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.
into being and maintained; and It is that which all things desire—those which have intuitive or discursive Reason seeking It through knowledge, the next rank of beings through perception, and the rest through vital movement or the Bion of mere existence belonging to their state {Conscious of this, the Sacred Writers celebrate It by every Name while yet they call It Nameless.’ a
6. For instance, they call It Nameless when they say that the Supreme Godhead Itself, in one of the mystical visions whereby It was symbolically manifested, rebuked him who said: “What is thy name?”3 and, as though bidding him not seek by any means of any Name to acquire a knowledge of God, made the answer: “Why askest thou thus after My Name seeing it is secret?” Now is not the secret Name precisely that which is above all names4 and nameless, and is fixed beyond every name that is named, not only in this world but also in that which is to come? On the other hand, they attribute many names to It when, for instance, they speak of It as declaring: “I am that I am,”5 or “I am the Life,”6 or “the Light,”7 or “God,”8 or “the Truth,”9 and when the Inspired Writers themselves celebrate the Universal Cause with many titles drawn from the whole created universe, such as “Good,”1 and “Fair,”2 and “Wise,”3 as “Beloved,”4 as “God of Gods” and “Lord of Lords”5 and “Holy of Holies,”6 as “Eternal,”7 as “Existent”8 and as “Creator of Ages,”9 as “Giver of Life,”10 as “Wisdom,”11 as “Mind,”12 as “Word,”13 as “Knower,”14 as “possessing beforehand all the treasures of knowledge,”15 as “Power,”16 as “Ruler,”17 as “King of kings,”18 as “Ancient of Days;”19 and as “Him that is the same and whose years shall not fail,”20 as “Salvation,”21 as “Righteousness,”22 as “Sanctification,”23 as “Redemption,”23 as “Surpassing all things in greatness,”24 and yet as being in “the still small breeze.”25 Moreover, they say that He dwells within our minds, and in our souls26 and bodies,27 and in heaven and in earth,28 and that, while remaining Himself, He is at one and the same time within the world around it and above it (yea, above the sky and above existence); and they call Him a Sun,29 a Star,30 and a Fire,31 and Water,32 a Wind or Spirit,33 a Dew,34 a Cloud,35 an Archetypal Stone,36 and a Rock,37 and All Creation,38 Who yet (they declare) is no created thing. 7. Thus, then, the Universal and Transcendent Cause must both be nameless and also possess the names of all things in order that It may truly be an universal Dominion, the Centre of creation on which all things depend, as on their Cause and
RSS
1 Man—Animal—Vegetable—Inorganic Matter. For the thought of this whole passage, cf. Shelley, Adonais: “That Light whose smile kindles the universe.” “The property of mere existence” = οὐσιώδη καὶ ἑκτικὴν ἐπιτηδειότητα. οὐσία = an individual existence. Its highest meaning is a “personality,” its lowest a “thing.” οὐσιώδης refers generally to its lowest meaning and = “possessing mere existence,” i. e. “belonging to the realm of inorganic matter.” See Intr., p. 4.
2 This shows that there is a positive element in D.’s Via Negativa.
5 John xiv. 6. 7 John viii. 12. Gen xxVIIL 13. 9 John xiv. 6.
into being and maintained; and It is that which all things desire: those which have intuitive or discursive Reason seeking It through knowledge, the next rank of beings through perception, and the rest through vital movement or the property of mere existence belonging to their state.1 Conscious of this, the Sacred Writers celebrate It by every Name while also calling It Nameless.2
6. For instance, they call It Nameless when they say that the Supreme Godhead Itself, in one of the mystical visions in which It was symbolically manifested, rebuked the man who asked, “What is your name?”3 and, as if bidding him not to seek by any means, through any Name, to gain a knowledge of God, gave the answer: “Why do you ask thus after My Name, seeing it is secret?” Now is not the secret Name precisely that which is above all names4 and nameless, fixed beyond every name that is named, not only in this world but also in the world to come?
On the other hand, they attribute many names to It when, for instance, they speak of It as declaring: “I am that I am,”5 or “I am the Life,”6 or “the Light,”7 or “God,”8 or “the Truth,”9 and when the Inspired Writers themselves celebrate the Universal Cause with many titles drawn from the whole created universe, such as “Good,”1 “Fair,”2 and “Wise,”3 as “Beloved,”4 as “God of Gods” and “Lord of Lords”5 and “Holy of Holies,”6 as “Eternal,”7 as “Existent”8 and as “Creator of Ages,”9 as “Giver of Life,”10 as “Wisdom,”11 as “Mind,”12 as “Word,”13 as “Knower,”14 as “possessing beforehand all the treasures of knowledge,”15 as “Power,”16 as “Ruler,”17 as “King of kings,”18 as “Ancient of Days,”19 and as “Him that is the same and whose years shall not fail,”20 as “Salvation,”21 as “Righteousness,”22 as “Sanctification,”23 as “Redemption,”23 as “Surpassing all things in greatness,”24 and yet as being in “the still small breeze.”25
Moreover, they say that He dwells within our minds, and in our souls26 and bodies,27 and in heaven and on earth,28 and that, while remaining Himself, He is at one and the same time within the world, around it and above it (indeed, above the sky and above existence); and they call Him a Sun,29 a Star,30 and a Fire,31 and Water,32 a Wind or Spirit,33 a Dew,34 a Cloud,35 an Archetypal Stone,36 and a Rock,37 and All Creation,38 Who yet (they declare) is no created thing.
7. Thus, then, the Universal and Transcendent Cause must both be nameless and also possess the names of all things, so that It may truly be a universal Dominion, the Centre of creation on which all things depend, as on their Cause and
RSS
1 Man—Animal—Vegetable—Inorganic Matter. For the thought of this whole passage, cf. Shelley, Adonais: “That Light whose smile kindles the universe.” “The property of mere existence” = οὐσιώδη καὶ ἑκτικὴν ἐπιτηδειότητα. οὐσία = an individual existence. Its highest meaning is a “personality,” its lowest a “thing.” οὐσιώδης generally refers to its lowest meaning and = “possessing mere existence,” i. e. “belonging to the realm of inorganic matter.” See Intr., p. 4.
2 This shows that there is a positive element in D.’s Via Negativa.
5 John xiv. 6. 7 John viii. 12. Gen. xxviii. 13. 9 John xiv. 6.