ASclep. Why then, O Trismegistus, must man have his abode in the world, and not most happily live in that part where God is?
Trism. Thou rightly enquirest, Asclepius: For we also beseech God, that he will enable us to give the reason; for seeing all things depend on his will, then even those also which are most mysterious; the reason of which we endeavour to unfold, by our present discourse: Hear therefore, O Asclepius: The Lord who is the Creatour of all things, whom we truly call God, made the world first, which might be perceived and seen: but yet I affirm it to have p. 26 no sense. For of this, whether it hath or no, I will declare another time; but so that it may be seen of all. Because therefore he made this first, and that the work seemed fair and good unto him, as most full of the variety of good things, he loved it as a part of his Divinity and Power; and therefore, because it was of such excellencie and goodnesse, he would have Man made, that he might behold the works he had thus made, and likewise imitate his Wisdom and Providence; for the will of God is the chiefest perfection, in that he fulfilled both his will and his deed, in one and the same moment of time. When therfore God perceived that that image of his (the Soul) could not be studious of all things, unlesse he should cloath it with an earthly covering, he builded for p. 27 it this house of clay, confounding and mixing both parts into one, as much as each body should be capable: Wherefore he made Man of an immortall Soul, and mortall Body, that being a Creature thus composed, he might satisfie both ends, which was, to be in admiration of Heaven and to pray for spirituall and heavenly things, and to inhabit, and govern these earthly things below: and I do not onely avouch the Earth and the Water to be mortall things, which two (out of the four Elements) Nature hath subjected to the use of man; but all other things whatsoever belonging to man, as tillage, pastorage, buildings, ports, shipping, navigation, traffique, & merchandise, which is the strongest bond of humane Society: And there is a part of the world which is Water and p. 28 Earth that which is the Earthly part of the world is preserved for the knowledge and use of Arts, and discipline without which God would not have the world to be perfit, for necessity followeth the pleasure of God; and the effects follow his will, for it is not credible that God should be displeased with his own will for he knew long bebefore what would be, and what would please him.
The Commentary.
This fourth Chapter, why God did not place man in the spirituall region but in this world; and the answer is plaine, and also why he formed man of both natures a mortall and immortall; and why the soul which he created after his own Image and likenesse, he put in p. 29 a corporeall and earthy closure; and that the will of God is the chief perfection of things, which necessity follows, and effect the necessity; for God fulfilled both his will, and his deed in one and the same moment of time. That he calleth the world, the second Deity, is as much as if you should call a second duetie and unity; for two is one and one two, but one is absolutely one, but two not absolutely one but by participation and contraction one, and the duity one. So there is one absolutely God, but the world is not God, but God by participation, being the very stamp of all sensible and delectable things.
Thus, for the fourth part of Asclepius.