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.
4. Having now dealt with this matter, let us consider the Good as that which really Is and gives their being to all things that exist. The Existent God is, by the nature of His power, super-essentially above all existence; He is the substantial Cause and Creator of Being, Existence, Substance and Nature, the Beginning and the Measuring Principle of ages; the Reality underlying time and the Eternity underlying existences; the time in which created things pass,1 the Existence of those that have any kind of existence, the Life-Process of those which in any way pass through that process. From Him that Is come Eternity, Essence, Being, Time, Life-Process, and that which passes through such Process, the things which inhere in existent things2 and those which under any power whatever possess an independent subsistence. For God is not Existent in any ordinary sense, but in a simple and undefinable manner embracing and anticipating all existence in Himself. Hence He is called “ King of the Ages,” because in Him and around Him all Being is and subsists, and He neither was, nor will be, nor hath entered the life-process, nor is doing so, nor ever will, or rather He doth not even exist, but is the Essence of existence in things that exist; and not only the things that exist but also their very existence comes from Him that Is before the ages. For He Himself is the Eternity of the ages and subsists before the ages.
1 Eternity is a totum simul. It may thus be symbolized by a point revolving round a centre at infinite speed. Time would be symbolized by a point revolving round a centre at a finite speed. Thus eternity is time made perfect. Time is thus subsumed in eternity as the incomplete in the complete. Hence time, like existence, life, etc., exists in God as transcended. Hence the temporal-process is a manifestation of Him. This might lead to Pantheism, but D. is saved from such a result by his hold on the complementary truth of Transcendence. All the properties, etc., of each thing exist outside that thing as an element in the Transcendent Being of God.
2 i. e. The qualities of things.
4. Having dealt with this matter, let us now consider the Good as that which really Is and gives their being to all things that exist. The Existent God is, by the nature of His power, super-essentially above all existence. He is the substantial Cause and Creator of Being, Existence, Substance, and Nature; the Beginning and the Measuring Principle of ages; the Reality underlying time and the Eternity underlying existences; the time in which created things pass,1 the Existence of whatever has any kind of existence, the Life-Process of whatever in any way passes through that process. From Him that Is come Eternity, Essence, Being, Time, Life-Process, and what passes through such Process, the things which inhere in existent things2 and those which under any power whatever possess an independent subsistence.
For God is not Existent in any ordinary sense, but in a simple and undefinable manner, embracing and anticipating all existence in Himself. Hence He is called “King of the Ages,” because in Him and around Him all Being is and subsists; and He neither was, nor will be, nor has entered the life-process, nor is doing so, nor ever will; or rather, He does not even exist, but is the Essence of existence in things that exist. And not only the things that exist but also their very existence comes from Him that Is before the ages. For He Himself is the Eternity of the ages and subsists before the ages.
1 Eternity is a totum simul. It may thus be symbolized by a point revolving round a centre at infinite speed; time would be symbolized by a point revolving round a centre at a finite speed. Eternity is thus time made perfect, and time is subsumed in eternity as the incomplete in the complete. Hence time, like existence, life, etc., exists in God as transcended, and the temporal-process is a manifestation of Him. This might lead to Pantheism, but D. is saved from such a result by his hold on the complementary truth of Transcendence. All the properties, etc., of each thing exist outside that thing as an element in the Transcendent Being of God.
2 i.e. The qualities of things.