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Secrets of the Art
Revealed
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13. divine
Thirteen:
Finally, this Art is Divine
First, this
Art is divine by reason of its origin: now as it is
impossible mentally, let alone physically for human
ingenuity to think out and discover, even in one
particular and specific Science, the sure and infallible
principles and the way of operating with the sure and
infallible principles that would be sufficient to
distinguish and demonstrate all the particulars of this
Science, as you learn by daily experience from the Reform
of the Sciences that some Scientists famous in certain
particular Sciences have contemplated, and that they will
not cease contemplating and attempting in future times,
as they attest to the fact that GOD "... hath
delivered the world to their consideration, so that man
cannot find out the work which GOD hath made from the
beginning to the end." (Ecclesiastes Ch 3 v 11)
My Son, has
any astronomer yet determined the perfect system of
heavenly movement, and has anyone found a way to
calculate it that takes every number into account? Do you
not see, my Son, your wise geometers, as they reject the
finite principles of former times and try to give them a
new garb of infinity, negate the first basic definition
of a point that had formerly been venerated as the
cornerstone of all Geometry? And what about the
philosophy of Aristotle, have not the books of this
eminent philosopher been gnawed full of holes by the
worms of Descartes just like Ptolemy's Almagest by the
moths of Copernicus? It is indeed difficult, nay,
impossible, to enclose and comprehend such an epic array
of all the Sciences and of all natural and supernatural
things in one tiny nutshell of a human head.
From the
above you can see, and in what follows you will see even
more, that my Art is "a universal Science, the
subject of all other Sciences, and that it has sure and
universal principles with which countless particular
questions can be answered." (Doctor Illum. in Art.
inv. Part. in Univ. Dist. 3. q. 10. f. 35.) My Son, in
many of my books I have demonstrated with invincible
arguments that there is such an Art and that it was
invented by me, and not by the light of natural
understanding, but rather "with the grace of the
Holy Spirit, by whose infusion this Science was made so
as to influence and direct all other Sciences."
(Doctor Illum. ibid. fol. 38. cam. 13.) You understand
that this refers to my General Art, given to me by the
Holy Spirit, and with it man can learn about all natural
things, according to what the intellect gathers from the
senses: it is good for learning Law, Medicine and all
Sciences, and for learning Theology, which I rate above
the other Sciences; there is no Art that can so
efficiently help to solve questions and to destroy errors
by applying natural reason." (Doctor Illum. in Lib.
Desol. n. 8. fol. 37.)
Secondly,
this Art is Divine by reason of its Principles, which are
the selfsame Divine Reasons: Schools usually call them
Divine Attributes and I have called them by several names
in my books, such as Forms, Dignities, essential
Qualities, Virtues etc.: the lofty Perfection of this Art
requires such Principles, for without them we could not
form any demonstrations that perfectly satisfy the human
mind, as you have already well noted, my Son, in your
treatise on "First Class Authors". (fol. 52.
rat. 2.)
In Tome Two
which contains the practical application of Tome One, you
will see how all my demonstrations are actually reduced,
or can easily be reduced to these supreme Principles.
Third, this
Art is Divine because the way its principles serve to
operate and demonstrate is not only natural, but both
natural and supernatural at once: and if you want to be
informed about this dual mode, read the chapter on
Supernatural Demonstration in the Book of Admirable
Demonstrations (Lib. de Mir. Demonst. cap. 27. fol.
50) in the second Tome, and you will be overjoyed when
you understand what is said there.
Fourth, it
is Divine "especially as this Science approaches
Divine Science because its unity with Divine Essence
allows it to bring all things back to the likeness of
GOD, and in this way it briefly and simply represents
whatever man can investigate." (Doctor Illum. in
Introd. Art. Dem. cap. 37. fol. 33. Tome 3)
My Son, many
secrets are contained in these thirteen Properties, and I
will reveal some of them to you in the coming chapters,
as discretion allows and necessity requires.
In order to
finish this chapter with some useful admonitions and
information about the way you can acquire this Art and
Science more easily and quickly, given that you have
understood from the above that I acquired it by way of
supernal enlightenment, you must know, my Son, that
Science is either infused or acquired; "infused
science arises from will, devotion and prayer, and
acquired science from intellect, study and
work"" (Doctor. Illum. Lib. de Amic. et Ama. n.
249.) Thus, there are two doorways through which my
Pupils can enter into the inner courtyard of my Science,
one of these is the doorway of intellect and the other is
the doorway of will: and out of these doorways come two
kinds of Pupils, one more noble and perfect than the
other, and sometimes a third kind of Pupil emerges from
them, nobler and more perfect than both, and this happens
in two ways: now some of my Pupils first enter through
the door of intellect and exit through the door of the
will, whereas others first enter through the door of the
will and exit through the door of intellect, and both of
them reach the same point in the end, and these are more
pleasing to me and more useful to the world than the two
previous ones as they have the dual habit of both infused
and acquired Science. From this you can gather that there
are three grades of Pupils, Masters and Doctors of
Lullism, namely positive, comparative and superlative;
choose for yourself, my Son, to which of the three you
have the courage to ascend, and so that you may not lack
the means for performing this ascent, I have prepared for
you in many of my Volumes, some very convenient ladders,
including, among others, Faith and Devotion: these are
the ladders by which the intellect ascends to an
understanding of the Beloved's Secrets, and Faith and
Devotion originate in the Beloved, who illuminates Faith
and inflames Devotion." (Book of the Lover and the
Beloved n.300)(Doctor. Illum. Lib. de Amic. & Ama. n.
300. fol. 174.) And since this is only a very brief
indication, I advise you to refer to my Compendious Art
for Finding the Truth, and its Seventh Mode of Prayer.
(Dist. 2. p. 2. f. 13.) Now this Mode is a Key that will
open for you the Secret of Distinction Forty in my great
Book of Contemplation, whose Book five in Volume three
deals most explicitly with Prayer in fifty one chapters,
where astounding Arcana of Science and Wisdom, hitherto
unknown to the Wise, are revealed. The preceding,
thirty-ninth Distinction of the said Book, that treats of
Love in forty-seven Chapters, will open for you the
secret door of the Will: and lest you think that I am
promising more than I can deliver, I will give you a
specimen of this in the final Chapter of the present
Treatise.
Having given
you the means, it now behooves me to give you the way for
acquiring an Infusion of this Art and Science:
"therefore, this mode of discourse proceeds in two
ways, namely through holiness of life and contemplation,
and anyone who strives and labors to acquire infused
Science should live a holy, honest life, be very
charitable and devout, and have all seven Virtues ready
in his soul to fight against vice (note here, my Son, one
of the reasons why I included the Virtues among the
Principles of my Art) and as this Art consists in
universal Principles in which particulars are sought, it
behooves you to love general more than particular good,
for otherwise you would contravene the rules of this Art,
be disqualified from receiving infusion from GOD and
unable to learn this Science. There are two kinds of
Contemplation for obtaining infused Science by the grace
of the supreme Giver, and you can see both of them here,
and especially in all of my Book of Contemplation. Now if
anyone diligently works through the things prescribed in
this Book, he will receive abundant Infusion of this
Science and other Sciences." (Doctor. Illum. in Art.
inv. Part. in Univ. Dist. 2. p. 2. n. 4. f. 5.)
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