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.
3. Now if the Good is above all things (as indeed It is) Its Formless Nature produces all-form; and in It alone Not-Being is an excess of Being,2 and Lifelessness an excess of Life and Its Mindless state is an excess of Wisdom3 and all the Attributes of the Good we express in a transcendent manner by negative images.1 And if it is reverent so to say, even that which is not desires the all-transcendent Good and struggles itself, by its denial of all things, to find its rest in the Good which verily transcends all being.
1 The existence of the whole creation—angels, men, animals, and vegetables, dead matter—is in the Good. It has not, in the ordinary sense, made them, but they are grounded in It and draw their existence from it and would not exist but for it. They exist not through any particular activity It exerts but solely because It Is.
2 “Being” implies finite relations; for one thing must be distinguished from another. If a thing is itself, it is not something else; this thing is not that. The Good is beyond this distinction, for nothing (on the ultimate plane) is outside It. See Intr., p. 5.
3 This apparently profitless speculation really suggests profound spiritual mysteries. Love is the one reality and love is self-realization through self-sacrifice. We must lose our life to find it. We must, through the excess of spiritual life within us, seek to be (as it were) lifeless, so that this excess of life may still be ours. And such was the Incarnate Life of Christ and such is the Life of God in eternity. So too the wisdom of Christ is, from a worldly point of view, foolishness.
3. Now if the Good is above all things (as indeed It is), Its Formless Nature produces all form; and in It alone Not-Being is an excess of Being,2 Lifelessness an excess of Life, and Its Mindless state an excess of Wisdom;3 and we express all the Attributes of the Good in a transcendent manner by negative images.1 And, if it is reverent to say so, even that which is not desires the all-transcendent Good, and by its very denial of all things struggles to find its rest in the Good which truly transcends all being.
1 The existence of the whole creation — angels, men, animals and vegetables, dead matter — is in the Good. It has not made them in the ordinary sense; rather, they are grounded in It, draw their existence from it, and would not exist but for it. They exist not through any particular activity It exerts but solely because It Is.
2 “Being” implies finite relations, for one thing must be distinguished from another. If a thing is itself, it is not something else: this thing is not that. The Good is beyond this distinction, for nothing (on the ultimate plane) is outside It. See Intr., p. 5.
3 This apparently profitless speculation in fact points to profound spiritual mysteries. Love is the one reality, and love is self-realization through self-sacrifice. We must lose our life to find it. Through the excess of spiritual life within us we must seek to be (as it were) lifeless, so that this excess of life may still be ours. Such was the Incarnate Life of Christ, and such is the Life of God in eternity. So too the wisdom of Christ is foolishness from a worldly point of view.