The Thirteenth Book
Of Sense and Understanding.
1.
Yesterday, Asclepius, I delivered a perfect Discourse; but
now I think it necessary, in suite of that, to dispute also
of Sense.
2. For Sense and Understanding seem to differ, because the
one is material, the other essential.
3. But unto me, they appear to be both one, or united, and
not divided in men, I mean.
4. For in other living Creatures, Sense is united unto
Nature but in men to Understanding.
5. But the Mind differs from Understanding, as much as God
from Divinity.
6. For Divinity is from or under God, and Understanding
from the Mind, being the sister of the Word or Speech, and
they the Instruments one of another.
7. For-neither is the Word pronounced without
Understanding, neither is Understanding manifested without
the Word.
8. Therefore Sense and Understanding do both flow together
into a man, as if they were infolded one within another.
9. For neither is it possible without Sense to Understand,
nor can we have Sense without Understanding.
10. And yet it is possible (for the Time being) that the
Understanding may understand without Sense, as they that
fantasy Visions in their Dreams.
11. But it seems unto me, that both the operations are in
the Visions of Dreams, and that the Sense is stirred up out
of sleep, unto awaking.
12. For man is divided into a Body and a Soul; when both
parts of the Sense accord one with another, then is the
understanding childed, or brought forth by the Mind
pronounced.
13. For the Mind brings forth all Intellections or
Understandings. Good ones w hen it receiveth good Seed from
God; and the contrary when it receives them from Devils.
14. For there is no part of the World void of the Devil,
which entering in privately, sowed the seed of his own
proper operation; and the Mind did make pregnant, or did
bring forth that which was sown, Adulteries, Murders,
Striking of Parents, Sacrileges, Impieties, Stranglings,
throwing down headlong, and all other things which are the
works of evil Demons.
15. And the Seeds of God are few but Great, and Fair, and
Good Virtue, and Temperance, and Piety.
I6. And the Piety is the Knowledge of God, whom whosoever
knoweth being full of all good things, hath Divine
Understanding and not like the Many.
17. And therefore they that have that Knowledge neither
please the multitude, nor the multitude them, but they seem
to be mad, and to move laughter, hated and despised, and
many times also murdered.
18. For we have already said, That wickedness must dwell
here, being in her own region.
19. For her region is the Earth, and not the World, as some
will sometimes say, Blaspheming.
20. But the Godly or God-worshipping Man laying hold on
Knowledge, will despise or tread under all these things;
for though they be evil to other men, yet to him all things
are good.
21. And upon mature consideration, he refers all things to
Knowledge, and that which is most to be wondered at, he
alone makes evil things good.
22. But I return again to my Discourse of Sense.
23. It is therefore a thing proper to Man, to communicate
and conjoin Sense and Understanding.
24. But every man, as I said before, cloth not enjoy
Understanding; for one man is material, another essential.
25. And he that is material with wickedness as I said,
received from the Devils the Seed of Understanding; but
they that are with the Good essentially, are saved with
God.
26. For God is the Workman of all things; and when he
worketh he useth Nature.
27. He maketh all things good like himsel£
28. But these things that are made good, are in the use of
Operation, unlawful.
29. For the Motion of the World stirring up Generations,
makes Qualities, infecting some with evilness, and
purifying some with good.
30 And the World, Asclepius, hath a peculiar Sense and
Understanding, not like to Man's, nor so various or
manifold, but a better and more simple.
31. For this Sense and Understanding of the World is One,
in that it makes all things, and unmakes them again into
itself; for it is the Organ or Instrument of the Will of
God.
32. And it is so organized or framed, and made for an
Instrument by God; that receiving all Seeds into itself
from God, and keeping them in itself, it maketh all things
effectually and dissolving them, reneweth all things.
33. And therefore like a good Husband-man of Life, when
things are dissolved or loosened, he affords by the casting
of Seed, renovation to all things that grow.
34. There is nothing that it (the World) cloth not beget or
bring forth alive; and by its Motion, it makes all things
alive.
35. And it is at once, both the Place and the Workman of
Life.
36. But the Bodies are from the Matter, in a different
manner; for some are of the Earth, some of Water, some of
Air, some of Fire, and all are compounded, but some are
more compounded, and some are more simple.
37. They that are compounded, are the heavier, and they
that are less, are the higher.
38. And the swiftness of the Motion of the World, makes the
varieties of the Qualities of Generation, for the spiration
or influence, being most frequent, extendeth unto the
Bodies qualities with one fulness, which is of Life.
39. Therefore, God is the Father of the World, but the
World is the Father of things in the World.
40. And the World is the Son of God, but things in the
World are the Sons of the World.
41. And therefore it is well called the World, that is an
Ornament, because it adorneth and beautifieth all things
with the variety of Generation, and indeficiency of Life,
which the unweariedness of Operation, and the swiftness of
Necessity with the mingling of Elements, and the order of
things done.
42. Therefore it is necessarily and properly called the
World.
43. For of all living things, both the Sense and the
Understanding, cometh into them from without, inspired by
that which compasseth them about, and continueth them.
44. And the World receiving it once from God as soon as it
was made, hath it still, What Ever it Once Had.
45. But God is not as it seems to some who Blaspheme
through superstition, without Sense, and without Mind, or
Understanding.
46. For all things that are, O Asclepius, are in God, and
made by him, and depend of him, some working by Bodies,
some moving by a Soul-like Essence, some quickening by a
Spirit, and some receiving the things that are weary, and
all very fitly.
47. Or rather, I say, that he hath them not, but I declare
the Truth, He is All Things, not receiving them from
without, but exhibiting them outwardly.
48. And this is the Sense and Understanding of God, to move
all things always.
49. And there never shall be any time, when any of those
things that are, shall fail or be wanting.
50. When I say the things that are, I mean God, for the
things that are, God hash; and neither is there anything
without him, nor he without anything.
51. These things, O Asclepius, will appear to be true, if
thou understand them, but if thou understand them not,
incredible.
52. For to understand, is to believe, but not to believe,
is not to understand; For my speech or words reach not unto
the Truth, but the Mind is great, and being led or
conducted for a while by Speech, is able to attain to the
Truth.
53. And understanding all things round about, and finding
them consonant, and agreeable to those things that were
delivered and interpreted by Speech, believeth; and in that
good belief, resteth.
54. To them, therefore, that understand the things that
have been said of God, they are credible, but to them that
understand them not, incredible.
55. And let these and thus many things be spoken concerning
Understanding and Sense.