^ Religion, in its highest forms, and Philosophy and Natural Science postulate and seek some Unity behind the world. Hence Unity is regarded as the tdtwiate attribute. Thus Plotinus calls the Absolute " The One." God possesses all Attributes not separately but indivisibly, as pure light contains all colours.
^ Though the Godhead is the Super-Essence of the creatures, yet on the other hand It is distinct from them because It transcends them. (See next note. ) This aspect of distinctness is manifested in the fact that the Emanation of Absolute Life, etc., is distinct from the Persons of the Trinity, the aspect of identity is manifested in the fact that They possess Absolute Life antecedently to the act of Emanation.
^ The Godhead is Perfect : (l) absolutely, and not by participation in some other essence ; (2) iranscendently, and not in such a manner as to be differentiated from other essences (for on the super-essential plane of the Undifferentiated Godhead there is no other essence than It). The Emanr.tion of Absolute Life, etc., is perfect absolutely, because, being a direct overflow from the Godhead, it does not partici|)ate in any other Essence ; but not transcendently, because it is differentiated from the particular things which share it. That is why it docs not contain Exemplais. The creatures ])os.sess their true and undifferentiated being not in the Emanation but in the ultimate Godhead. The Emanation
The Divine Names 185
Title "Perfect" means that It cannot be increased
(being always Perfect) and cannot be diminished, and
that It contains all things beforehand in Itself
antl overflows in one ceaseless, identical,^ abundant
and inexhaustible sup{)ly, whereby It perfects all
[)erfcct - things and fills them with Its own Perfection.
2. And the title " One " iinplies that It is all things
under the form of Unity through the Transcendence
of Its single Oneness,^ and is the Cause of all things
\\'ithout departing from that Unity. For there is
nothing in the world without a share in the One ;
and, just as all number participates in unity (and we
speak of one couple, one dozen, ojie half, one third, or
oftc tenth) even so everything and each part of every-
thing participates in the One, and on the existence of
the One all other existences are based, and the One
Cause of all things is not one of the man)- things in
the world,* but is before all Unity and Multiplicity
and gives to all Unity and Multiplicity their definite
bounds.^ For no multiplicity can exist except by
is, we may say, transcendental^ or limeless, but not transcendent, or iindifierentiated. D., by saying that "in Its transcendence ... It penetrates to all tilings at once and beyond them," teaches incidentally that the Godhead's Transcendence and Immanence are ultimately the same fact. They are two ways of looking at the one truth of Its Undiffcrentiation. Since It is undifferentiated the Godhead is beyond our individual being ; but since It is undifferentiated It is not ultimately other than ourselves. It is beyond our essence and h our vSuper-Essence. The theory of mere Transcendence is Deism, that of mere Immanence*-^ is Pantheism. True religion denjands both in one fact and as one fact. So God is both near and far (see the Bible /^j-j/w). He is far because He is nearer to us than our own souls are, " Thou wast within, I was outside" (St. Augustine). Hence true Introversion is an act of self- transcendence. We must lose ourselves to find ourselves. •^ ^ Identical because timeless.
2 '< Perfect," a teim taken from the Mysteries expressing the final state of the initiated.
3 See p. 184, n. 3. * Cf. X., 2.
^ The Godhead is not one individual, or essence, among otheis, but is the Super-Essence of them all. The numbers i, 2, 3, 4, etc. = i X i, I X 2, I X 3, I X 4, etc. Thus in the form " i X I " the first figure N
i86 DIONYSIUS THE AREOPAGITE
some participation in the One : ^ that which is many
in its parts is one in its entirety ; that which is many
in its accidental quahties is one in its substance ; ^
that which is many in number or faculties is one in
species ; ^ that which is many in its emanating activities
is one in its originating essence.'* There is naught in
the world without some participation in the One, the
Which in Its all-embracing Unity contains beforehand
all things, and all things conjointly, combining even
opposites under the form of oneness. And without
the One there can be no Multiplicity ; yet contrari^
wise the One can exist without the Multiplicity just
as the Unit exists before all multiplied Number.^
And if all things be conceived as being ultimately
unified with each other, then all things taken as a
whole are One.^
3. Moreover, we must bear this in mind : that when we attribute a common unity to things we do so in
represents the unity underlying all numbers, the second figure represents unity as a particular number among other numbers. The first figure may thus be taken as a symbol of the Godhead, the second figure as a symbol of all created unity.
^ Though created unity differs (see last note) from Uncreated Unity, yet it is, so to speak, a reflection thereof, as essence is a reflection of Super-Essence. So each number, because based on an underlying Unity, is itself a unit, and the underlying Unity of the Godhead shines through the world in all the harmonies and systems of things.
* A tree is one tree though (i) made up of root, trunk, branches, leaves, etc., (2) green in the leaves and brown in the trunk, etc.
^ There are many oaks with different capacities of growth and pro- ductiveness, yet all belong to the same "oak species" ; and there are many species or kinds of trees (oaks, chestnuts, firs, etc.) yet all belong to the genus " tree."
* A man's thoughts, desires and acts of will all spring from his one j'lersonality.
° All things possess the same Super-Essence, and that is why they are connected together in this world.
The Divine Names 187
accordance with the [)i"econccivc(l l.iw of their kind
belonging;- to each one, and that the One is thus the
elementary basis of all things.^ And if you take
away the One there will remain neither whole nor
part nor anything else in the world ; for all things
are contained beforehand and embraced by the One
as an Unity in Itself. Thus Scripture speaks of the
whole Supreme Godhead as the Cause of all things
by employing the title of " One" ; and there is One
God VVho is the Father and One Lord Jesus Christ
and One unchanging Spirit, through the transcendent
indivisibility of the entire Div^ine Unity, wherein all
things are knit together in one and possess a supernal
Unity and super-essentially pre-exist. Hence all
things are rightly referred and attributed unto It,
since by It and in It and unto It all things possess
their existence, co-ordination, permanence, cohesion,
fulfilment, and innate tendency. And you will not
find anything in the world but derives from the One
(which, in a super-essential sense, is the name of the
whole Godhead) both its individual existence and the
process that perfects and preserves it.^ And we also
must, in the power of the Divine Unity, turn from
the Many to the One and declare the Unity of the
whole single Godhead, which is the One Cause of all
things ; before all distinctions of One and Many,
Part and Whole, Definiteness and Indefiniteness,^
1 Cf. p. 186, n. 3.
^ I. e. Both its unity in space and its unity in time.
^ A thing is defiuite when we can say of it : " This is not that," indefinite when it is doubtful whether this is, or is not, that. The God- head not being a particular thing, belongs to a region where there is no "this" or "that." So w-e cannot say, on that ultimate plane either: "This is not that," or, " It is doubtful whether this is that." Hence the mystical act of Unknowing. Knowledge distinguishes things, Un- knowing passes beyond this act yet without confusion. In Unknowing the distinction between Thinker and Object of Thought is (from one point of view) gone ; and yet the psychical state is a luminously clear one. Our personalities in their Super- Essence are merged yet uncon fused.
i88 DIONYSIUS THE AREOPAGITE
FInitudc and Infinitude ; ^ 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. y\nd
hence, when we speak of the All-Transcendent God-
head as an Unity and a Trinity, It is not an Unity
i,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
lis 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 be}'ond 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
^ See p. 162 on ''Greatness" nnd " Smallness."
^ Numerical unity is a numl)er amon^ other numbers and so imi)lies
differentiation. The Godhead is undifferentiated.
The Divine Names 189
triilh iiuist still be far beyond us. Ilcncc we have
i^iven our preference to the Nel^^'ltive nicthotl, because
this lifts the soul above all things cognate with its
finite nature, and, guiding it onward through all the
conceptions of God's lacing which are transcended by
that Being exceeding all Name, Reason, and Know-
ledge, reaches be}'ond 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.
4. These Intelligible Names we have collected and
endeavoured to expound, though falling short not
only of the actual meaning thereof (for such a failure
even angels would be forced to confess), nor }et
merely of such utterance as angels would have given
concerning them (for the greatest of those among us
who touch these themes are far inferior to the lowest
of the angels) ; nor yet do we merely fall behind the
teaching of the Sacred Writers thereon or of the
Ascetics, their fellow-labourers, but we fall utterly
and miserably behind our own compeers. And hence
if our words are true and we have really, so far as in
us lies, attained some intellectual grasp of the right
way to explain the Names of God, the thanks are
due to Him Who is the Creator of all things ; granting
first the faculty of speech and then the power to use
it well. And if any Synonym hath been passed over
we must supply and interpret that also by the same
methods. And if this treatment is wrong or imperfect,
and we have erred from the Truth either whoUv or
in part, I beg thy loving-kindness to correct my
unwilling ignorance, to satisfy with argument my
desire for knowledge, to help my insufficient strength
and heal my involuntary feebleness ; and that,
obtaining thy stores partly from thyself and partly
from others and wholly from the Good, thou wilt also
pass them on to us. And I pray thee be not weary
190 Dionysius the Areopagite
in this kindness to a friend, for thou secst that we
have not kept to ourselves any of the Hierarchic
Utterances which have been handed down to us, but
have imparted them without adulteration both to
yourselves and to other holy men, and will continue
so to do as long as we have the power to speak and
you to hear. So will we do no despite unto the
tradition, unless strength fail us for the perception
or the utterance of these Truths. But be these
matters as God wills ^ that we should do or speak.
And be this now the end of our treatise concerning
the Intelligible Names of God. Now will I proceed,
God helping me, to the Symbolical Divinity.