Chapter IX.--God the Centre or Heart of the Universe.
"One, then, is the God who truly exists, who presides in a superior shape, being the heart of that which is above and that which is below twice, [1333] which sends forth from Him as from a centre the life-giving and incorporeal power; the whole universe with the stars and regions [1334] of the heaven, the air, the fire, and if anything else exists, is proved to be a substance infinite in height, boundless in depth, immeasurable in breadth, extending the life-giving and wise nature from Him over three infinites. [1335] It must be, therefore, that this infinite which proceeds from Him on every side exists, [1336] having as its heart Him who is above all, and who thus possesses figure; for wherever He be, He is as it were in the centre of the infinite, being the limit of the universe. And the extensions taking their rise with Him, possess the nature of six infinites; of whom the one taking its rise with Him penetrates [1337] into the height above, another into the depth below, another to the right hand, another to the left, another in front, and another behind; to whom He Himself, looking as to a number that is equal on every side, [1338] completes the world in six temporal intervals, [1339] Himself being the rest, [1340] and having the infinite age to come as His image, being the beginning and the end. For in Him the six infinites end, and from Him they receive their extension to infinity.
[1333] The whole of this chapter is full of corruption; "twice" occurs in one ms. Various attempts have been made to amend the passage.
[1334] An emendation.
[1335] The text is corrupt. We have translated ep' apeirous treis. Some think "three" should be omitted. The three infinites are in respect of height, depth, and breadth.
[1336] As punctuated in Dressel, this reads, "that the infinite is the heart."
[1337] The emendation of the transcriber of one of the mss.
[1338] This refers to the following mode of exhibiting the number: *** where each side presents the number three.
[1339] The creation of the world in six days.
[1340] The seventh day on which God rested, the type of the rest of the future age. See Epistle of Barnabas, c. xv.
Chapter X.--The Nature and Shape of God.
"This is the mystery of the hebdomad. For He Himself is the rest of the whole who grants Himself as a rest to those who imitate His greatness within their little measure. For He is alone, sometimes comprehensible, sometimes incomprehensible, sometimes limitable, [1341] sometimes illimitable, having extensions which proceed from Him into infinity. For thus He is comprehensible and incomprehensible, near and far, being here and there, as being the only existent one, and as giving a share of that mind which is infinite on every hand, in consequence of which souls breathe and possess life; [1342] and if they be separated from the body and be found with a longing for Him, they are borne along into His bosom, as in the winter time the mists of the mountains, attracted by the rays of the sun, are borne along immortal [1343] to it. What affection ought therefore to arise within us if we gaze with our mind on His beautiful shape! But otherwise it is absurd to speak of beauty. For beauty cannot exist apart from shape; nor can one be attracted to the love of God, nor even deem that he can see Him, if God has no form.
[1341] The words in italics are inserted by conjecture. "Sometimes incomprehensible, sometimes illimitable," occur only in onems.
[1342] We have adopted Wieseler's suggestions.
[1343] This word is justly suspected. The passage is in other respects corrupt.
Chapter XI.--The Fear of God.
"But some who are strangers to the truth, and who give their energies to the service of evil, on pretext of glorifying God, say that He has no figure, in order that, being shapeless and formless, He may be visible to no one, so as not to be longed for. For the mind, not seeing the form of God, is empty of Him. But how can any one pray if he has no one to whom he may flee for refuge, on whom he may lean? For if he meets with no resistance, he falls out into vacuity. Yea, says he, we ought not to fear God, but to love Him. I agree; but the consciousness of having done well in each good act will accomplish this. Now well-doing proceeds from fearing. But fear, says he, strikes death into the soul. Nay, but I affirm that it does not strike death, but awakens the soul, and converts it. And perhaps the injunction not to fear God might be right, if we men did not fear many other things; such, for instance, as plots against us by those who are like us, and wild beasts, serpents, diseases, sufferings, demons, and a thousand other ills. Let him, then, who asks us not to fear God, rescue us from these, that we may not fear them; but if he cannot, why should he grudge that we should be delivered from a thousand fears by one fear, the fear of the Just One, and that it should be possible by a slight [1344] faith in Him to remove a thousand afflictions from ourselves and others, and receive instead an exchange of blessings, and that, doing no ill in consequence of fear of the God who sees everything, we should continue in peace even in the present life.
[1344] The word "slight" is not used in reference to the character of the faith, but to indicate that the act of faith is a small act compared with the results that flow from it.