De visione Dei

How actual infinity is unity: in which figure is truth. Suffer still your servant, foolish indeed except as much as you grant: to speak to you his God. I see in this painted face: the figure of infinity. For the gaze is unbounded to object or place: and thus infinite. For it is no more turned to one who gazes upon it than to another. And although its gaze is in itself infinite: yet it seems to be bounded by each beholder. For so determinately it looks upon each who gazes upon it: as if upon him alone and nothing else. You seem therefore to me, Lord, as absolute and infinite being-able: formable and boundable by every form. For we say the formable potency of matter, to be infinite: for it will never be wholly ended. But you answer in me, infinite light: absolute potency to be infinity itself, which is beyond the wall of coincidence, where being-able-to-become coincides with being-able-to-make, where potency coincides with act. Matter (though it be in potency to infinite forms) yet cannot have them in act: but through one it bounds potency, which removed it bounds through another. If therefore the being-able-to-be of matter coincided with act: it would be so potency as act. And as it was in potency to infinite forms: so in act it would be infinitely formed. But infinity in act: is without otherness. And infinity cannot be unless it be unity. There cannot therefore be infinite forms in act: but actual infinity is unity. You therefore, God, who are infinity itself: are yourself one God, in whom I see all being-able-to-be: to be in act. For absolute being-able apart from all potency contracted to matter, or to any passive potency: is absolute being. For whatever is in infinite being: is infinite being itself most simple. Thus the being-able-to-be all things in infinite being: is infinite being itself. Likewise also the being in act all things in the infinite: is infinite being itself. Wherefore absolute being-able-to-be, and absolute being-in-act in you my God: are nothing but you my infinite God. All being-able-to-be you are, my God. The being-able-to-be of matter is material, and thus contracted and not absolute, so too the being-able-to-be sensible or rational is contracted: but being-able wholly uncontracted. Coincides with the absolute simply, that is, the infinite. When therefore you, my God, meet me as formable matter, for you receive the form of each beholding you: then you raise me that I see, how one beholding you does not give you form: but beholds himself in you, for from you he receives what he is. And thus what you seem to receive from the beholder, this you give: as if you were the living mirror of eternity, which is the form of forms. Into which mirror while one looks: he sees his form in the form of forms, which is the mirror. And he judges the form which he sees in that mirror to be the figure of his form, as it is in a polished material mirror, although the contrary of that is true. For what he sees in that mirror of eternity: is not figure, but truth, of which the seer himself is the figure. Figure therefore in you, my God: is truth, and the exemplar of all and each that are, or can be.

O God, who are to be admired by every mind: you seem at one time as if you were shadow, who are light. For while I see, how at my change the gaze of your icon seems changed: and your face seems changed. For changed you meet me: as if you were shadow which follows the change of the walker. But since I am a living shadow, and you truth: I judge from the change of the shadow truth changed. You are therefore, my God, so shadow: as truth. So you are my image, and of each: as exemplar.

Lord God, enlightener of hearts: my face, is a true face, for you have given it me, who are truth. And my face is also image: for it is not truth itself, but the image of absolute truth. I enfold therefore in my concept the truth and image of my face: and I see in it image coincide with facial truth, so that as much as image: so much true. And then you show me, Lord: how at the change of my face, your face is alike changed and unchanged. Changed: for it does not desert the truth of my face. Unchanged: for it does not follow the change of the image. Whence as your face does not desert the truth of my face: so also it does not follow the change of the alterable image. For absolute truth: is unalterability. The truth of my face, is mutable: for so truth as image. But yours immutable: for so image as truth. The truth of my face: absolute truth cannot desert. For if absolute truth deserted it: my face itself could not subsist, which is mutable truth. Thus you seem, God,, through your infinite goodness mutable: for you do not desert mutable creatures. But since you are absolute goodness: you are not mutable, for you do not follow mutability.

O most profound depth, my God: who do not desert, and at once do not follow creatures.

O inexplicable mercy. You offer yourself to one beholding you, as if you received being from him: and conform yourself to him, that he love you the more, by how much you appear more like him. For we cannot hate ourselves. Hence we love what partakes and accompanies our being. And we embrace our likeness: for we are represented in the image in which we love ourselves. You show yourself, God, as our creature from the infinite humility of your goodness: that thus you draw us to you. For you draw us to you by every possible mode of drawing: by which a free rational creature can be drawn. And in you, God, being created coincides with creating. For the likeness which seems to be created by me: is the truth which creates me. That thus at least I grasp how much I ought to be bound to you, when in you being loved coincides with loving. For if I ought to love myself in you in my likeness, and then most I am constrained to this when I see you, love me as creature and your image, how can a father not love a son, who is so son, as father? And if he is much lovable who is in estimation son, and in knowledge father: are you not most who in estimation exceed son, and in knowledge father? You, God, have willed filial love to be constituted in estimation, and will to be esteemed liker to the son, and known more inward than the father: for you are love enfolding filial as well as paternal love. Be therefore you who are my sweetest love, my God: blessed forever.