Philonos Ioudaiou Syngrammata / Omnia Quae Extant Opera (1691 Greek)

A ...having been pregnant and in labor, brings forth all the ideas of crops, of trees, and of fruits that cannot be numbered. And not only were these fruits nourishment for animals, but they were also preparations for the generation of those that would always be like them, containing the seminal substances, in which the reasons of all things are hidden and invisible, becoming clear and visible in the periods of time. For God wished nature to run its course, making the kinds immortal, and imparting to them eternity. For which reason, he also brought the beginning toward the end and hurried it, and made the end return toward the beginning. For from the plant comes the fruit, as if the end from the beginning, and from the fruits the seed, containing within itself again the plant, as if the beginning from the end. On the fourth B day, after the earth, he adorned the heaven, decorating it, since he placed its order after the earth, giving a privilege to the lesser nature, and deeming the better and more divine worthy of the second place, but into a most evident demonstration of his ruling power. C For having anticipated concerning men who were yet to be born, what kind of opinions they would have, as guessers of probable and plausible things, in which there is much that is reasonable, but not of pure truth, and that they would trust visible things more than God, having admired sophistry before wisdom. And having looked again at the periods of the sun and moon, through which the summer, winter, spring, and autumnal changes, the causes of all things growing and happening from the earth every year, they will assume to be the wanderings of the stars in heaven, D so that some might not dare to attribute the first causes to anything else, either through shameless boldness or through excessive ignorance, let them run back, he says, with their minds to the first generation of all things, that before the sun and moon, the earth brought forth all kinds of plants and all kinds of fruits. And having seen with their minds, let them hope that it will bring them forth again, without the command of the Father whenever it pleases Him, needing nothing of the heavenly offspring, to which he indeed gave power, but not self-mastery. E For like a charioteer holding the reins or a helmsman holding the rudders, he leads each thing where he wishes according to law and justice, needing nothing; for all things are possible to God. And this is the cause why the earth sprouted and brought forth grass first, and the heaven was adorned later in a perfect number, the quaternary, which one would not fail to say is the starting point and source of the perfect decad. For what the decad is in actuality, that is the quaternary, as...

...innumerable species. These fruits were made not only for the nourishment of animals, but were also prepared for this purpose: so that the generation of similar things might be propagated forever, since they contained the seminal power, implanted with obscure and uncertain reasons, which would finally bring itself forth in fixed periods of time. For God wished nature to run through fixed periods of time, consulting the immortality of the species, and rendering them participants in eternity. Wherefore he led the beginnings to the end speedily, and conversely reflected them from the end to the beginning. For from plants fruit is made, as if the end from the beginning: and from fruit seed, containing the plant again within itself, as if the beginning from the end. On the fourth day, however, he adorned the heaven with pictures, not because he placed it after the earth, giving a privilege to the inferior nature, and placing the better and more divine in the second place, but to show most evidently the power of his empire. For having foreseen the opinions of men not yet created, who would willingly follow likely and credible conjectures, which indeed have much appearance of reason, but not pure truth: and that they would trust their own eyes more than God, admirers of sophistry rather than wisdom: and that they would accept the causes of the earth's yearly products and all things born, from the sun and moon's courses, and the summer, winter, spring, and autumnal changes, and the wanderings of the heavenly stars: so that they might not dare to ascribe primary causes to any creature, either through impudence or through excessive ignorance: let them return, he says, with their minds to the first generation of this universe, and remember that before the sun and moon, all kinds of plants and all kinds of fruits were produced from the earth. And thus let them persuade themselves, and in the future it will bring them forth according to the will of the heavenly Father, as often as it pleases Him without expecting heaven's favor, to which he indeed gave power, but not free [will]. For he himself, just as a charioteer holding the reins, or a helmsman holding the rudder, directs each thing where he wishes in a right manner and according to law, needing no one's help. For all things are possible to God. And this is the cause why the earth sprouted first, and brought forth herb: but the heaven was adorned later in the perfect number, the quaternary, which one may not falsely call the cause and source of the most absolute decad. For what the decad is in act, this the quaternary...