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.
He is before1 Eternity and above Eternity and His Kingdom is the Kingdom of all the Eternal Ages. Amen.
CHP TE Ry sel Concerning “Peace” and what is meant by “Very Being” Itself,
“Very Life,” “Very Power,” and similar phrases.
1. Now let us praise with reverent hymns of peace the Divine Peace which is the Source of all mutual attraction: For this Quality it is that unites all things together and begets and produces the harmonies and agreements of all things. And hence it is that all things long for It, and that It draws their manifold separate parts into the unity of the whole and unites the battling elements of the world into concordant fellowship. So it is that, through participation in the Divine Peace, the higher of the mutually Attractive Powers2 are united in themselves and to each other and to the one Supreme Peace of the whole world; and so the ranks beneath them are by them united both in themselves and to one another and unto that one perfect Principle and Cause of Universal Peace,3 which broods in undivided Unity upon the world, and (as it were with bolts which fasten the sundered parts together) giveth to all things their laws, their limits, and their cohesion; nor suffers them to be torn apart and dispersed into the boundless chaos without order or foundation, so as to lose God’s Presence and depart from their own unity, and to mingle together in a universal confusion. Now as to that quality of the Divine Peace and Silence, to which the holy Justus1 gives the name of Dumbness: and “\" Immobility ? “Ge. so) dar eas concerns all emanation which our knowledge can grasp),” and as to the manner in which It is still and silent and keeps in Itself and within Itself and is wholly and entirely one transcendent Unity in Itself, and while entering into Itself and multiplying Itself3 doth not leave Its own Unity, but, even in the act of going forth to all things, remains entirely within Itself through the excess of that all-transcendent Unity: concerning these things ’tis neither right nor possible for any creature to frame any language or conception. Let us, then, describe that Peace (inasmuch as It transcends all things) as “Unutterable,” yea and “Unknowable”; and, so far as ’tis possible for men and for ourselves who are inferior to many good men, let us examine those cases where It is amenable to our intuitions and language through being manifested in created things.
L fade peSE7oi Tis. 2.
2 2.e. The Seraphim.
3 The Divine Energy and Light streams through the medium of the higher orders to the lower. This is worked out in the Celestial Hierarchy of the same writer. We get the same thought in Dante’s Paradiso, where the Primum Mobile, deriving its motion from an immediate contact with the Empyrean, passes them on to the next sphere and so to all the rest in turn, the movement being received and conveyed by the succeeding angelic orders presiding severally, in descending scale of dignity, over the concentric spheres.—See Convilo,
He is before1 Eternity and above Eternity, and His Kingdom is the Kingdom of all the Eternal Ages. Amen.
CHAPTER XI. Concerning “Peace,” and what is meant by “Very Being” Itself,
“Very Life,” “Very Power,” and similar phrases.
1. Now let us praise with reverent hymns of peace the Divine Peace, which is the Source of all mutual attraction. For it is this Quality that unites all things together and begets and produces the harmonies and agreements of all things. That is why all things long for It, and why It draws their many separate parts into the unity of the whole and unites the warring elements of the world in concordant fellowship.
So it is that, through participation in the Divine Peace, the higher of the mutually Attractive Powers2 are united in themselves, to one another, and to the one Supreme Peace of the whole world; and so the ranks beneath them are united by them, both in themselves and to one another, and to that one perfect Principle and Cause of Universal Peace,3 which broods in undivided Unity over the world and (as though with bolts fastening the sundered parts together) gives all things their laws, their limits, and their cohesion. Nor does It allow them to be torn apart and scattered into boundless chaos, without order or foundation, so as to lose God’s Presence, depart from their own unity, and mingle together in universal confusion.
Now as to that quality of the Divine Peace and Silence to which the holy Justus1 gives the name of Dumbness and Immobility (so far as concerns all emanation which our knowledge can grasp); and as to the manner in which It is still and silent, keeps in Itself and within Itself, and is wholly and entirely one transcendent Unity in Itself; and how, while entering into Itself and multiplying Itself,3 It does not leave Its own Unity, but even in the act of going forth to all things remains entirely within Itself through the excess of that all-transcendent Unity — concerning these things it is neither right nor possible for any creature to frame any language or conception.
Let us, then, describe that Peace (inasmuch as It transcends all things) as “Unutterable,” and indeed “Unknowable”; and, so far as is possible for men, and for us who are inferior to many good men, let us examine those cases where It is accessible to our intuitions and language through being manifested in created things.
L fade peSE7oi Tis. 2.
2 2.e. The Seraphim.
3 The Divine Energy and Light streams through the medium of the higher orders to the lower. This is worked out in the Celestial Hierarchy of the same writer. We find the same thought in Dante’s Paradiso, where the Primum Mobile, deriving its motion from an immediate contact with the Empyrean, passes them on to the next sphere and so to all the rest in turn, the movement being received and conveyed by the succeeding angelic orders, which preside severally, in descending scale of dignity, over the concentric spheres. — See Convivio,