六、神性之爱的三重本质是宇宙创造与维系的根基
46# 神性之爱的三重本质，既是宇宙受造之根源，亦是宇宙恒存维系之根基
细究神性之爱的三重本质，便能明晓此三者同为创世之本因。
第一重本质，即爱慕自身以外的他者，为创世之由。由宇宙万有便可印证：宇宙立于上帝之外，一如尘世立于太阳之外；上帝得以将自身大爱向外铺展，在万有之中施行这份爱，并由此得享安息。经文亦有记载，上帝造天地功成之后便歇了一切工，由此设立安息日（创 2:2-3）。
第二重本质，即渴愿与他者相融合一，亦为创世之由。人依照上帝的形像与样式受造，便是明证。所谓形像与样式，意指人被造为承接上帝之爱与智慧的器皿，是能够与上帝联合的存有；借着与人联合，上帝亦可与宇宙间一切整体、个体之物相融，万物皆为达成终极目的的中介。万物为人而造，《创世记》已然清晰写明（创 1:28-30）。
第三重本质，即由自身施予他者福乐，同样是创世之由。天使天堂便是为此而立，凡内里承接上帝之爱的人，皆可进入天堂，众人一切福乐，唯独源自上帝。
此三重神性之爱，亦是宇宙得以持存的根基。盖维系保全即是持续不断的创造，恒常存续即是持续不断的存有；神性之爱自亘古至永世本体不变、恒常如一。是以祂创世之初如何，如今在受造万有之中依旧如是，永无更改。
46# （6）神性之爱的这些要素或属性就是创造宇宙的原因，也是维护宇宙的原因。这三个要素是创造的原因，这一点可通过仔细检查它们清楚看出来。第一个要素，即爱自己以外的其他人，是一个原因，这一点从宇宙明显看出来，宇宙在神之外，正如世界在太阳之外，祂由此能将祂的爱延伸到宇宙，并在其中行使祂的爱，从而安息于其上。因此，我们读到，神创造天地之后，就安息了；这就是为何祂设立安息日（创世记2:2-3）。第二个要素，即渴望与其他人合而为一，也是一个原因，这一点从照着神的形像和样式创造人明显看出来；这意味着人被造为从神那里接受爱和智慧的形式，神能与这个形式合而为一，也为了人而能与整个宇宙及其中的一切合而为一，宇宙及其中的一切都只是方法；因为与最终原因的结合也是与居间原因的结合。一切事物都是为了人在被创造的，这一点从创世记（1:28-30）也明显看出来。第三个要素，即使其他人从自己那里蒙福，这一点从天使天堂明显看出来，天使天堂是为凡接受神之爱的人而提供的，其中所有人的祝福都唯独来自神。神之爱的这三个要素也是维护宇宙的原因，因为维护就是永恒的创造，就像持续存在就是永恒的存在一样；神性之爱从永恒到永恒都是一样的，也就是说，它在创造世界中是怎样，在被创造时的世界中就是怎样，并继续是怎样。
46. 6. These essentials of divine love were the reason the universe was created, and they are the reason it is maintained. By examining and scrutinizing the three essentials of divine love, one can come to see that they were the reason for creation. The first essential, loving others outside of himself, was a reason for creation in that the universe is outside God (just as the world is outside the sun). The universe is something to which God could extend his love and in which he could put his love into action and so find rest. We read that after God had created heaven and earth he rested; and that he made the Sabbath day for that reason (Genesis 2:23).
You can see that the second essential, God's wanting to be one with others, was also a reason for creation from the fact that people were created in the image and likeness of God. The "image" and the "likeness" mean that we were made as forms that are receptive to love and wisdom from God - forms that God could be one with, and on whose account he could be one with all the other things in the universe, which are all nothing but means. A connection with the final cause is also a connection with the intermediate causes. Genesis, the Book of Creation, makes it clear that all things were created for the sake of humankind (Genesis 1:28-30).
That the third essential, God's blessing others from himself, is a reason for creation you can see from the fact that the angelic heaven was provided for everyone who has let God's love in, a place where the blessings of all come from God alone.
The three essentials of God's love are the reason the universe is maintained as well, because maintaining is an ongoing creation, just as continuing to exist is the same as perpetually coming into being. Divine love is the same from eternity to eternity. The nature God's love has now and will have in the future is the same nature it had when creating the world.
46. (vi) THESE PROPERTIES OF THE DIVINE LOVE WERE THE REASON THE UNIVERSE WAS CREATED, AND ARE THE REASON IT IS PRESERVED IN EXISTENCE.
A thorough scrutiny and examination of these three essentials of the Divine Love can lead us to see that they were the reason for creation. That the first, loving others than itself, was a cause is clear from the universe being other than God, as the world is other than the sun, and something to which His love could extend and on which it could be exercised and so come to rest. We read too that, after God had created heaven and the earth, He rested, and this was the origin of the Sabbath (Genesis 2:2-3).
[2] The second essential, wishing to be one with them, was also a cause as is clear from the creation of man in the image and likeness of God. By this is meant that man was made as a form to receive love and wisdom from God, that is, to be someone with whom God could unite Himself, and on his account with every single thing in the universe, since these are nothing but means to the end. For being linked to a final cause involves also being linked to mediate causes. It is clear from the Book of Creation or Genesis (Genesis 1:28-30) that all things were created on account of man.
[3] The third essential, devoting oneself to their happiness, was also a cause, as is clear from the heaven of angels, which has been provided for every human being who receives the love of God; all there are made happy by God alone. These three essentials of God's love are also the reason why the universe is preserved, because preservation is perpetual creation, just as remaining in existence is a perpetual coming into existence; and the Divine Love is from eternity to eternity the same. So as it was in the creation of the world, such too it remains in the created world.
46. (6) These essentials of the Divine Love were the cause of the creation of the universe, and are the cause of its preservation. That these three essentials were the cause of creation can be clearly seen by a careful investigation of them. That the first, which is to love others outside of oneself, was a cause, is seen in the universe in that it is outside of God, as the world is outside of the sun, and in that He is thus able to extend His love to it, and exercise His love upon it, and thus rest in it. So we read that after God had created the heavens and the earth He rested, and that this was why the Sabbath day was instituted (Genesis 2:2, 3). That the second essential, which is a desire to be one with others, was also a cause, is seen in the creation of man in the image and likeness of God, which means that man was made a form for receiving love and wisdom from God, thus a being with whom God could unite Himself, and also for man's sake with each thing and all things in the universe, which are nothing but means; for conjunction with a final cause is also conjunction with mediate causes. That all things were created for the sake of man is plain also from the Book of Creation, or Genesis (1:28-30). That the third essential, which is to render others blessed from oneself, is a cause, is seen in the angelic heaven, which is provided for every man who receives the love of God, and in which the blessedness of all comes from God alone. These three essentials of the love of God are also the cause of the preservation of the universe, since preservation is perpetual creation, as subsistence is perpetual existence; and the Divine love is the same from eternity to eternity, that is, such as it was in creating the world, such it is and continues to be in the world when created.
46. (8) THESE PROPERTIES OF THE DIVINE LOVE WERE THE CAUSE OF THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE, AND THEY ARE THE CAUSE OF ITS PRESERVATION.
That these three essentials of the Divine Love were the cause of Creation may be clearly seen from a careful examination of them. That the first, which is to love others outside of itself, was a cause is evident from the universe, which is outside of God as the world is outside of the sun, and to which He can extend His love, and in which He can exercise His love and consequently rest; as it is written that after God had created the heaven and the earth, He rested; and thus originated the Sabbath day, Genesis 2:2-3. That the second, which is to desire to be one with them, was a cause is evident from the creation of man in the image and likeness of God. By this is meant that man was made a form recipient of love and wisdom from God, so that He could unite Himself with man and, for his sake, with the whole universe and everything in it, as these are but means; for conjunction with a final cause implies also conjunction with mediate causes. That all things were created for the sake of man is evident from the Book of Creation, or Genesis 1:28-30. That the third essential of Divine Love, which is to make others happy from itself, is a cause of Creation is evident from the angelic heaven, which is provided for every man who receives the Love of God, where all are made happy from God alone. These three essentials of the Love of God are also the cause of the preservation of the universe, for preservation is perpetual creation, just as subsistence is perpetual existence; and as the Divine Love from eternity to eternity is the same, it is and it remains in the world after its creation such as it was when the world was being created.
46. VI. QUOD HAEC AMORIS DIVINI FUERINT CAUSA CREATIONIS UNIVERSI, ET QUOD SINT CAUSA CONSERVATIONIS EJUS. Quod illa tria Essentialia 1 amoris Divini fuerint causa Creationis, ex scrutinio et examine illorum perspici potest; quod hoc PRIMUM, quod est amare alios extra se, fuerit causa, constat ex Universo, quod sit extra Deum, sicut Mundus est extra Solem, et in quod potest amorem suum extendere, et in quo illum exercere, et sic quiescere; legitur etiam, quod postquam Deus creaverat Coelum et Terram, quieverit, et quod inde factus sit dies Sabbathi, Genesis 2:2-3.
[2] Quod SECUNDUM, quod est velle unum esse cum illis, fuerit causa, constat ex creatione hominis in imaginem et similitudinem Dei, per quas intelligitur, quod homo factus sit forma recipiens amorem et sapientiam a Deo, ita cum quo Deus se potest unire, et propter illum cum omnibus et singulis Universi, quae non aliud sunt quam media; nam conjunctio cum causa finali est quoque conjunctio cum causis mediis; quod omnia propter Hominem creata sint, patet etiam ex Libro Creationis seu Genesi 1:28, 29, 30.
[3] Quod TERTIUM, quod est beatificare illos ex se, sit causa, constat ex Coelo Angelico, quod provisum est omni homini, qui amorem Dei recipit, ubi omnium beatificatio est a Solo Deo. Quod tria illa essentialia amoris Dei etiam sint causa conservationis Universi, est quia Conservatio est perpetua Creatio, sicut subsistentia est perpetua existentia; ac Divinus Amor ab aeterno in aeternum est idem, ita qualis fuit in creando Mundum, talis est et manet in illo creato.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: Essentiala.