On the Divine Names and the Mystical Theology — trans. C. E. Rolt
The translator’s English as printed (C. E. Rolt). The original-language text is not held; names are romanised as the translator printed them.
30. In fine, Good cometh from the One universal Cause; and evil from many partial deficiencies. God knows evil under the form of good, and with Him the causes of evil things are faculties productive of good. And if evil is eternal, creative, and powerful, and if it hath being and activity, whence hath it these attributes? Come they from the Good? Or from the evil by the action of the Good? Or from some other cause by the action of them both? All natural results arise from a definite cause; and if evil hath no cause or definite being, it is unnatural. For that which is contrary to Nature hath no place in Nature, even as unskilfulness hath no place in skilfulness. Is the soul, then, the cause of evils, even as fire is the cause of warmth? And doth the soul, then, fill with evil whatsoever things are near it? Or is the nature of the soul in itself good, while yet in its activities the soul is sometimes in one state, and sometimes in another?! Now, if the very existence of the soul is naturally evil, whence is that existence derived? From the Good Creative Cause of the whole world? If from this Origin, how can it be, in its essential nature, evil? For all things sprung from out this Origin are good. But if it is evil merely in its activities, even so this condition is not fixed. Otherwise (i.e. if it doth not itself also assume a good quality) what is the origin of the virtues ??
1 D. is here alluding to the mystical doctrine of the timeless self—the ultimate root of goodness in each individual which remains unchanged by the failures and sins of the temporal self. ? D. is arguing with those who hold that evil is in some sense necessary to the existence of the world, and therefore has a permanent place in it. Sin is, they hold, a necessary self-realization of human
30. In short, Good comes from the one universal Cause, and evil from many partial deficiencies. God knows evil under the form of good, and with Him the causes of evil things are faculties that produce good. And if evil is eternal, creative, and powerful, and if it has being and activity, where does it get these attributes? Do they come from the Good? Or from evil through the action of the Good? Or from some other cause through the action of both? All natural results arise from a definite cause; and if evil has no cause and no definite being, it is unnatural. For what is contrary to Nature has no place in Nature, just as lack of skill has no place in skill.
Is the soul, then, the cause of evils, as fire is the cause of warmth? And does the soul, then, fill with evil whatever is near it? Or is the nature of the soul good in itself, while in its activities the soul is sometimes in one state and sometimes in another?1 Now, if the very existence of the soul is naturally evil, where does that existence come from? From the Good Creative Cause of the whole world? If from this Origin, how can it be evil in its essential nature? For all things that spring from this Origin are good. But if it is evil only in its activities, even so this condition is not fixed. Otherwise (i.e. if it does not also itself take on a good quality) what is the origin of the virtues?2
1 D. is alluding here to the mystical doctrine of the timeless self—the ultimate root of goodness in each individual, which remains unchanged by the failures and sins of the temporal self. 2 D. is arguing with those who hold that evil is in some sense necessary to the existence of the world, and therefore has a permanent place in it. Sin, they hold, is a necessary self-realization of human