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The
MYSTICAL DIVINITY
of
DIONYSIDS the AREOPAGITE
Translated into English
't>y
Dr.EVERARD
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Northwestern
University Library
Evanston,
Illinois 60201
Colin Dew James Fund
THE
MYSTICAL DIVINITV
OF
'DioriyfiHs ths Areopdgit^^
Converted by ?j«/ the Apoftie, who did at Aihen
believe and cleave unto him,
ACT. S 17.34..
Written to iimothy
yranslated into. Fnglifi
ByDrEVERARD.
1
]0B 36. 26.
icho Id Cod is great, and tve kjtorv him ttou
i SA. 55.^.
For my thottghis are not your thoughts^neitbtt are your
wayei r»y tpj^es. faith the Lord.
lOtfOONi
■Prln-ed by 0»r/?fy, tor Eapl a Hirtford, at the
Bible andtfai t in Ai'/Wf iSr»ri»;7t. 1657.
THE
iMTSTICAL DiriNlTi
OF
the Areopagite^
Written to 7imothy.
CHA?A.
If hat the Divine Mifi or E}^ark^
neis^r
TRrNrTY! That arc Ahsve ES-
iM g SENCE, Above GOD, above Good-
^ rtfjt, the Gffvtrnovf of the Chrijlians
Wifciom ConcermM^ (So i: Vouch-
fafc to jdireft us to the More then unk^HOTPH^more
then niinin®, Higheji Top of Myftical Oracles^
v/bere the the Simple and Abfolute^ztidk Vnchitt-
cheable MYSTERIES of Divialiry do Hide : By
r,he M'tre t^en Ijghtfnme MI5TN ES of Secret-
Tcaching; SILENOE, ,in the Var\fft D-itkjfefi '•>
Even him'thac over-/hirieth which is Morei
then nt'jbglorioiu^ and under that which is u^ter-j
ly Impatpjbie and Jnvilible • doth more then till
the BUnded^ot Eye-Jefs Mi rides wk\rylore -then
fair Ihinings.
2. And thele things I pray for;but do thou,
O my Friend Timothy,. by thy AF# Intent liudy
and exercifeabout MYJTICA-I: Jihdns, leave
and forfakc thySenf s'-, arid all tl-hiible aiijl Ft-
^Rr_r i ^ ieVtgiHe
^96~
of Diony^ui the Arcopagice. I
teUiJble things, and thy Mtnfal Operatt ,,ij^ aildl'?
all ihings that are not, and that are; an j after
■^^Vtikjioacn minner, Lift up and Adva>ice t[iy
felf to I he Co>i]H»liion and 'Vnhn with hin, who ]
is iboveall Ejje»ce and KmfpUdgc : foi by a Free j
arid purely Ahfdute departing from "thyfelfand
all Ihings- having SeparattdaW things, and be-
ingFrfc/ifancl horn all things thou fh a It
I be BrnHe^ht hack, to the Super-cffential BEAM of
I the Divine Darkpeff.
I But take lieed, that none ofthem that are
} Not entndtor Initiatedin our MYSTERIESdo
hear thelc things: I naean fuch as aie hil' De-
tai»cdand Hddcn in the things that /Err and do
imagine nothing tobe Supenfftm dfyab'~vethe
things lhat are; but prefume by their own
Knowledge to undciftand Him, that maketh i
! DAIIKNES his Secrtt Place : And If theleiP/- |
\vtne l/iliitMtintf/ concerning M^iiical tlnngj, be
ibnve them,what is to be faid of5wcFa« are yet
More Grangers, and farther off from hefe My-
ihries, which out ot the LaJ} and Lotvefi ofaii'l
I hiugs ■ hat Are^ do frame and make > he Figure
ofthe ^Ul'ER-EMINENT Caufeand thinkoi
(av, rha-.it hath nothing More Excel'ettt^ oi is no
way better then their Vng>dly and M-^NT-
EOKMFD Iniagii ? whereas they ought both
hi It, as the Caufeofall things, to place and af
tmntlie Pofitionsofall things that are, and al- {
fb Moreprrperl), TO deny them a I unto it, a'^ be- |
ingfar above All things; And vet nor to think;
, the 3re cppofite to the Affrrjuatinns:
! Bur tharit is Ahi^v^ and Bifore Privadons whichj
■sabove All, bxh AAation a d P fitio'i, or i-i
I ove
X
I ef D;oiyfijsAreopjgite. | 4^7
! bove Any that can be Denied or tyfffinn- "
id of it.
4.1 n this fenre tlierefore-S. Bartholomew rairh,
That 'theology is botb MUCH and LEAiT,and
. the GoCpel Broad and Great, and again Short
and Conafe: It Items to me that he wonjertiil-
ly undcr/TQc J thereby,That rite Gre.Jt an 1 Good
CAlIi'Eoral! thirtgs, may both be fpckenot.
In Many IFirdj^ au '■ in Fe:v^^nd in Noue^as ad-
mirivir ^ i'vhcv Speech v.nv Vndcr{landings bs-
caule it| is iSUFER-Ei'SEMTlAL, S-tper-emi
jteKtro Allthing":, and (hineth out or appears
on y to them ITnhoin Vail, and 7'r»/y,w'uo do
p.ils through all thiigs both Impure anfP«.e,
and ttanlcend evei y Aicent ofall holy high-
NESSES and leave behind thenvali D VJM £
Lights, Sounds and Heiventy wordti an 1 enter
liitotnat MIST whcr( he is really (as the S:ri-
ptrres (peak; wlvt is s^bove aiH things. ■
5.For it is nor wi l out Cauje^that the Divine
Mr'les is hi 11 commandca 0 bc Lurged himlelt",
aru-lthen to belep^arated trom them that were
net Such : and after all ihis pui ifying, He hear-
erhthe hUNT-SOVNDlNG trHtnpeti, znd
Teeth the MANY UGHlSi which uart ftom
tlie idelves F iteand much Scattered RaYES,
or Beams; Then is hcleparated from the Mul-
titude, and with the SeltUed Ft ielts, he labour-
eth up to the Top of the Divine Afcents •, and
la them lie doth not meet with Go li bu'h°
fees Not Htm : foi- he is Invirible, But Only
the place whe e He is.
And this I think intimates or fignifies thufj
(much, that the Moid Divine ^nd Higlveft cf1
I Rrr 3 ^ things
^^3 I J^e Divinity |
i things $een and V4d(r,rHocit are but certain
I iieaions, and (igniticative Arguments of things
I fubjefted to him, who isall things, by
i which his Pie(ence,wnich,is all Thought
is,ifhewn walking in the Intelligible HEIGHTS
of h;s Mji Holy Places.
6 And thei. is l>e freed both from the things
that are fecn, and the things that do fee, and is
jfwallowcd up, intp the TruJy-Myjiical Ctoud.or
MIST ofl)»k»ewing I in which he (huts up all
tfianHer of5cit'wt/J?cii»/App! eheafions, and is in
him that is utterly Inattingible, antf Invifible,
Being AW His, who is Beyond ALLTHINGS, I
and NOJHlNG i neither His Own, nor any j
Bodieselfe, United after thebeh manner to ,
Hint, that is VVbolelyVidKNOVVH-, by the Cff-
fation of all Knowledge : and in that he knov-
eth Nothing, knowing Above Mind oi Vn-
^ ' '
CHAP-
{
o/bionyfia$#^e Areopagite.
CHAP. II.
we miiji be bo h United, and
render Praif.? to Him that is the
Caufe of all thtngf^ and Above
all ihingr,
I. JT is That: we pray for, that wemaybc in
1 \:h\sMVCH-/lBO'^E-Linht-(hinwg, Milh
jand by Unfeemg and Unknowing, tofee and
know that which is above ali Si?,hr and Know
I ledge, even in that, we do not Sre not-'KwB' at
all: for rhis-is, To See and Kuoiv indeed, and
SHper-EJJe/itially to praife Him, that is Siiptr-ef-
feHtjalby the takjiis, ot all things that
aic, even as they that would make a Selj-iitgra-
veil Image, taking away all the Impediments
{that fland befbie the pure light of that which
is Hidden., and only by taking away Hiew forth
that which \s Concealed and Coveredby it felf
And we inuft (^as I think) pi'aife and com-
mend TAKJNGS-AWAY contrarily to Pofi-
tions and Afhrmations; for them wt appoint-
eJ, beginning at the Firji, and fo by Middle
ones, alccnding to the But here makipg
I our Afcentt f cm tlie Laft^ unto the /i^ufi-anci-
lent, we taking away all things, that we may
i without any know that Vnl<,"orvn,w^^'^<^h^
, ft r r - W
The MyjiicaL Divinity ^
is Atlihings A'l: or i Covered under
5 that aie KttowH : and that wcmay fee,
I Tha^ %iipet-(^einiil MIST which is Hi-d by Ail
I the Light that is in things th^ arc.
CIUFAU,
Whdt 'Speeches of G >d nre A^rmttVe
and ifhat "Negative,
IS TNcur Dcfcriptions, wehave
JL exprciled the Moft principal things of
Affirmative Blvinity;how the P/'i/«e andGW
Nature is ealie; Que-i and how TAwjand what
it is, which Jh jt, is called PATEKNlTYand
FILIAL; and fvhactbe Divinity of the HO-
LY CHOST meancth ; How from the fmma.
tertal 2X\(i IndivifibleGOOD, fprung ovjt the
Cpr<Ii<jI Lights of GOODNESS, which •fiill A-
Icde, not going Ow (rhe of being CO-
ETERNAL to the Emanation or Germination)
both in It if//", in Iheitijtlvesy and |n One 4no-
tier.
^.Hovi SnpflT'efeHtial jESUS, was F-fTeiiM.
ated in the TRUTHS of Nature; as
Ialfo Other thing^j which we have celebrated In
our Thfolcgical Defcriptions, as delivered un-
to us from the .Scriptures.
^-Lihewrrcalfo in the Book of Divine Names
jWe have declared how {jeis caljed GOOP,how
} , PE'
I g/D'tooyfias the Areopagtte.
1 BEING, how LIFE, and WISDOM,
and
, .'OWER.and wharfoever die belongs unto the
'IftteOijiible Divine NOMf N ATION. i
I 4. But in our Divinity wc have'
ilTiewed what are the Mctonymies^0"7rjvlltums\
cr Borrowed NAME5 taken fiompw/itf/f tiMa»5,j
anj applied to things;via;. What arethej
^ Divine FORM5, what the DivineF/g«rrj or
1 Shapes., Parts apdOr^jw, ov l»firumenis \ what
: are the Divine Places and Ornaments: what the
( Angers., Sorrows., pMries : what the VruHk^nrnf',
fes an} Surfeits-, Wlyac the Oaths an } Carles:'
what the Sleeps and IPaJ^ingj, and other like
things Appertaining to this j.)art of Divinity,
which they call Symbolical: (peaking ofLirh
Fom/an:! figures as have been HoUly inyenced
I to I epre(ent God by
j 5. And I th nk, thou haft feen as well as I,
I how Many more words are u(ed in the latter
then in the former : (or it behoved, that the
Theological Defcpiptions, and this Explication
of the Divine NAMES, ftiould need fewer?
wo:-ds then SpwW'ci/Divinity : for byliow\
I much Higher we climb towards that which is
j Abo-ee. by fo niuch the m tc are our wcr Is Con
\ traced and Concentred in the Veiw and fight of
* Intelligible ihings.
• As now, when we enter into that DXRK-
] NES'S which is above all Mind and Z^,iderlhn.
fiing., weftialiffind iVr//Furtwi'/rcffpeech, but
Vtter fijcnceand Dambitefi, as alfo vvant ofU n.
derftandlng.
And from thence our ^eech and Difcoui fe de-r
f tending frorn the to the Lowell, accor.
dinil
-
TheOHyJlicdl Divimty
di"g to the Quantity of its Defcent, is enlar-
' ped Jnto a pi opottionable Breadth or Aiulti-
tude. I .•
But now arifing from the things Beletv, to
that which isabovci according to the Meafure
of its Afteat-, it is CentraHed and grows Le/j,ti!l
after all afcent It becomes quite vcid of words,
and io United to that which is V Jpealf^ible. 1
6, But thou wilt ask, to what purpose ? We
■laying down the D!vine/j^r»ijr/oKj,bcgan with
thedrji', and now begin the D'l/me AbUtisnj
or takings away, with the I anfweisThac
was becaufe putting clown or defcribing That
which was above all Affirmation or Pofttion, ic
was fit to begin andefiablilh the Fundamental
Affirmations fi omthat which is prsper^and
Neartji unto it. But now when we go by way
of Taking away from that which is above all
Ablation or Taking away, it is likewife fit we
jfhculd begin our Takings away at thofe things
that ate furtheft t emct«e from ic.
' For is he "ot, ra her and more properly Life
' and Goodnefi-, then Air or A flone f An i may it
not rather and mere properly be faid, that he is
not fVeak^or Angry, then that he is not
aor Vttderjlood'
. caA'\
I
I
of pionyfius the Areopagitp,
Chap.w.
That be th it is F minently the Canfe
of all iS'Rfible things, » yet Nj
Senllble thing at all.
!• \XJ E therefore, That the Canfeof
VV all things, and that which is above
ail things,is neither Void of^ nor without
nor Life^ nor Keafon, nor Mind.
2. Neither is it a Body-, nor hath \t jhape, nor
Forw, nor nor £lymtity^ nor Bignefi:
neither is it in Places nor is it feen, nor hath it
any ftnfible lottch.
3. It neither perceiveth by finfe,nor is it Per-
ceiveable by jenje ; it hath neither Dijorder Oor
Iroable^ as if it were agitated by jnaterial Paf-
fwns.
4. It is neither 7>w/tofe»t,asrub)c£l torcnfibie
Papons Or Accidents > neither is, in any Want,or
Indigence of Light (neither needs it apy light
to (eeBy,cr tV/tba/.)
5. It nath neither Alteration^ nor Corritption,
nor Divifwn, nor Privation, nor flux (or a Con-
tinual flowing zudfuccefjon of Parts) nor any
otbcvfenftble tliingnioi'is it any ofajl thefe.
CHAP
? he M-fit el
CH ^P. W
Thj he that w^S<T»inent'y the Catt e
if Intelligibltf w t^one
thfffe Intelligible thiftgs,
I. A ND Roia« DtivHtesriin^n\i\,we (ay, l'
X\. is neither Sow/ nor Mmdy norha-^hl^
PhjHtjfie^nor lmegtujtit»,no\' 0^ tHi.on,nor Rea-
jo-t, Uo\-V,iderjljMding^ neitlier is it Kej/a« nor
Vitdtrflandingt nor is it fp<ik^n or Vndirliood.
2 ft is neither Number nor Order- nor Great--
H'fi, nor Littlenefjy it it neither Etfualiiy, nor
Imquility^ nov nor Vtlikruefr,
ft neither fiancieth liili, nor is M»ved, no -
Etf^etb ; it neither h^-^h For nor is Power,noe
Ugbiy it neither Lit norisL//f; itisnei-
thcr EJfettce nov Eter»it)\ttOV Time, nor is the; e
any luteBedutl Touch thereoi.
4. It is net her Kmtvledge nor Truth, nor
Kingdom-, not If'tfdiinf, nor One thing-noi Vmiy
nor God head, nov Goodnejs.
5^.Nei' ha' is it as we can Know,or Tin-,
deriiand, after our tnanncr cf K nowled^e s nor?
5Q^^.SiHU^ FATHERHOOD, nor any
other thing Known toor to any ot^cr of the
things that are.
^. iNieit-hei is it any of the things thztAre not
nor'any ot the things that edre, neither do the
things that are know it, as it it \ nordothit
know the things T hat arc, they are.
The Mj^lkal Divinity
"J.Thtre \s no Speech ot it, nor Nune^ nor
K-tiotvledge-yXx b neithernor Lights nor
Errour nor Truth.
b. Theieisof h Ne Fofhionov Affirmtthn
nor Ahlciiion o\' taking Away, or Neg^tiomEiW
I when we make A^tr/nations or Negations ot the
things That are After it,yet we do neither AJ i
frm nor Ver^',
9. Beca;j(e, Hethat is PERFECT CotnpJeat,
Onciy an ! Singularly xhe Ca«(f of All*things,b
ve ^\\ Pofiiftt O''Affirmation: Alid the 511-
PER-E.ViIi\ ENCEot Hitn,which ismo^SimpJy
Ahfolntcly Fxeedt'icm all rhingjs, and is
ythave All things, is like wile Far Above All Nc-
gat tons.
Thee'd ofrhe Book ofPionyfiuf the
Areopagite., ccncci ning Myj'kal
Divinity.
505
Bl.'fjedhe He that it. that was^ and
that is to Comci AMEN»
Dr. Everard's Advlfe upon thefe]
following •Jciuencts in Latzne
and Etighjb.
REad not what follows, till thou have
Read and F elt, and doft Unde-^ftand
w hat Roeth befoie: Fcr here follow
certain Grave and Notable fayings, whereby
the Piiigent f)ifciple of Chrift may Examine
himlelfandlknow what is to be thought or
determinated of the true and Inward Union
to the and Good, that we may
depart from our felves i and being dead to our
own will, may live to God alone, and to his
will; Grant it, O God^By him which Rellgned
up his own will to his Heavenly Father, who j
liveth,and reigncth with the Holy Spirit in a)
perfeft Trinity for ever. Amen. |
Thefe,in regard of their 5aecinfl and pithy
Ihortnels, they were hard to beunderfto'od,if,
put into lb few words as jhe Latin.T have th ere*
fore not onely ttanflatcd them ir;to Englilfj,
but alfo annexed the Eattin to i hem, that
wheretlie one Lanrjuage (?jall be cbfcurt, it
may be helped by the other.
DEw &nnUas exifiit, manat ^
ab eo folo ; nee tamen de eoialicquin tftitn
dtcrefceret Heretque minor.
I.Ood is onely One,and Unity is in him,
and flows from him alone yet not nl him, nor { ,
any way from hihnctherwiieit would decreale
andlecorrie lefs. ! ,
1.VH
Craz t and ml able Sa^ir.gs,
2>Vhi [hm duo^ qu£ una feirvari-, aui conveire,
Bpoftet fieri ut inter eaoriatMf difcordia.
2. Where there are two things thatmuftbei
kept or agree together,it may cometopaf? that
difcord or diflention may arife between them.
^.Hdcdut noti nifi voluntate dtfjidtre p»JfeMt,id\
quod efjet jumma caufa & occafieemnii difftdii^ e*
tiant tn "Deo, fit duo p effent ejfe in eo. i
3. Thefe two could not difagreebut in Will,
which would bethegreateft caufeandoccafion
ofaM difcopd ordifagrecmentj even in God, if'
twophings could be in him.
^,Nibil enimeji quoddififentioKrmpariat int^r
omnia qua dijfentire queant^ nifi dijfmilitndo w-
luntatum.
4. For rhercis nothing can breed dilTention
among all things that can difagree, but the dif-
fimilicudeand uniikencfs of Wills.
5 .Hoe mum ('Deus)vult ttnum, tfique cmnibut
hi»'}f eontrarium.
5. This one [ God) willeth one thing, and b
eontt ary roall two things.
i 6. Ifaque ergo'quicqutd etiam ereavit ipfefuper
unico iVo creavif, alioquind defuijpt erdo.
I 6. Thereforealft), vvharfoevcr he Created, he
Cleared upon or tothat Onealor.ej otheiwif^
it had wanted order. |
I J.Fr/eterea nut am potuijfet e']tu\reatiofive creata
j res habere confuhfiantiam, propter vuluntatem con^
trariam, quemadmodum videlicet nunc fit ideoque
earn interire oportutfiet,
7. Moreover hb Creation or created thiti'*,
could have had no Conftancy, becaufe cfrhg
I cont'iary Willjto wit; as it is now done; the-e-
fbiC
Gr*vt 4nd ntiiibk S^jingSi
*/orc it mult needs have dyed*
) S. £a HintM mtiiri, co^ilari^ itaBari^cn^Hnf.ive\
nfn poterat^ nifi d^ntaxat ab k/kj, & ^et uitHnt^id- {
que inti fdum in jito contrarlo. |
8* That Unity couid not be nioafured, |
tiiought, handle 1 or known, but only of Oiie, j -
and iiy One, and that (otiieriine in its contrary. I
9. CentraTtum cxjiit aft if>f) fine culpa advtr- '
farii.
9. The Contrary is cl' exifis ofit fel^ with
out the fault ot the Adverfary,
lO' time appertijfitnt petjpici p»i(ii oprtuiffe ut
uni & rptimo tfet aiiquod otjefinjw, txquoiliud \
quoad e Hi fieri p -jfit difceretun , j
10. Hrnccit may be moft plainly perceived '
that theiernuit have been to that One and Bert j
(om''Ojieft,f o n which that mi^hr be.as muchj
as were] o/Tible lean el. v
11. Id 9h\eVtumfHitt & ffi omnium aKimalium
efimtia & -fie.
11. Thdt objeft Was and is the ElTencc and
Beingcfa'I iivin^j Creatures.
I 2. Mjxime & optinte in rjtionali,&'per rati-
onale animaf qui Adamiu fuit^
t2.MoUofall and belt^ in an i by the rea- ^
fonable Crea-ute. which was Adirn.
'5- H'c ft videndam exhibet omnipoieniij ^
mifetecfirdia infinataque bonitoi fupremi cm nomtn
tjl f)minus,
15- Here fhews it fcifto befcen the Alrciigh-
tlnef.s,and Mercv.and infiniteGoodnefi ol ihe
higheft, whofe Name is fhe Lord*
I 14.. Ad mfiorem wfuper coj^nitinnem lifjirutv
icreovit quod creavitqttnHiant quod ita libtrt{m\
. fu,\
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