Chapter VIII.
The earth was formless; both because there was no distinction in it and because it was covered in darkness. The Holy Spirit, who was carried upon the waters, declares this as well as other things, but most importantly, that malice only arises from us.
28. Therefore God made the heavens and the earth first, but not as if they were eternal, but rather that they would be subject to the corruption of created things. Hence in the book of Isaiah it says: Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look down on the earth; for the heavens will vanish like smoke, and the earth will become worn out like a garment (Isaiah 51:6). This is the earth, which before was formless. For the seas had not yet been separated by their limits, and therefore the earth was flooded by the unstable waves and the deep abyss. Consider that even now the land is accustomed to shuddering with marshy dampness, and it cannot bear the plow when the moisture poured out of the earth is overflowing. Therefore it was uncultivated; as is to be expected of a skillful farmer, unplowed by cultivation, because a cultivator was still lacking. It was uncultivated; because it was devoid of plants, without grassy banks, without shady woods, without fertile fields, without shady mountain slopes, without fragrant flowers, without pleasant vineyards. Deservedly composed, which needed adornments, which lacked the fault of jeweled garlands. For God wanted to show that not even the world itself would have grace unless it had adorned it with various forms of art. The sky itself, covered with clouds, is accustomed to arouse horror in our eyes and sadness in our souls. The earth, soaked with rain, becomes tiresome. The sea, disturbed by storms, what fears do they not instill? The beauty of things is most beautiful, but what would it be without light? What without moderation? What without the gathering of waters, by which the beginnings of this pole were submerged before? Remove the sun from the Earth, remove the globes of the stars from the heavens, everything becomes dark. Thus it was before the Lord infused light into this world. And for this reason the Scripture says: 'And darkness was upon the face of the deep' (Gen. I, 2). Darkness was there, because the splendor of light was lacking. Darkness was there, because the air itself is murky. The water itself is dark because the water in the clouds is dark. There were darknesses over the deep waters. For I do not think that the powers should be understood as evil, because the Lord created their evil; for surely evil is not substantial, but a deviation from the goodness of nature.
Therefore, in the formation of the world, the opinion of evil should be set aside so as not to appear to mix the divine operation and the most beautiful creation with things that are dull, especially since it follows: And the spirit of God hovered over the waters (Genesis). Although some understand this as air, others as the spirit, which we breathe and draw from this vital breath, we, in agreement with the opinion of the saints and the faithful, understand it as the Holy Spirit, so that the work of the Trinity may shine forth in the formation of the world. For it has been stated that in the beginning God created heaven and earth, that is to say, God created in Christ, or the Son of God, or through the Son God created; for all things were made through him, and without him nothing was made, the fullness of operation remained in the Spirit, as it is written: By the word of the Lord the heavens were established, and by the breath of his mouth all their power (Psalm 32:6). Therefore, just as we are taught in the Psalm the operation of the Word, which is the Word of God, and the power which the Holy Spirit gave; so here the prophetic oracle is fulfilled, because God spoke and God made. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. For by adorning the heavenly sphere and beautifying the earth with budding plants, the Spirit was moving over it splendidly, because through it the seeds of new creations were able to germinate, as the prophet said: 'Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created, and you shall renew the face of the earth' (Ps. 103:30). Lastly, the Syrian, who is close to the Hebrews and agrees with them in language in many things, has it this way: 'And the Spirit of God cherished the waters,' that is, brought them to life, so that it could gather new creatures and by its nourishment animate them with vitality. For we also read of the Holy Spirit as creator, with Job saying, 'The divine Spirit who made me' (Job. XXXIII, 4). So whether the Holy Spirit was hovering over the waters, darkness could not have power over them, being contrary to the power of the Spirit, where such grace claimed its rightful place. Or, as some argue, if they consider the air, they should explain why it is called the Spirit of God, when it would have been enough to call it a spirit.
Hi, therefore, desire from our Lord God the first four generated elements: heaven, earth, sea, and air; because the causes of things are fire and air, earth and water, from which the beauty and form of the world are composed. So where could the darkness of spiritual wickedness have found a place when the world was adorned with the august shape of this image? Could God have created evil at the same time? But that evil arises from us, not from the Creator God, produced by the levity of our morals, having no superiority over any creature, nor any authority over natural substance, but rather the defect of mutability and the error of falling away. God wants to eradicate this, how would he generate it himself? The prophet cries out: Stop your wickedness (Is. I, 17). And especially holy David: Cease from evil, and do good (Ps. XXXIII, 15); so how do we give it a beginning from the Lord? But this deadly opinion is of those who thought to disturb the Church. Hence Marcion, hence Valentinus, hence those plagues of the Manicheans, attempted to bring harmful contagions to the minds of the saints. Why do we search for the darkness of death in the very light of life? Divine Scripture suggests salvation, it emits the fragrance of life, so that by reading you may grasp its sweetness, not that you may incur the danger of a precipitous fall. Simply read, O man, do not dig for yourself a corrupt pit as an interpreter; the language is simple because God made heaven and earth. He made what was not, not what was. And the earth was invisible from the moment it was made; it was invisible because water overflowed and covered it, and darkness was spread over it, because it was not yet the light of day, nor the rays of the sun, which usually reveal hidden things even under the water. What then do they say, that God created evil, when contrary and adverse things are by no means generated against themselves? For neither does life generate death, nor does light generate darkness. For the progressions of generations are not like the changes of emotions. Those are turned from contrary things to contrary things by a deflection of purpose: these are not turned from contrary things to adverse things, but rather they are created from the same kind of authors or causes, and are referred to the likeness of their author.
31. What then shall we say? For if it is neither without a beginning, like something uncreated, nor made by God, where does it have its wicked nature? For no wise person has denied that there is evil in this world, since the frequent falls to death in this age are so common. But from what we have already said, we can conclude that it is not a living substance, but rather a corruption of the mind and soul, a deviation from the path of virtue, which often creeps in on careless minds. Therefore, the greatest danger to us is not from outsiders, but from ourselves. The enemy is within, the primary author of error is within, closed off within ourselves. Examine your own intentions, explore the state of your mind, stand guard against the thoughts and desires of your own mind. You yourself are the cause of your wickedness, you yourself are the leader of your crimes, and the instigator of your vices. Why do you call upon the nature of others to excuse your own failings? I hope that you yourself are not driven, I hope that you do not fall, I hope that you do not involve yourself in excessive studies, or in anger, or in desires, which hold us bound as if in certain nets. And certainly it is within us to moderate our studies, to restrain our anger, to control our desires: within us also is the ability to indulge in luxury, to nurture lust, to ignite anger, or to accommodate an inflamed ear, to be more elevated in pride, to pour out into savagery, rather than being restrained by humility, to love gentleness. Why do you accuse nature, O man? She has, as it were, certain impediments, old age and infirmity. But old age itself is sweeter in good morals, more useful in counsel, more prepared for enduring death with constancy, stronger in repressing desires. The infirmity of the body is also sobriety of the mind. Hence the Apostle says: When I am weak, then I am strong (II Cor. XII, 10). Therefore, he did not glory in virtues, but in weaknesses. There also shone forth a divine response from the saving oracle; because strength is perfected in weakness. Those things must be avoided, which come forth from our own will, the sins of youth, and irrational passions of the body. Therefore, of those things over which we have control, let us not seek their origins from outside; nor let us attribute them to others, but let us acknowledge those things which are properly our own. For what we can choose not to do if we do not wish, we should attribute the choosing of this evil to ourselves rather than to others. Therefore, in the judgments of this world, guilt constrains voluntary criminals, not compelled by necessity, and punishment condemns them. For if someone kills an innocent person out of madness, they are not liable to death. Indeed, even by the divine law itself (Exod. XXI, 13), if someone unintentionally causes death, they receive the hope of impunity, the opportunity for refuge, so that they may escape. Therefore, let this be said about what seems to be proper evil. For truly, only those things are bad which entangle the mind with guilt and bind the conscience. However, no wise person would call poverty, low birth, illness, or death bad, nor include them in the category of evils; because they do not have contrary qualities to the greatest goods, some of which seem to happen to us by nature, and others by convenience.
32. This digression did not proceed in vain for us; so that we might prove that darkness and abyss are simply to be understood. For darkness was from the overshadowing of the sky; because every body makes a shadow, by which it overshadows either neighboring or lower things, especially those that it seems to cover and enclose. But the sky itself includes it, because the sky extends like a vault, as we have shown above. Therefore, the substance that was dark was not primary: but darkness, like a shadow, followed the body of the world, the mist of darkness. And so, at the moment of divine instruction, the world, rising up, enclosed itself in shadow; just as if someone were to suddenly block off a place in the middle of a field, which is illuminated by the midday sun, and cover it with thick branches and leaves, would not the splendor of that place appear brighter from the outside, while inside it becomes darker with the terrifying scene of the enclosed depths? Or from where did they call a cave, enclosed on all sides, a place of this kind, if not because it bristles with blackness and is overwhelmed by darkness? Therefore, these darknesses were over the depths of the waters. For the multitude of the abyss and the depth of the waters is called, as the reading of the Gospel teaches (Luke, VIII, 31), where the demons begged the Savior not to command them to go into the abyss. But He who taught that the desires of the demons should not be fulfilled, commanded them to go into the pigs. And the pigs, casting themselves into the pool of waters, so that what the demons refused, they would not escape, but would be deservedly sunk. Therefore, this was the unarranged appearance and shape of the world.