|
Since, then, Reason has no power to lead us to the attainment
of our well-being, it remains for us to inquire whether we can
attain it through the fourth, and last, kind of knowledge. Now
we have said that this kind of knowledge does not result from
something else, but from a direct revelation of the object itself
to the understanding. And if that object is glorious and good,
then the soul becomes necessarily united with it, as we have
also remarked with reference to our body. Hence it follows
incontrovertibly that it is this knowledge which evokes love. So
that when we get to know God after this manner then (as he
cannot reveal himself, nor become known to us otherwise than
as the most glorious and best of all) we must necessarily
become united with him. And only in this *union,* as we have
already remarked, does our blessedness consist.
I do not say that we must know him just as he is, *or adequately,* for it is sufficient for us to know him to some extent, in order to be united with him. For even the knowledge that we have of the body is not such that we know it just as it is, or perfectly; and yet, what a union! what a love! That this fourth [kind of] knowledge, which is the knowledge of God, is not the consequence of something else, but immediate, is evident from what we have proved before, [namely,] that he is the cause of all knowledge that is acquired through itself alone, and through no other thing; moreover, also from this, that we are so united with him by nature that without him we can neither be, nor be known. And for this reason, since there is such a close union between God and us, it is evident that we cannot know him except directly. We shall endeavour to explain, next, this union of ours with him through nature and love. We said before that in Nature there can be nothing of which there should not be an Idea in the soul of that same thing.[N1] And according as the thing is either more or less perfect, so also is the union and the influence of the Idea with the thing, or with God himself, less or more perfect. For as the whole of Nature is but one only substance, and one whose essence is infinite, all things are united through Nature, and they are united into one [being], namely, God. And now, as the body is the very first thing of which our soul becomes aware (because as already remarked, no thing can exist in Nature, the Idea of which is not in the thinking thing, this Idea being the soul of that thing) so that thing must necessarily be the first cause of the Idea.[N2] [Note N1]: This also explains what we said in the first part, namely, that the infinite understanding must exist in Nature from all eternity, and why we called it the son of God. For, as God existed from eternity, his Idea must also be in the thinking thing, that is, in himself *from eternity*, objective this Idea coincides with himself; see page [ST109]. [Note N2]: That is [N2N1] our soul being an Idea of the body derives its first being from the body, but [N2N2] it is only a representation of the body, both as a whole and in its parts, in the thinking thing.
[Note N2N1]: B inserts "in" after "is."
|
|
|
|
|
| Slack padding. |