Confessions of St. Augustine · of Hippo Augustine
BOOK XIII
(“Continuation of the exposition of Genesis i, 1; it contains the mystery of the Trinity, and a type of the formation, extension, and support of the Church.”) (xxxii) 47. Thanks to Thee, O Lord. We behold _the heaven and earth_, whether the corporeal part, superior and inferior, or the spiritual and corporeal creature; and in the adorning of these parts, whereof the universal pile of the world, or rather the universal creation, doth consist, we see _light_ made, and _divided from the darkness_. We see the _firmament of heaven_, whether that primary body of the world, _between the_ spiritual upper _waters and the_ inferior corporeal _waters_, or (since this also is called heaven) this space of air through which wander the fowls of heaven, _betwixt those waters_ which are in vapors borne above them, and in clear nights distil down in dew; _and_ those heavier _waters_ which flow along the earth. We behold a face of _waters gathered together_ in the fields of _the sea_; and _the dry land_ both void, and formed so as to be visible and harmonized, yea and the matter of herbs and trees. We behold _the lights_ shining from above, _the sun_ to suffice for _the day, the moon and the stars_ to cheer _the night_; and that by all these, _times_ should be marked and signified.
We behold on all sides a moist element, replenished with fishes, beasts, and birds; because the grossness of the air, which bears up the flights of birds, thickeneth itself by the exhalation of the waters. We behold the face of the earth decked out with earthly creatures, and _man, created after Thy image and likeness_, even through that Thy very _image and likeness_, (that is the power of reason and understanding), set over all irrational creatures. And as in his soul there is one power which has dominion by directing, another made subject, that it might obey; so was there for the man, corporeally also, made a woman, who in the mind of her reasonable understanding should have a parity of nature, but in the sex of her body, should be in like manner subject to the sex of her husband, as the appetite of doing is fain to conceive the skill of right-doing, from the reason of the mind. These things we behold, and they are severally _good_, and altogether _very good_.
And after this didst Thou kindle certain _lights in the firmament_, Thy Holy ones, having _the word of life_; and shining with an eminent authority set on high through spiritual gifts; after that again, for the initiation of the unbelieving Gentiles, didst Thou out of corporeal matter produce the Sacraments, and visible miracles, and forms of words according to the firmament of Thy Book, by which the faithful should be _blessed_ and _multiplied_. Next didst Thou form the _living soul_ of the faithful, through affections well ordered by the vigor of continency: and after that, the mind subjected to Thee alone and needing to imitate no human authority, hast Thou renewed _after_ Thy _image and likeness_; and didst subject its rational actions to the excellency of the understanding, as _the_ woman to the man; and to all Offices of Thy Ministry, necessary for the perfecting of the faithful in this life, Thou willedst, that for their temporal uses, good things, fruitful to themselves in time to come, be given by the same faithful. _All_ these we see, and they are _very good_, because Thou seest them in us, Who hast given unto us Thy Spirit, by which we might see them, and in them love Thee. (xxxv) 50. O Lord God, _give peace unto us_: (for Thou hast given us all things); the peace of rest, the peace of the Sabbath, which hath no evening. For all this most goodly array of things _very good_, having finished their courses, is to pass away, for in them there _was morning and evening_.
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.