He who is aware of the presence of will in himself knows that the soul moves by itself; for when we will, no one else wills in us. And this movement of the soul in us is arbitrary, for God has granted it to be so. But it is not a movement from one place to another, like the motion of a body; for to move spatially is inherent in the body. And if the soul, by means of the will, that is, of that motion which is not spatial, nevertheless moves its body in space, then for this reason it is not itself spatially moving. For in the same way we see something rotating by means of an axis for a great distance, and the axis itself not moving spatially.

Question 9. Can truth be perceived by the bodily senses?

Everything that our bodily sense touches, which is called sensuously perceived, changes without any delay of time, as, for example, when the hair on our head grows, or the body inclines to old age, or blossoms in youth, all this happens constantly and does not cease to do at all. And that which does not abide cannot be perceived, for that which is embraced by knowledge is perceived; However, it is impossible to embrace the constantly changing. Thus, one should not expect pure truth from the bodily senses. But lest any one should say that there is something sensible which is always the same, and should not ask us the question of the sun and the stars, in respect of which it will not be easy to refute it, there is certainly no one who is not compelled to admit that there is nothing sensible which does not admit of a false resemblance. so that it is impossible to distinguish [between true and false]. For, apart from the rest, even if all that we perceive through the body is not present in the senses, we are still affected by the images of it, as if it were really present, as in sleep or in fever. For when we experience [these states], we are generally unable to distinguish whether we are sensing something with our senses, or whether it is only images of what is sensely perceived. If, therefore, there are false images of sensible perceptions, which cannot be recognized by the senses themselves, and nothing can be comprehended except by distinguishing them from the false, then there is no firm judgment of truth in the senses. That is why we are called in the highest degree of salvation to turn away from this world, which is wholly corporeal and sensual, and to turn with all zeal to God, that is, to the Truth perceived by the intellect and the inner mind, which is always the same, and has no false image from which it is impossible to distinguish it.

Question 10. Is the body from God?

Всякое благо от Бога, все имеющее вид — благо, в той степени, в какой имеет вид, и все, что объемлется видом, имеет вид. А всякое тело, чтобы быть телом, объемлется неким видом. Итак, всякое тело от Бога.

Вопрос 11. Почему Христос родился от женщины?

Бог, если избавляет, не некую часть избавляет, но избавляет целиком все то, чему случилось быть в опасности. Итак, Премудрость и Сила Божия, именуемая Единородным Сыном, когда восприняла человеческую природу, указала на избавление человека. И это избавление человека должно было проявиться в каждом из двух полов. Итак, поскольку приличествовало [Богу] воспринять мужа, ибо этот пол почетнее, то, как следствие, освобождение женского пола проявилось в том, что этот муж был рожден от женщины.