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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 Minde, how that which to many seems hidden and un∣manifest, 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 mani∣fest,
but that which is not mani∣fest is ever.
4. For it needeth not to be manifested, for it is alwayes.
5. And he maketh all other things manifest, being unmani∣fest, as being alwayes, and ma∣king other things manifest, he is not made manifest.
6. Himself is not made, yet in fantasie he fantasieth all things, or in appearance he ma∣keth them appear; for appear∣ance is only of those things that are generated or made, for ap∣pearance is nothing but gene∣ration.
7. But he that is Oue, that is not made nor generated, is al∣so unapparent and unmanifest.
8. But making all things ap∣pear, he appeareth in all, and by all; but especially he is mani∣fested 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 mercifull to thee, that thou mayest know and un∣derstand so great a God; and that he would shine one of his beams upon thee in thy under∣standing.
10. For onely the Under∣standing sees that which is not manifest, or apparent, as being it self not manifest or apparent; and if thou canst, O Tat, it will appear to the eyes of thy minde.
11. For the Lord, void of en∣vie, appeareth thorow the whole world. Thou mayest see the in∣telligence, and take it in thy hands, and contemplate the I∣mage 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 M•…•…n, consider the order of the Stars.
14. Who is he that keepeth order? for all order is circum∣scribed or terminated in num∣ber 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 Poten∣tate; and yet he being such a one, greater than the Earth or the Sea, is content to suffer infi∣nite 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 equall course; who is it that hath prescribed
unto every one, the manner and the greatnesse of their course?
17. This Bear that turns round about it own self, and car∣ries round the whole World with her, who possessed and made such an Instrument?
18. Who hath set the bounds to the Sea? who hath establish∣ed 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 num∣ber, or measure, should be ob∣served 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 flie into the Air, and being taken up in the midst, between Heaven and Earth, to see the stability of the Earth the fluidnesse of the Sea, the courses
of the Rivers, the largenesse of the Air, the sharpnesse or swift∣nesse of the Fire, the motion of the Stars, and the speedinesse 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 un∣moveable moved, and that which is hidden appear and be manifest?
23. And if thou wilt see and behold this Workman, even by mortall things that are upon Earth, and in the deep, consider, O Son, how Man is made and framed in the Womb; and exa∣mine diligently the skill, and cunning of the Workman, and learn who it was that wrought and fashioned the beautifull and Divine shape of Man; who cir∣cumscribed 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 fin∣gers and the joynts? who flat∣ted, and made broad the soals of the feet? who digged the pores? who stretched out the spleen? who made the Heart like a Py∣ramis? who made the Liver broad? who made the Lights spungie, and full of holes? who made the belly large and capaci∣ous? 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 beautifull, 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 Blindnesse O great Impie∣ty, O great Ignorance.
27. Never, O Son Tat, canst thou deprive the Workman∣ship 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 any thing 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 any thing should be made; so it is that he should not alwayes be, and al∣ways 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 bet∣ter then 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 Minde; this is he that is visible to the
eye; this is he that hath no bo∣dy; and this is he that hath ma∣ny bodies, rather there is no∣thing 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 there∣fore he hath no Name, because he is the Father of all.
35. Who therefore can blesse thee, or give thankes for thee, or to thee?
36. Which way shall I look, when I praise thee: upward? downward? outward? in∣ward?
37. For about thee there is no manner, nor place, nor any thing 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 whatthou hast not made? for those things thou hast mani∣fested, orfor those things thou hast hidden?
41. Wherefore shall I praise thee? as being of my self, or hav∣ing any thing of mine own, or rather being anothers?
42. For thou art what I am, thou art what Ido, 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 Minde that under∣standeth.
46. The Father that mak∣eth and frameth.
47. The Good that work∣eth.
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 Minde, of the Minde God.