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1vil to matter; Dionysius to the fallacious choice of a free agent. and the Alexandrifie School. xvii May it not be that the pagan colouring of Porphyry in these respects led Eutochius to give a more faithful and consistent account of the teaching of Plotinus. But the crowning proof that Dionysius was the source from which the Alexandrine School drew much of its wisdom, is Proclus (450 — 485). Suidas affirmed long ago that Proclus cribbed whole pas- sages from Dionysius. Professor Stiglmayr fills seven pages with parallel passages. Vacherot describes certain chapters of the "Divine Names " as extracts from Proclus, word for word, and says the whole doctrine of Dionysius seems to be a commentary upon the Theology of Alexandria. Barthelemy St. Hilaire says that Dionysius and Scotus Erigena, almost entirely implanted, in the middle age, the doctrine of Neo-PIatonism. Matter is more profound; Professor Langen finds in Diony- sius the "characteristics of Neo-Platonic speculation." The similarity of doctrine is denied by none. Which writings appeared first? that is the question. Dexter commemorates the " Divine Names " A.D. 98 ^ Polycarp quotes Dionysius verbatim as " a certain one." Jerome quotes him as " quidam Graeco- rum." Dionysius of Alexandria (a."'d. 250), writing to Sixtus II., declares that no one can intelligently doubt that the writings are those of Dionysius, the convert of St. Paul, Bishop of Athens. <^ From Tabularia of Toledo, A.D. 98. xviii Dionysius the Areopagite Tertiillian expresses the Agnosia "nihil scire omnia scire." Origen quotes him by name. Theo- dore (a.d. 420) answers objections, — whom Photius approved. Gregory calls Dionysius "an ancient and venerable Father." The Second Council of Nicea quotes the very words contained in the " Eccle- siastical Hierarchy," c. I. s. 4, as those of the great Dionysius. Bishop Pearson proves that the best judges in the sixth, fifth, fourth and third centuries regarded the writings as written by Dionysius the Areopagite. German scholars to-day admit that the external testimony is in favour of their genuineness. Yet eccentric critics, on account of the precise theology, cannot believe that the works were written by a learned Greek, — Chief of the Areopagus — who forsook all to follow Christ, — the convert and dis- ciple of St. Paul, — the familiar friend of St.
2genuineness. Yet eccentric critics, on account of the precise theology, cannot believe that the works were written by a learned Greek, — Chief of the Areopagus — who forsook all to follow Christ, — the convert and dis- ciple of St. Paul, — the familiar friend of St. John and other Apostles, to whom our Saviour revealed the mysteries of the Father ; but those critics can believe that an unknown man, whose century no one can fix, and possibly a Syrian, may have gleaned from writers of the first four centuries these theo- logical pearls expressed in Greek in a style unique and always like itself. They can believe that the Author of these Divine writings would incorporate fictitious allusions to persons and events of the apostolic age, to add lustre to incomparable works, and to impute them to another. They can believe that writings, so composed, were foisted upon a credulous Christendom, so that Dionysius of Alex- andria, Maximus, St. John Damascene, and the and the Alexaiidrine School. xix Council of Nicea, accepted them as the genuine works of Dionysius. I do not belong to that school. Only unbelief could believe anything so incredible. Rational men will not hazard the surmise that works known in the first century were gleaned from writings composed four hundred years afterwards. The tone of the Alexandrine School may be further illustrated from Amelius and Dionysius the Sublime. Amelius attended Plotinus twenty-four years as companion and pupil. Eusebius gives an extract from his writings, in which Amelius says, ""This plainly was the Word, by Whom, being Eter- nal, things becoming became, as Heraclitus would say." It was probably he who said, "the Prologue of St. John's Gospel ought to be written in gold, and placed in the most conspicuous place in every church." De Civ. Dei, LX. c. 29. Dionysius, the famous secretary of Zenobia, attended the lectures of Ammonius-Saccus. He was the "arbiter" of all literary questions. He expresses his admiration, De sub. L. 9, of the diction of Moses in the de- scription of the six days' creation, and numbers St. Paul amongst the most brilliant Greek orators, as a man who propounded a "dogma beyond demon- stration." We claim that the testimony of these illustrious men, and the extracts from Pantaenus, Ammonius, and their disciples, justify the conclusion that the Alexandrine School was Biblical, Christian, and Philosophical, that its Philosophy was a Divine XX Dionysius the Ai'eopagite^ d^c.
3ny of these illustrious men, and the extracts from Pantaenus, Ammonius, and their disciples, justify the conclusion that the Alexandrine School was Biblical, Christian, and Philosophical, that its Philosophy was a Divine XX Dionysius the Ai'eopagite^ d^c. Philosophy of the Faith, not a pagan philosophy agaifist the Faith, and that the main sources of its Divine Philosophy were the writings of Hierotheus and Dionysius, Bishops of Athens. JOHN PARKER. Cannes, Epiphany, 1899. For sketch of Life, Internal Evidence of date, and External Testimony to genuineness during first nine centuries, see " Celestial and Ecclesiastical Hierarchy." (Skeffington, 2S. 6it.) DIONYSIUS THE AREOPAGITE ON THE HEAVENLY HIERARCHY. CAPUT I. To MY Fellow Presbyter Timothy ^ DiONYSius the Presbyter. That every divine illumiiiation, whilst going forth lovi7igly to the objects of its forethought under various forms^ remains si?nplex. Nor is this ail. It also unifies the things illuminated. Section I. "Every good gift^ and every perfect gift is from above, and coraeth down from the Father of Lights." Further also, every processiofi of illuminating light, proceeding from the Father, whilst visiting us as a gift of goodness, restores us again gradually as an unifying power, and turns us to the oneness of our conducting Father, and to a deifying simplicity. For<= all things are from Him, and to Him, as said the Sacred Word. Section H. Invoking then Jesus, the Paternal Light, the Real, the True, " which lighteth ^ every man coming into ■ I Pet. V. I. ^ James i, 17. c Rom. xi. 36. ^ John i. 9 B 2 Dionysius the Areopagite the world," "through^ Whom we have access to the Father," Source of Light, let us aspire, as far as is attainable, to the illuminations handed down by our fathers in the most sacred Oracles, and let us gaze, as we may, upon the Hierarchies of the Heavenly Minds manifested by them symbolically for our in- struction. And when we have received, with im- material and unflinching mental * eyes, the gift of Light, primal and super-primal, of the supremely Di- vine Father, which manifests to us the most blessed Hierarchies of the Angels in types and symbols, let us then, from it, be elevated to its simple splendour?.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
1vil to matter; Dionysius to the fallacious choice of a free agent. and the Alexandrifie School. xvii May it not be that the pagan colouring of Porphyry in these respects led Eutochius to give a more faithful and consistent account of the teaching of Plotinus. But the crowning proof that Dionysius was the source from which the Alexandrine School drew much of its wisdom, is Proclus (450 — 485). Suidas affirmed long ago that Proclus cribbed whole pas- sages from Dionysius. Professor Stiglmayr fills seven pages with parallel passages. Vacherot describes certain chapters of the "Divine Names " as extracts from Proclus, word for word, and says the whole doctrine of Dionysius seems to be a commentary upon the Theology of Alexandria. Barthelemy St. Hilaire says that Dionysius and Scotus Erigena, almost entirely implanted, in the middle age, the doctrine of Neo-PIatonism. Matter is more profound; Professor Langen finds in Diony- sius the "characteristics of Neo-Platonic speculation." The similarity of doctrine is denied by none. Which writings appeared first? that is the question. Dexter commemorates the " Divine Names " A.D. 98 ^ Polycarp quotes Dionysius verbatim as " a certain one." Jerome quotes him as " quidam Graeco- rum." Dionysius of Alexandria (a."'d. 250), writing to Sixtus II., declares that no one can intelligently doubt that the writings are those of Dionysius, the convert of St. Paul, Bishop of Athens. <^ From Tabularia of Toledo, A.D. 98. xviii Dionysius the Areopagite Tertiillian expresses the Agnosia "nihil scire omnia scire." Origen quotes him by name. Theo- dore (a.d. 420) answers objections, — whom Photius approved. Gregory calls Dionysius "an ancient and venerable Father." The Second Council of Nicea quotes the very words contained in the " Eccle- siastical Hierarchy," c. I. s. 4, as those of the great Dionysius. Bishop Pearson proves that the best judges in the sixth, fifth, fourth and third centuries regarded the writings as written by Dionysius the Areopagite. German scholars to-day admit that the external testimony is in favour of their genuineness. Yet eccentric critics, on account of the precise theology, cannot believe that the works were written by a learned Greek, — Chief of the Areopagus — who forsook all to follow Christ, — the convert and dis- ciple of St. Paul, — the familiar friend of St.
2genuineness. Yet eccentric critics, on account of the precise theology, cannot believe that the works were written by a learned Greek, — Chief of the Areopagus — who forsook all to follow Christ, — the convert and dis- ciple of St. Paul, — the familiar friend of St. John and other Apostles, to whom our Saviour revealed the mysteries of the Father ; but those critics can believe that an unknown man, whose century no one can fix, and possibly a Syrian, may have gleaned from writers of the first four centuries these theo- logical pearls expressed in Greek in a style unique and always like itself. They can believe that the Author of these Divine writings would incorporate fictitious allusions to persons and events of the apostolic age, to add lustre to incomparable works, and to impute them to another. They can believe that writings, so composed, were foisted upon a credulous Christendom, so that Dionysius of Alex- andria, Maximus, St. John Damascene, and the and the Alexaiidrine School. xix Council of Nicea, accepted them as the genuine works of Dionysius. I do not belong to that school. Only unbelief could believe anything so incredible. Rational men will not hazard the surmise that works known in the first century were gleaned from writings composed four hundred years afterwards. The tone of the Alexandrine School may be further illustrated from Amelius and Dionysius the Sublime. Amelius attended Plotinus twenty-four years as companion and pupil. Eusebius gives an extract from his writings, in which Amelius says, ""This plainly was the Word, by Whom, being Eter- nal, things becoming became, as Heraclitus would say." It was probably he who said, "the Prologue of St. John's Gospel ought to be written in gold, and placed in the most conspicuous place in every church." De Civ. Dei, LX. c. 29. Dionysius, the famous secretary of Zenobia, attended the lectures of Ammonius-Saccus. He was the "arbiter" of all literary questions. He expresses his admiration, De sub. L. 9, of the diction of Moses in the de- scription of the six days' creation, and numbers St. Paul amongst the most brilliant Greek orators, as a man who propounded a "dogma beyond demon- stration." We claim that the testimony of these illustrious men, and the extracts from Pantaenus, Ammonius, and their disciples, justify the conclusion that the Alexandrine School was Biblical, Christian, and Philosophical, that its Philosophy was a Divine XX Dionysius the Ai'eopagite^ d^c.
3ny of these illustrious men, and the extracts from Pantaenus, Ammonius, and their disciples, justify the conclusion that the Alexandrine School was Biblical, Christian, and Philosophical, that its Philosophy was a Divine XX Dionysius the Ai'eopagite^ d^c. Philosophy of the Faith, not a pagan philosophy agaifist the Faith, and that the main sources of its Divine Philosophy were the writings of Hierotheus and Dionysius, Bishops of Athens. JOHN PARKER. Cannes, Epiphany, 1899. For sketch of Life, Internal Evidence of date, and External Testimony to genuineness during first nine centuries, see " Celestial and Ecclesiastical Hierarchy." (Skeffington, 2S. 6it.) DIONYSIUS THE AREOPAGITE ON THE HEAVENLY HIERARCHY. CAPUT I. To MY Fellow Presbyter Timothy ^ DiONYSius the Presbyter. That every divine illumiiiation, whilst going forth lovi7igly to the objects of its forethought under various forms^ remains si?nplex. Nor is this ail. It also unifies the things illuminated. Section I. "Every good gift^ and every perfect gift is from above, and coraeth down from the Father of Lights." Further also, every processiofi of illuminating light, proceeding from the Father, whilst visiting us as a gift of goodness, restores us again gradually as an unifying power, and turns us to the oneness of our conducting Father, and to a deifying simplicity. For<= all things are from Him, and to Him, as said the Sacred Word. Section H. Invoking then Jesus, the Paternal Light, the Real, the True, " which lighteth ^ every man coming into ■ I Pet. V. I. ^ James i, 17. c Rom. xi. 36. ^ John i. 9 B 2 Dionysius the Areopagite the world," "through^ Whom we have access to the Father," Source of Light, let us aspire, as far as is attainable, to the illuminations handed down by our fathers in the most sacred Oracles, and let us gaze, as we may, upon the Hierarchies of the Heavenly Minds manifested by them symbolically for our in- struction. And when we have received, with im- material and unflinching mental * eyes, the gift of Light, primal and super-primal, of the supremely Di- vine Father, which manifests to us the most blessed Hierarchies of the Angels in types and symbols, let us then, from it, be elevated to its simple splendour?.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
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