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.
Godhead—whereby Its Undifferenced Nature is shared in common —we shall (so far as in us lies) endeavour to describe from the Divine Names which reveal them in the Scriptures, having now made this clear beforehand (as has been said): that every Name of the Divine beneficent Activity unto whichever of the Divine Persons it is applied, must be taken as belonging, without distinction, to the whole entirety of the Godhead.2
CHAPTER III What is the power of Prayer? Also concerning the Blessed
Hierotheus and concerning Reverence and the Writing of
Divinity.
1. AND first of all, if it like thee, let us consider the highest Name, even “Goodness,” by which all the Emanations of God are conjointly revealed.2 And let us begin with an invocation of the Trinity, the Which, as It surpasseth Goodness, and is the Source of all goodness, doth reveal all conjoined together Its own good providences.* For we must first lift up our minds in prayer unto the Primal Goodness, and by drawing nearer Thereunto, we must thus be initiated into the mystery of those good gifts which are rooted in Its being. For the Trinity is nigh unto all things, and yet not all things are nigh unto It. And when we call upon It with holy prayers and unspotted mind and with our souls prepared for union with God, then are we also nigh Thereto ; for It is not in space, so as to be absent from any spot, or to move from one position to another! Nay, to speak of It as omnipresent doth not express Its all-transcendent all-embracing Infinitude? Let us then press on in prayer, looking upwards to the Divine benignant Rays, even as if a resplendent cord were hanging from the height of heaven unto this world below, and we, by seizing it with alternate hands in one advance, appeared to pull it down; but in very truth instead of drawing down the rope (the same being already nigh us above and below), we were ourselves being drawn upwards to the higher Refulgence of the resplendent Rays. Or even as, having embarked on a ship and clinging to the cables, the which being stretched out from some rock unto us, presented themselves (as it were) for us to lay hold upon them, we should not be drawing the rock towards ourselves, but should, in very truth, be drawing ourselves and the vessel towards the rock; as also, conversely, if any one standing upon the vessel pushes away the rock that is on the shore, he will not affect the rock (which stands immovable) but will separate himself therefrom, and the more he pushes it so much the more will he be staving himself away. Hence, before every endeavour, more especially if the subject be Divinity, must we begin with prayer: not as though we would pull down to ourselves that Power which is
1 i.e. These active Manifestations whereby God enters into each part of the universe, yet without loss of Unity.
* See the beginning of this chapter.
3 All God’s activities are good.
4 The particular activities of God exist as one Act in Him, cf. p. 79, n. 2. So St. Thomas (following Aristotle) calls Him Actus Purus.
Godhead—by which Its Undifferenced Nature is shared in common—we shall endeavour (so far as lies in us) to describe from the Divine Names that reveal them in the Scriptures, having now made this clear beforehand (as has been said): that every Name of the Divine beneficent Activity, to whichever of the Divine Persons it is applied, must be taken as belonging without distinction to the whole entirety of the Godhead.2
CHAPTER III What is the power of Prayer? Also concerning the Blessed
Hierotheus and concerning Reverence and the Writing of
Divinity.
1. And first of all, if you are willing, let us consider the highest Name, “Goodness,” by which all the Emanations of God are conjointly revealed.2 And let us begin with an invocation of the Trinity, which, as It surpasses Goodness and is the Source of all goodness, reveals all Its own good providences conjoined together.* For we must first lift up our minds in prayer to the Primal Goodness, and, by drawing nearer to It, we must thus be initiated into the mystery of those good gifts that are rooted in Its being. For the Trinity is near to all things, and yet not all things are near to It. And when we call upon It with holy prayers and an unspotted mind, and with our souls prepared for union with God, then we too are near to It; for It is not in space, so as to be absent from any spot or to move from one position to another! Indeed, even to speak of It as omnipresent does not express Its all-transcendent, all-embracing Infinitude.2
Let us then press on in prayer, looking upwards to the Divine benignant Rays, as if a resplendent cord were hanging from the height of heaven down to this world below, and we, seizing it with alternate hands as we advanced, appeared to pull it down; but in very truth, instead of drawing down the rope (since it is already near us, above and below), we were ourselves being drawn upwards to the higher Refulgence of the resplendent Rays.
Or it is as if, having embarked on a ship and clinging to the cables that, stretched out from some rock to us, presented themselves (as it were) for us to lay hold of, we were not drawing the rock towards ourselves but were, in very truth, drawing ourselves and the vessel towards the rock; and conversely, if anyone standing on the vessel pushes away the rock on the shore, he will not affect the rock (which stands immovable) but will separate himself from it, and the more he pushes it, the further he will push himself away. Hence, before every endeavour, and especially if the subject is Divinity, we must begin with prayer: not as though we would pull down to ourselves that Power which is
1 i.e. These active Manifestations by which God enters into each part of the universe, yet without loss of Unity.
* See the beginning of this chapter.
3 All God’s activities are good.
4 The particular activities of God exist as one Act in Him; cf. p. 79, n. 2. So St. Thomas (following Aristotle) calls Him Actus Purus.