Creation And Consciousness

Tunc surgens imperavit ventis, et mari, et facta est tranquillitas magna. Porro homines mirati sunt, dicentes: Qualis est hic, quia venti et mare obediunt ei? Ex hoc autem loco intelligimus quod omnes creaturae sentiant creatorem: quibus enim imperatur, sentiunt imperantem: non errore haereticorum, qui omnia putant animantia sensibilia esse; sed maiestate conditoris, quae apud nos insensibilia sunt, illi sensibilia sunt. Non discipuli, sed nautae, et caeteri qui in navi erant, mirabantur. Sin autem quis contentiose voluerit eos, qui mirabantur, fuisse discipulos, respondebimus, recet homines appelatos, qui necdum noverant potentiam Salvatoris. Sanctus Hieronymus, In Evangelium Matthaei Commentarius, Lib I, Cap IX Migne PL 26 53-54

Then He arose and commanded the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, 'What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?' 1 From this we understand that all creation is conscious of its Creator; for that which is commanded is conscious of He who commands. Not by the error of the heretics who think that everything animate is conscious, but by the majesty of the Maker things which to us have no consciousness, do so to Him. And not the disciples, but the sailors and the rest who were in the boat marvelled. However, if someone wishes to contend that they who marvelled were the disciples, yet rightly they are named men who do not yet understand the power of the Saviour. Saint Jerome, from the Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, Book 1, Chapter 9 1 Mt 8.26-27