Chapter 2 · On the beholding of God in His footsteps in this sensible world — The Journey of the Mind into God
On the beholding of God in His footsteps in this sensible world
But since, as regards the mirror of sensible things, we may contemplate God, not only through them, as through footprints, but also in them, in so far as he is in them by essence, power, and presence, and this consideration is loftier than the preceding; wherefore this kind of consideration occupies the second place, as the second grade of contemplation, whereby we must be guided to the contemplation of God in all created things, which enter our minds through the bodily senses.
We must observe, therefore, that this sensible world, which is called the macrocosm—that is, the long world—enters into our soul, which is called the microcosm—that is, the little world—through the gates of the five senses, as regards the apprehension, delectation, and distinction of these sensible things; which is manifest in this way: In the sensible world some things are generant, others are generated, and others direct both these. Generant are the simple bodies; that is, the celestial bodies and the four elements. For out of the elements, through the power of light, reconciling the contrariety of elements in things mixed, are generated and produced whatever things are generated and produced by the operation of natural power. Generated are the bodies composed of the elements, as minerals, vegetables, sensible things, and human bodies. Directing both these and those are the spiritual substances, whether altogether conjunct, like the souls of the brutes, or separably conjunct, like rational souls, or altogether separate, like the celestial spirits, which the philosophers call Intelligences, we Angels. On these, according to the philosophers, it devolves to move the heavenly bodies, and for this reason the administration of the universe is ascribed to them, as receiving from the First Cause—that is, God—that inflow of virtue which they pour forth again in relation to the work of government, which has reference to the natural consistence of things. But, according to the theologians, the direction of the universe is ascribed to these same beings, as regards the works of redemption, with respect to which they are called “ministering spirits sent forth to do service for the sake of them that shall inherit salvation.”
Man, therefore, who is called the lesser world, has five senses, like five gates, through which the knowledge of all the things that are in the sensible world enters into his soul. For through sight there enter the sublime and luminous bodies and all other colored things; through touch, solid and terrestrial bodies; through the three intermediate senses, the intermediate bodies; through taste, the aqueous; through hearing, the aérial; through smell, the vaporable, which have something of the humid, something of the aérial, and something of the fiery or hot, as is clear from the fumes that are liberated from spices. There enter, therefore, through these doors not only the simple bodies, but also the mixed bodies compounded of these. Seeing, then, that with sense we perceive not only these particular sensibles—light, sound, odor, savor, and the four primary qualities which touch apprehends—but also the common sensibles—number, magnitude, figure, rest, and motion; and seeing that everything which moves is moved by something else, and certain things move and rest of themselves, as do the animals, in apprehending through these five senses the motions of bodies, we are guided to the knowledge of spiritual motions, as by an effect to the knowledge of causes.
In the three classes of things, therefore, the whole of this sensible world enters the human soul through apprehension. These external sensible things are those which first enter into the soul through the gates of the five senses. They enter, I say, not through their substances, but through their similitudes, generated first in the medium, and from the medium in the external organ, and from the external organ in the internal organ, and from this in the apprehensive power; and thus generation in the medium, and from the medium in the organ, and the direction of the apprehensive power upon it, produce the apprehension of all those things which the soul apprehends externally.
This apprehension, if it is directed to a proper object, is followed by delight. The sense delights in the object perceived through its abstract similitude, either by reason of its beauty, as in vision, or by reason of its sweetness, as in smell and hearing, or by reason of its healthfulness, as in taste and touch, properly speaking. But all delight is by reason of proportion. But since species is the ground of form, power, and action, according as it has reference to the principle from which it emanates, the medium into which it passes, or the term upon which it acts, therefore proportion is observed in three things: It is observed in similitude, inasmuch as it forms the ground of species or form, and so is called speciosity, because beauty is nothing but numerical equality, or a certain disposition of parts accompanied with sweetness of color. It is observed in so far as it forms the ground of power or virtue, and thus is called sweetness, when the active virtue does not disproportionally exceed the recipient virtue, because the sense is depressed by extremes and delighted by means. It is observed in so far as it forms the ground of efficacy and impression, which is proportional when the agent, in impressing, satisfies the need of the patient, and this is to preserve and nourish it, as appears chiefly in taste and touch. And thus we see how, by pleasure, external delightful things enter through similitude into the soul, according to the threefold method of delectation.
After this apprehension and delight there comes discernment, by which we not only discern whether this thing be white or black (because this alone belongs to the outer sense), and whether this thing be wholesome or hurtful (because this belongs to the inner sense), but also discern why this delights and give a reason therefor. And in this act we inquire into the reason of the delight which is derived by the sense from the object. This happens when we inquire into the reason of the beautiful, the sweet, and the wholesome, and discover that it is a proportion of equality. But a ratio of equality is the same in great things and in small. It is not extended by dimensions; it does not enter into succession, or pass with passing things; it is not altered by motions. It abstracts, therefore, from place, time, and motion, and for this reason it is immutable, uncircumscribable, interminable, and altogether spiritual. Discernment, then, is an action which, by purifying and abstracting, makes the sensible species, sensibly received through the senses, enter into the intellective power. And thus the whole of this world enters into the human soul by the gates of the five senses, according to the three aforesaid activities.
All these things are footprints, in which we may behold our God. For, since an apprehended species is a similitude generated in a medium and then impressed upon the organ, and through that impression leads to the knowledge of its principle—that is, of its object—it manifestly implies that that eternal light generates from itself a similitude, or splendor, coequal, consubstantial, and coeternal, and that He who is the image and similitude of the invisible God, and the splendor of the glory, and the figure of the substance which is everywhere, generates, by his first generation of himself, his own similitude, in the form of an object in the entire medium, unites himself, by the grace of union, to the individual of rational nature, as a species to a bodily organ, so that by this union he may lead us back to the Father as the fontal principle and object. If, therefore, all cognizable things generate species of themselves, they clearly proclaim that in them, as in mirrors, may be seen the eternal generation of the Word, the Image, and the Son, eternally emanating from God the Father.
According to this mode, the pleasing species—as specious, sweet, and wholesome—implies that the first speciosity, sweetness, and wholesomeness are in that first species in which are the highest proportionality and equality to the Generant Principle; in which is virtue gliding into the apprehension, not through phantasms, but through truth; and in which is an impression, saving, sufficient, and expelling all want on the part of the apprehender. If, then, delight is the conjunction of the suitable with the suitable, and only the similitude of God forms the ground of that which is supremely specious, sweet, and wholesome, and is united according to truth, to inwardness, and to fulness filling all capacity, we may see clearly that in God alone is fontal and true delight, and that we are led to seek this by all delights.
But, by a still more excellent and more immediate mode, discernment leads us to a surer beholding of eternal truth. For, if discernment is conducted by reason abstracting from place, time, and mutability, and hence from dimension, succession, and transmutation, by reason immutable, uncircumscribable, and interminable—and there is nothing at all immutable, uncircumscribable, and interminable save the eternal—and all the eternal is either God or in God; if, therefore, we discern by this sort of reason whatever we discern with clearness, it is plain that He is the reason of all things, the infallible rule, and the light of truth, in which all things are reflected infallibly, indelibly, indubitably, irrefragably, indijudicably, unchangeably, uncontinably, interminably, indivisibly, and intellectually. And, therefore, those laws whereby we judge with certainty concerning all the sensible things which come under our consideration being infallible and indubitable to the intellect of the apprehender, indelible from the memory of the recollector, as being always present, irrefragable, and indijudicable to the intellect of the judger, because, as Augustine says, no one judges concerning them, but only through them, they must needs be unchangeable and incorruptible, as being necessary; uncontinable, as being uncircumscribed; interminable, as being eternal; and hence indivisible, as being intellectual and incorporeal; not made, but increate; existing eternally in the eternal art, from which, through which, and according to which all specious or beautiful things are formed. And, therefore, they cannot with certainty be judged except by that which was not only the form producing all things, but also the form preserving and distinguishing all things, inasmuch as it is being, which in all things is form, directive rule, and that whereby our minds distinguish all those things that enter them through the senses.
But this speculation is extended according to the consideration of the seven differences of the numbers by which, as by seven steps, we ascend to God, as Augustine shows in his work “On True Religion” and in the sixth book of his treatise on “Music,” wherein he fixes the differences of the numbers that gradually ascend from these sensible things to the artificer of all, so that God is seen in all things. He says that there are numbers in bodies, and especially in sounds and voices, and these he calls sonant numbers; that there are numbers abstracted from these and received into our senses, and these he calls occursors; that there are numbers proceeding from the soul into the body, as is shown in gestures and dances, and these he calls progressors; that there are numbers in the delights of the senses and in the turning of the intention to the received species, and these he calls sensual numbers; that there are numbers retained in the memory, and these he calls memorial numbers; and, finally, that there are numbers by which we judge concerning all these things, and these he calls judicial numbers. These, as has been said, are necessarily above the mind, as being infallible and indijudicable. By these are impressed upon our minds the artificial numbers, which Augustine does not enumerate among those grades, because they are connected with the judicial numbers; and from these emanate the progressors, from which are created the beautiful forms of artificial things; so that there is an orderly descent from the highest, through the medial, to the lowest. To these also let us ascend from the sonant numbers, through the occursors, the sensual, and the memorial.
Since, therefore, all things are beautiful and, in a certain way, delightful, and since beauty and delight are inseparable from proportion, and proportion is primarily in numbers, all things must of necessity be full of number. For this reason, number is the chief exemplar in the mind of the artificer, and in things the chief footprint leading to wisdom. Since this is most manifest to all and most close to God, it leads us most closely and by seven differences to God, and makes him known in all things, corporeal and sensible. And, while we apprehend numerical things, we delight in numerical proportions, and judge irrefragably by the laws of these.
From these first two steps, whereby we are guided to the beholding of God in his footprints, after the manner, as it were, of the two wings descending about the (seraph’s) feet, we may gather that all the created things of this sensible world lead the mind of the contemplant and wise man to the eternal God, and this for the reason that of this First Principle, mightiest, wisest, best, of this eternal origin, light and fulness, of this art efficient, exemplant, ordinant, they are shadows, echoes, and pictures, footprints, images, and spectacles, set before us for the beholding of God, and signs divinely given. These, I say, are, so to speak, exemplars, or rather examples, set before minds still rude and sensual, so that, through the sensible things which they see, they may be transported to intelligible things which they do not see, as through signs to the things signified. And such created things of this sensible world signify the invisible things of the invisible God, partly because God is the origin, exemplar, and end of all created things (and every effect is a sign of its cause, an example of its exemplar, and a path to the end whereunto it leads), partly through representation proper, partly through prophetic prefiguration, partly through angelic action, and partly through superadded instruction. For every creature is by nature an effigy and similitude of that eternal Wisdom; but especially so is that creature which in the book of Scripture was assumed by the spirit of prophecy for the prefiguration of spiritual things; more especially those creatures in whose effigy God was willing to appear for the angelic ministry; and most especially that creature which he was willing to set forth as a sign, and which plays the part not only of a sign, as that word is commonly used, but also of a sacrament. From all this we gather that “the invisible things of God, since the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made,” so that those who will not observe these things and recognize, bless, and love God in all these things, are without excuse, since they will not be transported from darkness to the wondrous light of God. But, thanks be to God, through our Lord, Jesus Christ, who has transported us from darkness into His wondrous light, inasmuch as we are disposed, by these lights given from without, to re-enter the mirror of our minds, in which the divine things are reflected.