28. ⑴神是无限，因为祂是存在和彰显本身，宇宙万物皆通过祂而存在和彰显。前面说明：神是一，是本身、是万物最初的存在，存在和持续存在的宇宙万物皆来自祂，因而祂是无限。下文将证明，人类理性能通过受造宇宙中的众多事物明白这一真理（32节）。然而，尽管人的心智能通过这些事物承认最初的实体或最初的存在是无限的，但它仍无法认识其性质，因此只能将最初的实体或最初的存在定义为绝对无限和自行存在，因而定义为独一无二的实质；由于没有形式的实质没有任何属性，故它也是独一无二的形式。然而，这能说明什么？它依然没能说明何为无限。因为人的心智本身即便具有最高深的分析能力，也是有限的，其有限性与它是不可分的。所以，人的心智根本不能象在自己里面那样看到神的无限，从而看到神。但它能从后面看到神的背影，如同摩西祈求见神时所被告知的，他被放在磐石穴中，得见神的背（出埃及记33:20－23）。“神的背”表世上可见之物，尤表圣言中可感知之物。所有这一切表明，想要认识在其存在或在其实质中的神是何等徒劳。通过祂无限存在于其中的有限之物，即受造物来承认祂就足够了。人若不满足于此，就好比离水的鱼儿，或空瓶里的鸟儿，当空气被抽尽时，这鸟儿就窒息而死。他还好比遭遇风暴的船只，不听舵的使唤，于是撞到礁石上或陷入流沙中。这就是那些奢望从内在认识神的无限，而不满足于从外在通过明显的指示承认它之人的情形。有一个故事讲到，古时有位哲学家因不能凭自己的头脑明白或领悟宇宙的永恒，居然投海自尽了。倘若他想要明白或领悟的是神的无限，那他又会做出什么事呢？
28. (1)上帝是無限, 因為祂是根本自身和表現自身, 宇宙萬物的根本和表現由祂而來。
在之前已說明, 上帝是唯一,是本身,是萬物最初的根本,宇宙中的萬物源自於祂, 因而祂是無限。
人類的理性能夠從世上許多現象中看到這位無限之上帝(參閱32節)。然而, 儘管人類理性能以世上眾多現象來支持, 這最初的根本或最初的本體是無限的, 然而卻無法明白這無限到底像什麼。最多只能將無限定義為沒有限量, 獨行自立, 因而是絕對和唯一的實質。然而, 如果沒有形式, 實質就沒有屬性; 絕對與唯一也是如此。但是, 在無限之中的實質與形式到底如何, 並不顯明在外。畢竟人類的思想本身, 哪怕擁有最高層次的分析能力, 並提升得再高, 還是有限的, 仍然無法超越自身的局限。為此, 人不能看見上帝的無限, 因而無法看見作為根本的上帝。不過能從背後看見上帝的身影, 正如摩西祈求見上帝時, 他被放在磐石穴中, 看到上帝的背(出埃及記33:20-23)。"上帝的背"一般表示世上可見之現象, 特指聖言中可認知之事物。
由此可看出, 期望明白在根本或本質之中的上帝, 是徒然的。從有限之物, 也就是被造之物(祂無限地存於其中)去接受祂, 就已足夠。人若不滿足於此, 會像一條離開水的魚; 或瓶內的鳥兒, 當空氣被抽離, 就窒息而死。又或如同遭遇風暴的船, 不聽舵的使喚, 被帶進流沙區或撞上岩石。
這就是有些人奢望從內在去明白上帝的無限, 而不滿意於從外在顯明的指示中去接受祂。正如古時有位哲人, 因不能憑自己頭腦來明白世界的永恆, 他居然投海自盡了。如若他期望明白上帝的無限, 那後果就更不知如何了。
28. 1. God is infinite because he is intrinsic reality and manifestation, and all things in the universe have reality and manifestation from him. So far I have shown that God is one, that he is the Absolute, that he is the primary reality that underlies all things, and that all that exists, takes shape, and endures in the universe is from him. It follows then that he is infinite.
Just below [32] I will show that many phenomena in the created universe enable human reason to see the infinity of God. Yet although the human mind can use those phenomena to support an acknowledgment that the first entity or primary being is infinite, still it cannot come to know what the Infinite is like. The only way it can define the Infinite is to say that it is utterly without limits and self-sufficient, and is therefore the absolute and only substance. Because substance has no attributes without form, it is also the absolute and only form. What substance and form are in their full infinity, however, is not apparent. The human mind itself, even the most highly analytical and elevated mind, is finite; it cannot be rid of its own limitations. It will never have the capacity to see the infinity of God as it truly is, or God as he truly is. It can see God in a shadow from behind, as Moses was told to do when he begged to see God. He was put in a crevice in the rock and saw God's back (Exodus 33:20-23). "God's back" has as a general meaning the phenomena visible in the world and has as a specific meaning the things that are comprehensible in the Word.
It is obviously pointless then to aim to find out what God is like in his own underlying reality or in his own substance. It is enough to acknowledge him from finite, created things, in which he is infinitely present.
The person who goes farther than that could be compared to a fish hauled out into the air; or to a bird put in a vacuum pump, gasping as the air is pumped out, and soon expiring; or to a ship overcome by a storm, no longer responsive to the helm, drifting onto reefs and sandbanks. Something comparable happens to people who want to know the infinity of God from the inside and are not content to acknowledge it from the outside on good evidence.
We read that a philosopher among the ancients threw himself into the sea because in the mental light he had he could not envision or comprehend the eternity of the world. What if he had tried to see the infinity of God?
28. (i) GOD IS INFINITE, BECAUSE HE-IS AND COMES INTO BEING IN HIMSELF, AND EVERYTHING IN THE UNIVERSE IS AND COMES INTO BEING FROM HIM.
It has so far been shown that God is one and is the very and first Being of everything, and that all things which are, come into being and subsist in the universe, are from Him. It follows from this that He is infinite. In the following pages it will be proved that human reason can see the truth of that from very many things in the created universe. But although these things can lead the human mind to acknowledge that the prime Entity (Ens) or first Being (Esse) is infinite, it still cannot know its nature; and therefore cannot define it except as the total infinite, subsisting in itself and thus the very and sole substance; and since nothing can be predicated of substance without form, that it is the very and sole form. Yet where does this get us? This still does not show what the infinite is like. For the human mind, for all its loftiness and superb analytical power, is finite, and there is no way of rendering it anything but finite. Therefore it is incapable of seeing the infinity of God as it is in itself, and so seeing God; but it can see God in shadow from behind, as Moses was told when he begged to see God: he was placed in a cleft in the rock and saw His back parts (Exodus 33:20-23). The 'back parts of God' mean what is visible in the world, and in particular what can be perceived in the Word.
[2] This will prove that it is futile to want to know God as He is in His Being or in His Substance; but it is enough to acknowledge Him by finite things, that is, His creation, in which He dwells infinitely. A person who seeks to go further can be likened to a fish out of water, or a bird put into a vacuum chamber, which, as the air is pumped out, chokes and eventually dies.
He may also be likened to a ship overwhelmed by a storm and no longer answering the helm, which is driven upon rocks or sandbanks. This is what happens to those who want to know the infinity of God from within, and are not content to acknowledge it by its plain indications from without. The story is told of a certain philosopher among the ancients, who threw himself into the sea because his mental enlightenment did not enable him to see or comprehend the eternity of the cosmos; what would he have done, if it had been the infinity of God he wished to see?
28. (1) God is Infinite because He is Being and Existence in Himself, and because all things in the universe have their being and existence from Him. It has been already shown that God is One, that He is the Itself, that He is the primal Esse of all things, and that all things in the universe that have being, existence, and subsistence, are from Him, and consequently that He is infinite. That human reason is able from very many things in the created universe to recognize this will be made clear hereafter. But although the human mind is able from all this to acknowledge that the primal Being or primal Esse is infinite, it is nevertheless unable to comprehend what that Being is, and therefore can only define it as the infinite All and the Self-subsistent, and hence as the very and the only substance; and since nothing can be predicated of substance unless it has form, it is the very and only Form. But what does this mean? It does not make clear what the infinite is; for the human mind itself, even when in the highest degree analytical and exalted, is finite; and its finiteness is inseparable from it; and for this reason the human mind is wholly incapable of seeing the infinity of God as it is in Itself thus of seeing God; although it can from behind see God obscurely, as was said to Moses when he prayed to see God:
That he should be placed in a cleft of the rock, and should see His back parts (Exodus 33:20-23);
"the back parts of God" meaning what is visible in the world, and especially what is perceptible in the Word. All this shows how vain it is to wish to comprehend what God is in His Esse, or in His substance; and that it is sufficient to acknowledge Him from finite things, that is, from things created, in which He is infinitely. The man who is not content with this may be likened to a fish out of water, or to a bird under an air pump, which, as the air is withdrawn, gasps and finally dies. Or he may be likened to a vessel which, overcome by a storm and failing to obey its helm, is carried upon rocks and quicksands. So it is with those who wish to comprehend from within the infinity of God, and are not content with being able to acknowledge it in its manifest indications from without. It is related of a certain philosopher among the ancients that not being able to see or comprehend the eternity of the world in the light of his own mind he threw himself into the sea. What if he had wished to see or comprehend the infinity of God!
28. (1) GOD IS INFINITE BECAUSE HE IS AND EXISTS IN AND ALL THINGS IN THE UNIVERSE ARE AND EXIST FROM HIM.
It has been shown above that God is one, the Self, and the Primary Being of all things, and that all things which are, which exist and which subsist in the universe, are from Him; it therefore follows that He is infinite. It will be shown in what follows that human reason can see this from very many things in the created universe. However, although the human mind may acknowledge from these that the primary Entity (Ens) or first Being (Esse) is infinite, yet it cannot know its nature, and therefore cannot define it otherwise than as the Infinite All. The human mind can only declare that this subsists in itself, and consequently is the very and the only Substance; and, since nothing can be predicated of substance unless it is form, that it is the very and the only Form. But what do these conclusions amount to as they throw no light on the nature of the infinite? For the human mind, although highly analytical and elevated, is itself finite, and its finite quality cannot be separated from it. It is, therefore, quite incapable of comprehending the infinity of God as it is in itself, and thus God. It may, however, see Him obscurely, as it were, from behind; as it is said of Moses, when he prayed to see God, that he was placed in a cleft of a rock and saw His back parts, Exodus 33:20-23. By the back parts of God are meant the visible things in the world, and in particular the things apparent in the Word. Hence it is clear that it is vain to desire to know what God is in His Being or in His Substance. It is enough to acknowledge Him from finite, that is, created things, in which He is infinitely. The man who persists in seeking more than this may be compared to a fish lifted into the air, or to a bird placed under the receiver of an air-pump, which, when the air is extracted, begins to gasp, and then dies. He may also be compared to a ship, which, when overwhelmed by a storm, fails to answer her helm and is borne upon rocks and quicksands. So it is with those who seek to comprehend the infinity of God from within, and who are not content to be convinced by manifest tokens from without. It is related of a certain philosopher of old that he threw himself into the sea because he could not see or comprehend by the light (lumen) of his own mind the eternity of the world. What would he have done had he wished to comprehend the infinity of God?
28. I. QUOD DEUS, QUONIAM EST ET EXISTIT IN SE, ET OMNIA IN UNIVERSO SUNT ET EXISTUNT EX IPSO, INFINITUS SIT. Hactenus ostensum est, quod Deus unus sit, et quod sit Ipsum, et quod sit primum Esse omnium, et quod cuncta, quae in Universo sunt, existunt et subsistunt, sint ex Illo; inde sequitur, quod Infinitus sit: quod Ratio humana ex permultis in Universo creato id videre possit, in sequentibus demonstrabitur. Sed tametsi Mens humana ex illis agnoscere potest, quod primum Ens seu primum Esse infinitum sit, usque non potest cognoscere, quale illud est, proinde non definire illud aliter, quam quod sit Infinitum Omne, et quod subsistat in se, et inde quod sit ipsa et unica Substantia, et quia de substantia nihil praedicabile est, nisi sit forma, quod sit ipsa et unica Forma: ast quid tamen haec, non sic apparet quale est Infinitum; 1 ipsa enim Mens humana, etiam summe analytica et elevata, est finita, et finitum in illa non potest removeri, quare nequicquam capax est videre Infinitatem Dei, qualis est in se, ita Deum, sed potest Deum in umbra videre a tergo, sicut dictum est ad Mosen, dum supplicavit videre Deum, quod positus sit in foramine petrae, et viderit posteriora Ipsius, Exodus 33:20-23; per posteriora Dei intelliguntur visibilia 2 in Mundo, et in specie perceptibilia in Verbo:
[2] ex his patet, quod vanum sit, velle cognoscere, qualis Deus est in suo Esse, aut in sua Substantia; sed quod satis sit agnoscere Ipsum ex finitis, hoc est, creatis, in quibus est infinite; homo qui ultra satagit, comparari potest pisci extracto in aerem; aut avi immissae siphoni pneumatico, quae, sicut exantlatur aer, singultat, et demum exspirat: et quoque comparari potest navi, quae dum vincitur a procella, et non obsequitur gubernaculo, fertur in scopulos et syrtes; sic fit illis, qui Infinitatem Dei volunt ab intra cognoscere, non contenti quod possint illam ab extra ex manifestis indiciis agnoscere. Legitur de quodam Philosopho inter Antiquos, quod quia Aeternitatem Mundi non potuit in lumine mentis suae videre aut comprehendere, se in mare projecerit; quid idem, si voluisset Infinitatem Dei.
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