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.
THE DIVINE NAMES mi ruptible, Immortal, Invariable, and Immutable (e.g. “Be ye lift up, ye eternal doors,” ! and suchlike passages). Often it gives the name of “Eternal” to anything very ancient; and sometimes, again, it applies the term “Eternity” to the whole course of earthly Time, inasmuch as it is the property of Eternity to be ancient and invariable and to measure the whole of Being. The name “Time” it gives to that changing process which is shown in birth, death, and variation. And hence we who are here circumscribed by Time are, saith the Scripture, destined to share in Eternity when we reach that incorruptible Eternity which changes not. And sometimes the Scripture declares the glories of a Temporal Eternity and an Eternal Time, although we understand that in stricter exactness it describes and reveals Eternity as the home of things that are in Being, and Time as the home of things that are in Birth? We must not, therefore, think of the things which are called Eternal as being simply co-ordinate with the Everlasting God Who exists before Eternity ;° but, strictly following the venerable Scriptures, we had better interpret the words “Eternal” and “Temporal” in their proper senses, and regard those things which to some extent participate in Eternity and to some extent in Time as standing midway between things in Being and things in Birth! And God we must celebrate as both Eternity and Time as the Cause of all Time and Eternity and as the Ancient of Days; as before Time and above Time and producing all the variety of times and seasons; and again, as existing before Eternal Ages, in that
PSs say, 7e
2 We cannot help thinking of Eternity as an Endless Time, as we think of infinite number as an endless numerical process. But this is wrong. Eternity is timeless as infinite number is superior to all numerical process. According to Plato, Time is “incomplete life” and Eternity is ‘ complete life.’ Thus Eternity fulfils Time and yet contradicts it, as infinite number fulfils and contradicts the properties of finite numbers. If Time be thought of as an infinite series of finite numbers Eternity is the sum of that series and not its process. But the name may be applied loosely to the process, though this is generally to be avoided. According to St. Thomas, Eternity measures Rest, and Time measures Motion: Eternity is a totum simul and Time is successivum. The difference between them is not, he says, that Time has a beginning and an end whereas Eternity has neither, though he admits that each of the particular objects existing in Time began and will end. (Summa, Pars I. Q. x. Art. iv.) But this is, he says, not essential to the nature of time: it is only per accidens (ibid. Art. v.). Cf. Aristotle’s distinction between “unlimited Time” and limited Time.
* He alludes to Angels and the perfected souls of men and to their celestial abode.
ruptible, Immortal, Invariable, and Immutable (e.g. “Be ye lift up, ye eternal doors,”1 and similar passages). Often it gives the name “Eternal” to anything very ancient; and sometimes, again, it applies the term “Eternity” to the whole course of earthly Time, inasmuch as it is the property of Eternity to be ancient and invariable and to measure the whole of Being. The name “Time” it gives to the changing process shown in birth, death, and variation. And so we who are here circumscribed by Time are, as Scripture says, destined to share in Eternity when we reach that incorruptible Eternity which does not change.
Sometimes, too, Scripture proclaims the glories of a Temporal Eternity and an Eternal Time, although we understand that, speaking more exactly, it describes and reveals Eternity as the home of things that are in Being, and Time as the home of things that are in Birth.2 We must not, therefore, think of the things called Eternal as being simply co-ordinate with the Everlasting God, who exists before Eternity;3 but, strictly following the venerable Scriptures, we would do better to interpret the words “Eternal” and “Temporal” in their proper senses, and to regard those things which participate to some extent in Eternity and to some extent in Time as standing midway between things in Being and things in Birth.1
And God we must celebrate as both Eternity and Time, as the Cause of all Time and Eternity, and as the Ancient of Days; as before Time and above Time, producing all the variety of times and seasons; and again, as existing before the Eternal Ages, in that
PSs say, 7e
2 We cannot help thinking of Eternity as an Endless Time, just as we think of infinite number as an endless numerical process. But this is wrong. Eternity is timeless, just as infinite number is superior to all numerical process. According to Plato, Time is “incomplete life” and Eternity is ‘complete life.’ Thus Eternity fulfils Time and yet contradicts it, as infinite number fulfils and contradicts the properties of finite numbers. If Time is thought of as an infinite series of finite numbers, Eternity is the sum of that series and not its process. The name may, however, be applied loosely to the process, though this is generally to be avoided.
According to St. Thomas, Eternity measures Rest and Time measures Motion: Eternity is a simultaneous whole (totum simul) and Time is successive (successivum). The difference between them is not, he says, that Time has a beginning and an end whereas Eternity has neither, though he admits that each of the particular objects existing in Time began and will end (Summa of Theology [Summa], Part I, Question x, Article iv). But this, he says, is not essential to the nature of time: it is only accidental (per accidens) (the same work, Article v). Cf. Aristotle’s distinction between “unlimited Time” and limited Time.
3 He is alluding to the Angels and the perfected souls of men, and to their celestial abode.