William Wynn Westcott: Premium Collection. William Wynn Westcott

      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 anything, either Human 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; nor mayest thou think, that he bath given of his Power to any other thing.

      46. For who after him can make anything, 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 anywhere in the world such a thing as Idleness; for Idleness 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 always 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 anything, nor making or doing 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 immarcessible, than the which, there is nothing more ancient, yet always 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 nowhere.

      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 Prince of all Order, and the Ruler of the seven Worlds.

      57. Look also upon the Moon, the forerunner 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 immortal living things, and of mortal ones also; and see the Moon going about in the midst of both, to wit, of things immortal and mortal.

      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 left; 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 needst not learn of 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 swiftness among them all; It is impossible there should be two or more Makers.

      66. For one order is not kept by many.

      67. But in the weaker, there would be jealousy of the stronger and thence also Contentions.

      68. And if there were one Maker of mutable and mortal living wight [a creature]s, he would desire also to make immortal ones, as he that were the Maker of immortal ones, would do to make mortal.

      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 think thus that every living Body bath its consistence of Matter and Soul; and of that which is immortal, and that which is mortal, and unreasonable.

      72. For all living Bodies have a Soul; and those things that are not living are only matter by itself.

      73. And the Soul likewise of itself drawing near 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 wight [a creature]s, other from immortal?

      75. Or how cannot he make living wight [a creature]s 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 only God alone?

      80. There is therefore one God.

      81. For it is a ridiculous thing to confess the World to be, 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 shouldst cease from doing these things, were not a living wight [a creature]; 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 feeling 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, that are done, or were once done, or shall be done.

      92. And this, O best Beloved, 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 only Workman he is always 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 wight [a creature]s, both which are in Heaven, and upon Earth; and that there be one Life in all things which are made by God, and that is God, then certainly all things are made, or done by God.

      101. Life is the union of the Mind and the Soul.

      102. But death is not the destruction of those things that were gathered together, but a dissolving of the Union.