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33. But which of us, amid so many truths which occur to inquirers
in these words, understood as they are in different ways, shall so
discover that one interpretation as to confidently say "that Moses
thought this," and "that in that narrative he wished this to be
understood," as confidently as he says "that this is true," whether
he thought this thing or the other? For behold, O my God, I Thy
servant, who in this book have vowed unto Thee a sacrifice of
confession, and beseech Thee that of Thy mercy I may pay my vows
unto Thee,' behold, can I, as I confidently assert that Thou in
Thy immutable word hast created all things, invisible and visible,
with equal confidence assert that Moses meant nothing else than this
when he wrote, "In the beginning God created. the heaven and the
earth. No. Because it is not as clear to me that this was in his
mind when he wrote these things, as I see it to be certain in Thy
truth. For his thoughts might be set upon the very beginning of the
creation when he said, "In the beginning;" and he might wish it to
be understood that, in this place, "the heaven and the earth" were
no formed and perfected nature, whether spiritual or corporeal, but
each of them newly begun, and as yet formless. Because I see, that
which-soever of these had been said, it might have been said truly;
but which of them he may have thought in these words, I do not so
perceive. Although, whether it were one of these, or some other
meaning which has not been mentioned by me, that this great man saw in
his mind when he used these words, I make no doubt but that he saw it
truly, and expressed it suitably.
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