VII. Responsum veri Cultus Dei.

VII. Responsum veri Cultus Dei.

And again, from the aforementioned turbulent cloud, I heard a voice responding to this image: "What is more pleasing to God, to worship Him, or to do His works?" The things that come from Him can give life to no one. And what is the life that God gives? Indeed, a rational human being exists, and the rest of creation subsists in the elements. How? A person exists in the realm of rationality, while every creature that flies or crawls lives and moves from the elements. Humans have sound in their rationality; however, the rest of creation is mute, unable to help itself or others, but it fulfills its own duty. But you, oh magical art, have a circle without a point. For when you inquire about many questions in the circle of creation, that very creation will take away your honor and wealth, and like a stone, it will cast you into hell, because you have taken away from it the name of its God. Therefore, all the tribes of the earth will mourn over you, because you mock them in blasphemy, while you lead them into error in the worship of God, where they ought to serve Him. Therefore, there are no other rewards for you than the rewards of the Devil. However, the fourth image appeared in the form of a man, except that it lacked hair on its head, and had a beard like a goat, and small pupils with a wide, white appearance in its eyes, and it drew in and forcefully expelled air through its nostrils. His hands were also made of iron, and his legs were blood-red, and his feet were like the feet of a lion. However, she was wearing a tunic that was woven with a mix of white and black colors, which appeared to be tight at the top but was loose around the legs. And on his chest appeared a face of dark color, which had fixed its feet into that same chest; but his back and tail were turned toward that same image. But there stood before it a tree, which had rooted itself in hell, and whose fruits were pitchy and sulfurous apples; and this image was gazing intently at that tree, and eagerly devouring its fruit with its mouth. It was also surrounded by many horrible worms, which made a great noise and stirred up a significant movement in the aforementioned darkness, just as fish do when they disturb the water with the strokes of their tails.