Book I
Chapter IV
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An admirable description of God’s Attributes |
| QUID est ergo deus meus? quid, rogo, nisi dominus deus? quis enim dominus praeter dominum? ant quis dens praeter deum nostrum? summe, optirne, potentissime, omnipotentissime, isericordissime et justissime, secretissime et praesentissime, pulcherrime et fortissime, stabilis et inconprehensibilis, inmutabilis, mutans omnia, numquam novus, numquam vetus, innovans omnia; in vetustatem perducens superbos et nesciunt semper agens, semper quietus, colligens et non egens, portans et implens et protegens, creans et nutriens, perficiens, quaerens, cum nihul desit tibi. amas nec aestuas, zelas et securus es; paenitet te et non doles, irasceris et tranquillus es, opera mutas nec mutas consilium; recipis quod invenis et numquam amisisti; numquam inops et gaudes lucris, numquam avarus et usuras exigis. supererogatur tibi, ut debeas, et qnis habet quicquam non tuum? reddens debita nulli debens, donans debita nihul perdens. et quid diximus, deus meus, vita mea, dulcedo mea sancta, aut quid dicit aliquis, cum de te dicit? et vae tacentibus de te, quoniam loquaces muti sunt. | WHAT is therefore my God? What, I ask, but the Lord God? For who is
Lord but the Lord? Or who is God besides our God?1
O thou supreme, most excellent, most mighty, most omnipotent, most merciful
and most just; most secret and most present; most beautiful and most strong;
constant and incomprehensible; immutable, yet changing all things; never
new, and never old; renewing all things, and insensibly bringing proud
men into decay;2 ever active, and ever
quiet; gathering together, yet never wanting; upholding, filling, and protecting;
creating, nourishing and perfecting all things; still seeking, although
thou standest in need of nothing. Thou lovest, yet art not transported;
art jealous, but withoat fear; thou dost repent, but not grieve; art angry,
but cool still. Thy works thou changest, but not thy counsel; takest what
thou findest, never losest aught. Thou art never needy, yet glad of gain;
never covetous, yet exactest advantage. Men pay thee in superabundance
of all things, that thon mayest be the debtor: and who hath anything which
is not thine? Thou payest debts, yet owest nothing; forgivest debts, yet
losest nothing. And shall we say, my God, my Life, my holy Delight: or
what can any man say when he speaks of thee? And woe to them that speak
nothing in thy praise, seeing those that speak most, are dumb.
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1Ps. xviii. 31
2Job ix. 5