The Seventeenth Book
To Asclepius, to be Truly Wise.
1.
Because my Son Tat, in thy absence, would needs learn the
Nature of the things that are: He would not suffer me to
give over (as coming very young to the knowledge of every
individual) till I was forced to discourse to him many
things at large, that his contemplation might from point to
point, be more easy and successful.
2. But to thee I have thought good to write in few words,
choosing out the principal heads of the things then spoken,
and to interpret them more mystically, because thou hast,
both more years, and more knowledge of Nature.
3. All things that appear, were made, and are made.
4. Those things that are made, are not made by themselves,
but by another.
5. And there are many things made, but especially all
things that appear, and which are different, and not like.
6. If the things that be made and done, be made and done by
another, there must be one that must make, and do them; and
he unmade, and more ancient than the things that are made.
7. For I affirm the things that are made, to be made by
another; and it is impossible, that of the things that are
made any should be more ancient than all, but only that
which is not made.
8. He is stronger, and One, and only knowing all things
indeed, as not having any thing more ancient than himself.
9. For he bears rule, both over multitude, and greatness,
and the diversity of the things that are made, and the
continuity of the Facture and of the Operation.
10. Moreover, the things that are made, are visible, but he
is invisible; and for this cause, he maketh them, that he
may be visible; and therefore he makes them always.
11. Thus it is fit to understand and understanding to
admire and admiring to think thy self happy, that knowest
thy natural Father.
12. For what is sweeter than a Natural Father?
13. Who therefore is this, or how shall we know him?
14. Or is it just to ascribe unto him alone, the Title and
Appellation of God, or of the Maker, or of the Father, or
of all Three? That of God because of his Power; the Maker
because of his Working and Operation; and the Father,
because of his Goodness.
15. For Power is different from the things that are made,
but Act or Operation, in that all things are made.
16. Wherefore, letting go all much and vain talking, we
must understand these two things, That Which is Made, and
Him Which is the Maker; for there is nothing in the middle,
between these Two, nor is there any third.
17. Therefore understanding All things, remember these Two;
and think that these are All things, putting nothing into
doubt; neither of the things above, nor of the things
below; neither of things changeable, nor things that are in
darkness or secret.
18. For All things, are but two Things, That which Maketh,
and that which is Made, and the One of them cannot depart,
or be divided from the Other.
19. For neither is it possible that the maker should be
without the thing made, for either of them is the self-same
thing; therefore cannot the One of them be separated from
the other, no more than a thing can be separated from
itself.
20. For if he that makes be nothing else, but that which
makes alone, Simple, Uncompounded, it is of necessity, that
he makes the same thing to himself, to whom it is the
Generation of him that maketh to be also All that is made.
21. For that which is generated or made, must necessarily
be generated or made by another, but without the Maker that
which is made, neither is made, nor is; for the one of them
without the other, hath lost his proper Nature by the
privation of the other.
22. So if these Two be confessed, That which maketh, and
that which is made, then they are One in Union, this going
before, and that following.
23. And that which goeth before, is, God the Maker, and
that which follows is, that which is made, be it what it
will.
24. And let no man be afraid because of the variety of
things that are made or done, lest he should cast an
aspersion of baseness, or infamy upon God, for it is the
only Glory of him to do, or make All things.
25. And this making, or facture is as it were the Body of
God, and to him that maketh or doth, there is nothing evil,
or filthy to be imputed, or There is Nothing thought Evil
or Filthy.
26. For these are Passions that follow Generation as Rust
doth Copper, or as Excrements do the Body.
27. But neither did the Copper-smith make the Rust, nor the
Maker the Filth, nor God the Evilness.
28. But the vicissitude of Generation doth make them, as it
were to blossom out; and for this cause did make Change to
be, as one should say, The Purgation of Generation.
29. Moreover, is it lawful for the same Painter to make
both Heaven, and the Gods, and the Earth, and the Sea, and
Men, and brute Beasts, and inanimate Things, and Trees; and
is it impossible for God to make these things? O the great
madness, and ignorance of men in things that concern God!
30. For men that think so, suffer that which is most
ridiculous of all; for professing to bless and praise God
yet in not ascribing to him the making or doing of All
things, they know him not.
31. And besides their not knowing him, they are extremely
impious against him, attributing unto him Passions, as
Pride, or Oversight, or Weakness, or Ignorance, or Envy.
32. For if he do not make or do all things, he is either
proud or not able, or ignorant, or envious, which is
impious to affirm.
33. For God hath only one Passion, namely Good and he that
is good is neither proud, nor impotent, nor the rest, but
God is Good itself.
34. For Good is all power, to do or make all things, and
every thing that is made, is made by God, that is by the
Good and that can make or do all things.
35. See then how he maketh all things, and how the things
are done, that are done, and if thou wilt learn, thou
mayest see an Image thereof, very beautiful, and like.
36. Look upon the Husbandman, how he casteth Seeds into the
Earth, here Wheat, there Barley, and elsewhere some other
Seeds.
37. Look upon the same Man, planting a Vine, or an
Apple-Tree, or a Fig-Tree, or some other Tree.
38. So doth God in Heaven sow Immortality, in the Earth
Change in the whole Life, and Motion.
39. And these things are not many, but few, and easily
numbered for they are all but four, God and Generation, in
which are all things.