The Fifth Book.
"That God is not Manifest and yet most Manifest."
1.
This Discourse I will also make to thee, O Tat, that thou
mayest not be ignorant of the more excellent Name of God.
2. But do thou contemplate in thy Mind, how that which to
many seems hidden and unmanifest, may be most manifest unto
thee.
3. For it were not all, if it were apparent, for whatsoever
is apparent, is generated or made; for it was made
manifest, but that which is not manifest is ever.
4. For it needeth not to be manifested, for it is always.
5. And he maketh all other things manifest, being
unmanifest as being always, and making other things
manifest, he is not made manifest.
9. Himself is not made, yet in fantasy he fantasieth all
things, or in appearance he maketh them appear, for
appearance is only of those things that are generated or
made, for appearance is nothing but generation.
7. But he is that One, that is not made nor generated, is
also unapparent and unmanifest.
8. But making all things appear, he appeareth in all and by
all; but especially he is manifested to or in those things
wherein himself listeth.
9. Thou therefore, O Tat, my Son, pray first to the Lord
and Father, and to the Alone and to the One from whom is
one to be merciful to thee, that thou mayest knowest and
understand so great a God; and that he would shine one of
his beams upon thee In thy understanding.
10. For only the Understanding sees that which is not
manifest or apparent, as being itself not manifest or
apparent; and if thou canst, O Tat, it will appear to the
eyes of thy Mind.
11. For the Lord, void of envy, appeareth through the whole
world. Thou mayest see the intelligence, and take it in thy
hands, and contemplate the Image of God.
12. But if that which is in thee, be not known or apparent
unto thee, how shall he in thee be seen, and appear unto
thee by the eyes?
13. But if thou wilt see him, consider and understand the
Sun, consider the course of the Moon, consider the order of
the Stars.
14. Who is he that keepeth order? for all order is
circumscribed or terminated in number and place.
15. The Sun is the greatest of the Gods in heaven, to whom
all the heavenly Gods give place, as to a King and
potentate; and yet he being such a one, greater than the
Earth or the Sea, is content to suffer infinite lesser
stars to walk and move above himself; whom doth he fear the
while, O Son?
16. Every one of these Stars that are in Heaven, do not
make the like, or an equal course; who is it that hath
prescribed unto every one, the manner and the greatness of
their course!
17. This Bear that turns round about its own self; and
carries round the whole World with her, who possessed and
made such an Instrument.
18. Who hath set the Bounds to the Sea? who hath
established the Earth? for there is some body, O Tat, that
is the Maker and Lord of these things.
19. For it is impossible, O Son, that either place, or
number, or measure, should be observed without a Maker.
20. For no order can be made by disorder or disproportion.
21. I would it were possible for thee, O my Son, to have
wings, and to fly into the Air, and being taken up in the
midst, between Heaven and Earth, to see the stability of
the Earth, the fluidness of the Sea, the courses of the
Rivers, the largeness of the Air, the sharpness or
swiftness of the Fire, the motion of the Stars; and the
speediness of the Heaven, by which it goeth round about all
these.
22. O Son, what a happy sight it were, at one instant, to
see all these, that which is unmovable moved, and that
which is hidden appear and be manifest.
23. And if thou wilt see and behold this Workman, even by
mortal things that are upon Earth, and in the deep.
Consider, O Son, how Man is made and framed in the Womb;
and examine diligently the skill and cunning of the
Workman, and learn who it was that wrought and fashioned
the beautiful and Divine shape of Man; who circumscribed
and marked out his eyes? who bored his nostrils and ears?
who opened his mouth? who stretched out and tied together
his sinews! who channelled the veins? who hardened and made
strong the bones! who clothed the flesh with skin? who
divided the fingers and the joints! who flatted and made
broad the soles of the feet! who digged the pores! who
stretched out the spleen, who made the heart like a
Pyramis? who made the Liver broad! who made the Lights
spungy, and full of holes! who made the belly large and
capacious? who set to outward view the more honourable
parts and hid the filthy ones.
24. See how many Arts in one Matter, and how many Works in
one Superscription, and all exceedingly beautiful, and all
done in measure, and yet all differing.
25. Who hath made all these things! what Mother! what
Father! save only God that is not manifest! that made all
things by his own Will.
26;: And no man says that a statue or an image is made
without a Carver or a Painter, and was this Workmanship
made without a Workman? O great Blindness, O great Impiety,
O great Ignorance.
27. Never, O Son Tat, canst thou deprive the Workmanship of
the Workman, rather it is the best Name of all the Names of
God, to call him the Father of all, for so he is alone; and
this is his Work to be the Father.
28. And if thou wilt force me to say anything more boldly,
it is his Essence to be pregnant, or great with all things,
and to make them.
29. And as without a Maker, it is impossible that anything
should be made, so it is that he should not always be, and
always be making all things in Heaven, in the Air, in the
Earth, in the Deep, in the whole World, and in every part
of the whole that is, or that is not.
30. For there is nothing in the whole World, that is not
himself both the things that are and the things that are
not.
31. For the things that are, he hath made manifest; and the
things that are not, he hath hid in himself.
32. This is God that is better than any name; this is he
that is secret; this is he that is most manifest; this is
he that is to be seen by the Mind ; this is he that is
visible to the eye; this is he that hath no body; and this
is he that hath many bodies, rather there is nothing of any
body, which is not He.
33. For he alone is all things.
34. And for this cause He hath all Names, because He is the
One Father; and therefore He hath no Name, because He is
the Father of all.
35. Who therefore can bless thee, or give thanks for thee,
or to thee.
36. Which way shall I look, when I praise thee? upward?
downward? outward? inward?
37. For about thee there is no manner, nor place, nor
anything else of all things that are.
38. But all things are in thee; all things from thee, thou
givest all things, and takest nothing; for thou hast all
things and there is nothing that thou hast not.
39. When shall I praise thee, O Father; for it is neither
possible to comprehend thy hour, nor thy time?
40. For what shall I praise thee? for what thou hast made,
or for what thou hast not made! fur those things thou hast
manifested, or for those things thou hast hidden?
41. Wherefore shall I praise thee as being of myself, or
having anything of mine own, or rather being another's?
42. For thou art what I am, thou art what I do, thou art
what I say.
43. Thou Art All Things, and there is Nothing Else Thou art
not.
44. Thou Art Thou, All that is Made, and all that is not
Made.
45. The Mind that Understandeth.
46. The Father that Maketh and Frameth.
47. The Good that Worketh.
48. The Good that doth All Things.
49. Of the Matter, the most subtle and slender part is Air,
of the Air the Soul, of the Soul the Mind, of the Mind
God.