Every thing hath a beginning, and a first origin by means of God, except the Creator alone, who hath formed all things; He hath not any beginning nor any origin; but He is Himself the beginning, and indeed the origin of all things, and is ever without an ending.
XIV. It was not a sudden thought or an inconsiderate counsel that the Almighty God created this earth, but it was ever from the beginning in His everlasting design that He would make all this world and all the earth with His own might, for His own praise, as we now see that all creatures praise their Creator, except those miserable men who despise Him, and will not praise Him, nor heed they Him, that they may perish everlastingly with the old devil. Well did our Creator know when He wrought Adam, the first created man, that he would sin through the devil's instruction, as he afterwards did; and God likewise knew how He Himself should resolve concerning the atonement of old, how He might repair it through His holy gift, that He might help mankind, and also his offspring who believe in Him, and with true love always worship Him.
XV. In every creature that hath a body are four things, "earth and water, fire and air;" fire is hidden in hard stones, the stone cometh out of the earth, and, nevertheless, it sweats (as it were) and from stony cliffs come the wellsprings. Our body is (of) earth, and it, nevertheless, often sweats, and grows hot from the fire that dwelleth in it, and by the air we all live. The man was so created that he might not sin, and he would have been blessed, if he had not sinned, and ever immortal if he had obeyed his Lord, and if he sinned he would be unfortunate, and from that time liable to death on account of the framing of the sin. God compelled him not to either side, but let him have his own choice. He was not made with any perverseness, and with no sins was he created to man, nor were there
