For look as the darkness did overspread the whole Chaos ▪ and all the dimensions of it at the same time; why might not the light the habit be extended as far as was the privation before, and that at the same time? there being no globe or dense body of earth and waters (existing as now they do) at that time created, and consequently no opaque and solid body to divide between light and darkness and so to separate them into two Hemispheres, as by this means it is at this day, unless we imagine miracles without necessity; and that God then miraculously did it when there was no necessity of it. For the Element of fire being figuratively called light, it being (as Junius shows) proprietas essentials ignis; being also created in ⟨p. 69⟩the superior part of the vast Chaos; might therefore be cast down by a mighty hand of God (there being no ordinary means of Sun or Stars yet created to do it) into all the inferior Chaos, and so make day. And the ascending of this light upwards again might make it to be Night: and therefore although God separated between light and darkness, yet this separation se•mes to be rather in respect of time, then in respect of place, or two Hemispheres: for the light when it was east down, separated and scattered the darkness, and so excluded it, so that when there was light, there was no darkness; when darkness, there was no light; and thus they succeeding and excluding one another, the Lord is said to separate them one from another, but not into two imagined Hemispheres, by which imagination of two Hemispheres it will be also very difficult to set down when it was day and when it was night, at this time of the Creation; because in respect of one part of the Chaos it might be called day, in respect of the other Hemisphere of the Chaos it might be called night: and therefore it seems more suitable to the truth, that the descending of the Light, made day throughout the whole Chaos remaining, and the ascending of it to its proper place successively made night; which as it answers many curious questions about the nature and motion of this light, so it yield a more then probable argument, that if the day-light continued twelve hours (which none question) why should not each night continue as long, and therefore that the first darkness did continue such a time before the creation of the Light?
For looke as the darkenesse did overspread the whole Chaos ▪ and all the dimensions of it at the same time; why might not the light the habit be extended as far as was the privation before, and that at the same time? there being no globe or dense body of earth and waters (existing as now they doe) at that time created, and consequently no opake and solid body to divide betweene light and darkenesse and so to seprate them into two Hemispheres, as by this meanes it is at this day, unlesse we imagine miracles without necessity; and that God then miraculously did it when there was no necessity of it. For the Element of fire being figuratively called light, it being (as Iunius shewes) proprietas essentialls ignis; being also created in ⟨p. 69⟩the superiour part of the vast Chaos; might therefore be cast downe by a mighty hand of God (there being no ordinary meanes of Sun or Stars yet created to do it) into all the inferiour Chaos, and so make day. And the ascending of this light upwards againe might make it to be Night: and therefore although God separated between light and darkenesse, yet this separation se•mes to be rather in respect of time, then in respect of place, or two Hemispheres: for the light when it was east downe, separated and scattered the darkenesse, and so excluded it, so that when there was light, there was no darknesse; when darkenesse, there was no light; and thus they succeeding and excluding one another, the Lord is said to separate them one from another, but not into two imagined Hemispheres, by which imagination of two Hemispheres it will be also very difficult to set downe when it was day and when it was night, at this time of the Creation; because in respect of one part of the Chaos it might be called day, in respect of the other Hemisphere of the Chaos it might be called night: and therefore it seems more suitable to the truth, that the descending of the Light, made day thorowout the whole Chaos remaining, and the ascending of it to its proper place successively made night; which as it answers many curious questions about the nature and motion of this light, so it yeelde a more then probable argument, that if the day-light continued twelve houres (which none question) why should not each night continue as long, and therefore that the first darknesse did continue such a time before the creation of the Light?
