Cause of all Causes: Book 2

Again, with God who makes wise the writers, the second treatise on the knowledge of truth, which contains three chapters. The first chapter: On the fact that the Creator created creation and established the worlds. We praise, bless, and exalt Him who alone is the Being worthy of praise, blessing, and exaltation. He is exalted, not limited, and not deficient. He who fills all deficiencies and completes all limitations, and gives, finds, and enriches. And He, with His fullness, is not diminished. For if the sun, which is visible, created, and made, illuminates the whole creation, and warms, sustains creation by the power of its heat, and ripens and perfects fruits, seeds, and ears of grain, and waters the earth with life and not with corruption, and again springs and rivers that abundantly flow and irrigate fields and gardens that water the lands and make them fruitful and cause growth, yet they are not diminished or stopped in their irrigation. How then can that Being, who is praiseworthy, perfect, and not deficient, He who is the Creator of all this, the sustainer, the expander, and the one who can do all, not be deficient or diminished in His fullness? Or is there in His Being a deficiency of something that is lacking for completeness? Far from it. How then did the Creator create this creation, which is subject to change and full of variations, and establish a rational world, a spiritual and corporeal nature? Many, with many arguments, have spoken and concluded. Some of them said that it is for the sake of praising and exalting His praiseworthy Being. Others said that this creation is the cause of His praise, so that when the discerning and wise see the great beauty of creation, it becomes the cause of His praise.

When the philosophers and wise men saw the great beauty of creation, they praised and extolled the Creator. Others supposed that, because they were rational living beings and servants of his will and fulfillers of his commands, and the rest of creation existed for the need of rational beings, they thought otherwise. And the idle, likewise the unbelievers, like beasts and cattle without reason, their understanding was darkened and they were in error and without knowledge of the truth. They supposed that he himself is this world, and that the atom, that which has no beginning and no end, is without a world of spirits. And we have already refuted their error in the preceding treatise and shown clearly from the nature and order of the world that from every perspective there is a Lord and Governor, who is the Creator and Maker, and he has no beginning and no end, and he is one alone, and it is not possible that there is another with him. And he created the worlds and established and ordered them according to his majestic will, without hindrance. And we have said that it is not because the worlds praised, blessed, and exalted him that he created them, because he is praiseworthy, blessed, and exalted, and it is not possible that his nature should again be praised and exalted more than what it is. For it is perfect, complete, and without any deficiency; his nature is glorious and exalted. And if his nature were deficient or lacking, he could not be Maker and Creator and Almighty. For that which is deficient and lacking is a creature and made, not a Creator and Maker, while creation is good and beautiful.

Each one of them, in its perfect nature, is with that thing which was created in it and because of it. Nor did He have need of rational creatures who serve His will and fulfill His commands because of His need. Rather, because of their own perfection and their exaltation toward the principal Goodness. What is the truth? This it is: because He is good, rich, and wise, [and perfect and complete in all things, and He who is good, rich, and wise,] with every manner He does good with His goodness to others, and enriches with His wealth without deficiency, and shows His wisdom in His works. And upon them He created creatures, while He had no need of them. He established worlds by His goodness, and showed power in His works, which with great wisdom made many distinctions and changes. And just as the sun, by its nature, with every manner that it shines, has to give light and to heat and to dry, and also in a manner that is continuous it pours forth and governs, so also the Lord, good, rich, and wise, who does good, enriches, and performs works full of wonder and great wisdom, has it in His nature willingly, not like works that are in their own natures, fixed, essential, and natural, like the sun, springs, and fire. But by His will and His nature He is God, good, rich, and wise. And from His works, which are wondrous and full of wisdom, and from the good gifts and great powers that He gave to rational beings, and from the good natures that He placed in natures and in various species, and from the good operations, helpful and beneficial, that He performed with them, His goodness, wisdom, and richness are known to all.

because of any other thing did He create the creatures and establish the worlds. He is the true Creator, Maker, and Lord. But because of His goodness, the abundance of His wealth, and the greatness of His wisdom. And not only this, but also that which is more wonderful, great, and exalted: that even to those whom He created, established, and set in place by His goodness, and with the abundance of His wealth and the greatness of His wisdom, He made them partners with Him, without any lack in Him, in those great things of His nature by His goodness, so that they too might be good and blessed, wealthy, perfect, and complete in true wisdom. Or this goodness is ineffable, or this wealth is inexhaustible, or this wisdom is great and incomprehensible, or this good nature of the merciful essence of this Lord, the compassionate and abundant in graces. Who is sufficient to praise? Who is able to speak? Who can confess, glorify, and extol as is fitting for this glorious Creator? If creatures praise, behold, they themselves are created and made by goodness. If mouths sing and exalt, behold, from the wealth of His treasures, full of gifts and great powers. And if tongues confess, glorify, and extol, He by His wisdom ordered them, and gave them tongues and set them in motion to interpret the word that was composed in sound and embodied, so that it might be heard by ears, understood by minds, and grasped by senses. Just as a writer forms letters and by means of signs composes words on paper and parchment and reveals hidden mysteries that are stored in the intellect, placed in hearts, and concealed in thoughts. Therefore, confess, worship, and praise Him from whom is all, in whom is all, and in whose hand is all.

and He draws near to Himself. And there are no injustices, nor does anything rise up against His goodness and conceal His gifts, and nullify what is of His praise. And with these, the first chapter of the second treatise is completed, by the help of God Almighty. Again, with the help of God who makes wise, the second chapter of the second treatise, on how the will of God in His creation is shown, as of every nature, created and made. For His own self-subsistence has a nature, by which it is known that He exists certainly. Just as fire, by its own self-subsistence, has the property of burning, consuming, and giving light perpetually; and also that of the goat, perpetually, with the elements of air, which are bound in the forms of the body; and again, just as water, by its own self-subsistence, has the property of flowing, along with the rest of the natures, each one being known by the property that is in it. Thus, the Lord, good, rich, and wise, is abundant in mercy, essentially and naturally. His self-subsistence is to be good, to enrich, to perfect, and to complete. And these cannot be perfected and completed fully except through participation with Him. Therefore, that is His will in creation: that all rational beings be perfected in goodness, and be completed in richness and perfect wisdom. And the completion of these is a joy that has no distress, and eternal life, in which, with God, there is no defect, no property, no stumbling, no division, but rather peace, tranquility, and wonder in God. For He is the good God, and perpetually with goodness He gives to the rational ones who are perfected in the wonder of Him. And when there is no more work, nor property, nor distress, nor stumbling, nor division, nor any other thought or meditation.

but only the wonder that is in God is established with great love, burning affection, and fitness for the sanctuary toward that good nature in everything. And it perfects everything in goodness. With these there is a union with Him and a deification of rational beings in their union with their Lord and God. He by whom they were created and established, and in whom they have their being, and in whose hands they move, and toward whom they turn, and with whom they are united through His grace, with their love toward Him. This love is perfected with completeness and fullness. And this was with the orders of His commandments and the completions of His laws. And no one is able to know these truly and to perceive them and to taste them in his being and mind, unless he attains to them in his standing and ascends and is magnified in them in the order that befits them. For the orders of commandments are not. [For with the service of the orders of commandments] nature participates and is purified from the blemishes and defilements that were covered in it with lawlessness and unnaturalness, which are sins that came about accidentally upon the nature that was originally pure and beautiful. For it was created with the original pure and beautiful good. And when that nature returns to its original state, which is purity, simplicity, and clarity, it is united with that original pure and beautiful good that made it. And this union is established with great love, affection, and fitness. And with these it is perfected in joy, praise, peace, and tranquility, which are the wonder that is in the one who is loved. For as these are known to those who are thick in understanding and secluded in darkness and shadows with blemishes and the stain of sin, they are not able except by those who are not powers and lovers.

in that it does not care for bodily pursuits or earthly concerns, and it is not possible that it should be occupied with carnal and material demonstrations, because it does not care for that which is hindered by them, and many of its concerns are directed toward them in a bodily and earthly manner as they are administered. In that even the nature of the flesh is weak toward them and works for affection and fitness toward them, because in it they are established and have their existence. So then, suppose there were a young prince or one of the great and wealthy of the world, and he were in the strong vigor of youth, and he took a wife likewise a young maiden, beautiful of appearance, daughter of the wealthy and renowned, and they were dwelling in wealth and stability and were lacking in nothing of everything in this world, and they had no care nor trouble nor distress, nor any lack of anything at all, nor yet any concern for children or care for what is theirs. In the first time of the union of the two, with virginity and a dignified order beloved by everyone, they greatly rejoice in their marriage and delight in the love of one another with affection, intimacy, and fitness of a flaming ardor. And as though they had gone out and united their souls with one another, upon her, even when the man is joined to the woman, they are not called two but one, one flesh they are and not two, in that they are joined to one another. And this union is called joy. And this joy is the equal of love and affection in natural fitness and ardor. And this is bodily, carnal, and corruptible, and thus it is flaming and with affection and sweet and pleasant and fitting for its stability.

Now, that spiritual and holy and pure and incorruptible nature—how great is its delight and sweetness and tranquility! It is not bound to a body by a body, but is a being and a spirit in a good and active and loving creator, and an inflamer of his lovers by his eternal and incorruptible and immutable love. And this beauty and great tranquility of desire was not placed and fashioned in the nature of the body of men, but that it might be a likeness to that unifying desire and unquenchable love for that nature which is blessed in all. He gives rest in his love to his lovers. And from this corruptible thing, it yearns for that incorruptible one. And with that which subdues and oppresses the fleshly, that spiritual one is awakened. And it ascends and is exalted in that fire in this world until it tastes in its being and perceives in its knowledge that great joy which is prepared to be for it in the transformation that is to come, which is the wonder of its creator, and the love for him, and the union with him. Now, therefore, it has truly been made known that this is the will of God in his creation: that rational beings should be governed rightly, keep his commandments, be perfected in his love, and be fulfilled in his mercy, that they might attain union with him. And the Creator first created man in the body and placed him in this deficient world, in which there are pains and diseases and afflictions and weariness, and anxieties and bitter cares and sorrows, so that when they are governed rightly in it and keep his commandments and the laws which he set and established for them as for rational beings, they might be purified and cleansed and ascend to the purity of their nature, and be perfected in his love and fulfilled in his mercy.

in his perfecting work that frees from pains and diseases, and elevates from afflictions and groanings. And there are no disturbances or cares that are material and corporeal in it. But it is tranquility and peace and joy and life, all united in God. United in that blessedness of the spiritual nature. And if someone says or thinks that when God is good and rich and wise and perfect and complete and not lacking and not deficient, from his goodness he created his creatures and established the worlds. Why did he not create all rational beings in that perfect blessedness and completeness that is prepared to be for them in the future renewal? And they say to him: For many reasons. Those who understand a little understand this. And those who have been perfected understand even more. Those who understand this now, their understanding is thus. That if the Creator had created rational beings in completeness and perfection from the beginning, in that which is prepared to be given to them after they are perfected through the observance of commandments and are completed through his mercy, this would not have been fitting nor credible. But they would have been like that one whose blessedness in which they were created is their own possession. And because they did not first become lowly and hungry and thirsty, they did not know the honor and power and sweetness of satiety and service and not deficiency. Just as food is very beloved and desired and sweet and longed for and pleasant after intense hunger, and drink after burning thirst.

and health after disease, and wealth spread out after wretched poverty, and light after darkness. Thus and more than thus is the renewal of the world to come, which abides in tranquility and peace and joy, after this one that is full of afflictions and pains and groanings. And it is seen that everyone who acquires something easily, in rashness, destroys it, because it is not weighty to him, since he did not acquire it after toil and labor, like one who has found many riches, or to whom it was given from a king without effort and with mercy and with his goodness, does not honor it, because it is not weighty to him, and he does not know its worth, because he did not toil for its sake. But he who acquires something with his labor and the work of his hands, or with merchandise on difficult and distant journeys, or with hard labor on the earth, it is very dear to him and honored, and he is very careful with it and does not squander it easily, because he knows with how much labor and toil and hardship he acquired it. Thus, if from the beginning the Creator had given that perfect blessedness, it would not have been weighty to them, nor would it have been precious to them, like that which after many labors and toils and hardships they endure in this world, and from these few experiences they know many things, and it is confirmed that very good, excellent, and helpful is that which was created first in the world of toils of deficiency, and then becomes in the new world, which has joy and delight and rest and perfection. And it is fitting for the worshippers of God, and it praises his wisdom that cannot be comprehended, and thanks his goodness that cannot be expressed.

and in this the second chapter of the second treatise is completed, by the help of the God of power. Again, with the help of God, the third chapter of the second treatise begins, concerning the other world, which is different from this one that is seen and stands. Behold, we see and understand and know that the nature of living beings consists of souls and bodies, and it is composed of something cut off and spiritual and something else thick and corporeal. That is, souls and bodies. And as long as this life stands, the cut off dwells in the thick. But when the separation of this composition and the cessation of this life occur, souls are separated from bodies. And as the body returns to its nature, to its elements, dust to dust, and moisture to air, and moisture to water, and heat to fire, so also the soul, spiritual and cut off, turns and goes to dwell in a place that is fitting for it, spiritual and not visible to the eyes of the body. The body loses nothing of its own, nor is the soul destroyed or lost. But the body leaves each of its properties in the elements, its fathers, while they are preserved and not diminished, because there is no longer a place or region where they could be lost. So also the soul dwells and is enriched in a spiritual place that is fitting for it and according to its nature, until the time of renewal. And then it takes back from the elements the properties that it left in them, and puts on the body that it had cast off. That which is, as it is, when it descends and stands with renewal, glory and incorruptibility. And this order is from the ordinance of nature and renewal. Concerning this, they also speak in its place, from below, and they establish a true and peaceful agreement of the thought.

How then is every nature renewed and becomes a substance? And that which was from renewal is not mortal. And that which was corruptible is not incorruptible. Therefore, just as the powers of the body are bound in the elements, so the rational and spiritual soul is bound in the place of rational and spiritual beings. Therefore, there truly is a place of spirits. For if a place is spoken of in a spiritual sense, it is the invisible world. And know this, that the creation which God created is complete in its essence, and is not lacking anything, nor is it in need of addition, nor is it diminished or changed until the time of the general renewal. And those things, as they are, endure. For they are the four elements, which in the measure and balance of the Creator or Maker are preserved, while they neither increase nor decrease. They act together and are dissolved together, and are hidden together, and each turns to its nature, while nothing is lacking. For none of them can depart from this place and world, within this motion. And wherever they move, they again turn to their nature. Therefore, the soul also, when it is separated from the dwelling of the body, goes to dwell in the place of the living, and contends that it is a fixed and spiritual and invisible thing according to its nature, and rational and cognitive. For throughout every inhabited place, there are inhabitants in it according to its nature, who contend and live in it. And just as in the thick and heavy and non-rational elements, in each of them there are inhabitants according to its nature, who contend and live in it, as in the air dwell birds, and on the earth animals, and in water creatures, and reptiles, and worms, and creeping things.

ments, so also in the waters there are many kinds of fish, reptiles, creeping things, and mosquitoes. And again, in the fire there dwell those flying creatures that are called empyrot. They are not burned, but they hunt in the fire and take their prey, go away, and make nests. And when they cast them into the fire, a part of them is burned, but they themselves do not burn. Rather, they become more polished, bright, and glorious. What then? Every kind of place also has souls that are suited to it, which is the rational and spiritual place. There are inhabitants in it who live and give life to it, who are rational and spiritual living beings, endowed with speech and knowledge. And if you say, "Behold, these rational and spiritual living beings were created in complete perfection," then why was not the First created thus perfect and complete? And they say that the life of the First himself is perfect in simplicity and luminous prayer, and the event of darkness befell him. And when he was in his spirituality, he was not able to be purified, to be washed, and to be changed into a natural life. A thick body was given to him, in which he dwells and is united to it. And through it he is troubled and distressed until he is cleansed and purified. For it is not these same spirits that were darkened in the fall and put on bodies, but others after their life, that is, souls. And the life of rational and spiritual and invisible spirits, they also say is perfect and complete. But according to the deficiency of their own, when the event of darkness came upon them from the agitation, they say they are perfect. And it is not that life which is good in every way and complete and perfect.

without lacking, without diminishing, and without receiving any change or disturbance. And just as they are superior and elevated in perfection and completeness, so too are there thousands upon thousands and myriads upon myriads of species more elevated, perfect, complete, and exalted than that nature which is good in all things. For even those that are called deficient and incomplete, because they are living and rational, there is a place above them for them to be elevated; they ascend and are elevated and rejoice perpetually. And in those changes of ascents, they have perpetual joy. For they are perpetually and always in joy and rejoicing. Yet they are not perfect and complete even in their rejoicing before the inner joy that belongs to them and is proper to them. Rather, they are under some limit. For by accidental cause, something foreign and adventitious comes upon many of their faculties. And from that, some limit is raised from them. Yet not entirely before the inner renewal and perfect completeness. And concerning these, it is truly said that when they reach their limits, they show them. For just as there is another world that is invisible, apart from this one that is visible and stands, so too are these known from many operations. For behold, we see in the operation that occurs in this world that something from that invisible world is perpetually seen and done. And also dreams, which we see not with the eyes of the body—behold, we see them. For the body is immersed in sleep and rest and is silent, and all its senses are bound. The soul is the one that sees the dream and the standings and the courses and the operations that affect its nature.

that they are from the world of the unmoved. And behold, again they are engaged in action through many operations for the sake of every man of goods and oppositions, and revelations and visions of the primals are made known and examined, the orders that after a long time are revealed and engaged and known. Then also the revelations that appeared before are confirmed, having been examined over a long time. And these revelations and visions and dreams and intimations, through living and rational hypostases, spiritual and holy, are revealed and shown to the world of the invisible, which are directed by the lordly command of the Creator and Lord of all. For he signals to them that they should accomplish those things that his sign commands, all that he wills and pleases him. And those that are strong from the depth of their knowledge are preserved in the world firmly and placed without its movements and rotations and all its activities, and are observed and known and confirmed firmly, that concerning the service and order and people and land and kingdom and nations, there are and are ordered hypostases. From them are the rational powers known, which are from the world invisible. For they govern and guard and oversee and distribute to every people and land and kingdom, even over times and changes of hours, and over airs and clouds and rain and dew, and over the rest of its activities and orders and cares for the preservation of the world and its protection. According to the command and sign and will of the Lord and Maker. And just as he is hidden and invisible, so also are the powers and works and servants of his lordship in his world not moved. Even they are not visible to every man, but only to him who is worthy and prays his being.

Thus it is known from these many things that, like those that are in the other world of rational beings, they are known and spiritual and not visible. And with these things the third chapter of the second treatise is completed, by the power and help of God. Again, with the help of God who grants wisdom, the fourth chapter of the second treatise begins, concerning whether there is another world like the material and visible one, or a spiritual and limited and invisible one. They think that in the preceding chapter, which is the third of this second treatise, a little knowledge was given about the other world, what it is in every respect: that it is limited and spiritual and not moved; that it cannot be material and corporeal, but spiritual and limited. For everything that is composed of the four elements is subject to dissolution; it is subject to dissolution, from the elements and from every material and corporeal and visible thing. And that world is limited and spiritual, a dwelling-place of spirits and souls and spiritual beings. It is not composed of elements, nor is it subject to dissolution from them. And that which is not composed of elements is neither composed nor dissolved; it is not moved, nor is it corporeal, but spiritual and simple. And that which is spiritual and simple, and not compounded with elements, has neither beginning nor end. Therefore that world of spirits, which is limited and simple and spiritual, like the nature of its inhabitants, the spirits and spiritual souls and not composites, has a beginning, because it is a creation; and when it was created, that is its beginning.

Its end has no end, because it is simple and not composite, because that which its Creator willed to be enduring and not transitory. Upon that creation He established it simple, holy, and spiritual. [That it might be a dwelling for simple, holy, and spiritual natures.] And no changes or contraries occur in it, and there is no affliction or disease in it, nor any pain or fear, but rather joy and tranquility. Yet it is not the place of perfection and completion, because the spiritual world of spiritual natures is created and made. The world of perfection, however, is the world of God, and the eternity that is with Him, and the wonder that is in Him, and the joy that is with Him. But the world of spirits is much inferior and lower than that of God. Yet all its inhabitants, their work and service are in that God, the will of God and His worship, which is the perpetuation of each one in that thing for which it was created, without change. It is destined, however, to be again completed and to ascend in the renewal of all, and rational and cognitive spiritual natures that are in the invisible world. They are not all in one order and measure, but in many orders, and degrees and measures, not in place and locations, but in state and spiritual knowledge. And each one, according to these orders, is made head and first for that which is after it, and it leads to itself the gifts and the divine influx, which is changed. Because the source of gifts is one, and the influx that flows from the Godhead, the Creator of all and the Lord of all, over all created and made beings. But each one receives according to the power of its knowledge, and is enriched and delighted by the influx, and becomes wise, and wonders, and is helped, and is enriched.

Just as this perceptible sun is one in its substance and one is its light, while its rays are spread over the whole world, and all the beauty and comeliness of the world are seen by its light; and the seers see, are illuminated, and become wise concerning actions, and are guided and delighted, and rejoice in all the adornment and order of this world. Yet not all see, are illuminated, and are delighted equally, but each according to the acuteness and clarity of the sense of his vision. He whose eye is acute, clear, and bright sees everything clearly and distinctly, and is delighted and benefits. He, however, whose sight is weak, then more deficiently. He again whose eyes are diseased and whose vision is infirm, when that accident occurs, is able to perceive only thick and dense bodies, and to walk straight and like a blind man, for him night and day, light and darkness are one. For the light of the sun's rays is one and unchangeable, but it is changed in relation to the seers, because the cause is from them. Thus I shall speak concerning that good and excellent nature, and concerning its divine powers and its spiritual gifts, that at all times, continuously and perpetually, it is poured forth and flows like a sea of grace, and is spread over all its creatures; and all rational, knowable, and perceptible beings receive and are enriched from it greatly, while they begin from the high ranks of those near and ascending to the limit of the lordship of divinity, by contemplation and knowledge, as it is said.

...and not in place and location do you suppose it in a thick and perceptible manner. And this first passage, as one to another, in all the orders, arrangements, and ranks of the heavens. And that last of all is not near. And it brings to it. In that it was arranged and established upon its diffusion, nullity, and the care that is above it, by the power and agency of the Lord and the maker. And thus all the intelligences receive from the heavenly powers, each one according to the power and knowledge that stands from the excellence of its ways. And according to the keeping of the lordly commandments and the fulfilling of the laws, and according to the clarity of its mind and the manifest light that is in the eye of its being. And when in all these thousands and myriads that are not numbered and not limited, of spirits and invisible things, of bodies that are visible, the divine power passes, fills, completes, and enriches without any lack or diminution, but as it is, it abides in its fullness and abundance. And just as all the stars in the firmament of the zodiac are placed and arranged, and by one circular law they are moved, but one exceeds another greatly in glory, brightness, and radiance, so I suppose concerning all rational beings, both known and perceptible, that they are firmly established with the nature and agencies of the events that occur in this perceptible world with that known one. For the world of spirits is a cut and simple invisible one, just as this visible world is a bodily and material one, thick and composite. And with these the fourth chapter is completed, by the help of the God of power. With the God who makes wise, the fifth chapter of the second treatise begins.

...and not in place and location do you suppose it in a thick and perceptible manner. And this first passage, as one to another, in all the orders, arrangements, and ranks of the heavens. And that last of all is not near ...her, how is the order, arrangement, and service of the other world which now is, apart from this visible one. And when we examine the conduct of this world, it is clearly observed, through the eyes of reason, how it is ordered and established, and how it is governed, extended, and administered, and how diverse and opposing natures are preserved in it, and are not destroyed and annihilated one by another. For all of them are contraries and enemies of one another, while they originate from those which are their fathers and are established, which are the elements: fire, water, earth, and air—contraries and enemies of one another. Thus everything is composed and established. Among animals, I say, and beasts, and wild animals, and reptiles, and birds, and fowl, all of them are contraries and enemies of one another in their species and in the species of their kinds. Even those fathers, the elements, are contraries, destroyers, and annihilators of everything. Fire: burning, consuming, and destroying. Water: drowning, laying waste, washing away, sweeping away, and destroying. Earth: burying, annihilating, and destroying. Air: uprooting, laying waste, scattering, and destroying in many ways. Changes again of times. Thus they are contraries of one another. Peoples against peoples. Species against other species. Languages against languages of their kinds. Kingdoms against one another. Rulers, dominions. Governors of regions. Nations, workers. All the orders of animals and other classes that surround them, from above and from below and from all sides. Of the air. Of destructive wild animals. And of harmful reptiles. And of many that are not counted. And also all the natures of wild animals, birds, reptiles, and non-rational beings.

Everything that exists in the world has many opposites: destructive disturbances and veils. And although all these opposites exist in the world, yet it is preserved and established well, and is administered orderly and governed harmoniously. And all these things are by the providential care that is mindful of all and the divine power that holds all. And it has arranged in the world kingdoms and authorities, provinces and governors, commanders of forces and soldiers, ranks and orders, measures and services, limits and not nights, heads of peoples and teachers and guides, setters of laws, keepers of laws, rulers and subjects, lords and servants, masters and disciples, craftsmen and laborers, travelers on roads and merchants, voyagers on the sea and sailors, with all the orders and changes that are in this world. Others, however, are dwellers of mountains and those who live in deserts, with camels, horses, cattle, sheep, and many goats without number or limit. That is a great wonder and marvel in these things, that while they do not dwell in cities within walls and gates, nor under the authority of kings and rulers, nor are they subject to the laws of provinces and governors, nor are they guided by teachers and scribes with written books and ordinances and limits, yet they themselves have arranged themselves and made for themselves laws and helpful customs. In the season of summer they go up to the north, and in the season of winter they go down to the south, while they are thousands and myriads without number, and they travel with their tents, their houses, their camels, their horses, their cattle, their sheep, and all their possessions.

and it is established in meadows and pastures, and upon springs and fountains and lights, orderly and firmly, and not confusedly, while they do not hinder or conflict with one another, as if the earth were divided over them and bounded by ropes and measures and wonder, that is the order and existence of these things. For they are not of one kind and lineage and language, but many, differing in kind and custom and language, and the whole administration. The Arabians, the Turks, the Kurds, the Bēth-ʿArbāyē, the Alans, the Khazars, the Russians, the Scythians, the Bulgars, the Serbs, the Slavs, the Libyans, with many others. And every people has its lineages and tribes, with many who are distant from them in the east and the south, and all the regions. And all these whom I have mentioned do not inhabit fortresses, cities, and villages, but are wanderers and nomads in tents and pavilions in the deserts and mountains. All of them hold to known orders and laws and established customs. And in this way the world is preserved and stands, and is not destroyed by all these opposites that are in it. It is placed without confusion, wonderfully. And if this world were confused and destroyed, it would be filled and ordered by all these opposites and severe events. And all these disturbances and afflictions surround it. For every kind, nation, and nature that is in it is with its own kind, nation, and nature, and with foreigners, while even its head is with fathers who are opposites of one another, yet its service is well ordered and governed, and it stands and is extended not confusedly, and it is under laws and boundaries, and it is preserved and administered in a wondrous order and glorious arrangement.

like that limited and simple world, which is not composite and not visible to the spirits, it has no glorious order and no beautiful law and no measured service. And every order, glorious and splendid, exists for the inhabitants of the invisible world. And in it there is no opposition or conflict or confusion. And no disturbance or destruction or anything harmful or contrary approaches it, but it is peaceful and in great tranquility. What is its order? Distinct principles, rational and cognitive. Spirits and limited ones that are ordered and divided and measured. And first principles of all orders, second and third. And after that, many. And heads of orders. And powers and dominions. And authorities and principalities. Along with ranks and formations and troops and legions that have no end or limit. And it is not possible for their quantity to be known, except by the one who created them and knows their limit and quantity, and they are not confused or mixed, but are ordered and measured. Every order in its place and every formation in its location. And every troop and legion where it was determined by the wise Creator and glorious Maker. And the lower ones are subordinated to the second ones above them. And the second to the third. And thus every order is subordinated to that which is above it. And that one is its head and chief priest, and there is no envy or jealousy among them, nor any contentious opposition, because even the causes that produce these things have no passion with them or grief in their world. Their thought, however, is purity and contemplation and wonder at their Creator.

and the readiness of their will and their desire and their vitality to accomplish his will and to fulfill his commands. And even free choice is able to complete these things in that which is subject to their nature according to their will, because there are no obstacles or accidents or anything that hinders their will from the completion of the will of their Lord. Voluntarily and not coercively. In that they are free and sovereign over themselves, like the order of rational beings. And every rational being that is not free and not sovereign over itself is a brutish animal and not a rational living being created in the image of its creator. In that it is like a master sovereign over itself and in its freedom, and it moves its will according to its desire. Their service, moreover, is this: the subsistence and the expansion and the nullification of that which is upon the orbit and the revolution and the order and the law of the lights and upon the elements and the natures of the substances of everything that is composite. Upon the mixture of the elements and the changes of the hour and the times and the seasons and upon the seas and the rivers and the springs and upon the valleys and the plains and the mountains and the heights and the whole earth. And upon seeds and plants and trees and fruits and winds and clouds and rains. And upon the governance of kingdoms and the ordering of armies and wars and battles. And upon regions and districts and climates and towns and cities. And the administration of each one with its neighbors. And to investigate future things and to reveal hidden things. And to show concealed things. And to teach mysteries. And to proclaim and to make known the will of their Lord. And because of this, angels are called messengers, that is, envoys. Because this is their service: their administration and their being envoys and their being deputies. And that is the thought of the composite beings. Upon the mixture of the elements.

and the changes of hours and times and seasons. And upon seas and rivers and springs and upon valleys and plains and mountains and hills and all the dry land. And upon seeds and plants and trees and fruits and spirits and angels and messengers. And upon the governance of kingdoms and the ordering of armies and wars and battles. And upon regions and provinces and climates and towns and cities. And the sending of messengers to one another among men. And to investigate future things and to reveal hidden things. And to show concealed things. And to teach mysteries. And to announce and to make known the will of their Lord. And because of this the angels are called messengers, that is, envoys. Because this is their service: their being sent and their being envoys and their being commanded. And that is their thought and their will and their desire to accomplish the will of their Lord and to fulfill his commands. While all their diligence and their assiduity and their steadfastness and their zeal are upon their service by a power that is one and dominant, which is their maker, so that it is not for them to do and to accomplish. And not by a power that is their own. And they are all commanded and not commanders. And they are servants and subjugated like creatures and made for their creator. And not lords and masters. Yet their creation is beautiful and pure and perfect and clean and high and exalted above all creatures. And the word concerning them is abundant and surpasses speech and interpretation, and is not exhausted in books and scrolls. And among men of flesh and bodies, it is not possible to attain knowledge concerning the natures and fixed orders of the world that are not visible to spirits. But only those who have been purified and perfected from the turbidity of flesh and from the gross senses of the body.

and they stood in the order of creation of the simple and intellectual substances. By means of being perfected in the works of virtue, and they were filled with the perfections of the divine commandments and spiritual laws, while some knowledge of the world of spirits was given to them. But not complete and perfect knowledge [and perfecting, after renewal] is given to the investigators from within, when they are freed and liberated from the oppression of the senses of thick and earthly flesh. However, that of the Creator, who is destined for all the bearers of the commandments of their Lord, and who did and completed his will, one with the wills of those who were perfected in perfect rational and spiritual perfection, is able to attain and to be added to him something in smallness and with small deficiencies, which the Lord does not consider for all. And with these ends the chapter of the five by the help of the God of power. The sixth chapter with the God of wisdom, whether there is an end to this visible and sensible world, or not, this power of knowledge, that is, the rationality that God gave to man, what is it? And the glorious image of the wise Creator in all, and the likeness of the rational and intellectual spiritual powers. And by it they are able to distinguish truth from falsehood, and those which truly are in that which they are, from those which are not. And for those which endure and persist, from those which are dissolved and pass away. And by this same intellectual and rational power of that thought, they are able to investigate and examine and know and attain and confirm with certainty that there is a God, that is, a Lord and Maker and Creator and Orderer of all this that is seen and sensed, and of all that is known and not seen.

and that one is by himself alone, and of three hypostases is he: the Father, the Word, and the Spirit, which are named Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; one glorious and adorable Trinity, in which there is no greater or lesser, no elder or younger, but one eternal substance, one God, one nature, one power, one essence, one sovereign lordship; a simple and uncomposite nature, without beginning and without end. And he created and established the simple and spiritual world of the intelligible powers, which had a beginning but no end, because it is simple and uncomposite. And the simple and uncomposite is not dissolved. And because these separated and spiritual natures of the world are invisible, they are near and similar to the nature of the Creator himself, so that it should not be thought that he was unable to create and make anything that is not similar to his nature. And he composed and established it with the four opposing elements, for some reason that his will desired, which is placed in it as a deposit, that is, as a nature of the soul, as in a place of training and discipline, as in a habitation, some limited time, so that it might learn and be instructed in the world through the nature of its faculties and its constitution, and through the essence itself and its nature and the mixtures of the body that dwells in it, so that it might know its lord and maker, and be bound to him, and that the virtues and things fitting for it might be performed and approached by it, as long as it dwells in the composite body in the composite world, so that when this composition is dissolved and this circling and conduct and bodily change cease, that nature of the soul, which is simple and uncomposite and indissoluble, remains.

He remains and is delighted in the elements of nature, and works while being separate from the composite body that dissolves the composition of this world and its cycles. And he perceived and established that all simple and non-composite natures are not dissolved and not corruptible. And all dense, bodily, and composite natures that are from opposing elements, with every nature, their composition is dissolved, and they are corrupted and pass away, and an end comes to them. And this entire world is composite and bodily, except for the nature of the soul. Therefore, truly this world is dissolved, and its activity ceases and passes away, and an end comes to it, except for the nature of the soul, which has no composition from these elements. But it was the beginning of the composition of this world, and it ceased and an end came to it. However, with its beginning and end, it has a renewal of existence. And it was with composition, density, bodies, and matter. Another is simple, pure, spiritual, which endures forever and ever, and moreover, it has no beginning or end, as is fitting to be shown in the Lord who wills. And with that, the chapters of six are completed by the help of the God of power. The chapters of seven, with the God who makes wise, concerning whether there is another world besides this one, I have shown the word in those that are above, by means of inference and syllogism, or by the force of thought, through the rational power of the knowledge that is in us, that there is a Creator of all this, and that he leads and establishes another invisible world. And with this visible one, and with the activities and distinctions in it, I have perceived and established certainly concerning that invisible one.

And again, with this world and its natures and its changes and its events, the rational nature perceived that after the beginning and end of this course, a new creation is destined to come to be for nature with every species. And again, it perceived that after the beginning and end of this course, a new creation is destined to come to be for nature with every species. And again, it speaks clearly and establishes a limit for the species by means of indications and signs that show the passing away and teach and confirm concerning the general renewal of all nature. Behold, in this world are seen many natures of kinds and species that are corrupted and destroyed, and again are renewed and rise again more gloriously. For that body of something that is corrupted and destroyed, there is nowhere for it to go. Outside the sphere of this air, nothing can go out. Neither a thick, bodily and material body, nor a vapor or air and smoke, which is an aerial and subtle body, but all the natures that with the elements pass through one another and destroy one another and corrupt one another. And this corruption and destruction that happens to them in their mixture, that itself is the cause of their renewal and their rising again anew. First in fish and in animals and beasts and reptiles and birds and fowls. They are corrupted and destroyed by the dissolution of their composition and the death that happens to them. But by the birth of others like them and in their nature, they are renewed perpetually. And they rise more gloriously than the old, their limbs, and a new creation becomes a mystery of the general renewal. And trees again and fruits and seeds, in their seasons they are formed and show and proclaim a secret with a voice.

The hidden mystery of renewal. Behold, in autumn the trees are stripped of their leaves, and are denuded of their fruits, and they remain black, withered, bare, and desolate in appearance. And the whole autumn is filled with cold, snow, and ice, and they are dissolved and decayed. And when the season of spring arrives and the air of spring, the earth boils to put forth various kinds of shoots and seeds of plants, and the plantings that were planted and sown in it. Then those old things that had perished are renewed, and they sprout, rise up, flourish, and appear in beautiful and fair colors: white, green, red, yellow, variegated, painted, and broad. And not only colors, but also various and delightful tastes, and fragrances, aromas, and scents that delight the beholders with their beauty, taste, and fragrance. And another wonder, and very marvelous, are the powerful operations that are performed in the body and flesh of animals and the rest of the living creatures. For there are among them that produce health and healing for various diseases and difficult pains. And others again cause diseases, plagues, killings, deaths, and destructions. Behold, like all these changes, powers, operations, colors, tastes, and fragrances that pass into being in their multitude and their variations, and there is to be seen in one order of the earth a multitude of trees, among which are many kinds of vines that produce white, black, and green grapes, which pass into maturity in their kinds, tastes, and colors. For all of these are of the vine: olives, figs, pomegranates, and quinces. And all kinds of fruits. For the nature of the earth in which they are planted is one.

The likenesses of spring are in it, and many changes are seen in it: colors, tastes, and scents, which in many ways exceed the power of speech. Likewise seeds, herbs, flowers, and all greenery are every hour destroyed and perished, and are withered and dried up, and again are renewed, and flourish, and put forth fruit in splendor, adornment, and great glory. And if these things, which are formed and composed, all come to be because of a first principle that made them and their preparations and their arrangements, how much more does that first principle have that it be renewed when its time comes. And when its life-giving air comes, then it flourishes, ascends, is renewed, and puts on splendor, adornment, and great glory that is not again changed nor destroyed. And all the renewals that happen every hour in the world, whether of trees, plants, seeds, and flowers, or of animals, birds, reptiles, and cattle, and all the kinds and species of creation, point to and show that great and essential renewal that is before them. Then all of them take an end and a conclusion, and that essential renewal alone remains forever, which is not again destroyed or perished, because it is filtered and purified, and becomes something clear, simple, and spiritual. And these are the elements and natures of heaven and earth, which are renewed and stand in a purified and filtered state. And these are the bodies of rational beings, which stand in glory, simplicity, purity, and spirituality, because that clear, simple, and pure thing that dwells in them, which is the posis of the soul, is preserved and stands without change.

and it, while it takes the form of the composite element, is produced while the elements, its fathers, are from the place where it left them, and it stands renewed in form, likeness, image, and shape. But the pure [which is no longer corrupted and dissolved because that which is pure] is clear, transparent, and simple, and the natures are pure and stand. And all thickness and turbidity are cut off, purified, and renewed perpetually. And this nature, which is corruptible, puts on incorruptibility. And if you say, "Why?"—that renewal and change are cut off and clear. Again, it is made heavy, and it grows old and is corrupted, like the seasonal renewal of trees, grasses, and the young of animals and birds, which are not mentioned and are produced, giving testimony and likeness to the universal renewal. I say to you concerning this division of thought: that if rational animals were corrupted by death, they would, after an hour or more or less, be renewed and stand. This would be possible. But it is not so. For among animals, there is much birth and fruitfulness. And those that pass away and are corrupted by death are not renewed again. Nor has any one of them been seen in the world. Neither their bodies were renewed and stood and put on the same form as seeds, nor did the soul of any one of them put on a body and be renewed and be seen among animals. These renewals of seeds, trees, animals, and birds happen hour by hour. They are corrupted every hour and renewed again. That universal renewal has its own time and season.

and in it the heavens and the earth are renewed, and are cut and shaded, and become in the elements in that renewal by spiritual change. And it is not at all corrupted. In the likeness of the pure of the rational spirits, which are those that were reminded from eternity. How can it be possible that it approach by knowledge then, when it is purified and cut and shaded from the whole economy, to be occupied with the Lord and Maker, and to be delighted with him in his great world, which is invisible, which does not pass away and is not dissolved. And also that invisible world of the spirits which exists now, in that inner renewal, even it is renewed and shaded more than it is now. Because the whole creation of the heavens and the earths, invisible and visible, known and perceived, undergoes a surpassing change more than what it underwent in that inner renewal. And every nature of rational beings is more raised and exalted by the knowledge of their Creator in that renewal. Then all the rational ones together, I say, all the spiritual natures and orders and arrangements and ranks and legions of the upper world, and all the kinds and species and tongues that are in the elements, which were and are in the whole world, who are known and know that he is the Lord and Maker and Creator of all, and all of them confess to him and offer praise and adoration, and all of them testify and cry out that the Lord is one, the King of glory. But each one according to his ways in this world is rewarded there. Those who have done good are delighted with their Lord, and become near to him, and hear the great promise of his greatness. And those who have done evil, while they were living in the world, a great desolation becomes their portion.

concerning the darkening of their souls by their own will. And they did not keep his commandments. They are painfully cut off from the joy that is in him. And all the orders of the righteous and the sinners stand and say that the Lord is just and good, and his judgments are right. Truly, the other world stands apart from that world of the spirits which is invisible and which exists now. As I have shown, the word is like in brief statements. But the distinctions from the brief statements are understood in many ways. Give heed to the wise man and he will become wise again. And with these, the chapters of the seven are completed by the God of power [and help]. The chapters of the eighth with the God who makes wise. Concerning whether the other world exists, what is its order, and what is its essence, and what is its service or its conduct, how can a corporeal being, which is weary, limited, and bound, together with heavy, thick, and corruptible bodily senses, speak and show concerning something spiritual, subtle, and incorruptible? And how can it be measured, composed, and divided, so as to investigate the immaterial, the simple and undivided, and the limited and finite concerning the immeasurable and infinite? How can the understanding that is enclosed within the boundary of a material body learn and reveal the hidden things of the concealed mysteries of the powers that are hidden and sealed in the secret treasuries of the divinity? It is not permitted nor does it allow the intellects that flash in earthly things to be occupied with the spiritual books and to translate the unheard and to interpret the unspeakable. How then can it go out from its material nature and enter the pure region of the spirits? How can it ascend from its lowliness to the immeasurable heights and go up to the high and holy mountain that looks down upon the new world?

What can be cut off and overshadowed from all this earthly commotion? He who sees the pure and clean place which is not a place, and the location which is not a location. He who is freed from all the heaviness that falls and sinks downward, and stands on the wings of the air and the pinions of the winds, and flies intellectually. And he distances himself from all material heaviness and thickness. And he dwells and rests in the branches of the tree of new life, eternal. And he tastes its fruits and spreads out its branches. He who is bound and enslaved by the fetters of the body cannot walk and arrive at the place of spirituality. He who is heavy and sinks in the materiality that is crushed and squeezed cannot see the world that is higher than spirituality. As much as the world of spirits is higher than the world of bodies. The earthly one who is dark and obscured by the clouds of the world of matter cannot think about perfect clarity and shining purity and complete radiance. All the discerning brothers who are diligent in the knowledge of the truth, who seek the true life of their souls, who are zealous for the purity of their hearts and yearn to see their Lord, as it is possible for a human being to see God the Creator. Who desire to approach his holy mountain and ascend to the height of his holiness. And to be saved from all destructive beasts, drunken thoughts, and evil cares. Who are alive, vigilant, and prepared to go to the high city. And to see the holy land [where the royal dominion dwells. And to hear words] that are not spoken, languages that are not translated, mysteries that are not interpreted, genealogies, instructions, and wonders that are not comprehended.

He goes out from the body, casts off the thickness of the flesh, withdraws, ascends, and is lifted away from all that material commotion of the flesh. He purifies the senses, sanctifies the members, refines the thoughts, is renewed in spirit, trembles in soul, and is perfected in knowledge. And altogether he leaves behind in himself no remnant of anything earthly, but seeks what is above, what is beyond the door, ascends above, and is above every thought, every tremor, and every motion, as he is able, is empowered, and attains even a little, and much in a small and luminous way, of the world that is to come, and speaks, shows, hears, and understands, while they groan and yearn for the Lord of goodness, the gentle and merciful God, the lover of the righteous, that he might open the eyes of their hearts, illuminate their thoughts, and purify their minds, so that they might be able to attain spiritual understandings that investigate hidden, concealed, and glorious mysteries of his new world, while they say: Lord of goodness, rich Creator, wise Maker, eternal Being who is with the world, King of kings of the worlds, God of gods, Lord of lords, giver of authority, power, wisdom, and true knowledge. You are the one who is with the world, eternally and for all worlds. There is nothing above you, nor outside you, nor apart from you. In you is everything, and by you everything stands, and in your hands everything exists. In you is your being, and life is in you, and it is hidden from you by means of veils that are not natural, within the thoughts of beings that see you, know you, and the light that is in you. You are the Lord, Lord of all that is and becomes, that is seen, known, and exists. Give and grant to your servants, your creation, the work of your hands, the knowledge of truth and the light of spiritual wisdom.

and a pure heart, and a radiant and holy mind, so that you may know and perceive in your new world, which is prepared for you to fulfill all the orders of your commands, the works of your will, and the completions of your laws, where every beginning and authority ceases, and every bond is undone, and he alone is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, where the lordly dwelling abides, where the divine kingdom reigns, where the mighty priesthood is revealed, where that alone is worshipped, praised, and exalted: the eternal and everlasting essence, with all creatures and works, known and perceived, and all creation. Very much and above, with the word, he enriched the human race with gifts and great endowments, even to the point where he made him in his image and likeness. Or to the great wonder that cannot be spoken, the hidden mystery that cannot be interpreted, that a created work, a creature, a formed being, with a seal, in the likeness of the Lord and maker and creator and establisher, exists in the image of the creator and maker, yet is a creature and a work. Through this great and hidden wonder, which the good and wise Lord placed in him, that in the likeness of his Lord and creator, it cannot be interpreted, nor limited, nor comprehended, nor measured. It is wider than the world, greater than the sea, higher than all the heavens, deeper than the lower depths, brighter than the sun, swifter than the wind, more powerful than the spirit, more rapid than lightning. All creation cannot contain it, the entire world cannot encompass it. It is not grasped, not confused, not bound, not measured, not expanded except by its creator alone, who exists in his image and resembles him in this hidden and spiritual nature, and is like God.

who placed in the creator who made him in his image. In him, he ascends and expands to pursue and seek and contemplate those things that are above the world, and those that are hidden, concealed, and secret. With intellects and thoughts, because he is made in the image of his Lord. And he is adorned and strengthened by that divine name and likeness of the eternal substance. He flies and is raised up. He soars and revolves in all regions and among all peoples. He ascends and is exalted above all heights and reaches all worlds and touches all ends. He converses and disputes with all kingdoms, authorities, and rulers. Because his image is the great one of substance. He expands and is not confined. He ascends and is exalted and is not hindered. He pursues and investigates and is not obstructed. He seeks and finds, asks and receives. And he passes with his step unhindered, and his running is swifter than lightning until he reaches the limit of the eternal dwelling of the lordly substance of the eternal being, which is his daughter in her image and likeness. And she found this great authority and heroic power, astonishing the worlds. And she established in astonishment the incorporeal powers of the heavens, when they saw the work accomplished. He began at the rampart of the wall and ascended above their heights. And he passed over all their orders and was exalted above all their arrangements. And he did not rest, nor stop, nor was he hindered from the swiftness of his running. Swifter than lightning until he reached the limit of the end that ends all without end. There, the creator of the one who became the image of his Lord was fixed. In her fullness, the Messiah of lordship. The Lord of all worlds. He entered the city of the lordly kingdom. He reached the eternal world that holds all worlds. He entered the royal treasury of the source of his being. He was given to enter the inner chamber of the king who is above the world.

He stood before the throne of the holder of all authority, and drew near while he was great. He pressed on while he was mindful. He sought after the glorious throne of the king of kings. He was hidden from all the doings of the heavenly and earthly ones. He confessed, praised, glorified, and exalted. He blessed and lauded, while murmuring and crying out with an immaterial mouth, and shouting with a tongue not of flesh: "How shall I glorify your name, Lord? And your wonderful works are incomprehensible. Glory to your essence, worship to your lordship, thanksgiving to your divinity. For as my creation and my constitution in a small and limited body of three cubits, I have no limit of the world and all creatures. And how shall I not diminish my honor and my dignity, until the place where you made me in your image and likeness? So that I might be ruler in my house, and I might be free in my freedom, and I might be master over all actions, and I might move about in all ends, and I might be exalted above all orders and ranks of the powers, hidden above. While the temple of my body is loosed and stands upon its base, again a wonder not to be explained: that in all ends and actions, and heights and depths immeasurable, and hidden and incomprehensible regions of spirits, I move about and pass through and arrive and see and remain in it, while in my scattered dust I am loosed and dwell without change and without cessation." And how much did he say and pursue the unspeakable? And as his Lord is not comprehended, nor is his limit pursued, so also is his work made in his image and likeness not to be explained by his creator. And if now, while still this image of God is loosed and exists in this heavy and turbid body, it is moved about in a motherly way with the darkened one, by means of the drunken senses that boil and strain after the purity of the royal image.

And he was pressed mightily with his thickness, and he was troubled with his heaviness. He was light and swift, and he ascended and was exalted, while he did not rest, nor was he confused, nor did he abide, nor did he tarry, until he reached the limit of the end of all ends, and he held all limits. Then, after the great renewal and the dominion of the whole interior of the heavens and the earths, while this entire substance and nature was being mixed with the middle, and this thickness was being cut, and this density of the body was being shaded, and the shadow of the heavy body was being raised, and it became clear and transparent, a pure, light, and fine vapor, a spiritual and luminous nature, all of the nature of the beginning. What world, then, is able to depict the great image of the Divinity? There is no speaking, nor interpreting, nor depicting the lineage, nature, and creation of this exalted nature, the image of its Lord. Now, wisely and intelligently, with thoughts pressed down by the mouth and by reflections, and with all the memory that is in the world, this exalted and unlimited nature, which is of the beginning, whose image is of the wise Creator, and whose likeness is inexplicable, where is it destined to dwell and to reside after the inner renewal? And the place, with the heaviness and the painful sufferings of the body, for behold, now while it is still in it, it is not limited nor defined. Then, how is it limited and how is it defined? And if someone in the world says that the place of the spirits is invisible, there it dwells and resides. Behold, it is helped, known, and confirmed by each one in his own voice.

Nor even now, while it is still bound with the thick and heavy body, is it able to stand still and be tranquil in the world, on account of the invisible motions of the spirits. And when it flies with its lightness and reaches a place, it does not rest, nor does it settle, nor is it hindered, nor is it confused, but it leaps and springs and passes over, while it ascends and is exalted until it reaches that impassable boundary. There, the incomprehensible essence is encountered and hindered, a light and unconfused boundary. And like the sea, its waves are agitated and stirred and raised up, and it is not able to be hindered or confused. But when they reach the end of the existence of the sand that is placed on the shore of the sea like an impassable boundary, there the mighty waves are encountered and hindered and turn back. Thus also that light likeness of greatness, while being agitated and stirred in those visible waves of the world and the orders of the spirits, flies over all of them and passes, and does not abide nor is hindered until it strikes and reaches the great boundary, which is the thought of the essential existence. There it is encountered and consumed and ordered, and again it is not permitted to proceed. Now, however, each one of these persuasive demonstrations has been confirmed, each in its own place taking its own proofs and knowing them certainly. For the invisible world of the spirits that now exists, there is a new world that is prepared for the inheritance of the righteous who loved their Lord and kept his commandments. And it is called new, not old [as this one is, and like the world of the spirits, and it is also not called old], but it truly exists, although it is not yet known or has its order revealed to creatures.

that which the eye did not see and the ear did not hear, and by thought was not stirred and did not ascend upon the heart. By the newness, however, of everything it is revealed and known and its door is opened. And it is called a new world which is newly known and receives inhabitants. And if again someone says: Are not the spiritual powers which are in heaven also visible in the world? But are they not pure, simple, and luminous? And in that they are not mixed with thick bodies, they are more refined in spirituality and holiness, and by their nature they are pure and shining, and their substance is spread out like that which is their own and again much more. In that it is not darkened with the body. What then is the place of these? This world. It is one kingdom, but there are in it many powers, judges, and governors who are above near the king. And with him they are intimately initiated. And others are heads and magnates who are with them. But they are also near the presence of the king. However, not like the first and the others, the heads of thousands and the heads of companies. After these, there are powers and soldiers. Again below, there are servants and slaves. Again to you. And those who have occupations and approach the judges. Again further on, and many others who are arranged over many services and occupations. Among the sealers and treasurers over the storehouses and the house of bread and wine. Others are entrusted over the treasuries of the kingdom. Others over the house of horses. Others over the mules, cattle, and flocks. And many others in the many occupations which kings and rulers have. And all of them are in the house of the kingdom. And they intimately see the face of the king. And with him they live. And they are established and dispersed.

Thus he thought concerning the new world, that in it there are degrees, measures, regions, and many signs. And each one, according to the orders of rational beings—whether spiritual or corporeal—has a known place that is fitting for it. For although that region is one and that kingdom is one, yet in it there are degrees and measures that are not confused. Just as the same sun, in its light and nature, yet each one according to the strength of the sense of its sight is delighted by its vision, and those that are hidden from sight are silenced in darkness. So also those that are hidden from the spiritual vision, which is the contemplation of the divine essence, that which is established by the praiseworthy practices of virtue, are silenced in the darkness of ignorance, because they are far from the glorious region of the kingdom, and the door of life is shut in their faces, and they are hidden from the delight of the vision of the life-giving tree and from the sweetness of its fruits, which are desirable and insatiable. Now, since it has been established that besides this visible world there is another new world, separate from that invisible one of the spirits, which is prepared for the dwelling of the righteous, it is fitting for us to investigate and seek what kind of order it has, and what its essence is, and what its service is. For the eye has not seen it, nor the ear heard it, nor has any thought of its nature arisen in the heart. But it is necessary for us to investigate and know those things that can be known by the nature that is able to apprehend and know those things that are and are served in the new world, because this nature that is in us is a superior nature, which is the great image of divinity. It is expansive and comprehensive, and it investigates and finds those things.

assigned to him authority to go and arrive, to ascend and be exalted to every place he wishes. And he is purified from the filth of the body in which he dwells. He prays, is vigilant, and stands in the order of his nature, and is honored in his dignity. There is nothing in heaven and on earth that is hidden from him. And he sees the image of the Creator, which is formed in his own image, and enters the great treasury of mysteries. He brings forth spiritual treasures and spreads out his powers. He sets in place and arranges thoughts here. But when he knows and is certain that this is the great image of divinity, he is not limited and is not circumscribed in place. And he is not hindered and does not waver in the entire visible world and in that which is invisible. For he is much greater than the world, and much more spacious than creation, and higher and more exalted than measure. And if this which was created from the substantial, perfect essence of divinity is so exalted, high, great, glorious, and not circumscribed and not limited, how much more exalted, high, great, and glorious, and not limited by worlds, and not circumscribed, and not measured, is that venerable lordship? And all fullness from it, both visible and invisible, which has been known until now, and which is known now, and which will be known after renewal when the perfection of completion is revealed. And there is no place or region that is seen and known, and yet is known, that is not filled from the glorious divinity. Even if there are myriads of myriads of other worlds, and each one of them is much greater and more spacious than this world of visible bodies and than the world of invisible spirits, myriads of myriads of times, they are still small and do not limit the lordly essence, and there is nothing above the essence.

and not outside of being, nor apart from being, as it is. And there is nothing outside of God, nor can anything be. For what purpose then does he vainly and idly occupy himself with thoughts and notions that have no substance, and ponder a new world and a heavenly kingdom? For everything that is, is apart from God. Behold, thought became dark, was hindered, grew arrogant, and transgressed the order and measure. It revealed hidden things and examined concealed ones, and interpreted the great, hidden, and glorious mystery. And it committed to writing something great that it was not fitting nor permitted to commit to writing. Nor is it permitted for those who crawl on the earth and live in a body, in which they are corporeal or have any contact, but even those who are like this—they see and do not see, they read and are not answered, they hear and do not understand, because their hearts are darkened and their knowledge is darkness, from the darkening of drunken passions that have befallen the pure and clear nature, and have pressed and oppressed it. But those who are sound in their senses and clear in the hidden vision of their minds, they come and rejoice and delight in this spiritual table that has been set by a wandering and needy minstrel—not from his own, but from the rich treasury of his Lord. He grows bold, takes, and places before distinguished guests. Love that knows no rest, and because he loves, he grows bold and steps beyond his measure, like a flute of song and strings of a lyre—they are harmonious instruments. [But praise and glory of song and lyre-playing are what they are.] Thus the writing and conclusion of the discourse are not its own praise, because it does not seek novelties from its nature and make interpretations.

but from the Lord of nature he receives, and from the teachings of others he begins to act and speak. He is sustained, enriched, and extended to others. Truly it is known that there is nothing outside of God, nor apart from God, nor separate from God. All is from him, all is in him, and all is in his hand. All is from him, all is with him, and all turns to him and comes to be in him. Even the opposing, rebellious, evil, and wicked powers cannot exist apart from him, for they stand and have their being by his power, in that they were created from him and were good and beautiful, but by their own will, through their negligence, they were separated from goodness, and evil came upon them accidentally, which has no being, but is a privation of will and negligence. And since all is in God and God is in all, therefore they are the heavenly kingdom, they are the world to come, they are the life that does not pass away, the blessings that do not cease, the joys that do not end, the glories that are eternal, the delights that have no end. In him the righteous reign, to him the chaste are heirs. They are the dwelling place of the saints. And all these are known to be his. But as to what he is and how great that blessedness is, the quality of the joy and the quantity of the delight cannot be spoken. No eye has seen, no ear has heard, nor has it entered the heart, for it has not yet been revealed. Who knows its quality? A hidden and secret mystery—who can unravel its concealment? A door that is shut and a sealed treasury—who can speak of the hidden and inexhaustible riches stored within? Who can be purified and cleansed through the true practices of the lofty commandments of the Lord?

and subdues and tames the body and silences its movements. And strengthens and empowers the soul. And purifies its thoughts and establishes them in the order of the nature of its creation. He presses inward the hidden gates to inexhaustible riches. And he rejoices and exults in his hope and is established upon the blessings that are without end that are prepared for him. And while he is in these things, he perceives neither height nor depth nor the kingdom of the world. Nor the whole of it. Not the stability of the entire world nor the tremors of time. Not the end nor the beginning. Not death nor life are able again to separate him from the love of the Lord of goodness who has prepared and destined for him these glorious and inexhaustible things. And all the dominion and glory and stability and beauty of the whole world are considered like a fleeting shadow in comparison to that great glory and endless blessedness which he perceives in himself, which he is destined to receive in the renewal of the inner self when the corporeal coverings are cast off. And these things he perceives in hope and expectation while he has not yet received them in actuality nor in possession. How great then is his blessedness and how great his joy when he is in their midst and is completed and filled with them. And how great is his greatness, that it is not fitting to compare all things to the goodness of the Lord of truth. Now then, since it has been established that the Lord and God, the maker and creator, is himself the world that is to come, and the kingdom of the inheritance of the righteous, and the delight and joy of the perfect, it is fitting for you to know and to learn what is the order of that change, and what is the manner of conduct of the new people, and what is its service. In his new world, however, which is of God after the renewal of the inner self, when all materiality and thickness are cast off and set aside, and all nature is overshadowed.

and is completed in perfection. Again, there is no need and no deficiency, no distress and no bitterness, no anxiety and no sickness, no fear and no sorrow, no stumbling and no division, no confusion and no disturbance, no clouds and no storms, no pains and no diseases, no passions and no sighs, but that order of the new world of God: praise and peace, joy and gladness, serenity and tranquility, cheerfulness and good pleasure, perfect blessedness, abundant fullness, a feast that does not pass, a fragrance that does not cease, a festival that is not dissolved, a wealth that does not fail, a life that does not end, a kingdom that has no opposite, a heavenly inheritance, the completion of the hope and expectation of the saints who kept the divine commandments and were guided rightly in this small time in which they sojourned in this transitory world. The thought, then, of the new world of God: what is it but the renewal of nature, that which turns everything to its nature? Or how great and glorious is this wondrous mystery, that which turns everything and becomes as it was from the beginning, that creatures might be united with the Creator, that the made might be mingled with the Maker, that everything might become one, so that all duality and division might cease, that the whole nature might be completed and be purified and be turned and be united with the beginning, that the Word, the Lord of the worlds, might be heard from the innermost hearts of rational beings, united in their works to the Lord, instead of that which was from dust and with dust and to dust returns, that which was with God and in God and towards God returns, and, to say it boldly, that you might become God in God. Then the word of the one with the perfect in God will be fulfilled, for then all will be God in all.

and returns to the creatures. Everything goes out from him and returns to him. He is the life of the new world. The fulfillment of the will of the Lord of the worlds is praised, his honor is magnified, and his name is glorified. The ministry of the new world of God, with those who have been established for it, is its essence. Spiritual praises, holy hymns, lordly thanksgivings, pure hosannas, resplendent jubilations, praying sanctities, glorifying chants, prepared eulogies, exalted praises, sweet songs, the wonder in the act, the marvel in the creation, the glorious and lordly vision, full of hope and confidence in the Lord of the dance, and the consolation and encouragement and strengthening of that Jerusalemite church in heaven, which seeks and perfects the people of the worlds for his lovers. They were priest and high priest, they were sacrificer and altar, they were food and nourishment, they were drink and refreshment, they were nourisher and nurture, they were fragrance and perfumer, they were treasure and enricher, they were temple, sanctifier and sanctified, they were dwelling and place of abode, they were completer and perfecter, they were renewer and unifier, they were joy and rejoicer, they were Passover and celebrator of Passover, they were first, middle, and last, they were beginning and end, they were without equal and without end, they were with the world and for eternities, they were tabernacle and dwelling place for generations. Again, it is not permitted nor possible for the reader and the ink to be inscribed on paper. Again, it is not commanded to reveal and disclose hidden things. Again, it is not possible to complete in writing. Again, the mouth that speaks is not able. Again, the tongue that translates does not know.

Again, the sense does not suffice to grasp how it is confined within the covering of flesh. Again, the ear cannot hear sounds that are not learned. Again, the heart cannot receive words that are not spoken. Here and there, wonder and astonishment. Here and there, silence and stillness. Here and there, great ecstasy. Movements that are not slack. Strains that are sharp. Thoughts that are not changeable. Lives that are not dim. Turnings that are not weary. One is everything. Everything is renewed. One is God, and there is no other. A secret from him. Bodies were dissolved. Obstacles were removed. Hindrances ceased. There is no longer anything that is not, except God alone. He who is, was and is, and will be. And here ends the chapter of the Trinity, by the power and help of God. And blessed is the Lord of the faithful. The end of the second treatise on the knowledge of truth, in which are completed the seven chapters on the spiritual and theological discourse.