23、人类智慧的一切能力若都集合起来，可以说会集中于这一点：有一位神存在，祂是宇宙的创造者。因此，凡有理性的人凭逻辑思维的常识，都不会、也不可能想到别的。如果对凡理性正常者说，宇宙的创造者有两位，你就会感觉到他的抵触，这种抵触的产生很可能仅仅因为这句话的声音传到了他耳朵里。由此明显可知，人类理性的一切能力若都集合起来，会集中于这一点：神为一。其中原因有二：首先，理性思考的能力本身并不属于人，而是属于与他同在的神；人类理性一般都依赖于此，因此这种倾向会使人貌似凭自己明白一位神的存在。其次，人凭这种能力要么处于天堂之光，要么由此获得其思维的普遍倾向；而天堂之光的普遍感知是：神为一。但是，当人利用这种能力败坏其理解力的低层部分时，情况就不同了；诚然，他仍具有这种能力，但却用来扭曲理解力的低层部分，从而颠倒它，其理性由此就靠不住了。
23. There is one human God who is the source of everything. All the elements of human reason unite in, and in a sense center on, the fact that a single God is the Creator of the universe. As a result, rational people, on the basis of their shared understanding, neither do nor can think in any other way. Tell people of sound reason that there are two creators of the universe and you will feel within yourself how they recoil from this notion, perhaps simply from the tone of their voice in your ear. This enables us to see that all the elements of human reason unite and center on the oneness of God.
There are two reasons for this. The first is that in its own right, our very ability to think rationally is not our own property. It is a property of God within us. Human rationality in general depends on this fact, and this general property causes our reason more or less spontaneously to see the oneness of God. The second is that through our rational ability either we are in heaven's light or we draw from it some general quality of its thought, and the all-pervading element of heaven's light is that God is one.
This is not the case if we have used our rational ability to skew our lower understanding. In this case we still possess the ability, but by the distortion of our lower abilities we have steered it off course, and our rationality is not sound.
23. There is one human God from whom springs all else. All powers of human reason join together and center, so to speak, on the existence of one God, the creator of the universe. Consequently any person possessed of reason, owing to the common sense of his intellect, does not and cannot think otherwise. Tell anyone possessed of sound reason that there are two creators of the universe, and you will encounter an antipathy to you because of it, even perhaps from just the sound of the words in his ear. It is apparent from this that all powers of human reason join together and center on the existence of one God.
For this there are two reasons. The first is that the very ability to think rationally regarded in itself is not a person's own, but is God's gift in him. On it depends human reason in general, and that dependence in general causes it to see, as though of itself, the existence of one God.
The second reason is that through that faculty a person either is in the light of heaven or draws the general tendency of his thought from it, and the universal precept of the light of heaven is the existence of one God.
A different circumstance occurs if a person has used that faculty to corrupt the lower constituents of his intellect. He possesses that faculty indeed, but by a twisting of its lower elements he turns it in another direction so that his reason becomes unsound.
23. THERE IS ONE GOD-MAN FROM WHOM ALL THINGS ARE
All things of human reason conjoin, and as it were, centre in this that the One God is the Creator of the universe. Consequently, a man, given reason, does not and cannot think otherwise from his general understanding. Say to anyone of sound reason that there are two Creators of the universe, and you will experience in yourself his repugnance, perhaps from the mere sound of the expression in the ear. And so it is clear that all things of human reason conjoin and centre in this, that there is One God. There are two reasons for this. The first is that the very faculty of thinking rationally, considered in itself, does not belong to man but to God with him. Upon this faculty the generality of human reason depends and hence this tendency causes man to see as from himself. The second is because by that faculty man is either in the light (lux) of heaven, or derives the general nature of his thoughts therefrom; and it is a universal [idea] of the light of heaven that God is One. It is otherwise if man by that faculty has perverted the lower things of his understanding. He is indeed endowed with that faculty, but by a twisting of the lower parts, he turns it in another direction. Hence his reason becomes unsound.
23. THERE IS ONE GOD-MAN, FROM WHOM ALL THINGS COME.
All things of human wisdom unite, and as it were center in this, that there is one God, the Creator of the universe: consequently a man who has reason, from the general nature of his understanding, does not and cannot think otherwise. Say to any man of sound reason that there are two Creators of the universe, and you will be sensible of his repugnance, and this, perhaps, from the mere sound of the phrase in his ear; from which it appears that all things of human reason unite and center in this, that God is one. There are two reasons for this. First, the very capacity to think rationally, viewed in itself, is not man's, but is God's in man; upon this capacity human reason in its general nature depends, and this general nature of reason causes man to see as from himself that God is one. Secondly, by means of that capacity man either is in the light of heaven, or he derives the generals of his thought therefrom; and it is a universal of the light of heaven that God is one. It is otherwise when man by that capacity has perverted the lower parts of his understanding; such a man indeed is endowed with that capacity, but by the twist given to these lower parts, he turns it contrariwise, and thereby his reason becomes unsound.
23. QUOD SIT UNUS DEUS HOMO A QUO OMNIA. Omnia Rationis humanae se conjungunt et quasi concentrant in id, quod Deus unus Creator universi sit; quare homo, cui ratio, ex communi intellectus sui non aliter cogitat, nec cogitare potest: dic alicui, cui sana ratio est, quod duo Creatores universi sint, et comperies repugnantiam ex illo in te, et forte ex solo loquelae sono in aure: unde patet, quod omnia Rationis humanae se conjungant et concentrent in id, quod Deus unus sit: quod ita sit, sunt binae causae; Prima est, quia ipsa facultas rationaliter cogitandi in se spectata non est hominis, sed est Dei apud illum; ex illa pendet Ratio humana in communi, et commune facit ut id videat sicut a se. Altera est, quia homo per facultatem illam vel est in luce coeli, vel trahit commune suae cogitationis inde, et universale lucis Coeli est quod Deus unus sit. Aliter si homo ex facultate illa perverterit inferiora intellectus; ille quidem pollet illa facultate, sed per intorsionem inferiorum vertit illam aliorsum; inde ejus Ratio non sana fit.