{"collection":"chr","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/chr/ecf/003/0030514.htm","path":"chr/ecf/003/0030514.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/chr/ecf/003/0030514.htm","text":"Chapter XLV.\u2014Conclusion. Contrast Between the Statements of Hermogenes and the Testimony of Holy Scripture Respecting the Creation. Creation Out of Nothing, Not Out of Matter.\nBut it is not thus that the prophets and the apostles have told us that the world was made by God merely appearing and approaching Matter. They did not even mention any Matter, but (said) that Wisdom was first set up, the beginning of His ways, for His works. 6593 Then that the Word was produced, \u201cthrough whom all things were made, and without whom nothing was made.\u201d 6594 Indeed, \u201cby the Word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all their hosts by the breath of His mouth.\u201d 6595 He is the Lord\u2019s right hand, 6596 indeed His two hands, by which He worked and constructed the universe. \u201cFor,\u201d says He, \u201cthe heavens are the works of Thine hands,\u201d 6597 wherewith \u201cHe hath meted out the heaven, and the earth with a span.\u201d 6598 Do not be willing so to cover God with flattery, as to contend that He produced by His mere appearance and simple approach so many vast substances, instead of rather forming them by His own energies. For this is proved by Jeremiah when he says, \u201cGod hath made the earth by His power, He hath established the world by His wisdom, and hath stretched out the heaven by His understanding.\u201d 6599 These are the energies by the stress of which He made this universe. 6600 His glory is greater if He laboured. At length on the seventh day He rested from His works. Both one and the other were after His manner. If, on the contrary, 6601 He made this world simply by appearing and approaching it, did He, on the completion of His work, cease to appear and approach it any more. Nay rather, 6602 God began to appear more conspicuously and to be everywhere accessible 6603 from the time when the world was made. You see, therefore, how all things consist by the operation of that God who \u201cmade the earth by His power, who established the world by His wisdom, and stretched out the heaven by His understanding;\u201d not appearing merely, nor approaching, but applying the almighty efforts of His mind, His wisdom, His power, His understanding, His word, His Spirit, His might. Now these things were not necessary to Him, if He had been perfect by simply appearing and approaching. They are, however, His \u201cinvisible things,\u201d which, according to the apostle, \u201care from the creation of the world clearly seen by the things that are made;\u201d 6604 they are no parts of a nondescript 6605 Matter, but they are the sensible 6606 evidences of Himself. \u201cFor who hath known the mind of the Lord,\u201d 6607 of which (the apostle) exclaims: \u201cO the depth of the riches both of His wisdom and knowledge! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!\u201d 6608 Now what clearer truth do these words indicate, than that all things were made out of nothing? They are incapable of being found out or investigated, except by God alone. Otherwise, if they were traceable or discoverable in Matter, they would be capable of investigation. Therefore, in as far as it has become evident that Matter had no prior existence (even from this circumstance, that it is impossible 6609 for it to have had such an existence as is assigned to it), in so far is it proved that all things were made by God out of nothing. It must be admitted, however, 6610 that Hermogenes, by describing for Matter a condition like his own\u2014irregular, confused, turbulent, of a doubtful and precipate and fervid impulse\u2014has displayed a specimen of his own art, and painted his own portrait.\nProv. 8:22, 23.\n502:6594 502:6595\nSpiritu Ipsius: \u201cby His Spirit.\u201d See Ps. xxxiii. 6.\n502:6596 502:6597 502:6598 502:6599 502:6600 502:6601 502:6602 502:6603 502:6604 502:6605 502:6606 502:6607 502:6608 502:6609 502:6610","title":"Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol III: Tertullian: Part II: Conclu...","type":"page"}