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76. That there is some Body that doth these things it is apparent, and that he is also one, it is most manifest.
The Tenth Book. The Mind to Hermes. 36
The Corpus Hermetica
77. For there is one Soul, one Life and one Matter.
78. Who is this? Who can it be? Other than the One God.
79. For whom else can it benefit, to make living things, save only God alone?
80. There is therefore one God.
81. For it is a ridiculous thing to confess the World to be one Sun, one Moon, one Divinity; and yet to have I
know not how many gods.
82. He therefore being One, doth all things in many things.
83. And what great thing is it for God to make Life and Soul, and Immortality, and Change, when thy self
dost so many things?
84. For thou both seest, speakest and hearest, smellest, tastest and touchest, walkest, understandest, and
breathest.
85. And it is not one that seeth, and another that heareth, and another that speaketh, and another that toucheth,
and another that smelleth, and another that walketh, and another that understandeth, and another that
breatheth, but One that doth all these things.
86. Yet neither can these things possibly be without God.
87. For as thou, if thou shouldst cease from doing these things, were not a living wight; so if God should
cease from those, he were not (which is not lawful to say) any longer God.
88. For if it be already demonstrated, that nothing can be idle or empty, how much more may be affirmed of
God?
89. For if there be any thing which he doth not do, then is he (if it were lawful to say so) imperfect.
90. Whereas feeling he is not idle, but perfect, certainly he doth all things.
91. Now give thy self unto me, O Hermes, for a little while thou shalt the more easily understand, that it is the
necessary work of God that all things should be made or done that are done or were once done, or shall be
done.
92. And this, O best Beloved, is life.
93. And this is the Fair.
94. And this is the Good.
95. And this is God.
96. And if thou wilt understand this by work also, mark what happens to thy self, when thou wilt generate.
97. And yet this is not like unto him; for he is not sensible of pleasure, for neither bath he any other
Fellow-workman.
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The Corpus Hermetica
98. But being himself the only Workman he is always in the Work, himself being that which he doth or
maketh.
99. For all things, if they were separated from him, must needs fall and die, as there being no life in them.
100. And again, if all things be living wights, both which are in Heaven, and upon Earth; and that there be
one Life in all things which are made by God, and that is God, then certainly all things are made, or done by
God.
101. Life is the union of the Mind and the Soul.
102. But death is not the destruction of those things that were gathered together, but a dissolving of the Union.
103. The Image therefore of God is Eternity, of Eternity the World, of the World the Sun, of the Sun, Man.
104. But the people say, That changing is Death, because the Body is dissolved, and the Life goeth into that
which appeareth not.
105. By this discourse, my dearest Hermes, I affirm as thou hearest, That the World is changed, because
every day part thereof becomes invisible ; but that it is never dissolved.
106. And these are the Passions of the World, Revolutions and Occultations, and Revolution is a turning, but
Occultation is Renovation.
107. And the World being all formed, bath not the forms lying without it, but itself changeth in itself.
108. Seeing then the World is all formed, what must he be that made it? for without form he cannot be.
109. And if he be all formed, he will be kept like the World, but if he have but one form, he shall be in this
regard less than the World.
110. What do we then say that he is? we will not raise any doubts by our speech; for nothing that is doubtful
concerning God, is yet known.
111. He hath therefore one Idea which is proper to him, which because it is unbodily is not subject to the
sight, and yet shews all forms by the Bodies.
112. And do not wonder, if there be an incorruptible Idea.
113. For they are like the Margents of that Speech which is in writing; for they seem to be high and swelling,
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