47.若正确理解这些事，就能看出，整个宇宙自初至末是一个连贯的整体。因为它包含目的、途径和结果，而这目的、途径和结果被绑定在一个解不开的结中。由于每种爱都有一个目的，一切智慧通过居间的途径促成这个目的，并通过这些途径获得结果，也就是用或服务，故可知，整个宇宙包含圣爱、圣智和用或服务，因而自初至末是一个连贯的整体。凡智者若对宇宙创造形成一个总体概念，并仔细检查其细节，因为细节会使自身适应自己的总体，而总体则将它们排列到一个和谐的形式中，那么他就会如在一面镜中那样发现，整个宇宙由持续不断的用或服务构成。这些用或服务由爱发起，通过智慧带来。我会在下文以多种方式说明这一真理。
47. 倘若你以適當的方式來認知所有這些, 就能視宇宙自始至終為一件連貫的工作, 一件持定目標,方法和結果的工作。
每樣的愛都有其目的, 所有的智慧通過居間的方法去實現那個目的, 利用那些方法以達成預期效果,或有用的結果。因此可以說, 宇宙是一件體現聖仁,聖智和各樣用處的工作。用每一種能想到的方式, 從始至終連貫的一件工作。
宇宙由穩定的,有用的功能組成。這些功能是在仁愛的驅動下, 由智慧產生而成。所有稍有理性的人都可以思量得到這個事實, 就像對著鏡子面對面看到。當他們獲得宇宙如何被造的總體輪廓, 就能夠聚焦於細節。這是因為局部適應整體, 整體協調局部。接下來, 我會以各種方式將此真相告白於眾。
47. If you understand all this in the right way, you will be able to see the universe as a coherent work from beginning to end, a work holding purposes, means, and results in indissoluble connection.
Every love has a purpose. All wisdom moves toward fulfilling that purpose by intermediate means, using those means to achieve effective, useful results. Therefore it follows that the universe is a work that embodies divine love, divine wisdom, and usefulness of all kinds. In every conceivable way, then, it is a coherent work from beginning to end.
The fact that the universe consists of constant useful functions produced by wisdom under love's initiative is something all wise people can contemplate as if they were seeing it in a mirror. Once they acquire a general picture of how the universe was created, they can focus on the details. This is because parts adapt to the whole, and the whole places the parts in a harmonious arrangement. In what follows, the truth of this will come to light in many ways.
47. A proper perception of these matters may show that the universe is a coherent whole from first to last, since it contains ends, causes and effects bound up in an indissoluble knot. Since every love has an end in view, and all wisdom is the advancement of the end through mediate causes, and through these proceeding to effects, which are the purposes it serves, it follows too that the universe contains the Divine Love, the Divine Wisdom and services, and is thus a coherent whole from first to last. Every wise man can study as in a mirror the fact that the universe is composed of a perpetual succession of services brought about by wisdom and initiated by love, if he forms for himself any general idea about the creation of the universe, and examines its details. For the details adapt themselves to the general pattern, and this arranges them into a consonant form. Many illustrations of this will be given in the following pages.
47. From these things when rightly understood it can be seen that the universe is a coherent work from first things to last, because it is a work that includes ends, causes, and effects in an indissoluble connection. And because in every love there is an end, in all wisdom there is a promotion of an end by means of mediate causes, and through these causes effects, which are uses, are attained, it follows that the universe is a work that includes Divine love, Divine wisdom, and uses, and is thus in every respect a word coherent from things first to last. That the universe consists of perpetual uses, brought forth by wisdom but initiated by love, every wise man can observe as in a mirror, as soon as he acquires a general conception of the creation of the universe, and from that observes the particulars; for particulars adapt themselves to their own general, and the general arranges them in a form in which they are in harmony. The truth of this will be illustrated in many ways in what follows.
47. If these things are properly understood it may be seen that the universe is a work coherent from first things to last, because it is a work with ends, causes and effects indissolubly linked together. Since in all love there is an end, and since in all wisdom there is the promotion of that end through mediate causes and by means of them to effects, which are uses, it follows that the universe is an all embracing work of Divine Love, Divine Wisdom, and Uses, and thus a work entirely coherent from first things to last. That the universe consists of perpetual uses, produced by wisdom and initiated by love, may be seen as in a mirror by every wise man when he acquires a general idea of the creation of the universe, and regards its particulars in that light. For particulars adapt themselves to their own general idea, which disposes them in orderly arrangement. That this is so will be further illustrated in what follows.
47. Ex his rite perceptis videri potest, quod Universum sit Opus cohaerens a primis ad ultima, quia est opus continens Finium, Causarum, et Effectuum in nexu indissolubili: et quia in omni amore est finis, in omni sapientia est promotio finis per causas medias, et per has ad effectus, qui sunt usus, consequitur etiam quod Universum sit Opus continens 1 Divini Amoris, Divinae Sapientiae, et Usuum, et sic omnino Opus cohaerens a primis ad ultima. Quod Universum consistat ex perpetuis Usibus productis a Sapientia ac initiatis ab Amore, omnis sapiens potest contemplari sicut in speculo, dum communem ideam de Creatione universi sibi comparat, et in illa particularia tuetur; particularia enim adaptant se suo communi, et commune disponit illa in formam ut concordent; quod ita sit, in sequentibus per plura illustrabitur.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: coatinens.