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.
Time, and is anterior2 to Days and anterior to Eternity and Time. And the titles “Time,” “Day,” “Season,” and “Eternity” must be applied to Him in a Divine sense, to mean One Who is utterly incapable of all change and movement and, in His eternal motion, remains at rest; and Who is the Cause whence Eternity, Time, and Days are derived. Wherefore in the Sacred Theophanies revealed in mystic Visions He is described as Ancient and yet as Young: the former title signifying that He is the Primal Being, existent from the beginning, and the latter that He grows not old. Or both titles together teach that He goes forth from the Beginning through the entire process of the world unto the End. Or, as the Divine Initiator4 tells us, either term implies the Primal Being of God: the term “Ancient” signifying that He is First in point of Time, and the term “Young” that He possesses the Primacy in point of Number, since Unity and the properties of Unity have a primacy over the more advanced numbers.5
3. Need is there, methinks, that we understand the sense in which Scripture speaketh of Time and Eternity. For where Scripture speaks of things as “eternal” it doth not always mean things that are absolutely Uncreated or verily Everlasting, Incor-
1 In the Super-Essence each thing has the limits of its duration predetermined. Or else D. means that in the Super-Essence the movement of Time has the impulse which generates it.
2 Temporal precedence is metaphorically used to express metaphysical precedence. God cannot in the literal sense of the words, temporally precede time.
3 He transcends both Rest and Motion.
4 Presumably Hierotheus.
5 He is the Source of all extension both in Time and in Space, Unity underlies all counting (for 2, 3, 4, etc. —twice I, three times I, four times I, etc.). Hence it is the Origin, as it were, of all number. And, being at the beginning of the arithmetical series (as youth is at the beginning of life) it is symbolized (according to D.) by youthfulness.
Time, and is anterior2 to Days and anterior to Eternity and Time. The titles “Time,” “Day,” “Season,” and “Eternity” must be applied to Him in a Divine sense, to mean One who is utterly incapable of all change and movement and who, in His eternal motion, remains at rest; and who is the Cause from which Eternity, Time, and Days are derived.
That is why, in the Sacred Theophanies revealed in mystic Visions, He is described as both Ancient and Young: the former title signifying that He is the Primal Being, existing from the beginning, and the latter that He does not grow old. Or the two titles together teach that He goes forth from the Beginning through the entire process of the world to the End. Or, as the Divine Initiator4 tells us, either term implies the Primal Being of God: the term “Ancient” signifying that He is First in point of Time, and the term “Young” that He holds the Primacy in point of Number, since Unity and the properties of Unity have primacy over the more advanced numbers.5
3. We need, I think, to understand the sense in which Scripture speaks of Time and Eternity. For when Scripture speaks of things as “eternal,” it does not always mean things that are absolutely Uncreated or truly Everlasting, Incor-
1 In the Super-Essence each thing has the limits of its duration predetermined. Or else D. means that in the Super-Essence the movement of Time has the impulse which generates it.
2 Temporal precedence is used metaphorically to express metaphysical precedence. God cannot, in the literal sense of the words, temporally precede time.
3 He transcends both Rest and Motion.
4 Presumably Hierotheus.
5 He is the Source of all extension, both in Time and in Space. Unity underlies all counting (for 2, 3, 4, etc. are twice 1, three times 1, four times 1, etc.). Hence it is, as it were, the Origin of all number. And since it stands at the beginning of the arithmetical series (as youth stands at the beginning of life), it is symbolized (according to D.) by youthfulness.