48、⑴无限本身和永恒本身与神性是一样的。这一点从《圣爱与圣智》一书的多处说明可以看出来。无限本身和永恒本身就是神性，这一点来自天使的观念。天使只是将无限简单地理解为神性存在，将永恒理解为神性显现。世人既能明白，也不能明白无限本身和永恒本身是神性。那些不从空间的角度思想无限，不从时间的角度思想永恒的人能明白；但那些从空间和时间的角度思想无限和永恒的人不能明白。因此，那些在更高层面，也就是以一种内在方式理性思考的人能明白，但那些在较低层面，也就是以一种外在方式思考的人不能明白。那些明白的人会想到，空间的无限是不可能的，时间的无限，也就是产生万物的永恒，同样是不可能的。因为无限就是无穷无尽，既没有初，也没有终，就是没有极限或边界。他们还想到，来自它自身的无限是不可能的，因为来自它自身的前提是有一个边界和一个开始，有某种如源头那样的在先之物。
因此，谈论无限和永恒来自它自身是毫无意义的，因为这就像是说存在来自它自身，这是一个矛盾的说法。因为来自它自身的无限是来自一个无限的无限，来自它自身的存在是来自一个存在的存在；这样的无限和存在要么与无限是一回事，要么与有限是一回事。从深层理性明显看到的这些和类似的推理可以看出，存在一个无限本身和永恒本身；这无限和永恒就是神性，万物的源头。
48. (1) The infinite in itself and the eternal in itself is the same as the Divine. This can be seen from points we demonstrated in many places in the treatise Divine Love and Wisdom.
The statement that the infinite in itself and the eternal in itself are the Divine accords with the idea of angels. Angels understand the infinite to be nothing other than the Divine being, and the eternal the Divine expression.
On the other hand, that the infinite in itself and the eternal in itself are the Divine is something people can see and cannot see. It can be seen by people who think of the infinite not in terms of space and of the eternal not in terms of time. But it cannot be seen by people who think of the infinite and eternal in terms of space and time. Thus it can be seen by people who think on a more elevated level, that is, who think more interiorly in their rational faculty, and cannot be seen by people who think on a lower level, that is, who think more externally.
[2] People who can see it think that an infinity of space is not possible, and so neither an infinity of time which is eternal in its origin, because infinity has no beginning or end, or no limits.
They also think that an infinite from itself is not possible, either, because "from itself" supposes a starting point and beginning, or something prior from which it springs. Consequently it is pointless to speak of an infinite or eternal from itself, because it would be tantamount to speaking of being's being from itself, which is contradictory; for an infinite from itself would be an infinite from an infinite, and being's being from itself would be being from being, and in that case either the infinite or being would be the same as the infinite, or it would be finite.
From these and similar considerations which can be seen interiorly in one's rational faculty, it is apparent that there is an infinite in itself and an eternal in itself, and that both the one and the other are the Divine from which springs all else.
48. 1. What is intrinsically infinite and intrinsically eternal is the same as Divinity. This is supported by material presented in a number of places in Divine Love and Wisdom. The principle that what is intrinsically infinite and intrinsically eternal is Divinity comes from an angelic concept. By "what is infinite," angels understand simply the divine reality; and by "what is eternal" the divine manifestation. We on earth, though, both can see and cannot see that what is intrinsically infinite and intrinsically eternal is Divinity. We can see it if we think of what is infinite nonspatially and of what is eternal nontemporally. We cannot see it if we think about what is infinite and eternal on the basis of space and time. This means that we can see it if we think on a higher level, that is, with a deeper kind of rationality; but we cannot see it if we think on a lower level, that is, more superficially.
[2] People who see it think that there cannot be an infinite amount of space or an infinite amount of time, so there can be no infinite amount of time as the eternity from which all things arise. This is because what is infinite has no first or last limit, no boundaries. They also think that there can be no derivative infinite being, because this presupposes a boundary and a beginning, something prior as source. This makes it meaningless to talk about a derivative infinite and eternal being, because that would be like talking about a derivative reality, which is a contradiction in terms. A derivative infinite being would be an infinite being derived from infinite being, and a derivative reality would be a reality derived from reality, so that infinite being or reality would either be the same as the original infinite being or would actually be finite.
We can see from things like this that are evident to our deeper rationality that there is something intrinsically infinite and intrinsically eternal, and that these are Divinity, the source of everything.
48. I. THE INFINITE IN ITSELF AND THE ETERNAL IN ITSELF IS THE SAME AS THE DIVINE. This may be evident from what has been shown in many places in the treatise THE DIVINE LOVE AND WISDOM. That the Infinite in itself and the Eternal in itself is the Divine is according to the angelic idea, the angels understanding by the Infinite nothing else than the Divine Being (Esse), and by the Eternal the Divine Existing (Existere). That the Infinite in itself and the Eternal in itself is the Divine can be seen by men, and yet cannot be seen. It can be seen by those who think of the Infinite not from space and of the Eternal not from time; but it cannot be seen by those who think of the Infinite and the Eternal from space and time. Thus it can be seen by those who think on a higher, that is, more interior plane in the rational (mind); but it cannot be seen by those who think on a lower, that is, more exterior plane.
[2] Those by whom it can be seen reflect that there cannot be an infinity of space, nor similarly can there be an infinity of time, that is, an eternity from which are all things (a quo), because infinity is without end, either first or last, that is, without limits. They also reflect that neither can there be an Infinity from itself; because from itself supposes an end and a beginning, or a prior source (a quo); and therefore it is meaningless to speak of the Infinite and Eternal from itself, for that would be like speaking of Being (Esse) from itself, which is a contradiction; for the Infinite from itself would be an Infinite from an Infinite, and Being from itself would be a Being from a Being; and this Infinite and Being either would be the same as the Infinite, or would be finite. From these and similar considerations which can be seen interiorly in the rational (mind), it is clear that there is an Infinite in itself and an Eternal in itself; and that this Infinite and Eternal is the Divine from which all things are.
48. (1) The Infinite in itself and the Eternal in itself is the same as the Divine. This can be seen from what has been shown in many places in the work on The Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom. That the Infinite in itself and the Eternal in itself is the Divine is in accord with the angelic idea, the angels understanding by the Infinite nothing else than the Divine being (esse), and by the Eternal the Divine manifestation (existere). Men also are able to see that the Infinite in itself and Eternal in itself is the Divine, and are not able to see it. Those can see it who think of the Infinite not from space, and of the Eternal not from time; but those who think of what is infinite and eternal from space and time can not see it. Therefore it can be seen by those who think in a higher, that is, in an interior way in the rational, but can not be seen by those who think in a lower, that is, in an exterior way.
[2] It can be seen by those who call to mind that an infinity of space is impossible, also an infinity of time, which is an eternity from which [things have been]; because infinity is without end, either first or last, that is, without limits; and who also consider that an Infinite from itself is impossible, because from itself supposes limit and beginning or a prior from which it is; therefore it is unmeaning to speak of the Infinite and Eternal from itself, for this would be like saying being (esse) from itself, which is a contradiction; for an Infinite from itself would be an Infinite from an Infinite, and Esse from itself would be Esse from an Esse; and this Infinite and Esse would either be the same with The Infinite or would be finite. From these and like reasons, which can be seen interiorly in the rational, it is evident that there is an Infinite in itself and an Eternal in itself; and that this Infinite and Eternal is the Divine from which are all things.
48. I. Quod Infinitum in se ac Aeternum in se, sit idem cum Divino, constare potest ex illis quae in pluribus locis in Transactione de DIVINO AMORE ET DIVINA 1SAPIENTIA, ostensa sunt. Quod Infinitum in se ac Aeternum in se sit Divinum, est ex idea Angelica; Angeli non aliud per Infinitum intelligunt quam Divinum Esse, ac per Aeternum Divinum Existere. At quod Infinitum in se, ac Aeternum in se, sit Divinum, ab hominibus et videri potest et non videri; videri potest ab illis qui de Infinito non ex spatio ac de Aeterno non ex tempore cogitant; sed non videri potest ab illis qui de infinito ac aeterno ex spatio et tempore cogitant; ita videri potest ab illis, qui elevatius, hoc est, interius in rationali cogitant, ac non videri ab illis qui humilius, hoc est, exterius.
[2] Illi, a quibus videri potest, cogitant quod infinitum spatii non possit dari, proinde nec infinitum temporis quod est aeternum a quo, quia infinitum est absque fine primo et ultimo, seu absque terminis: cogitant etiam, quod nec dari queat Infinitum a se, quia a se ponit terminum et principium, aut prius a quo; consequenter quod vanum sit dicere Infinitum ac Aeternum a se, quia id foret sicut diceretur Esse a se, quod est contradictorium, nam Infinitum a se foret Infinitum ab Infinito, et Esse a se foret Esse ab Esse, ac illud Infinitum ac Esse foret vel idem cum Infinito, vel foret finitum. Ex his et similibus, quae interius in rationali possunt videri, patet, quod sit Infinitum in se, ac Aeternum in se, et quod hoc et illud sit Divinum, ex quo omnia.
Footnotes:
1 Prima editio: DIVIMA