一、上帝作为万物存在与显现之源而为无限
28# 上帝在自身内存在并显现，宇宙万物皆由祂而获得存在与显现，故此祂是无限的。
前文已阐明，上帝是独一者，是自性本身，是万有的原初存在；宇宙中一切得以存在、得以存续的事物，皆从祂而出。由此可知，祂是无限的。人的理性可借着受造宇宙中的万千事物窥见此理，这一点将于后文详述。然而，人的心智纵使能从这些事物中确知那原初存在——亦即原初的“是者”——是无限的，却无法洞悉其本质，只能将其定义为“无限的全有”：祂在自身内存在，故此是自性的、独一的实体；实体若无形式便无可描述，故此这实体亦是自性的、独一的形式。
然而，这无限的本质究竟如何，仍未显明。因为人的心智纵使提升至极致、极尽思辨之力，终究是有限的，其有限的本质无从超越。因此，它无法窥见上帝自身的无限本貌，亦即无法得见上帝本身；只能于暗影之中窥见其背面——正如摩西求见上帝时，上帝对他说，要将他安置在磐石穴中，他只能得见上帝的背（出33:20-23）。所谓“上帝的背”，喻指世间一切可见的受造之物，尤指圣言中可被人感知的表象。
由此可知，妄图认识上帝在自身存在与实体中的本貌，终归徒劳；人借着有限的受造物认识祂便已足够——因祂正以无限的方式临在于受造物之中。人若在这事上强索深究，就好比将鱼从水中取出置于岸上，离水即亡；又好比将鸟置入抽气装置，空气渐失便喘息窒息，最终殒命；也好比航船在风暴中失控，舵效尽失，终致触礁搁浅。
那些妄图从内在参透上帝的无限、却不满足于从外在显明的迹象认识祂的人，其情形正与此类同。相传古代有一位哲学家，因无法凭自身的心智之光窥见或理解世界的永恒性，便投海自尽。倘若他妄图参透上帝的无限，又当如何？
28# （1）神是无限的，因为祂是存在和出现本身，宇宙中的一切事物都从祂那里拥有其存在和出现。前面已经说明：神是一，是自我或自身，祂是一切事物的原初存在（primal Esse），宇宙中拥有存在、出现和持续存在的一切事物都来自祂，因此祂是无限的。接下来将说明，人类理性能从受造宇宙里的许多事物中认识到这一点。然而，尽管人类心智能从这些事物中承认原初存在或原初实体是无限的，但它仍不能认识这种存在的性质，因此只能将它定义为无限的一切和自存（Self-subsistent），因而定义为真正独一的实质；由于没有任何东西能论及实质，除非它有形式，所以它是真正独一的形式。但这些结论意味着什么呢？它们并没有清楚说明无限的性质，或说明无限是什么；因为人类心智即便具有最高的分析能力，也是有限的；它的有限性与它是不可分割的；因此，人类心智完全不能看到如它在自己里面那样的神的无限，因而完全不能看到神；尽管它能从后面模糊地看到神，正如摩西祈求见神时对他所说的那样：
他被放在磐石缝中，得见祂的背。（出埃及记33:20-23）
“神的背”是指世界上的可见之物，尤指圣言中的可感知，或显而易见之物。
这一切清楚表明，想知道神在其存在中，或在其实质中是什么样，是徒劳的。从有限事物中，也就是说，从祂无限所在的受造物中承认祂就足够了。人若不满足于此，就好比离开水进入空气中的一条鱼，或在抽气泵下面的一只小鸟，当空气被抽尽时，这鸟儿就开始抽气，最终死亡。他还好比一艘被风暴席卷、不受舵掌控的船只，被推到岩石和流沙上。那些想从里面理解神的无限，不满足于凭外面明显的迹象承认它的人也是如此。有一个故事讲到古代的一个哲学家说，他投海自尽了，因为他不能凭自己的心智之光看到或理解世界或宇宙的永恒。如果他原想看到或理解神的无限，那么他又会做出什么事呢？
28. 1. God is infinite because he is intrinsic reality and manifestation, and all things in the universe have reality and manifestation from him. So far I have shown that God is one, that he is the Absolute, that he is the primary reality that underlies all things, and that all that exists, takes shape, and endures in the universe is from him. It follows then that he is infinite.
Just below [32] I will show that many phenomena in the created universe enable human reason to see the infinity of God. Yet although the human mind can use those phenomena to support an acknowledgment that the first entity or primary being is infinite, still it cannot come to know what the Infinite is like. The only way it can define the Infinite is to say that it is utterly without limits and self-sufficient, and is therefore the absolute and only substance. Because substance has no attributes without form, it is also the absolute and only form. What substance and form are in their full infinity, however, is not apparent. The human mind itself, even the most highly analytical and elevated mind, is finite; it cannot be rid of its own limitations. It will never have the capacity to see the infinity of God as it truly is, or God as he truly is. It can see God in a shadow from behind, as Moses was told to do when he begged to see God. He was put in a crevice in the rock and saw God's back (Exodus 33:20-23). "God's back" has as a general meaning the phenomena visible in the world and has as a specific meaning the things that are comprehensible in the Word.
It is obviously pointless then to aim to find out what God is like in his own underlying reality or in his own substance. It is enough to acknowledge him from finite, created things, in which he is infinitely present.
The person who goes farther than that could be compared to a fish hauled out into the air; or to a bird put in a vacuum pump, gasping as the air is pumped out, and soon expiring; or to a ship overcome by a storm, no longer responsive to the helm, drifting onto reefs and sandbanks. Something comparable happens to people who want to know the infinity of God from the inside and are not content to acknowledge it from the outside on good evidence.
We read that a philosopher among the ancients threw himself into the sea because in the mental light he had he could not envision or comprehend the eternity of the world. What if he had tried to see the infinity of God?
28. (i) GOD IS INFINITE, BECAUSE HE-IS AND COMES INTO BEING IN HIMSELF, AND EVERYTHING IN THE UNIVERSE IS AND COMES INTO BEING FROM HIM.
It has so far been shown that God is one and is the very and first Being of everything, and that all things which are, come into being and subsist in the universe, are from Him. It follows from this that He is infinite. In the following pages it will be proved that human reason can see the truth of that from very many things in the created universe. But although these things can lead the human mind to acknowledge that the prime Entity (Ens) or first Being (Esse) is infinite, it still cannot know its nature; and therefore cannot define it except as the total infinite, subsisting in itself and thus the very and sole substance; and since nothing can be predicated of substance without form, that it is the very and sole form. Yet where does this get us? This still does not show what the infinite is like. For the human mind, for all its loftiness and superb analytical power, is finite, and there is no way of rendering it anything but finite. Therefore it is incapable of seeing the infinity of God as it is in itself, and so seeing God; but it can see God in shadow from behind, as Moses was told when he begged to see God: he was placed in a cleft in the rock and saw His back parts (Exodus 33:20-23). The 'back parts of God' mean what is visible in the world, and in particular what can be perceived in the Word.
[2] This will prove that it is futile to want to know God as He is in His Being or in His Substance; but it is enough to acknowledge Him by finite things, that is, His creation, in which He dwells infinitely. A person who seeks to go further can be likened to a fish out of water, or a bird put into a vacuum chamber, which, as the air is pumped out, chokes and eventually dies.
He may also be likened to a ship overwhelmed by a storm and no longer answering the helm, which is driven upon rocks or sandbanks. This is what happens to those who want to know the infinity of God from within, and are not content to acknowledge it by its plain indications from without. The story is told of a certain philosopher among the ancients, who threw himself into the sea because his mental enlightenment did not enable him to see or comprehend the eternity of the cosmos; what would he have done, if it had been the infinity of God he wished to see?
28. (1) God is Infinite because He is Being and Existence in Himself, and because all things in the universe have their being and existence from Him. It has been already shown that God is One, that He is the Itself, that He is the primal Esse of all things, and that all things in the universe that have being, existence, and subsistence, are from Him, and consequently that He is infinite. That human reason is able from very many things in the created universe to recognize this will be made clear hereafter. But although the human mind is able from all this to acknowledge that the primal Being or primal Esse is infinite, it is nevertheless unable to comprehend what that Being is, and therefore can only define it as the infinite All and the Self-subsistent, and hence as the very and the only substance; and since nothing can be predicated of substance unless it has form, it is the very and only Form. But what does this mean? It does not make clear what the infinite is; for the human mind itself, even when in the highest degree analytical and exalted, is finite; and its finiteness is inseparable from it; and for this reason the human mind is wholly incapable of seeing the infinity of God as it is in Itself thus of seeing God; although it can from behind see God obscurely, as was said to Moses when he prayed to see God:
That he should be placed in a cleft of the rock, and should see His back parts (Exodus 33:20-23);
"the back parts of God" meaning what is visible in the world, and especially what is perceptible in the Word. All this shows how vain it is to wish to comprehend what God is in His Esse, or in His substance; and that it is sufficient to acknowledge Him from finite things, that is, from things created, in which He is infinitely. The man who is not content with this may be likened to a fish out of water, or to a bird under an air pump, which, as the air is withdrawn, gasps and finally dies. Or he may be likened to a vessel which, overcome by a storm and failing to obey its helm, is carried upon rocks and quicksands. So it is with those who wish to comprehend from within the infinity of God, and are not content with being able to acknowledge it in its manifest indications from without. It is related of a certain philosopher among the ancients that not being able to see or comprehend the eternity of the world in the light of his own mind he threw himself into the sea. What if he had wished to see or comprehend the infinity of God!
28. (1) GOD IS INFINITE BECAUSE HE IS AND EXISTS IN AND ALL THINGS IN THE UNIVERSE ARE AND EXIST FROM HIM.
It has been shown above that God is one, the Self, and the Primary Being of all things, and that all things which are, which exist and which subsist in the universe, are from Him; it therefore follows that He is infinite. It will be shown in what follows that human reason can see this from very many things in the created universe. However, although the human mind may acknowledge from these that the primary Entity (Ens) or first Being (Esse) is infinite, yet it cannot know its nature, and therefore cannot define it otherwise than as the Infinite All. The human mind can only declare that this subsists in itself, and consequently is the very and the only Substance; and, since nothing can be predicated of substance unless it is form, that it is the very and the only Form. But what do these conclusions amount to as they throw no light on the nature of the infinite? For the human mind, although highly analytical and elevated, is itself finite, and its finite quality cannot be separated from it. It is, therefore, quite incapable of comprehending the infinity of God as it is in itself, and thus God. It may, however, see Him obscurely, as it were, from behind; as it is said of Moses, when he prayed to see God, that he was placed in a cleft of a rock and saw His back parts, Exodus 33:20-23. By the back parts of God are meant the visible things in the world, and in particular the things apparent in the Word. Hence it is clear that it is vain to desire to know what God is in His Being or in His Substance. It is enough to acknowledge Him from finite, that is, created things, in which He is infinitely. The man who persists in seeking more than this may be compared to a fish lifted into the air, or to a bird placed under the receiver of an air-pump, which, when the air is extracted, begins to gasp, and then dies. He may also be compared to a ship, which, when overwhelmed by a storm, fails to answer her helm and is borne upon rocks and quicksands. So it is with those who seek to comprehend the infinity of God from within, and who are not content to be convinced by manifest tokens from without. It is related of a certain philosopher of old that he threw himself into the sea because he could not see or comprehend by the light (lumen) of his own mind the eternity of the world. What would he have done had he wished to comprehend the infinity of God?
28. I. QUOD DEUS, QUONIAM EST ET EXISTIT IN SE, ET OMNIA IN UNIVERSO SUNT ET EXISTUNT EX IPSO, INFINITUS SIT. Hactenus ostensum est, quod Deus unus sit, et quod sit Ipsum, et quod sit primum Esse omnium, et quod cuncta, quae in Universo sunt, existunt et subsistunt, sint ex Illo; inde sequitur, quod Infinitus sit: quod Ratio humana ex permultis in Universo creato id videre possit, in sequentibus demonstrabitur. Sed tametsi Mens humana ex illis agnoscere potest, quod primum Ens seu primum Esse infinitum sit, usque non potest cognoscere, quale illud est, proinde non definire illud aliter, quam quod sit Infinitum Omne, et quod subsistat in se, et inde quod sit ipsa et unica Substantia, et quia de substantia nihil praedicabile est, nisi sit forma, quod sit ipsa et unica Forma: ast quid tamen haec, non sic apparet quale est Infinitum; 1 ipsa enim Mens humana, etiam summe analytica et elevata, est finita, et finitum in illa non potest removeri, quare nequicquam capax est videre Infinitatem Dei, qualis est in se, ita Deum, sed potest Deum in umbra videre a tergo, sicut dictum est ad Mosen, dum supplicavit videre Deum, quod positus sit in foramine petrae, et viderit posteriora Ipsius, Exodus 33:20-23; per posteriora Dei intelliguntur visibilia 2 in Mundo, et in specie perceptibilia in Verbo:
[2] ex his patet, quod vanum sit, velle cognoscere, qualis Deus est in suo Esse, aut in sua Substantia; sed quod satis sit agnoscere Ipsum ex finitis, hoc est, creatis, in quibus est infinite; homo qui ultra satagit, comparari potest pisci extracto in aerem; aut avi immissae siphoni pneumatico, quae, sicut exantlatur aer, singultat, et demum exspirat: et quoque comparari potest navi, quae dum vincitur a procella, et non obsequitur gubernaculo, fertur in scopulos et syrtes; sic fit illis, qui Infinitatem Dei volunt ab intra cognoscere, non contenti quod possint illam ab extra ex manifestis indiciis agnoscere. Legitur de quodam Philosopho inter Antiquos, quod quia Aeternitatem Mundi non potuit in lumine mentis suae videre aut comprehendere, se in mare projecerit; quid idem, si voluisset Infinitatem Dei.
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