{"id":"01KJR8Q6JH38BP6XX428TQSZ56","cid":"bafkreiexu7k2fqljiyqxp35e5wqzonmkxj4msvsdp4terx6l6acpogy2nq","type":"text_chunk","properties":{"char_end":542102,"char_start":534442,"chunk_index":75,"chunk_total":89,"estimated_tokens":1915,"source_file_key":"confessions","text":"which before was not, and that these things were not out of Thyself, in\r\nThine own likeness, which is the form of all things; but out of nothing,\r\na formless unlikeness, which should be formed by Thy likeness (recurring\r\nto Thy Unity, according to their appointed capacity, so far as is given\r\nto each thing in his kind), and might all be made very good; whether\r\nthey abide around Thee, or being in gradation removed in time and place,\r\nmade or undergo the beautiful variations of the Universe. These things\r\nthey see, and rejoice, in the little degree they here may, in the light\r\nof Thy truth.\r\n\r\nAnother bends his mind on that which is said, In the Beginning God made\r\nheaven and earth; and beholdeth therein Wisdom, the Beginning because\r\nIt also speaketh unto us. Another likewise bends his mind on the same\r\nwords, and by Beginning understands the commencement of things created;\r\nIn the beginning He made, as if it were said, He at first made. And\r\namong them that understand In the Beginning to mean, \"In Thy Wisdom Thou\r\ncreatedst heaven and earth,\" one believes the matter out of which the\r\nheaven and earth were to be created, to be there called heaven and\r\nearth; another, natures already formed and distinguished; another, one\r\nformed nature, and that a spiritual, under the name Heaven, the other\r\nformless, a corporeal matter, under the name Earth. They again who by\r\nthe names heaven and earth, understand matter as yet formless, out of\r\nwhich heaven and earth were to be formed, neither do they understand it\r\nin one way; but the one, that matter out of which both the intelligible\r\nand the sensible creature were to be perfected; another, that only, out\r\nof which this sensible corporeal mass was to be made, containing in\r\nits vast bosom these visible and ordinary natures. Neither do they, who\r\nbelieve the creatures already ordered and arranged, to be in this place\r\ncalled heaven and earth, understand the same; but the one, both the\r\ninvisible and visible, the other, the visible only, in which we behold\r\nthis lightsome heaven, and darksome earth, with the things in them\r\ncontained.\r\n\r\nBut he that no otherwise understands In the Beginning He made, than if\r\nit were said, At first He made, can only truly understand heaven and\r\nearth of the matter of heaven and earth, that is, of the universal\r\nintelligible and corporeal creation. For if he would understand thereby\r\nthe universe, as already formed, it may be rightly demanded of him, \"If\r\nGod made this first, what made He afterwards?\" and after the universe,\r\nhe will find nothing; whereupon must he against his will hear another\r\nquestion; \"How did God make this first, if nothing after?\" But when\r\nhe says, God made matter first formless, then formed, there is no\r\nabsurdity, if he be but qualified to discern, what precedes by eternity,\r\nwhat by time, what by choice, and what in original. By eternity, as\r\nGod is before all things; by time, as the flower before the fruit; by\r\nchoice, as the fruit before the flower; by original, as the sound before\r\nthe tune. Of these four, the first and last mentioned, are with extreme\r\ndifficulty understood, the two middle, easily. For a rare and too lofty\r\na vision is it, to behold Thy Eternity, O Lord, unchangeably making\r\nthings changeable; and thereby before them. And who, again, is of\r\nso sharp-sighted understanding, as to be able without great pains to\r\ndiscern, how the sound is therefore before the tune; because a tune is\r\na formed sound; and a thing not formed, may exist; whereas that which\r\nexisteth not, cannot be formed. Thus is the matter before the thing\r\nmade; not because it maketh it, seeing itself is rather made; nor is it\r\nbefore by interval of time; for we do not first in time utter formless\r\nsounds without singing, and subsequently adapt or fashion them into\r\nthe form of a chant, as wood or silver, whereof a chest or vessel is\r\nfashioned. For such materials do by time also precede the forms of the\r\nthings made of them, but in singing it is not so; for when it is sung,\r\nits sound is heard; for there is not first a formless sound, which is\r\nafterwards formed into a chant. For each sound, so soon as made, passeth\r\naway, nor canst thou find ought to recall and by art to compose. So\r\nthen the chant is concentrated in its sound, which sound of his is his\r\nmatter. And this indeed is formed, that it may be a tune; and therefore\r\n(as I said) the matter of the sound is before the form of the tune; not\r\nbefore, through any power it hath to make it a tune; for a sound is no\r\nway the workmaster of the tune; but is something corporeal, subjected to\r\nthe soul which singeth, whereof to make a tune. Nor is it first in time;\r\nfor it is given forth together with the tune; nor first in choice, for\r\na sound is not better than a tune, a tune being not only a sound, but\r\na beautiful sound. But it is first in original, because a tune receives\r\nnot form to become a sound, but a sound receives a form to become a\r\ntune. By this example, let him that is able, understand how the matter\r\nof things was first made, and called heaven and earth, because heaven\r\nand earth were made out of it. Yet was it not made first in time;\r\nbecause the forms of things give rise to time; but that was without\r\nform, but now is, in time, an object of sense together with its form.\r\nAnd yet nothing can be related of that matter, but as though prior in\r\ntime, whereas in value it is last (because things formed are superior\r\nto things without form) and is preceded by the Eternity of the Creator:\r\nthat so there might be out of nothing, whereof somewhat might be\r\ncreated.\r\n\r\nIn this diversity of the true opinions, let Truth herself produce\r\nconcord. And our God have mercy upon us, that we may use the law\r\nlawfully, the end of the commandment, pure charity. By this if man\r\ndemands of me, \"which of these was the meaning of Thy servant Moses\";\r\nthis were not the language of my Confessions, should I not confess unto\r\nThee, \"I know not\"; and yet I know that those senses are true, those\r\ncarnal ones excepted, of which I have spoken what seemed necessary. And\r\neven those hopeful little ones who so think, have this benefit, that the\r\nwords of Thy Book affright them not, delivering high things lowlily,\r\nand with few words a copious meaning. And all we who, I confess, see and\r\nexpress the truth delivered in those words, let us love one another, and\r\njointly love Thee our God, the fountain of truth, if we are athirst for\r\nit, and not for vanities; yea, let us so honour this Thy servant, the\r\ndispenser of this Scripture, full of Thy Spirit, as to believe that,\r\nwhen by Thy revelation he wrote these things, he intended that, which\r\namong them chiefly excels both for light of truth, and fruitfulness of\r\nprofit.\r\n\r\nSo when one says, \"Moses meant as I do\"; and another, \"Nay, but as I\r\ndo,\" I suppose that I speak more reverently, \"Why not rather as both,\r\nif both be true?\" And if there be a third, or a fourth, yea if any other\r\nseeth any other truth in those words, why may not he be believed to\r\nhave seen all these, through whom the One God hath tempered the holy\r\nScriptures to the senses of many, who should see therein things true but\r\ndivers? For I certainly (and fearlessly I speak it from my heart), that\r\nwere I to indite any thing to have supreme authority, I should prefer\r\nso to write, that whatever truth any could apprehend on those matters,\r\nmight be conveyed in my words, rather than set down my own meaning so\r\nclearly as to exclude the rest, which not being false, could not offend\r\nme. I will not therefore, O my God, be so rash, as not to believe, that\r\nThou vouchsafedst as much to that great man."},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KJR8NK5DAD726FMQ6JCHGZ5R","peer_label":"confessions","peer_type":"text","predicate":"derived_from"},{"peer":"01KJR8M0JHPZXCPKJ34HTYXSWW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KJR8R5M8VXDW8Z6YHQTCPK14","peer_label":"god","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"divine_being","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:39.785Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8RNM7Y4HPBH7YH481V2PG","peer_label":"moses","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:39.785Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8RE392KZXBVTQNPQM266C","peer_label":"holy scriptures","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"religious_text","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:39.785Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8S63KRAVADX2XJZ5MNDJS","peer_label":"precedence by original","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"philosophical_concept","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:39.785Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8S5WB145N7VSXXM5WMCMZ","peer_label":"wisdom divine","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"divine_attribute","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:39.785Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8S5VVC8E6GRPMQV143KVE","peer_label":"heaven and earth biblical phrase","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"biblical_concept","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:39.785Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8S6DTT5WH6W2M3812C914","peer_label":"matter formless","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"philosophical_concept","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:39.785Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8S6DVS9ZZAN8WPW777GDR","peer_label":"precedence by time","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"philosophical_concept","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:39.785Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8S6NZS9JCVW066B69DVVM","peer_label":"precedence by choice","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"philosophical_concept","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:39.785Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8S5VW9E08MVM4TVNTHJAA","peer_label":"precedence by eternity","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"philosophical_concept","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:39.785Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8S6WGFYRDF4HWSHRTFPH9","peer_label":"tune","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"concept","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:39.785Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8S6TBPGR0EXJ6V99BCHVQ","peer_label":"sound as matter for tune","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"concept","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:39.785Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8SAEB09C02C6FFDT28AAE","peer_label":"confessions augustines work","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"literary_work","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:39.785Z"}}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-03-02T21:54:24.977Z","ts":"2026-03-02T21:55:41.150Z","edited_by":{"method":"system","user_id":"01KJ60XQBHJ0GBGTP9X8HXAPPM"}}