Augustine of Hippo, on Ps 148:5

“Praise the name of the Lord. For he spoke, and they were made: he commanded, and they were created.”

“Did it [Gen 1:1] say, "In the beginning," because it was made first? Or was it impossible for heaven and earth to have been made first among the creatures, if the angels and all the intellectual powers were made first? We must believe that the angels are the creation of God and were made by him. For the prophet included the angels in Psalm 148, when he said, "He commanded, and they were made; he gave the order, and they were created." But if the angels were made first, we can ask whether they were made in time or before all time or at the start of time. If [they were made] in time, there already was time before the angels were made, and since time itself is also a creature, it turns out that we have to admit that something was made before the angels. But if we say that they were made at the start of time, so that time began with them, we have to say that it is false that time began with heaven and earth, as some claim.”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.