From all this it is as clear as sunlight that nature—especially the creatures and their orders named above—possesses only capacity, and is the subject in which God acts through his Word. Consider again Paul’s words, “Christ fills all in all,” and also the gloss upon them in our German Bibles, which expressly explains that Christ performs every work in every creature.

Saint John’s saying remains true and firm: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made through it, and without it nothing was made that has been made,” and so forth. Accordingly, the substantial Logos, called God’s universal Word, and the uttered Logos, God’s particular Word pronounced in the work of creation, differ only in this: through the former both universal and particular natures were created primarily; through the latter, particular natures alone were created secondarily.

Thus the substantial Logos acts primarily in both universal and particular natures, whereas the uttered Logos acts secondarily, as already explained, in particular natures alone. The latter is the true subordinate second cause; there is no first cause other than the substantial Logos. In this respect the substantial and uttered Logos are one, yet with the distinction just stated. For example, when King David says, “Heaven was made through the Lord’s Word,” this is to be understood of the substantial Logos, as Saint John clearly explains when he writes, “And God was the Word.” Had David instead said, “Heaven was made through God’s word, Fiat! Let there be a firmament!” he would have been speaking of the uttered Logos.

Again, however, I intend this to be understood without separating the one from the other, or the other from the one. The former, I repeat, always is and remains the first cause; the latter always is and remains the subordinate second cause.

So much here concerning nature and its understanding.

One further reminder is needed: here too we must distinguish cause from effect. The Holy Spirit directs us to do so in Psalm 104, saying: “You send forth your breath, and they are created; and you renew the face of the earth.” Again: “You take away their breath, and they perish and return to dust.”

I have also considered it necessary to add the following. According to John, everything was created through God’s Word, and without it nothing was made that has been made. Every particular nature listed above and specified in Genesis 1 was also created through a particular word and command spoken and pronounced by God in creation. Yet in that same passage, namely verse 1, where the creation of the waters and universal natures is described, no particular word or Fiat! appears or can be found. It follows indisputably that these were created, as stated, through God’s universal Word, the substantial Logos, and were created immediately.

Hence comes that strength, strongest of all strengths; hence the power of multiplication without limit. It is therefore evident that the elements, as such, depend upon no subordinate cause, and that consequently we may rightly call our Mercury supernatural, with Basilius. Thus Filius Sendivogii, the author of the previously mentioned treatise against Glauber, again rightly says that the powers of all nature are found gathered in our matter. This has been sufficiently demonstrated above in the first part concerning animal and vegetable nature. For mineral nature, the reader is referred to Chapter Six of this second part.

Conversely, that the particular natures were created through the uttered Logos may likewise be inferred with certainty, because in describing their creation the text always expressly says, “And God said,” and so forth. This sufficiently shows that it was a particular, pronounced and audible word, rather than merely a thought. The late Arnd supports my purpose when he writes, “The Word that God spoke in creation,” and so forth.

This is not weakened by the objection of those defending the opposite opinion: since nobody capable of hearing it was present, they say, it cannot have been an audible word entering the ears. It is undeniable, however, that the waters and elements had already been created and existed in nature. That they possess life and sensation to the extent of being able to see the Lord God and hear his voice is proved by the following passages of Holy Scripture.

In the fourth book of Moses, Chapter 9, the Lord God commands that living water be added to the ashes of the burned red heifer to make a sprinkling water for purification; the words maym, haym expressly occur in the original text.

In Psalm 77 David says: “The waters saw you, O God, and were afraid.”

Again, in Psalm 76: “When you cause judgment to be heard from heaven, the earth fears and becomes still.”

Further, in Psalm 97: “His lightning illuminates the earth, and the earth sees and trembles.”

In particular, the holy evangelist Matthew relates in the eighth chapter of his Gospel how the Lord Christ rebuked the storm wind and the sea during his voyage. Or, as Mark writes, he rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Be silent!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

Here I may again be challenged and asked whether I presume to be wiser than others. Faith, it will be said, is one thing and nature another: matters of faith must be studied and learned from the Bible, nature from philosophy.

I answer that I certainly shall not be the writer who escapes finding his Zoilus. But must one therefore conceal the truth and hide the talent God has bestowed, however small my own may be?