342 C R E 
That the Scriptures affirm even Matter to be from God ; 
the Philofophers, from itfelf. With regard to this fob- 
jeft, there feem to be three DoTrines, which we know 
by Faith. The firft is, that Matter was created from No¬ 
thing. The fecond, that this fyftem was produced by 
the Word of Omnipotence, and that Matter fpontaneoufly 
could not produce itfelf from out of Chaos into that 
figure. The third, that its figure, antecedently to all 
changing, was the bell, conftituted as it was of thofe 
things, which Matter , as it had been created, was capa¬ 
ble of admitting. But the conceptions of philofophy 
could not reach fo high as either of thefe points. They 
flirink from the idea of Creation out of Nothing : they 
think this figure was produced after many perplexed 
courfes and efforts of Matter : and as for its being the 
bed, they are under no difficulty on that head ; for they 
affirm it is perifhable and fluctuating. On these sub¬ 
jects THEREFORE WE MUST REST ON FAITH AND ITS 
firm supports.” Such is the fubflance of Lord Bacon’s 
words: however, that we may enable the reader to in¬ 
terpret for himfelf, we will give the original. “ Illud 
prsecipue intereft : quod ills etiam materiam a Deo ; hi 
ex fefe ftatuunt. Tria enim videntur effe dogmata, quae 
fcirrms ex fide circa lianc rem. Primo, quod materia 
crea'ta fit ex nihilo. Secundo, quod edudtio fyftematis 
fuerit per verbum omnipotentiae, neque quod materia fe 
ipl'a eduxerit e chao in fchematifmum ilium. Tertio, 
quod fchematifmus ille (ante prnevaricationem) fuerit 
optimus, ex iis quae materia, quaiis creata erat, fufcipere 
poffet. At philofophiae illae ad nullum horum alcendere 
otuerunt. Nam et creationem ex nihilo exhorrent, et 
unc fchematifmum poll multas ambages et molimina 
xnateriae eduftum fentiunt: nec de optimitate laborant, 
cum fchematifmus afferatur occiduus et variabilis. In his 
3TAQUE, FlDEI ATQUE EJUS FIRMAME-NTIS STANDUM. 
Lord Bacon’s Works, ed. 1730, 410. vol. ii. p. 337. 
It fhould feem no hard talk to point out the creative 
power of the Deity, becaufe all other beings, befides him- 
felf, are his creatures. Men and other animals that in¬ 
habit the earth and the feas; all the immenfe varieties of 
herbs and plants; the globe of earth and the expanfe of 
the ocean ; thefe we know to have been produced by his 
power. Befides the terreftrial world which we inhabit, 
we fee many other material bodies revolving around us 
in the wide extent of fpace. The moon, which is in a 
particular manner connected with our earth ; the fun, 
and the other planets with their fatellites, which, like 
the earth, circulate round the fun, and appear to derive 
from him light and heat ; thofe bodies which we call 
fixed liars, and confider as illuminating and cherifiling; 
with heat each its peculiar fyfiem of planets ; and the 
comets which at certain periods furprife us with their 
-appearance, and the nature of wliofe connection with the 
general fyftem of nature, or with any particular fyftem 
of planets, we cannot iifcertain. Thefe are fo many more 
of the Deity’s works, from the contemplation of which 
we cannot but conceive the moft awful fenfe of his crea¬ 
tive power. 
Matter, however, whatever the varieties of form under 
which it is made to appear, the relative difpofition of its 
parts, or the motions communicated to it, is but an in¬ 
ferior part of the works of creation. We believe our- 
felves to be animated with a much higher principle than 
brute matter ; and in viewing- the manners and economy 
of the lower animals, we can fcarcely avoid acknowledg¬ 
ing even thefe to confift of fomething more than mere 
modifications of matter and motion. The planetary bo¬ 
dies, which feem to be in circumftances nearly analogous 
to thofe of our earth, are furely, as well as it, deftined 
for the habitations of intelligent beings. The exiftence 
of intelligences of an higher order than man, though in¬ 
finitely below the Deity, appears extremely probable : 
of thofe fpiritual beings called angels , we have exprefs 
intimation in feripture j (fee the article Angel, vol.i. 
C R E 
p. 693.) Such are our notions concerning the exiftence 
of beings effentially diftindt from matter, and in their 
nature far fuperior to it: thefe, too, mull be the crea¬ 
tures of the Deity, and of his works of creation a nobler 
part. But the limits of creation no man can pretend to 
define. How far the regions of fpace extend, or how 
they are filled, we know not. How the planetary worlds, 
the fun and the fixed ftars, are occupied, we do not pre¬ 
tend to have afeertained. We are even ignorant how 
wide a diverftty of forms, or what an infinity of living 
animated beings, may inhabit our own globe. So confined 
is our knowledge of creation, yet fo grand, fo awful, and 
fo immenfe, is even that fmatl part which our narrow 
underftandings can comprehend ! See the article Earth. 
CREA'TIVE, adj. Having the power to create : 
But come, ye generous minds, in whofe wide thought. 
Of all his works, creative beauty burns 
With warmed beam. Thomfon. 
Exerting the a£t of creation.—To trace the outgoings of 
the ancient of days in the firft inftance, and of his creative 
power, is a refearch too great for mortal enquiry. South. 
CREA'TOR,y'. [ creator , Lat.] The Being that beftows 
exiftence.—When you lie down, clofe your eyes with a 
fliort prayer, commit yourfeif into the hands of your faith¬ 
ful Creator ; and when you have done, truft him with 
yourfeif, as you mull do when you are dying. Taylor . 
Open, ye heavens, your living doors ; let in 
The great Creator, from his work return’d 
Magnificent; his fix days work, a world. Milton. 
CREA'TRESS, f. A female that creates anything.—. 
As her creatrefs had in charge to her ordain’d. Spenjer. 
CRE'ATURE,yi \_creatura , low Lat.] A being not 
felf-exiftent, but created by the fupreme power.—Were 
thefe perfons idolators for the worfhip they did not give 
to the Creator, or for the worfhip they did give to his 
creatures? Stilling fleet. —Any thing created.—God’s firft 
creature was light. -Bacon. —An animal, not human.—-The 
queen pretended fatisfaflion of her knowledge only in 
killing creatures vile, as cats and dogs. ShakeJ'pearc.- —A 
general term for man : 
Moft curfed of all creatures under ftcy, 
Lo, Tantalus, I here tormented lie. Spcnfer. 
A word of contempt for a human being: 
He would into the ftews, 
And from the common creatures pluck’a glove, 
And wear it as a favour. ShakeJ'pearc. 
A word of petty tendernefs: 
And then, fir, would he gripe and wring my hand ; 
Cry, Oh fweet creature! and then kif’s me hard. Shakefp. 
A perfon who owes his rife or his fortune to another.—< 
The defign was difoovered by a perfon whom every body 
knows to be the creature of a certain great man. Swift. 
Great princes thus, when favourites they raife, 
To juftify their grace, their creatures praife. Dryden. 
CRE'ATURELY, adj. Having the qualities of a crea¬ 
ture.—The feveral parts of relatives, or creaturcly infi¬ 
nites, may have finite proportions to one another. Cheyne. 
To CRE'ATURIZE, v.a. To make dependent; to 
make a tool of any one. Scott. 
CREBILLON' (Profper Joliot de), a French writer 
of tragedy, ufually ranked after Corneille and Racine, 
born at Dijon in 1674. He was originally deftined to the 
profeffion of the law, and placed at Paris with that view ; 
but, the impetuofity of his paflions rendering him unfit 
for bufinefs, he was urged to attempt dramatic compoft- 
tions. It was feme time, however, before he could pre¬ 
vail upon himfelf to try his ftrength ; and hi-s firft com- 
pofition, when read to the aftors, was rejected by them. 
Though much mortified, he proceeded in his career, and 
in J7CK produced his Idomeneus. This was a£ted with 
a fuccefs 
