CAP. II.

In which the fortitude of Marinus, in his confutation of Robert’s reasons, regarding those who establish the structure of the world and its harmony in their own way, shines forth,

Col. 712.

NOW, having reviewed the opinions of Marinus regarding the structure of the world and its harmony, in his next Article (after he had rejected the opinion of Paracelsus 16th-century physician and alchemist on the fabrication of the world as—to use his words—monstrous, vain, impious, and foolish, and after he had considered the minds of others on this matter), he finally seems to approach our opinion. From this, I clearly perceived the reason why he acted in the previous article in such a covered and secret manner regarding my opinions on the world’s fabrication and its harmony, and without expressing my name: namely, because he knew with a clearer conscience that he could bring nothing against it lawfully, and without a manifest contradiction of the truth, just as he also seems to confess and argue in this very Article; for in it, he appears not to refute them, but rather to confirm them, as it is permitted to conclude from this context of his.

1. Marinus' text. Col. 712.

It is clear that heaven and earth were created by God in the beginning, and that on each of certain days, which Moses describes, some new work was produced by God, whether you call the production of each Day a creation, or by whatever other way, it matters little. I do not in the least call into doubt here whether God, by the power of some light, or of the Sun created in the beginning, could form all things from the earth and chaos, and place them in their own locations; for indeed, it has long been established by me that God can accomplish whatever He wills through whatever means and causes He wishes. But whether through the medium of the sun, or that primary light of the three days, He gradually brought the water, the heavens, and their ornaments out of that chaos into their places by the power of heat, is another matter, nor should we invent anything on that part which we have not weighed against the sacred history of Moses, which are the words of God, as if against a Lydian Stone original: "Lydium Lapidem"; a touchstone used to test the purity of gold..

Robert’s Examination.

Here he seems to refute nothing, for he acknowledges the power of both chaos and light in this place, nor do I yet perceive from these that he denies the works of creation alleged in my manner. He does not deny that God can form all things from the earth or chaos by the power of some light. He also acknowledges that God can act through certain means as He wishes, and yet at the end he seems to doubt whether He brought the water, air, heavens, and ornaments gradually out of that chaos into their places by the power of heat by the primary light of the three days.

In this matter, since this man, glorious in his own doctrine, hesitates in doubt, I shall attempt to resolve him with very few words, so that neither he nor the world may conceive any further reason for doubting this opinion of mine in the future.

Wisdom 11:18

Regarding the confirmation of chaos, or hyle primordial matter, at the beginning of the world: if that void earth, of which mention was made before the creation of light, or the darkness which was upon the face of the abyss, does not suffice for you, I would have you look at the opinion of Solomon on this matter, which clearly explains the matter or subject from which the world was created, and that in express words, which, according to the interpretation of Tremellius 16th-century Hebraist and theologian, sound thus: Thy hand created the world from formless matter: or as Pagninus 16th-century biblical scholar has it: The hand of the Almighty fashioned the world from formless matter. But Hieronymus St. Jerome says: Thy hand created the orb of the earth from invisible matter. By these it is declared quite clearly that this matter, insofar as it was formless, can be considered as nothing else than that original hyle, from whose bowels, by separation, the world and what is in the world was created. Are you still hesitating, Marinus? When you have the Mosaic words expressly confirmed by the Wise Man? But if these do not suffice for you, attend to this speech brought forth by a suffering man: