283、凡出于清晰的理性进行思考的人都会看出，宇宙并非从无中被造，或说凭空生成，因为他看到，无中不可能生有，或说从无中不可能造出任何东西来。事实上，无就是无，无中生有，或说从无中造出东西是自相矛盾的，自相矛盾的东西违背从神性智慧发出的真理之光；凡不符合神性智慧的东西也不符合神性全能。每一个出于清晰的理性进行思考的人还会看出，一切事物都是从作为物质本身的物质被创造的，因为这就是存在本身，拥有存在的一切事物都能源于它，或说能出于它而存在。既然唯独神是物质本身，因而是存在本身，那么显而易见，事物的存在或形成唯独来自这个源头。
许多人已经看到这一点，因为理性使他们看到这一点。但他们却不敢确认，担心他们若这样做，可能最终会认为，受造宇宙因来自神，故就是神，或自然界凭自己存在，因而它的最内层就是我们所说的神。因此，纵然许多人已经看出，一切事物的存在或形成唯独来自神，出于祂的存在，然而他们不敢越过他们在这个问题上的最初想法，唯恐其理解力卷入所谓的戈尔迪之结(译注：戈尔迪之结常被喻作缠绕不已、难以理清的问题)，以后无法摆脱它。他们将无法把他们的理解力解救出来，因为他们根据时空来思想神和神对宇宙的创造，而时空是自然界的属性；没有人能从自然界的角度来理解神和宇宙创造；另一方面，凡理解力拥有某种内在之光的人都能从神的角度理解自然界及其创造，因为神不在时空之中。神性不在空间中(7-10节)；神性充满宇宙的一切空间，却无关空间(69-72节)；神性在一切时间之中，却无关时间(73-76节)。下文我们将看到：尽管神出于自己创造了宇宙及其万物，然而受造宇宙中没有任何事物是神，以及除此之外将这个问题置于其适当光明中的其它事。
283. People who think rationally and clearly see that the universe was not created from nothing because they see that nothing can arise from nothing. Nothing is simply nothing, and to make something out of nothing is self-contradictory. Anything that is self-contradictory is in conflict with the light of truth that comes from divine wisdom, and if something is not from divine wisdom, it is not from divine omnipotence either.
Everyone who thinks rationally and clearly also sees that everything has been created out of a substance that is substance in and of itself. This is the essential being from which everything that exists can arise. Since only God is substance in and of itself and is therefore essential being, it follows that there is no other source of the arising of things.
Many people do see this, since reason enables them to. However, they do not dare argue it for fear that they might arrive at the thought that the created universe is God because it is from God--either that, or the thought that nature is self-generated, which would mean that its own core is what we call "God." As a result, even though many people have seen that the only source of the arising of everything is God and God's essential being, they have not dared move beyond the first suggestion of this. If they did, their minds might get ensnared in a so-called Gordian knot with no possibility of escape. The reason they could not disentangle their minds is that they were thinking about God and God's creation of the universe in temporal and spatial terms, terms proper to the physical world, and no one can understand God and the creation of the universe by starting from the physical world. Anyone whose mind enjoys some inner light, though, can understand the physical world and its creation by starting from God, because God is not in time and space.
On Divinity not being in space, see 7-10 above; on Divinity filling all space in the universe nonspatially, see 69-72, and on Divinity being in all time nontemporally, see 72-76 [73-76]. We will see later that even though God did create the universe and everything in it out of himself, still there is not the slightest thing in the created universe that is God. There will be other things as well that will shed an appropriate light on the subject.
283. Everyone who thinks in the light of clear reason sees that the universe was not created out of nothing, since he sees that something cannot be produced from nothing. For nothing is nothing, and to make something out of nothing is self-contradictory. Furthermore, anything that is self-contradictory is contrary to the light of truth that emanates from Divine wisdom, and whatever does not accord with Divine wisdom also does not accord with the Divine omnipotence.
Everyone who thinks in the light of clear reason also sees that all created things have been created from a substance which is substance in itself, for this is being itself, from which can spring all things that are. Consequently, because God alone is substance in itself, and so being itself, it follows that the origin of things is from no other source.
[2] Many people have seen this, because reason grants them to see it. But they have not dared to assert it, fearing that if they did so they might perhaps end up thinking that the created universe, being from God, is God, or that nature exists from itself, and thus that its inmost component is what we call God. As a result, even though many have seen that the origin of all things is from no other source than God and His being, still they have not dared to venture beyond their first thought concerning it, lest they entangle their understanding in a so-called Gordian knot from which they would afterward be unable to extricate it.
They would be unable to extricate their understanding for the reason that they have thought of God and about the creation of the universe by God in terms of time and space, which are properties of nature, and no one can comprehend God and the creation of the universe from the perspective of nature. On the other hand, everyone whose understanding possesses some inner light can comprehend nature and its creation from the perspective of God, because God does not exist in time and space. (That the Divine does not exist in space may be seen in nos. 7-10 above. That the Divine fills every space and interval of space in the universe independently of space, in nos. 69-72. And that the Divine is present through all time independently of time, in nos. 73-76.)
In subsequent discussions we will see that although God created the universe and all its constituents out of Himself, still there is not the least particle in the created universe that is God. We will include as well many other observations which will set this subject in its proper light.
283. Everyone who thinks from clear reason sees that the universe was not created out of nothing, since he sees that out of nothing not anything can be made. For nothing is nothing, and to make anything out of nothing is a contradiction, and what is a contradiction is contrary to the light (lux) of truth which is from Divine Wisdom. And whatever is not from Divine Wisdom is not from Divine Omnipotence. Everyone who thinks from clear reason also sees that all things have been created out of a substance which is Substance in itself, for this is Esse itself, out of which all things which have being can exist. And because God alone is Substance in itself, and consequently Esse itself, it is evident that the existence of things is from no other source. Many have seen this because reason enables them to see. But they have not dared to confirm it, fearing lest they might perhaps come to think that the created universe is God, because from God, or that nature is from itself, and thus that the inmost of nature is what 1S called God. So it is that although many have seen that the existence of all things is from no other source than from God and His Esse, yet they have not dared to progress beyond their first thought on the subject, lest their understanding become em-meshed in a so-called Gordian knot, from which they might not afterwards be able to extricate it. Their being unable to extricate their understanding is because they thought of God, and of the creation of the universe by God, from time and space which are properties of nature, and no one is able to have a perception of God and of the creation of the universe from nature. But everyone, whose understanding is in any interior light, can have a perception of nature and of its creation out of God, because God is not in time and space. That the Divine is not in space may be seen above (7-10); that the Divine fills all the spaces of the universe apart from space (69-72); and that the Divine is in all time apart from time (72-76). In what follows it will be seen that, although God has created the universe and all things thereof out of Himself, yet there is nothing whatever in the created universe which is God; besides many things which will put this matter in its proper light.
283. Every one who thinks from clear reason sees that the universe was not created out of nothing, for he sees that not anything can be made out of nothing; since nothing is nothing, and to make anything out of nothing is a contradiction, and a contradiction is contrary to the light of truth, which is from Divine Wisdom; and whatever is not from Divine Wisdom is not from Divine Omnipotence. Every one who thinks from clear reason sees also that all things have been created out of a Substance that is Substance in itself for that is Esse itself, out of which every thing that is can take form; and since God alone is Substance in itself, and therefore Esse itself, it is evident that from this source alone is the formation of things. Many have seen this, because reason causes them to see it; and yet they have not dared to confirm it, fearing lest they might thereby be led to think that the created universe is God, because from God, or that nature is from itself, and consequently that the inmost of nature is what is called God. For this reason, although many have seen that the formation of all things is from God alone and out of his Esse, yet they have not dared to go beyond their first thought on the subject, lest their understanding should become entangled in a so-called Gordian knot, beyond the possibility of release. Such release would be impossible, because their thought of God, and of the creation of the universe by God, has been in accordance with time and space, which are properties of nature; and from nature no one can have any perception of God and of the creation of the universe; but every one whose understanding is in any interior light can have a perception of nature and of its creation out of God, because God is not in time and space. That the Divine is not in space may be seen above (n. 7-10); that the Divine apart from space fills all the spaces of the universe (n. 69-72); and that the Divine apart from time is in all time (n. 73-76). In what follows it will be seen that although God has created the universe and all things thereof out of Himself, yet there is nothing whatever in the created universe that is God; and other things besides, which will place this matter in its proper light.
283. Omnis qui ex ratione clara cogitat, videt quod Universum non creatum sit ex nihilo, quoniam videt quod non aliquid possit ex nihilo fieri, nihil enim est nihil, et facere aliquid ex nihilo est contradictorium, et quod est contradictorium, est contra lucem veri, quae est ex Divina Sapientia; et quicquid non est ex Divina Sapientia, hoc nec est ex Divina Omnipotentia. Omnis qui ex ratione clara cogitat, etiam videt quod omnia creata sint ex Substantia quae est Substantia in se, haec enim est ipsum Esse, ex quo omnia quae sunt, possunt existere: et quia solus Deus est Substantia in se, et inde Ipsum Esse, constat quod non aliunde sit existentia rerum.
[2] Hoc viderunt plures, quia ratio dat videre; sed non ausi sunt confirmare, timentes quod sic in cogitationem forte venirent, quod Universum Creatum sit Deus quia a Deo, vel quod natura sit ex se, et sic quod intimum ejus sit quod vocatur Deus; inde est, quod tametsi plures viderunt, quod omnium existentia non aliunde sit quam a Deo et ex Ipsius Esse, non tamen ultra cogitationem primam de eo ausi sunt progredi, ne intellectum suum intricarent nodo gorgio ita dicto, a quo illum extricare postea nequirent; quod intellectum extricare nequirent, est causa, quia de Deo, et de Creatione Universi a Deo, cogitarunt ex tempore et spatio, quae propria naturae sunt, et ex natura percipere Deum et creationem Universi, nemo potest, sed omnis, cujus intellectus in aliqua luce interiore est, percipere potest naturam et creationem ejus ex Deo, quia Deus non est in tempore et spatio; quod Divinum non sit in spatio, videatur supra 7-10. Quod Divinum impleat omnia spatia universi absque spatio,69-72. Et quod Divinum sit in omni tempore absque tempore, 73 1 ad 76. In sequentibus videbitur, quod tametsi Deus universum et omnia ejus creaverit ex Seipso, usque ne hilum in universo creato sit, quod est Deus; praeter plura, quae hanc rem in suam lucem mittent.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: 72