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Victorinus of Pettau, On the Creation of the World
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To me, as I meditate and consider in my mind concerning the creation of this world in which we are kept enclosed, even such is the rapidity of that creation; as is contained in the book of Moses, which he wrote about its creation, and which is called Genesis. God produced that entire mass for the adornment of His majesty in six days; on the seventh to which He consecrated it . . . with a blessing. For this reason, therefore, because in the septenary number of days both heavenly and earthly things are ordered, in place of the beginning I will consider of this seventh day after the principle of all matters pertaining to the number of seven; and as far as I shall be able, I will endeavour to portray the day of the divine power to that consummation.
In the beginning God made the light, and divided it in the exact measure of twelve hours by day and by night, for this reason, doubtless, that day might bring over the night as an occasion of rest for men’s labours; that, again, day might overcome, and thus that labour might be refreshed with this alternate change of rest, and that repose again might be tempered by the exercise of day. “On the fourth day He made two lights in the heaven, the greater and the lesser, that the one might rule over the day, the other over the night,”2 Gen. i. 16, 17. —the lights of the sun and moon and He placed the rest of the stars in heaven, that they might shine upon the earth, and by their positions distinguish the seasons, and years, and months, and days, and hours.
Now is manifested the reason of the truth why the fourth day is called the Tetras, why we fast even to the ninth hour, or even to the evening, or why there should be a passing over even to the next day. Therefore this world of ours is composed of four elements—fire, water, heaven, earth. These four elements, therefore, form the quaternion of times or seasons. The sun, also, and the moon constitute throughout the space of the year four seasons—of spring, summer, autumn, winter; and these seasons make a quaternion. And to proceed further still from that principle, lo, there are four living creatures before God’s throne,3 Rev. iv. 6. [See vol. v. note 3, p. 618, this series.] four Gospels, four rivers flowing in paradise;4 Gen. ii. 10. four generations of people from Adam to Noah, from Noah to Abraham, from Abraham to Moses, from Moses to Christ the Lord, the Son of God; and four living creatures, viz., a man, a calf, a lion, an eagle; and four rivers, the Pison, the Gihon, the Tigris, and the Euphrates. The man Christ Jesus, the originator of these things whereof we have above spoken, was taken prisoner by wicked hands, by a quaternion of soldiers. Therefore on account of His captivity by a quaternion, on account of the majesty of His works,—that the seasons also, wholesome to humanity, joyful for the harvests, tranquil for the tempests, may roll on,—therefore we make the fourth day a station or a supernumerary fast.
On the fifth day the land and water brought forth their progenies. On the sixth day the things that were wanting were created; and thus God raised up man from the soil, as lord of all the things which He created upon the earth and the water. Yet He created angels and archangels before He created man, placing spiritual beings before earthly ones. For light was made before sky and the earth. This sixth day is called parasceve,5 παρασκευή. that is to say, the preparation of the kingdom. For He perfected Adam, whom He made after His image and likeness. But for this reason He completed His works before He created angels and fashioned man, lest perchance they should falsely assert that they had been His helpers. On this day also, on account of the passion of the Lord Jesus Christ, we make either a station to God, or a fast. On the seventh day He rested from all His works, and blessed it, and sanctified it. On the former day we are accustomed to fast rigorously, that on the Lord’s day we may go forth to our bread with giving of thanks. And let the parasceve become a rigorous fast, lest we should appear to observe any Sabbath with the Jews, which Christ Himself, the Lord of the Sabbath, says by His prophets that “His soul hateth;”6 Isa. i. 13, 14. which Sabbath He in His body abolished, although, nevertheless, He had formerly Himself commanded Moses that circumcision should not pass over the eighth day, which day very frequently happens on the Sabbath, as we read written in the Gospel.7 John vii. 22. Moses, foreseeing the hardness of that people, on the Sabbath raised up his hands, therefore, and thus figuratively fastened himself to a cross.8 Exod. xxii. 9, 12. And in the battle they were sought for by the foreigners on the Sabbath-day, that they might be taken captive, and, as if by the very strictness of the law, might be fashioned to the avoidance of its teaching.9 1 Macc. ii. 31–41.
And thus in the sixth Psalm for the eighth day,10 Ps. vi. 1; [also Ps. xii. On Sheminith, 1 Chron. xv. 21]. David asks the Lord that He would not rebuke him in His anger, nor judge him in His fury; for this is indeed the eighth day of that future judgment, which will pass beyond the order of the sevenfold arrangement. Jesus also, the son of Nave, the successor of Moses, himself broke the Sabbath-day; for on the Sabbath-day he commanded the children of Israel11 Josh. vi. 4. to go round the walls of the city of Jericho with trumpets, and declare war against the aliens. Matthias12 Mattathias, interp. Vulg. also, prince of Judah, broke the Sabbath; for he slew the prefect of Antiochus the king of Syria on the Sabbath, and subdued the foreigners by pursuing them. And in Matthew we read, that it is written Isaiah also and the rest of his colleagues broke the Sabbath13 Matt. xii. 5. —that that true and just Sabbath should be observed in the seventh millenary of years. Wherefore to those seven days the Lord attributed to each a thousand years; for thus went the warning: “In Thine eyes, O Lord, a thousand years are as one day.”14 Ps. xc. 4. Therefore in the eyes of the Lord each thousand of years is ordained, for I find that the Lord’s eyes are seven.15 Zech. iv. 10. Wherefore, as I have narrated, that true Sabbath will be in the seventh millenary of years, when Christ with His elect shall reign. Moreover, the seven heavens agree with those days; for thus we are warned: “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the powers of them by the spirit of His mouth.”16 Ps. xxxiii. 6. [Seven, say the Rabbis. Vol. ii. note 7, p. 438, this series.] There are seven spirits. Their names are the spirits which abode on the Christ of God, as was intimated in Isaiah the prophet: “And there rests upon Him the spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of wisdom17 Probably “knowledge.” and of piety, and the spirit of God’s fear hath filled Him.”18 Isa. xi. 2, 3. Therefore the highest heaven is the heaven of wisdom; the second, of understanding; the third, of counsel; the fourth, of might; the fifth, of knowledge; the sixth, of piety; the seventh, of God’s fear. From this, therefore, the thunders bellow, the lightnings are kindled,19 Or, “the rivers are spread abroad.” the fires are heaped together; fiery darts20 Trabes. [There is no proof of seven heavens in Scripture.] appear, stars gleam, the anxiety caused by the dreadful comet is aroused.21 Coma horribilis curabitur. Sometimes it happens that the sun and moon approach one another, and cause those more than frightful appearances, radiating with light in the field of their aspect. But the author of the whole creation is Jesus. His name is the Word; for thus His Father says: “My heart hath emitted a good word.”22 Ps. xlv. 1 [Vol. i. p. 213, this series.] John the evangelist thus says: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was nothing made that was made.”23 John i. 1, 2, 3. Therefore, first, was made the creation; secondly, man, the lord of the human race, as says the apostle.24 1 Cor. xv. 45–47. Therefore this Word, when it made light, is called Wisdom; when it made the sky, Understanding; when it made land and sea, Counsel; when it made sun and moon and other bright things, Power; when it calls forth land and sea, Knowledge; when it formed man, Piety; when it blesses and sanctifies man, it has the name of God’s fear.
Behold the seven horns of the Lamb,25 Rev. v. 6. the seven eyes of God26 Zech. iv. 10. —the seven eyes are the seven spirits of the Lamb;27 Rev. iv. 5. seven torches burning before the throne of God28 Rev. iv. 5. seven golden candlesticks,29 Rev. i. 13. seven young sheep,30 Lev. xxiii. 18. the seven women in Isaiah,31 Isa. iv. 1. the seven churches in Paul,32 Acts vi. 3?. [This is how the footnote in the print edition is worded. The only verse in the Bible that lists the seven churches is Rev. i. 11.] seven deacons,33 Acts vi. 3. seven angels,34 Rev. passim. seven trumpets,35 Josh. vi.; Rev. viii. seven seals to the book, seven periods of seven days with which Pentecost is completed, the seven weeks in Daniel,36 Dan. ix. 25 also the forty-three weeks in Daniel;37 Dan. ix. with Noah, seven of all clean things in the ark;38 Gen. vii. 2 seven revenges of Cain,39 Gen. iv. 15. seven years for a debt to be acquitted,40 Deut. xv. 1. the lamp with seven orifices,41 Zech. iv. 2. seven pillars of wisdom in the house of Solomon.42 Prov. xi. 1.
Now, therefore, you may see that it is being told you of the unerring glory of God in providence; yet, as far as my small capacity shall be able, I will endeavour to set it forth. That He might re-create that Adam by means of the week, and bring aid to His entire creation, was accomplished by the nativity of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Who, then, that is taught in the law of God, who that is filled with the Holy Spirit, does not see in his heart, that on the same day on which the dragon seduced Eve, the angel Gabriel brought the glad tidings to the Virgin Mary; that on the same day the Holy Spirit overflowed the Virgin Mary, on which He made light; that on that day He was incarnate in flesh, in which He made the land and water; that on the same day He was put to the breast, on which He made the stars; that on the same day He was circumcised,43 Ea die in sanguine. on which the land and water brought forth their offspring; that on the same day He was incarnated, on which He formed man out of the ground; that on the same day Christ was born, on which He formed man; that on that day He suffered, on which Adam fell; that on the same day He rose again from the dead, on which He created light? He, moreover, consummates His humanity in the number seven: of His nativity, His infancy, His boyhood, His youth, His young-manhood, His mature age, His death. I have also set forth His humanity to the Jews in these manners: since He is hungry, is thirsty; since He gave food and drink; since He walks, and retired; since He slept upon a pillow;44 Mark iv. 38. since, moreover, He walks upon the stormy seas with His feet, He commands the winds, He cures the sick and restores the lame, He raises the blind by His speech,45 “He makes the deaf to hear, and recalls the dead:” this is inserted conjecturally by Routh. —see ye that He declares Himself to them to be the Lord.
The day, as I have above related, is divided into two parts by the number twelve—by the twelve hours of day and night; and by these hours too, months, and years, and seasons, and ages are computed. Therefore, doubtless, there are appointed also twelve angels of the day and twelve angels of the night, in accordance, to wit, with the number of hours. For these are the twenty-four witnesses of the days and nights46 Rev. iv. 4. which sit before the throne of God, having golden crowns on their heads, whom the Apocalypse of John the apostle and evangelist calls elders, for the reason that they are older both than the other angels and than men.
S. VICTORINI MARTYRIS, PETAVIONENSIS EPISCOPI, DE FABRICA MUNDI.
0301B
COGITANTI mihi, una cum animo meo conferenti, de fabrica mundi istius, in quo clausi tenemur, etiam velocitas fabricae istius haec est; sicut in libro Moysis 0302B continetur, quem de conditione ipsius scripsit, qui Genesis appellatur. Totam molem istam, Deus sex diebus in ornamento majestatis suae expressit, septimo quibus benedictione . . . consecravit. Idcirco igitur, quoniam septenario numero dierum et 0303A coelestia et terrestria reguntur, principii loco, de hac septimam ad omnium septimanarium rigionum metibor, et prout potuero, virtutis diem in eam consummationem conabor exprimere.
In principio fecit Deus lucem, eamque duodenario mero horarum, die noctuque, divisit, idcirco videlicet, ut laboribus hominum requies locum noctem dies superduceret, rursus dies supervinceret; hac se alterna vice labor quetis refoveretur, quies exercitatione rursus diei temperaretur. Quarto die fecit duo luminaria in coelo, majus et minus, ut alterum praeesset diei, alterum nocti (Genes., I, 16, 17), solis et lunae; caeteraque sidera posuit in coelo, ut lucerent super terram, et discernerent tempora et annos et menses et dies et horas per stationes.
Nunc ratio veritatis ostenditur, quare dies IIII, tetras 0303B nuncupatur ; quare usque ad horam nonam jejunamus 0304A , usque ad vesperam, aut superpositio usque in alterum diem fiat. Mundus itaque iste ex quatuor elementis constat, igne, aqua, coelo, terra. Haec igitur quator elementa temporum tetradem faciunt. Sol quoque et luna per anni spatium quatuor tempora efficiunt, veris, aestatis, autumni, hyemis; et haec tempora tetradem faciunt. Et ut ex ea re longius enarrem, ecce quatuor animalia ante thronum Dei (Apoc., IV, 6). quatuor evangelia, quatuor flumina in paradiso fluentia (Gen., II, 10), quatuor generationes populorum, ab Adam usque ad Noe, a Noe usque ad Abraham, ab Abraham usque ad Moysem, a Moyse usque ad Christum Dominum, Filium Dei; et quatuor animalia (Apoc., IV, 7) hominis, vituli, leonis, aquilae; et quatuor flumina (Gen., II, 11), Fyson, Geon, Tygris, Euphrates. Homo Christus Jesus auctor eorum, quae 0304B supra memoravimus, tetrade ab impiis comprehensus 0305A est. Itaque ob captivitatem ejus tetradem ob majestatem operum suorum, et tempora humanitatis salubria, frugibus laeta, tempestatibus tranquilla, decurrant, ideo aut superpositionem facimus.
Die quinto terra et aqua foetus suos ediderunt. Die sexto creata sunt, quae deerant; ac sic Deus hominem de humo instruxit, dominum omnium rerum, quae super terram et super aquam creavit. Prius tamen angelos atque archangelos creavit, quam hominem finxit, spiritalia terrenis anteponens. Prius enim lux, quam coelum et terram . Hic dies sextus parasceve appellatur, praeparatio scilicet regni; Adam 0306A enim quem ad imaginem et similitudinem suam consummavit. Idcirco autem prius opera sua consummavit, quam angelos creavit, et hominem fabricavit, ne forte adjutores se fuisse falsa dictione asseverant . Hoc quoque die ob passionem Domini Jesu Christi aut stationem Deo, aut jejunium, facimus. Die septimo requievit ab omnibus operibus suis, et benedixit eum et sanctificavit. Hoc die solemus superponere; idcirco, ut die Dominico cum gratiarum actione ad panem exeamus. Et parasceve superpositio fiat, ne quid cum Judaeis sabbatum observare videamur, quod ipse Dominus sabbati Christus per prophetas suos 0307A odisse animam suam dicit (Is., I, 13, 14) ; quod sabbato corpore suo resolvit: prius autem, cum ipse Moysi praeciperet, ne circumcisio diem octavum praeteriret, quae die sabbato plerumque incurrit, sicut in evangelio scriptum legimus (Joan., VII, 22) . Moyses prospiciens duritiam populi illius (Mat., XIX, 8) , idcirco die sabbati legebamus (Ex., XVII, 9, 12; Col., II, 14) , et seipsum crucifixit . Et praelio quae , ab allophylis sabbato (I Mac., II, 31---41) , ut caperentur, et velut 0308A severitatem legis ad devetando disciplinam formarentur.
Et ideo David in Psalmo sexto pro die octavo Domino rogat ne in ira, neque in furore (Ps., VI, 1) , suo arguat eum, aut judicet; hic est enim revera futuri illius judicii dies octavus, qui extra ordinem septimanae dispositionis excessurus est. Jesus quoque Nave, successor Moysis, et ipse sabbatum resolvit, die enim sabbati praecepit filiis Israel (Jos., VI, 3) , ut muros civitatis 0309A Hiericho tubicinibus circuirent, et bellum allophylis indicarent. Matthias (Mathathias. interp. Vulgat.) autem princeps Judae sabbatum resolvit; nam praefectum Antiochi regis Syriae sabbato occidit (I Macc., II, 26, 40, 41), et allophylos sua persecutione subjecit. Et apud Matthaeum scriptum legimus; Esaias quoque et caeteri collegae ejus sabbatum resolverunt (Mat., XII, 3). Ut verum illud et justum sabbatum septimo milliario annorum observaretur. Quamobrem septem diebus istis Dominus singula millia annorum adsignavit, sic enim cautum est, In oculis tuis, Domine, mille anni ut dies una (Ps. LXXXIX, 4). Ergo in oculis Dei singula millia annorum constituta sunt, septem enim habeo oculos Domini (Zach., IV, 10). Quapropter, ut memoravi, verum illud sabbatum, et 0309B septem millia anni quo Christus cum electis suis 0310A regnaturus est. Septem quoque coeli sunt illis diebus conveniunt; sic enim cautum est; Verbo Domini coeli firmati sunt, et spiritu oris ejus omnis virtus eorum (Ps., XXXII, 6). Hi septem spiritus. Nomina sunt eorum spiritus, qui supra Christum Dei requieverunt, ut apud Esaiam prophetam cautum est. Et requiescit super eum spiritus sapientiae, et intellectus, spiritus consilii, et virtutis, spiritus sapientiae et pietatis, et replevit illum spiritus timoris Dei (Is., XI, 2, 3). Summum ergo coelum sapientiae, secundum intellectus, tertium consilii, quartum virtutis, quintum scientiae, sextum pietatis, septimun timoris Dei. Ex hoc ergo, tonitrua mugiunt, flumina extenduntur ignes conglobant, trabes ardentes apparent, sidera radiant, comae horribilis curabitur . Nonnunquam accedit etiam 0310B sol et luna invicem visitantur ; atque illa ultra formibilia, 0311A lumine radiantia in acie aspectu ejus , efficiunt . Auctoritatem totius creaturae justus ; Verbo cognomen est ei, sic enim dicit pater ejus, Eructatum est cor meum verbum bonum (Ps., XLV, 1) . Joannes evangelista sic dicit: In principio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum; hoc erat in principio apud Deum: omnia per ipsum facta sunt, et sine eo factum est nihil (Joan., I. 1, 2, 3) . Ergo primus factus creaturae est, secundus hominis humani generis, ut ait apostolus (I Cor., XV, 45, 47) . Hoc igitur Verbum, cum lucem fecit, sapientia vocatur; cum coelum, intellectus; cum terram et mare, consilium; cum solem et lunam caeteraque clara, virtus; cum terram ac mare excitat, scientia; cum hominem finxit, pietas; cum hominem benedicit et sanctificat, timor , 0311B Dei nomen habet.
Ecce septem cornua agnuli (Apoc., V, 6), septem oculos Dei (Zach., IV, 10); septem oculi (Apoc., V, 6) stagnei septem spiritus (Apoc., IV, 5); septem faces ardentes ante thronum Dei (Apoc., IV 5); septem candelabra 0312A aurea (Apoc., I, 13); septem oviculae (Levit., XXIII, 18); septem mulieres apud Esaiam (Is., IV, 1); septem ecclesiae apud Paulum, (Act., VI, 3), septem diacones; septem angeli (Plus semel Apoc.), septem tubas (Jos., VI, vel Apoc., VIII); septem signacula libri (Apoc., V, 1.) septem septimanae, quibus pentecoste concluditur; septem septimanae apud Danielem (Dan., IX, 25); item quadraginta tres septimanae apud Danielem; apud Noe septem omnia munda in arca (Gen., VII, 2); septem vindictae de Cain (Gen., IV, 15); septem anni remittendi debiti (Deut., XV, 1); lucerna cum septem orificiis (Zach., IV, 2); septem columnae sapientiae in domum Salomonis (Prov., XI, 1).
Nunc igitur de inerrabili gloria Dei in providentia videas memorari; tamen, ut mens parva poterit, conabor 0312B ostendere. Ut Adam illum per septimanam reformaverit, atque universae suae creaturae subveniret , nativitate filii sui Jesu Christi Domini nostri factum est. Quis itaque lege Dei doctus, quis plenus Spiritu sancto, non respiciat corde, ea die Gabriel 0313A angelum Mariae virgini evangelizasse, qua die draco Evam seduxit; ea die Spiritum sanctum Mariam virginem inundasse, qua lucem fecit; ea die in carne esse conversum, qua terram et aquam fecit; ea die in lacte esse conversum, qua stellas fecit; ea die in sanguine, qua terra et aqua foetus suos ediderunt; ea die in carne esse conversum, qua die hominem de humo instruxit; ea die natum esse Christum, qua hominem finxit; eadem die esse passum, quo Adam cecidit; ea die resurrexit a mortuis, qua lucem fecit. Humanitatem quoque suam septenario numero consummat, nativitatis, infantiae, pueritiae, adolescentiae, juventutis, perfectae aetatis, occasum . Judaeis quoque humanitatem suam etiam his modis ostendi, cum esurit, sitit, cibum potumque dedit, cum ambulat, eas 0313B esse scit , cum super cervicalem dormivit (Marc., IV, 38); cum autem freta aut procella pedibus ingreditur, ventis imperat, aegros curat, et claudos reformat, caecos eloquentia instituit videte Dominum se esse nuntiari ejusdem .
Duodenario numero dicere ut supra memoravi, per duodenas horas bifarie divisus est lucis et noctis, per has namque horas, menses et anni et tempora et saecula computantur. Constituta sunt itaque sine dubio autem diei angeli duodecim, noctis angeli duodecim, pro numero scilicet horarum. Hi sunt namque XXIIII testes dierum et noctium (Apoc., IV, 4), qui sedent ante thronum Dei, coronas aureas in capitibus suis habentes, quos in Apocalypsis Joannis apostoli et evangelistae seniores vocat, idcirco 0314A quia seniores sunt et aliis angelis et hominibus.
EXPLICIT TRACTATUS VICTORINI DE FABRICA MUNDI.