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.
Trinity; while the same mountain viewed at a distance is the Stream of Universal Emanation.
And though the view becomes dimmer and dimmer the farther away you go, yet it is always the same mountain itself that is being viewed. The Particular Stream, on the other hand, is like the same mountain when invisible at night, for the mountain still sends forth its vibrations, but these are lost in the darkness.
Or we may compare the Super-Essence to a magnet and the Persons of the Trinity to its tangible surface, and the two emanating Streams to the positive and negative magnetism which are simply the essence of the magnet present (so to speak) at a distance. Even so (but in a manner which is truer because non-spatial) the Super-Essence is in the emanating streams outside the Super-Essential plane and thus interpenetrates regions which are remote from Itself. It is both immanent in the world as its Principle of Being and outside it as transcending all categories of Being. This contradiction is implied in the very word “Emanation” (πρόοδος) which means an act by which the Super-Essence goes forth from Itself. And, in fact, Dionysius more than once definitely says that the Super-Essence actually passes outside of Itself even while It remains all the time wholly within itself. This he expresses in one place by saying that the act of Creation is an ecstasy of Divine Love. This thought is vital to his doctrine, and must be remembered whenever in the present attempt to expound him, the Super-Essence is spoken of as “outside” the creatures. The Super-Essence is not, strictly speaking, external to anything. But It is “outside” the creatures because (as existing simultaneously on two planes) It is “outside” Itself. And, therefore, although the entire plane of creation is interpenetrated by It, yet in Its ultimate Nature It is beyond that plane and so outside it. Finite creatures though filled (according to their measure) with Its Presence, yet must, in so far as they are finite, look up to It as That which is Other than themselves. And, in this sense of being Other than they are, It must be described as “outside” them, even though (as their Principle of Being) It is within them.
Trinity; while the same mountain seen from a distance is the Stream of Universal Emanation.
And though the view grows dimmer and dimmer the farther away you go, it is always the same mountain that is being viewed. The Particular Stream, on the other hand, is like the same mountain when it is invisible at night: the mountain still sends forth its vibrations, but these are lost in the darkness.
Or we may compare the Super-Essence to a magnet, the Persons of the Trinity to its tangible surface, and the two emanating Streams to the positive and negative magnetism, which are simply the essence of the magnet present (so to speak) at a distance. Even so (but in a manner which is truer because non-spatial) the Super-Essence is present in the emanating streams outside the Super-Essential plane, and so interpenetrates regions remote from Itself. It is both immanent in the world as its Principle of Being and outside it as transcending all categories of Being. This contradiction is implied in the very word “Emanation” (πρόοδος), which means an act by which the Super-Essence goes forth from Itself.
And in fact Dionysius more than once says plainly that the Super-Essence actually passes outside Itself even while It remains wholly within Itself the whole time. In one place he expresses this by saying that the act of Creation is an ecstasy of Divine Love. This thought is vital to his doctrine, and must be remembered whenever, in the present attempt to expound him, the Super-Essence is spoken of as “outside” the creatures.
Strictly speaking, the Super-Essence is not external to anything. But It is “outside” the creatures because (existing simultaneously on two planes) It is “outside” Itself. And therefore, although the entire plane of creation is interpenetrated by It, in Its ultimate Nature It is beyond that plane and so outside it. Finite creatures, though filled (according to their measure) with Its Presence, must still, in so far as they are finite, look up to It as That which is Other than themselves. And in this sense of being Other than they are, It must be described as “outside” them, even though (as their Principle of Being) It is within them.