Ed. 1845) iii. p. 465. Hence the word “quintessence,” for which the Dictionaries quote Howard’s Translation of Plutarch, “Aristoteles hath put…for elements foure; and for a fifth quintessence, the heavenly body which is immutable.” Skeat s. v. points out that “the idea is older than Aristotle: cf. the five Skt. bhútas, or elements, which were earth, air, fire, and water, and æther. Thus the fifth essence is æther, the subtlest and highest.” It is evident that Milton had these theories in mind when he wrote (Par. Lost, iii. 716): “Swift to their several quarters hasted then The cumbrous elements, earth, flood, air, fire; And this ethereal quintessence of heaven Flew upward, spirited with various forms, That rolled orbicular, and turned to stars Numberless.” But yet another fine speaker arises and disperses and destroys this theory to give predominance to an idea of his own invention.

Do not let us undertake to follow them for fear of falling into like frivolities; let them refute each other, and, without disquieting ourselves about essence, let us say with Moses “God created the heavens and the earth.” Let us glorify the supreme Artificer for all that was wisely and skillfully made; by the beauty of visible things let us raise ourselves to Him who is above all beauty; by the grandeur of bodies, sensible and limited in their nature, let us conceive of the infinite Being whose immensity and omnipotence surpass all the efforts of the imagination. Because, although we ignore the nature of created things, the objects which on all sides attract our notice are so marvellous, that the most penetrating mind cannot attain to the knowledge of the least of the phenomena of the world, either to give a suitable explanation of it or to render due praise to the Creator, to Whom belong all glory, all honour and all power world without end. Amen.

46 This is the doctrine of Plato vide Tim. The Combef. mss. reads not μίξις, mixture, but μέθεξις, participation.
47 Here appears to be a reference to Arist., De Gen. Ann. ii. 3, 11, πάσης μὲν ουν ψυχῆς δύναμις ἑτέρον σώματος ἐ& 231·ικε κεκοινωνηκέναι καὶ θειοτέρου τῶν καλουμένων στοιχείων· ὡς δὲ διαφέρουσι τιμιότητι αἱ ψυχαὶ καὶ ἀτιμί& 139· ἀλλήλων οὕτω καὶ ἡ τοιαύτη διαφέρει φύσις, and again, πνεῦμα…ἀνάλογον οὖσα τῷ τῶν ἄστρων στοιχεί& 251·. On the fifth element of Aristotle cf. Cic., Tusc. Disp. i. 10. Aristoteles…cum quatuor illa genera principiorum erat complexus, equibus omnia orirentur, quintam quandam naturam censet esse, equa sit mens. Aug., De Civ. Dei xxii. 11. 2, and Cudworth’s Int. Syst. (Harrison’s Ed. 1845) iii. p. 465. Hence the word “quintessence,” for which the Dictionaries quote Howard’s Translation of Plutarch, “Aristoteles hath put…for elements foure; and for a fifth quintessence, the heavenly body which is immutable.” Skeat s. v. points out that “the idea is older than Aristotle: cf. the five Skt. bhútas, or elements, which were earth, air, fire, and water, and æther. Thus the fifth essence is æther, the subtlest and highest.” It is evident that Milton had these theories in mind when he wrote (Par. Lost, iii. 716): “Swift to their several quarters hasted then The cumbrous elements, earth, flood, air, fire; And this ethereal quintessence of heaven Flew upward, spirited with various forms, That rolled orbicular, and turned to stars Numberless.”

Τὰ αὐτὰ δὲ ταῦτα καὶ περὶ οὐρανοῦ εἴποιμεν, ὅτι πολυφωνότατοι πραγματεῖαι τοῖς σοφοῖς τοῦ κόσμου περὶ τῆς οὐρανίου φύσεως καταβέβληνται. Καὶ οἱ μὲν σύνθετον αὐτὸν ἐκ τῶν τεσσάρων στοιχείων εἰρήκασιν, ὡς ἁπτὸν ὄντα καὶ ὁρατὸν, καὶ μετέχοντα γῆς μὲν διὰ τὴν ἀντιτυπίαν, πυρὸς δὲ, διὰ τὸ καθορᾶσθαι, τῶν δὲ λοιπῶν, διὰ τὴν μίξιν. Οἱ δὲ τοῦτον ὡς ἀπίθανον παρωσάμενοι τὸν λόγον, πέμπτην τινὰ σώματος φύσιν εἰς οὐρανοῦ σύστασιν οἴκοθεν καὶ παρ' ἑαυτῶν ἀποσχεδιάσαντες ἐπεισήγαγον. Καὶ ἔστι τι παρ' αὐτοῖς τὸ αἰθέριον σῶμα, ὃ μήτε πῦρ, φησὶ, μήτε ἀὴρ, μήτε γῆ, μήτε ὕδωρ, μήτε ὅλως ὅπερ ἓν τῶν ἁπλῶν: διότι τοῖς μὲν ἁπλοῖς οἰκεία κίνησις ἡ ἐπ' εὐθείας, τῶν μὲν κούφων ἐπὶ τὸ ἄνω φερομένων, τῶν δὲ βαρέων ἐπὶ τὸ κάτω. Οὔτε δὲ τὸ ἄνω καὶ τὸ κάτω τῇ κυκλικῇ περιδινήσει ταὐτόν: καὶ ὅλως τὴν εὐθεῖαν πρὸς τὴν ἐν τῷ κύκλῳ περιφορὰν πλείστην ἀπόστασιν ἔχειν. Ὧν δὲ αἱ κατὰ φύσιν κινήσεις παρηλλαγμέναι τυγχάνουσιν, τούτων ἀνάγκη, φασὶ, παρηλλάχθαι καὶ τὰς οὐσίας. Ἀλλὰ μὴν οὐδὲ ἐκ τῶν πρώτων σωμάτων, ἃ δὴ στοιχεῖα καλοῦμεν, σύνθετον εἶναι δυνατὸν ἡμῖν ὑποθέσθαι τὸν οὐρανὸν, τῷ τὰ ἐκ διαφόρων συγκείμενα μὴ δύνασθαι ὁμαλὴν καὶ ἀβίαστον ἔχειν τὴν κίνησιν, ἑκάστου τῶν ἐνυπαρχόντων ἁπλῶν τοῖς συνθέτοις ἄλλην καὶ ἄλλην ὁρμὴν παρὰ τῆς φύσεως ἔχοντος. Διὸ πρῶτον μὲν καμάτῳ συνέχεται ἐν τῇ συνεχεῖ κινήσει τὰ σύνθετα, διὰ τὸ μίαν κίνησιν μὴ δύνασθαι πᾶσιν εὐάρμοστον εἶναι καὶ φίλην τοῖς ἐναντίοις: ἀλλὰ τὴν τῷ κούφῳ οἰκείαν, πολεμίαν εἶναι τῷ βαρυτάτῳ. Ὅταν μὲν γὰρ πρὸς τὰ ἄνω κινώμεθα, βαρυνόμεθα τῷ γεώδει: ὅταν δὲ πρὸς τὰ κάτω φερώμεθα, βιαζόμεθα τὸ πυρῶδες, παρὰ φύσιν αὐτὸ πρὸς τὸ κάτω καθέλκοντες. Ἡ δὲ πρὸς τὰ ἐναντία διολκὴ τῶν στοιχείων, διαπτώσεώς ἐστιν ἀφορμή. Τὸ γὰρ ἠναγκασμένον καὶ παρὰ φύσιν, ἐπ' ὀλίγον ἀντισχὸν, καὶ τοῦτο βιαίως καὶ μόλις, ταχὺ διελύθη εἰς τὰ ἐξ ὧν συνετέθη, ἑκάστου τῶν συνελθόντων πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν χώραν ἐπανιόντος. Διὰ μὲν δὴ ταύτας, ὥς φασι, τῶν λογισμῶν τὰς ἀνάγκας, τοὺς τῶν προαγόντων ἀθετήσαντες λόγους, οἰκείας ὑποθέσεως ἐδεήθησαν οἱ πέμπτην σώματος φύσιν εἰς τὴν οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῶν κατ' αὐτὸν ἀστέρων γένεσιν ὑποτιθέμενοι. Ἄλλος δέ τις τῶν σφριγώντων κατὰ πιθανολογίαν ἐπαναστὰς πάλιν τούτοις, ταῦτα μὲν διέχεε καὶ διέλυσεν, οἰκείαν δὲ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ ἀντεισήγαγε δόξαν. Περὶ ὧν νῦν λέγειν ἐπιχειροῦντες, εἰς τὴν ὁμοίαν αὐτοῖς ἀδολεσχίαν ἐμπεσούμεθα. Ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς ἐκείνους ὑπ' ἀλλήλων ἐάσαντες καταβάλλεσθαι, αὐτοὶ τοῦ περὶ τῆς οὐσίας ἀφέμενοι λόγου, πεισθέντες Μωϋσεῖ, ὅτι Ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν, τὸν ἀριστοτέχνην τῶν σοφῶς καὶ ἐντέχνως γενομένων δοξάσωμεν, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ κάλλους τῶν ὁρωμένων τὸν ὑπέρκαλον ἐννοώμεθα, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ μεγέθους τῶν αἰσθητῶν τούτων καὶ περιγραπτῶν σωμάτων ἀναλογιζώμεθα τὸν ἄπειρον καὶ ὑπερμεγέθη καὶ πᾶσαν διάνοιαν ἐν τῷ πλήθει τῆς ἑαυτοῦ δυνάμεως ὑπερβαίνοντα. Καὶ γὰρ εἰ καὶ τὴν φύσιν ἀγνοοῦμεν τῶν γενομένων, ἀλλὰ τό γε ὁλοσχερῶς ὑποπῖπτον ἡμῶν τῇ αἰσθήσει τοσοῦτον ἔχει τὸ θαῦμα, ὥστε καὶ τὸν ἐντρεχέστατον νοῦν ἐλάττονα ἀναφανῆναι τοῦ ἐλαχίστου τῶν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, πρὸς τὸ ἢ δυνηθῆναι αὐτὸ κατ' ἀξίαν ἐπεξελθεῖν, ἢ τὸν ὀφειλόμενον ἔπαινον ἀποπληρῶσαι τῷ κτίσαντι: ᾧ πᾶσα δόξα, τιμὴ καὶ κράτος, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.