The Works of Dionysius the Areopagite — trans. John Parker

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DIONYSIUS

THE AREOPAGITE

PART n.^

Rev. yohn Parker

..,.- 'M

LIBRARY OF
WELLESLEY COLLEGE

BEaUEST OF

THE WORKS OF

DIONYSIUS THE AREOPAGITE.

PART II.
THE HEAVENLY HIERARCHY,

AND

THE ECCLESIASTICAL HIERARCHY.

NO IV FIRST TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH,
FROM THE ORIGINAL GREEK,

bV the

REV. JOHN PARKER, M.A.

Author of '■'• Christianity Chronologically Confirmed,'' <^'c.

Sames barker anb Co.

p. 6

AND 27 BROAD-STREET, OXFORD.
1899,

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CONTENTS.

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OS
2

PAGE

DiONYSIUS THE ArEOPAGITE AND THE

Alexandrine School * . . v

On the Heavenly Hierarchy , . i

On the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy . . 67

Appendix : —

Lists of Bishops . . . .163

Apostolic Traditions generally in

abeyance ..... 167

Index ...... 168

TO

THE MEMORY

OF

EDWARD BOUVERIE PUSEY,

THEOLOGIAN

OF THE

CHURCH OF BRITAIN.

BOOKS TO BE READ.

1st. "The doctrine of the Lord, through the Twelve

Apostles, to the Gentiles." Spence, Nisbet.
2nd. "The Apostolic Constitutions." Lagarde. Williams

d.nd Norgate, 1862.
3rd. "Coptic Constitutions." Lagarde. Tattam, 1845.
4th. Justin Martyr — for Liturgy.
5th. Hippolitus, " Refutation of all heresies." Duncken

Gottingen, 1859.
6th. Hierocles on "Golden Verses" of Pythagoras.

Roger Daniel. London, 1654.
7th. "Ecclesiastical History (in Greek) from establish*

ment of the Church to our own time." By

Professor Kyriakos. Athens, 1898.
8th. " St. Denys, I'Areopagite, premier Eveque de

Paris." Darras, 1863. Vives, Paris. 9th. Gale's "Court of the Gentiles." Hall, Oxon, 1672. loth. Dexter's Chronicle. Migne, T. 31. nth. Monuments inedits. Faillon,

DIONYSIUS THE AREOPAGITE

AND

THE ALEXANDRINE SCHOOL.

Alexandria became the home of Christian Philosophy, but Athens was its birthplace. Pantaenus and Ammonius-Saccus were chief founders of the Alexandrine School. They were both Christian. They both drew their teaching from the Word of God, " the Fountain of Wisdom," and from the writings of Hierotheus, and Dionysius the Areopagite — Bishops of Athens. For several centuries there had been a Greek preparation for the Alexandrine School.

Christian. They both drew their teaching from the Word of God, " the Fountain of Wisdom," and from the writings of Hierotheus, and Dionysius the Areopagite — Bishops of Athens. For several centuries there had been a Greek preparation for the Alexandrine School. As the Old Testament was a Schoolmaster, leading to Christ, so the Septuagint, Pythagoras, Plato, Aristobulus, Philo, and Apollos were heralds who prepared the minds of men for that fulness of light and truth in Jesus Christ, which, in Alexandria, clothed itself in the bright robes of Divine Philosophy.

Pantaenus was born in Athens, a.d. i2o, and died in Alexandria, a.d. 213. He was Greek by nationality, and Presbyter of the Church in Alexandria by vocation. First, Stoic, then Pythagorean, he became Christian some time before a.d. 186, at which date he was appointed chief instructor in the Didaskeleion, b vi Dionyslus the Areopagite by Demetrius, Bishop of Alexandria. Pantseniis recognised the preparation for the Christian Faith in the Greek Philosophy. Anastasius-Sinaita describes him as "one of the early expositors who agreed with each other in treating the first six days of Creation as prophetic of Christ and the whole Church."

Eusebius says, that Pantaenus expounded the treasures of the Divine dogmas preserved direct, as from father to son, from St. Paul and other Apostles. Photius records that Pantaenus was pupil of those who had seen the Apostles, but that he certainly had not listened to any of them themselves. Now, if Pantaenus was pupil of those who had seen the Apostles, and yet had not listened to their oral teaching, it is natural to infer that he was pupil through their writings. I am a pupil of Dr. Pusey, but I never listened to his oral teaching ; I am pupil through his writings. Now, there exist, to this day, the writings of two Presbyters who had seen the Apostles — both converts to the faith through St. Paul, — whose writings contain the treasures of the Divine dogmas, received from St. Paul and the other Apostles. Those two Presbyters are Hierotheus and Dionysius the Areopagite, both ordained Bishop of Athens by St. Paul. Dionysius the Areopagite expressly calls St. Paul his " chief initiator," and as such, gives his teaching on the holy Angels, in the sixth chapter of the Heavenly Hierarchy ; and frequently describes St. Paul as his " chief instructor."

If, then, we can prove that the writings of Dionyand the Alexandrine School.

chief initiator," and as such, gives his teaching on the holy Angels, in the sixth chapter of the Heavenly Hierarchy ; and frequently describes St. Paul as his " chief instructor."

If, then, we can prove that the writings of Dionyand the Alexandrine School. vii sius existed before, and were known in Alexandria, when Pantaeniis delivered his lectures in that city> we may fairly infer that Pantaenus would know-, and knowing, would use, the writings penned by the Chief of his own Areopagus, and Bishop of his own Athens.

Historical criticism does not permit us to reject probabilities, merely because they confirm the Christian Faith.

Dexter, in his Chronicle, collected from the
Archives of Toledo and other churches in Spain,
gives this testimony : — ■

" U.C. 851 (a.d. 98). Dionysius Areopagita dicat Eugenio Marcello, dicto, propter ingenii excellentiam, Timotheo, libros de Divinis Nom'uiibus.''''

Dionysius of Alexandria, writing to Pope Sixtus II., c. 250, respecting the writings of Dionysius the Areopagite, affirms " that no one can intelligently dispute their paternity — that no one penetrated more profoundly than Dionysius into the mysterious depths of Holy Scripture — that Dionysius was disciple ot St. Paul, and piously governed the Church of Athens." If, then, the Bishops of Alexandria and Rome exchanged letters only a few years after the death of Pantaenus, and only seven years after the death of Amnjonius, and in those le-tters affirmed the writings to be undoubtedly written by Dionysius the Areopagite, it would be the height of absurdity to affirm that such writings were unknown to Pantaenus and Ammonius.

J3ut we do not need to base our proof on mere viii Dionysiiis the Areopaglte supposition. Routh gives two fragments of Pantaenus. The second is a distinct echo of Dionysius. In Divine Names (c. 7), Dionysius discusses how- Almighty God knows existing things, and explains the text ; "ZT^, knoiamg all things before their birth^^ as proving that *' not as learning existing things from existing things, but from Himself, and in Himself, as Cause, the Divine Being pre-holds and precomprehends the notions and essence of all things, not approaching each several thing according to its kind, but knowing and containing all things within one grasp of the cause. Thus Almighty God knows existing things, not by a knowledge of existing things, but by that of Himself." Dionysius, c. V. s. 8, speaking of creation, declares that the Divine and good volitions of Almighty God define and produce existing things.