FOrbear thy Speech, O Hermes Trismegistus, and call to minde to those things that are said: but I will not delay to speak what comes into my minde; sithence many men have spoken many things, and those very different, concerning the Universe, and Good; but I have not learned the Truth.
2. Therefore, the Lord make it plain to me in this point; for p. 136 I will beleeve thee only, for the manifestation of these things.
3. Then said the Minde how the case stands.
4. God and All.
5. God, Eternity, the World, Time, Generation.
6. God made Eternity, Eternity the World, the World Time, and Time Generation.
7. Of God, as it were the Substance, is the God, the Fair Blessednesse, Wisdom.
8. Of Eternity, Identity, or Selfnesse,
9. Of the World, Order.
10. Of Time, Change.
11. Of Generation, Life and Death.
12. But the Operation of God, is Minde and Soul.
13. Of Eternity, Permanence or Long-lasting, and Immortality.
14. Of the World, Restitution, and Decay, or Destruction.
15. Of Time, Augmentation, and Diminution.
16. And of Generation qualities.
17. Therefore Eternity is in God.
18. The World in Eternity.
19. Time in the World.
20. And Generation in Time.
21. And Eternity standeth about God.
22. The World is moved in Eternity.
23. Time is determined in the World.
24. Generation is done in Time.
25. Therefore the Spring and Fountain of all things, is God.
26. The Substance Eternity.
27. The Matter is the World.
28. The Power of God is Eternity.
29. And the Work of Eternity, is the World not yet made, and yet ever made by Eternity.
30. Therefore shall nothing be at any time destroyed, for Eternity is incorruptible.
31. Neither can any thing perish, or be destroyed in the World, the World being contained, and embraced by eternity.
32. But what is the Wisdom of God? Even the Good, and the Fair, and Blessednesse, and every Vertue, and Eternity.
33. Eternity therefore put into the Matter Immortality and Everlastingnesse; for the Generation of that depends upon Eternity, even as Eternity doth of God.
34. For Generation and Time, in Heaven, and in Earth, are of a double nature; in Heaven they are unchangeable, and incorruptible; but on Earth they are changeable, and corruptible.
35. And the Soul of Eternity, is God; and the Soul of the World, Eternity; and of the Earth, Heaven.
36. God is in the Minde, the Minde in the Soul, the Soul in the Matter, all things by eternity.
37. All this Universall Body, in which are all Bodies is full of Soul, the Soul full of Minde, the Minde full of God.
38. For within he fills them, and without he contains them, quickning the Universe.
39. Without he quickens this perfect living thing the World, and within all living Creatures.
40. And above in Heaven he abides in Identity or Selfnesse, but below upon Earth he changeth Generation.
41. Eternity comprehendeth the World, either by Necessity, or Providence, or Nature.
42. And if any man shall think any other thing, it is God that actuateth, or operateth this All.
43. But the operation or Act of God, is Power insuperable, to which none may compare any thing, either Humane or Divine.
44. Therefore; O Hermes; think none of these things below, or the things above, in any wise like unto God; for if thou dost, thou errest from the Truth,
45. For nothing can be like the unlike, and only, and One; p. 141 nor mayest thou think, that he hath given of his Power to any other thing.
46. For who after him can make any thing, either of Life, or Immortality; of Change, or of Quality? and himself, what other thing should he make?
47. For God is not idle, for then all things would be idle; for all things are full of God.
48. But there is not any where in the World, such a thing as Idlenesse; for Idlenesse is a name that implieth a thing void or empty, both of a Doer and a thing done.
49. But all things must necessarily be made or done both alwayes, and according to the nature of every place.
50. For he that maketh or doth, is in all things, yet not fastened or comprehended in any thing; nor making or doing p. 142 one thing, but all things.
51. For being an active or operating Power, and sufficient of himself for the things that are made, and the things that are made, are under him.
52. Look upon, through me, the World is subject to thy sight, and understand exactly the Beauty thereof.
53. A Body immarcescible, than the which, there is nothing more ancient, yet alwayes vigorous and young.
54. See also the seven Worlds set over us, adorned with an everlasting Order, and filling Eternity, with a different course.
55. For all things are full of Light, but the Fire is no where.
56. For the friendship, and commixture of contraries and unlike, became Light shining from the Act or Operation of God, the Father of all Good, the p. 143 Prince of all Order, and the Ruler of the Seven Worlds.
57. Look also upon the Moon, the Fore-runner of them all, the Instrument of Nature, and which changeth the Matter here below.
58. Behold the Earth, the middle of the whole, the firm and stable Foundation of the Fair World, the Feeder and Nurse of Earthly things.
59. Consider moreover, how great the multitude is of immortall living things, and of mortall ones also; and see the Moon going about in the midst of both, to wit, of things immortall and mortall.
60. But all things are full of Soul, and all things are properly moved by it; some things about the Heaven, and some things about the Earth, and neither of those on the right hand to the p. 144 lest, nor those on the left hand to the right, nor those things that are above, downward; nor those things that are below, upwards.
61. And that all these things are made, O beloved Hermes, thou needest not learn or me.
62. For they are Bodies, and have a Soul, and are moved.
63. And that all these should come together into one it is impossible without some thing, to gather them together.
64. Therefore there must be some such ones, and he altogether One.
65. For seeing that the motions are divers, and many, and the Bodies not alike, and yet one ordered swiftnesse among them all: It is impossible there should be two or moe Makers.
66. For one order is not kept by many.
67. But in the weaker there would be jealousie of the stronger, and thence also Contentions.
68. And if there were one Maker of mutable and mortall living wights, he would desire also to make immortall ones; as he that were the Maker of immortal ones, would do to make mortall.
69. Moreover also, if there were two, the Matter being one, who should be chief, or have the disposing of the facture?
70. Or if both of them, which of them the greater part?
71. But thinks thus that every living Body hath its consistence of Matter and Soul; and of that which is immortall, and that which is mortall, and unreasonable.
72. For all living Bodies have a Soul; and those things that p. 146 are not living, are onely matter by it self.
73. And the Soul likewise of it self drawing neer her Maker, is the cause of Life, and Being, and being the cause of Life, is after a manner, the cause of immortal things.
74. How then are mortal wights, other from immortal?
75. Or how cannot he make living wights that causeth immortal things, and immortality?
76. That there is some Body that doth these things, it is apparent, and that he is also one, it is most manifest.
77. For there is one Soul, one Life, and one Matter.
78. Who is this? who can it be, other than the One God?
79. For whom else can it benefit, to make living things, save onely God alone?
80. There is therefore one God.
81. For it is a ridiculous thing to confesse the World to be one, one Sun, one Moon, one Divinity; and yet to have I know not how many gods.
82. He therefore being One, doth all things in many things.
83. And what great thing is it for God, to make Life, and Soul, and Immortality, and Change, when thy self dost so many things.
84. For thou both seest, speakest, and hearest; smellest, tastest, and touchest; walkest, understandest, and breathest.
85. And it is not one that seeth, and another that heareth, and another that speaketh, and another that toucheth, and another that smelleth, and another that walketh, and another that understandeth, and another that breatheth; but One that doth all these things.
86. Yet neither can these things possibly be without God.
87. For as thou, if thou shouldest cease from doing these things, wert not a living wight; so if God should cease from those, he were not (which is not lawful to say) any longer God.
88. For if it be already demonstrated, that nothing can be idle or empty, how much more may be affirmed of God?
89. For if there be any thing which he doth not do, then is he (if it were lawful to say so) imperfect.
90. Whereas seeing he is not idle, but perfect; certainly he doth all things.
91. Now give thy self unto me, O Hermes, for a little while, thou shalt the more easily understand, that it is the necessary work of God, that all things should be made or done, p. 149 that are done, or were once done, or shall be done.
92. And this, O best Beloloved, is life.
93. And this is the Fair.
94. And this is the Good.
95. And this is God.
96. And if thou wilt understand this by work also, mark what happens to thy self, when thou wilt generate.
97. And yet this is not like unto him; for he is not sensible of pleasure, for neither hath he any other Fellow-workman.
98. But being himself the onely Workman, he is alwayes in the Work, himself being that which he doth or maketh.
99. For all things, if they were separated from him, must needs fall and die, as there being no life in them.
100. And again, if all things be living wights, both which are p. 150 in Heaven, and upon Earth; and that there be one Life in all things which is made by God, and that is God, then certainly all things are made, or done by God.
101. Life is the union of the Minde, and the Soul.
102. But death is not the destruction of those things that were gathered together, but a dissolving of the Union.
103. The Image therefore of God, is Eternity, of Eternity the World, of the World the Sun, of the Sun Man.
104. But the people say, That changing is Death, because the Body is dissolved, and the Life goeth into that which appeareth not.
105. By this discourse, my dearest Hermes, I affirm as thou hearest, That the World is changed, because every day p. 151 part thereof becomes invisible; but that it is never dissolved.
106. And these are the Passions of the World, Revolutions, and Occultations; and Revolution is a turning, but Occultation is Renovation.
107. And the world being all formed, hath not the forms lying without it, but it self changeth in it self.
108. Seeing then the World is all formed, what must he be that made it? for without form, he cannot be.
109. And if he be all formed, he will be kept like the World; but if he have but one form; he shall be in this regard lesse then the World.
110. What do we then say that he is? we will not raise any doubts by our speech; for nothing that is doubtfull concerning God, is yet known.
111. He hath therefore one Idea which is proper to him, which because it is unbodily; is not subject to the sight, and yet shews all forms by the Bodies.
112. And do not wonder, if there be an incorruptible Idea.
113. For they are like the Margents of that Speech which is in writing; for they seem to be high and swelling, but they are by nature smooth and even.
114. But understand well this that I say, more boldly, for it is more true: As a man cannot live without life, so neither can God live, not doing good.
115. For this is, as it were, the Life and Motion of God, to move all things, and quicken them.
116. But some of the things I have said, must have a particular p. 153 explication: Understand then what I say.
117. All things are in God, not as lying in a place; for Place is both a Body, and unmoveable, and those things that are there placed, have no motion.
118. For they lie otherwise in that which is unbodily, then in the fantasie, or to appearance.
119. Consider him that containes all things, and understand, that nothing is more capacious, then that which is incorporeall, nothing more swift; nothing more powerfull; but it is most capacious, most swift, and most strong.
120. And judge of this by thy self, command thy Soul to go into India, and sooner then thou canst bid it, it will be there.
121. Bid it likewise passe over the Ocean, and suddenly it will be there: Not as passing from place to place, but suddenly it will be there.
122. Command it to flie into Heaven, and it will need no Wings, neither shall any thing hinder it; not the fire of the Sun, not the Aether, nor the turning of the Spheres, not the bodies of any of the other Stars, but cutting through all, it will flie up to the last, and furthest Body.
123. And if thou wilt even break the whole, and see those things that are without the World (if there be any thing without) thou mayest.
124. Behold how great power, how great swiftnesse thou hast! Canst thou do all these things, and cannot God?
125. After this manner therefore contemplate God to have all the whole World to himself, as it were all thoughts, or intellections.
126. If therefore thou wilt not equall thy self to God, thou canst not understand God.
127. For the like are intelligible by the like.
128. Increase thy self unto an immeasurable greatnesse, leaping beyond every Body, and transcending all Time; become Eternity, and thou shall understand God: If thou believe in thyself, that nothing is impossible, but accountest thy self immortall, and that thou canst understand all things, every Art every Science, and the manner and custom of every living thing.
129. Become higher then all heighth, lower then all depths, comprehend in thy self, p. 156 the qualities of all the Creatures, of the Fire, the Water, the Dry, and Moyst; and conceive likewise, that thou canst at once be every where in the Sea, in the Earth.
130. Thou shalt at once ununderstand thy self, not yet begotten in the Womb, young, old, to be dead, the things after death, and all these together; as also, times, places, deeds, qualities, quantities, or else thou canst not yet understand God.
131. But if thou shut up thy Soul in the Body, and abuse it, and say, I understand nothing, I can do nothing, I am affraid of the Sea, I cannot climb up into Heaven, I know not who I am, I cannot tell what I shall be; what hast thou to do with God? for thou canst understand none of those Fair and Good things; be a lover of the Body, and Evil.
132. For it is the greatest evil, not to know God.
133. But to be able to know, and to will, and to hope, is the straight way, and divine way, proper to the Good, and it will every where meet thee, and every where beseen of thee, plain and easie, when thou dost not expect or look for it: It will meet thee, waking, sleeping, sailing, travailing by night, by day, when thou speakest, and when thou keepest silence.
134. For there is nothing which is not the Image of God.
135. And yet thou sayest, God is invisible: but be advised, for who is more manifest, then He.
136. For therefore hath he made all things, that thou by all things mayest see him.
137. This is the Good of God, this is his Vertue, to appear, p. 158 and to be seen in all things.
138. There is nothing invisible, no not of those things that are incorporeal.
139. The minde is seen in Understanding, and God is seen in doing or making.
140. Let these things thus far forth, be made manifest unto thee, O Trismegistus.
141. Understand in like manner, all other things by thy self, and thou shalt not be deceived.
The End of the Tenth Book.