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.
Finitude and Infinitude; 1 giving definite shape to all things that have Being, and to Being itself; the Cause of everything and of all together—a Cause both co-existent and pre-existent and transcendent, and all these things at once; yea, beyond existent Unity itself, and giving definite shape to existent Unity itself. For Unity, as found in the creatures, is numerical; and number participates in Essence: but the Super-Essential Unity gives definite shape to existent unity and to every number, and is Itself the Beginning, the Cause, the Numerical Principle and the Law of Unity, number and every creature. And hence, when we speak of the All-Transcendent Godhead as an Unity and a Trinity, It is not an Unity or a Trinity such as can be known by us or any other creature, though to express the truth of Its utter Self-Union and Its Divine Fecundity we apply the titles of “Trinity ” and “Unity” to That Which is beyond all titles, expressing under the form of Being That Which is beyond Being? {But no Unity or Trinity or Number or Oneness or Fecundity or any other thing that either is a creature or can be known to any creature, is able to utter the mystery, beyond all mind and reason, of that Transcendent Godhead which super-essentially surpasses all things. It hath no name, nor can It be grasped by the reason; It dwells in a region beyond us, where our feet cannot tread. Even the title of “Goodness” we do not ascribe to It because we think such a name suitable ; but desiring to frame some conception and language about this Its ineffable Nature, we consecrate as primarily belonging to It the Name we most revere. And in this too we shall be in agreement with the Sacred Writers; nevertheless the actual truth must still be far beyond us. Hence we have given our preference to the Negative method, because this lifts the soul above all things cognate with its finite nature, and, guiding it onward through all the conceptions of God’s Being which are transcended by that Being exceeding all Name, Reason, and Knowledge, reaches beyond the farthest limits of the world and there joins us unto God Himself, in so far as the power of union with Him is possessed even by us men.
1 See p. 162 on “Greatness” and “Smallness.” ? Numerical unity is a number among other numbers and so implies differentiation. The Godhead is undifferentiated.
Finitude and Infinitude; 1 giving definite shape to all things that have Being, and to Being itself; the Cause of everything and of all things together—a Cause at once co-existent, pre-existent, and transcendent; indeed, beyond existent Unity itself, and giving definite shape to existent Unity itself. For Unity, as found in the creatures, is numerical, and number participates in Essence; but the Super-Essential Unity gives definite shape to existent unity and to every number, and is Itself the Beginning, the Cause, the Numerical Principle, and the Law of Unity, of number, and of every creature.
Hence, when we speak of the All-Transcendent Godhead as a Unity and a Trinity, It is not a Unity or a Trinity such as can be known by us or by any other creature; but to express the truth of Its utter Self-Union and Its Divine Fecundity we apply the titles “Trinity” and “Unity” to That Which is beyond all titles, expressing under the form of Being That Which is beyond Being. 2 But no Unity or Trinity or Number or Oneness or Fecundity, or any other thing that either is a creature or can be known to any creature, is able to utter the mystery, beyond all mind and reason, of that Transcendent Godhead which super-essentially surpasses all things. It has no name, nor can It be grasped by reason; It dwells in a region beyond us, where our feet cannot tread.
Even the title “Goodness” we do not ascribe to It because we think such a name suitable; rather, desiring to frame some conception and language about this ineffable Nature of Its, we consecrate to It, as primarily belonging to It, the Name we most revere. In this, too, we shall be in agreement with the Sacred Writers; nevertheless, the actual truth must still be far beyond us. That is why we have preferred the Negative method: it lifts the soul above all things cognate with its finite nature and, guiding it onward through all the conceptions of God’s Being which are transcended by that Being exceeding all Name, Reason, and Knowledge, reaches beyond the farthest limits of the world and there joins us to God Himself, in so far as even we men possess the power of union with Him.
1 See p. 162 on “Greatness” and “Smallness.” 2 Numerical unity is a number among other numbers and so implies differentiation. The Godhead is undifferentiated.