Someoftheeffortstoreconcilethesetwoaccountsweresofruitfulastodeserveespecialrecord。Thefathers，EasternandWestern，developedoutofthedoubleaccountinGenesis，andtheindicationsinthePsalms，theProverbs，andthebookofJob，avastmassofsacredsciencebearinguponthispoint。Asregardsthewholeworkofcreation，stresswaslaiduponcertainoccultpowersinnumerals。PhiloJudaeus，whilebelievinginaninstantaneouscreation，hadalsodeclaredthattheworldwascreatedinsixdaysbecause“ofallnumberssixisthemostproductive“；hehadexplainedthecreationoftheheavenlybodiesonthefourthdayby“theharmonyofthenumberfour“；oftheanimalsonthefifthdaybythefivesenses；ofmanonthesixthdaybythesamevirtuesinthenumbersixwhichhadcausedittobesetasalimittothecreativework；and，greatestofall，therestontheseventhdaybythevastmassofmysteriousvirtuesinthenumberseven。
　　St。JeromeheldthatthereasonwhyGoddidnotpronouncetheworkofthesecondday“good“istobefoundinthefactthatthereissomethingessentiallyevilinthenumbertwo，andthiswasechoedcenturiesafterward，afaroffinBritain，byBede。
　　St。AugustinebroughtthisviewtobearupontheChurchinthefollowingstatement：“Therearethreeclassesofnumbers——themorethanperfect，theperfect，andthelessthanperfect，accordingasthesumofthemisgreaterthan，equalto，orlessthantheoriginalnumber。Sixisthefirstperfectnumber：
　　whereforewemustnotsaythatsixisaperfectnumberbecauseGodfinishedallhisworksinsixdays，butthatGodfinishedallhisworksinsixdaysbecausesixisaperfectnumber。”
　　ReasoningofthissortechoedalongthroughthemediaevalChurchuntilayearafterthediscoveryofAmerica，whentheNurembergChroniclere-echoeditasfollows：“Thecreationofthingsisexplainedbythenumbersix，thepartsofwhich，one，two，andthree，assumetheformofatriangle。”
　　Thisviewofthecreationoftheuniverseasinstantaneousandalsoasinsixdays，eachmadeupofaneveningandamorning，becamevirtuallyuniversal。PeterLombardandHugoofSt。
　　Victor，authoritiesofvastweight，gaveittheirsanctioninthetwelfthcentury，andimpresseditforagesuponthemindoftheChurch。
　　Boththeselinesofspeculation——astothecreationofeverythingoutofnothing，andthereconcilingoftheinstantaneouscreationoftheuniversewithitscreationinsixdays——werestillfurtherdevelopedbyothergreatthinkersoftheMiddleAges。
　　St。HilaryofPoictiersreconciledthetwoconceptionsasfollows：“For，althoughaccordingtoMosesthereisanappearanceofregularorderinthefixingofthefirmament，thelayingbareofthedryland，thegatheringtogetherofthewaters，theformationoftheheavenlybodies，andthearisingoflivingthingsfromlandandwater，yetthecreationoftheheavens，earth，andotherelementsisseentobetheworkofasinglemoment。”
　　St。ThomasAquinasdrewfromSt。Augustineasubtledistinctionwhichforageseasedthedifficultiesinthecase：hetaughtineffectthatGodcreatedthesubstanceofthingsinamoment，butgavetotheworkofseparating，shaping，andadorningthiscreation，sixdays。[5]
　　[5]ForPhiloJudaeus，seehisCreationoftheWorld，chap。iii；
　　forSt。Augustineonthepowersofnumbersincreation，seehisDeGenesiadLitteramiv，chap。ii；forPeterLombard，seetheSententiae，lib。ii，dist。xv，5；andforHugoofSt。Victor，seeDeSacrementis，libi，parsi；also，Annotat，ElucidatinPentateuchum，cap。v，vi，vii；forSt。Hilary，seeDeTrinitate，lib。xii；forSt。ThomasAquinas，seehisSummaTheologica，questlxxxiv，arts。iandii；thepassageintheNurembergChronicle，1493，isinfol。iii；forVousset，seehisDiscourssurl’HistoireUniverselle；forthesacrednessofthenumbersevenamongtheBabylonians，seeespeciallySchrader，DieKeilinschriftenunddasAlteTestament，pp。21，22；alsoGeorgeSmithetal。；forgeneralideasontheoccultpowersofvariousnumbers，especiallythenumberseven，andtheinfluenceoftheseideasontheologyandscience，seemychapteronastronomy。Astomedieavalideasonthesamesubject，seeDetzel，ChristlicheIkonographie，Frieburg，1894，pp。44andfollowing。
　　Theearlyreformersacceptedanddevelopedthesameview，andLutherespeciallyshowedhimselfequaltotheoccasion。Withhisusualboldnesshedeclared，first，thatMoses“spokeproperlyandplainly，andneitherallegoricallynorfiguratively。”andthattherefore“theworldwithallcreatureswascreatedinsixdays。”
　　Andhethengoesontoshowhow，byagreatmiracle，thewholecreationwasalsoinstantaneous。
　　Melanchthonalsoinsistedthattheuniversewascreatedoutofnothingandinamysteriousway，bothinaninstantandinsixdays，citingthetext：“Hespake，andtheyweremade。”
　　Calvinopposedtheideaofaninstantaneouscreation，andlaidespecialstressonthecreationinsixdays：havingcalledattentiontothefactthatthebiblicalchronologyshowstheworldtobenotquitesixthousandyearsoldandthatitisnownearitsend，hesaysthat“creationwasextendedthroughsixdaysthatitmightnotbetediousforustooccupythewholeoflifeintheconsiderationofit。”
　　PeterMartyrclinchedthematterbydeclaring：“SoimportantisittocomprehendtheworkofcreationthatweseethecreedoftheChurchtakethisasitsstartingpoint。Werethisarticletakenawaytherewouldbenooriginalsin，thepromiseofChristwouldbecomevoid，andallthevitalforceofourreligionwouldbedestroyed。”TheWestminsterdivinesindrawinguptheirConfessionofFaithspeciallylaiditdownasnecessarytobelievethatallthingsvisibleandinvisiblewerecreatednotonlyoutofnothingbutinexactlysixdays。
　　NorweretheRomandivineslessstrenuousthantheProtestantreformersregardingthenecessityofholdingcloselytotheso-calledMosaicaccountofcreation。Aslateasthemiddleoftheeighteenthcentury，whenBuffonattemptedtostatesimplegeologicaltruths，thetheologicalfacultyoftheSorbonneforcedhimtomakeandtopublishamostignominiousrecantationwhichendedwiththesewords：“Iabandoneverythinginmybookrespectingtheformationoftheearth，andgenerallyallwhichmaybecontrarytothenarrativeofMoses。”
　　Theologians，havingthussettledthemannerofthecreation，thematterusedinit，andthetimerequiredforit，nowexertedthemselvestofixitsDATE。
　　ThelongseriesofeffortsbythegreatestmindsintheChurch，fromEusebiustoArchbishopUsher，tosettlethispointarepresentedinanotherchapter。Sufficeitherethatthegeneralconclusionarrivedatbyanoverwhelmingmajorityofthemostcompetentstudentsofthebiblicalaccountswasthatthedateofcreationwas，inroundnumbers，fourthousandyearsbeforeourera；andintheseventeenthcentury，inhisgreatwork，Dr。JohnLightfoot，Vice-ChancelloroftheUniversityofCambridge，andoneofthemosteminentHebrewscholarsofhistime，declared，astheresultofhismostprofoundandexhaustivestudyoftheScriptures，that“heavenandearth，centreandcircumference，werecreatedalltogether，inthesameinstant，andcloudsfullofwater。”andthat“thisworktookplaceandmanwascreatedbytheTrinityonOctober23，4004B。C。，atnineo’clockinthemorning。”
　　Herewas，indeed，atriumphofLactantius’smethod，theresultofhundredsofyearsofbiblicalstudyandtheologicalthoughtsinceBedeintheeighthcentury，andVincentofBeauvaisinthethirteenth，haddeclaredthatcreationmusthavetakenplaceinthespring。Yet，alas！withintwocenturiesafterLightfoot’sgreatbiblicaldemonstrationastotheexacthourofcreation，itwasdiscoveredthatatthathouranexceedinglycultivatedpeople，enjoyingallthefruitsofahighlydevelopedcivilization，hadlongbeenswarminginthegreatcitiesofEgypt，andthatothernationshardlylessadvancedhadatthattimereachedahighdevelopmentinAsia。[6]
　　[6]ForLuther，seehisCommentaryonGenesis，1545，introduction，andhiscommentsonchap。i，verse12；thequotationsfromLuther’scommentaryaretakenmainlyfromthetranslationbyHenryCole，D。D。，Edinburgh，1858；forMelanchthon，seeLociTheologici，inMelanchthon，Opera，ed。
　　Bretschneider，vol。xxi，pp。269，270，alsopp。637，638——inquotingthetextPs。xxiii，9Ihaveused，asdoesMelanchthonhimself，theformoftheVulgate；forthecitationsfromCalvin，seehisCommentaryonGenesisOperaomnia，Amsterdam，1671，tom。
　　i，cap。ii，p。8；alsointheInstitutes，Allen’stranslation，London，1838，vol。i，chap。xv，pp。126，127；forthePeterMartyr，seehisCommentaryonGenesis，citedbyZockler，vol。i，p。690；forarticlesintheWestminsterConfessionofFaith，seechap。iv；forBuffon’srecantation，seeLyell，PrinciplesofGeology，chapiii，p。57。ForLightfoot’sdeclartion，seehisworks，editedbyPitman，London，1822。
　　But，strangeasitmayseem，evenaftertheologianshadthussettledthemannerofcreation，thematteremployedinit，thetimerequiredforit，andtheexactdateofit，thereremainedvirtuallyunsettledthefirstandgreatestquestionofall；andthiswasnothinglessthanthequestion，WHOactuallycreatedtheuniverse？
　　Varioustheoriesmoreorlessnebulous，butallcentredintextsofScripture，hadsweptthroughthemindoftheChurch。BysometheologiansitwasheldvirtuallythattheactualcreativeagentwasthethirdpersonoftheTrinity，who，intheopeningwordsofoursublimecreationpoem，“moveduponthefaceofthewaters。”
　　ByothersitwasheldthattheactualCreatorwasthesecondpersonoftheTrinity，inbehalfofwhoseagencymanytextswerecitedfromtheNewTestament。OthersheldthattheactualCreatorwasthefirstperson，andthisviewwasembodiedinthetwogreatformulasknownastheApostles’andNiceneCreeds，whichexplicitlyassignedtheworkto“GodtheFatherAlmighty，Makerofheavenandearth。”Others，findingadeepmeaninginthewords“LetUSmake。”ascribedinGenesistotheCreator，heldthattheentireTrinitydirectlycreatedallthings；andstillothers，bycuriousmetaphysicalprocesses，seemedtoarriveattheideathatpeculiarcombinationsoftwopersonsoftheTrinityachievedthecreation。
　　InallthistherewouldseemtobeconsiderablecourageinviewofthefearfulcondemnationslaunchedintheAthanasianCreedagainstallwhoshould“confoundthepersons“or“dividethesubstanceoftheTrinity。”
　　Thesevariousstagesintheevolutionofscholastictheologywerealsoembodiedinsacredart，andespeciallyincathedralsculpture，inglass-staining，inmosaicworking，andinmissalpainting。
　　ThecreativeBeingisthusrepresentedsometimesasthethirdpersonoftheTrinity，intheformofadovebroodingoverchaos；
　　sometimesasthesecondperson，andthereforeayouth；sometimesasthefirstperson，andthereforefatherlyandvenerable；
　　sometimesasthefirstandsecondpersons，onebeingvenerableandtheotheryouthful；andsometimesasthreepersons，onevenerableandoneyouthful，bothwearingpapalcrowns，andeachholdinginhislipsatipofthewingofthedove，whichthusseemstoproceedfrombothandtobesuspendedbetweenthem。
　　Norwasthisthemostcompletedevelopmentofthemedievalidea。
　　TheCreatorwassometimesrepresentedwithasinglebody，butwiththreefaces，thusshowingthatChristianbeliefhadinsomepiousmindsgonethroughsubstantiallythesamecyclewhichanearlierformofbeliefhadmadeagesbeforeinIndia，whentheSupremeBeingwasrepresentedwithonebodybutwiththethreefacesofBrahma，Vishnu，andSiva。
　　ButatthebeginningofthemodernperiodtheolderviewinitsprimitiveJewishformwasimpresseduponChristiansbythemostmightygeniusinarttheworldhasknown；forin1512，afterfouryearsofTitaniclabour，MichaelAngelouncoveredhisfrescoeswithinthevaultoftheSistineChapel。
　　TheyhadbeenexecutedbythecommandandunderthesanctionoftherulingPope，JuliusII，torepresenttheconceptionofChristiantheologythendominant，andtheyremainto-dayinalltheirmajestytoshowthehighestpointeverattainedbytheolderthoughtupontheoriginofthevisibleuniverse。
　　InthemidstoftheexpanseofheaventheAlmightyFather——thefirstpersonoftheTrinity——inhumanform，augustandvenerable，attendedbyangelsandupbornebymightywinds，sweepsovertheabyss，and，movingthroughsuccessivecompartmentsofthegreatvault，accomplishestheworkofthecreativedays。Withasimplegesturehedividesthelightfromthedarkness，rearsonhighthesolidfirmament，gatherstogetherbeneathittheseas，orsummonsintoexistencethesun，moon，andplanets，andsetsthemcirclingabouttheearth。
　　Inthissublimeworkculminatedthethoughtofthousandsofyears；thestrongestmindsaccepteditorpretendedtoacceptit，andnearlytwocenturieslaterthisconception，inaccordancewiththefirstofthetwoaccountsgiveninGenesis，wasespeciallyenforcedbyBossuet，andreceivedanewleaseoflifeintheChurch，bothCatholicandProtestant。[7]