The Works of Dionysius the Areopagite — trans. John Parker
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n of those of the same rank; the wheels being winged, and advancing without turning and without deviation, the power of their advancing energy within a straight and direct path, towards the same unflinching and straight swoop ^ of their every intellectual track, supermundanely straight and. direct way. Also it is possible to explain, after another mystical meaning, the sacred description of the intellectual wheels ; for the name Gel, Gel, is given to them, as the theologian says. This shews, according to the Hebrew tongue, revolutions and revelations. For the Empyrean and Godlike wheels have revolutions, indeed, by their perpetual movement around the Good Itself; but revelations, by the manifestation of things hidden, and by the elevation of things at our feet, and by the descending procession of the sublime illuminations to things below. There remains for accurate^ explanation, the statement respecting the rejoicing of the Heavenly Orders^'; for they are utterly incapable of our impassioned pleasure. Now they are said to d Dan. vii. lo. e Ezek. x. 9. ^2 Kings ii. 11.
g oT^o (?). ii Luke XV. 10.
F
66 Dionysius the Areopagite^ ^'c.
rejoice with God over the discovery of what was lost, as befits their Divine good nature, and that Godhke and ungrudging rejoicing over the care and salvation of those who are turned to God ; and that joy, beyond description, of which also holy men often partake, whilst the deifying illuminations of the Deity rest upon them. Let it suffice, then, to have said this much concerning the Divine representations, which, no doubt, falls short of their accurate explanation, but which will prevent us, I think, from being servilely entangled in the resemblance of the types. But if you should say that we have not mentioned in order the whole Angelic Powers, or operations, or likenesses, depicted in the Oracles, we answer in truth, that we do not possess the supermundane science of some ; and further, in regard to them, we have need of another to conduct to light and to reveal. Other things, however, as being parallel to the things said, we have omitted, out of regard to the symmetry of the discourse ; and the hiddenness, beyond our capacity, we have honoured by silence.
St. Michael and All Angels^ 1 898 .
ECCLESIASTICAL HIERARCHY.
-♦*-
CAPUT I.
To MY Fellow Presbyter Timothy.
DiONYSIUS THE PrESBYTER.
What is the traditional view of the Ecclesiastical
Hierarchy and what is its purpose /
Section I.
honoured by silence.
St. Michael and All Angels^ 1 898 .
ECCLESIASTICAL HIERARCHY.
-♦*-
CAPUT I.
To MY Fellow Presbyter Timothy.
DiONYSIUS THE PrESBYTER.
What is the traditional view of the Ecclesiastical
Hierarchy and what is its purpose /
Section I. We must, then, most pious of pious sons, demonstrate from the supermundane and most sacred Oracles and traditions, that ours is a Hierarchy of the inspired and Divine and Deifying science, and of operation, and of consecration, for those who have been initiated with the initiation of the sacred revelation derived from the hierarchical mysteries. See, however, that you do not put to scorn things most holy (Holy of Holies^); but rather treat them reverently, and you will honour the things of the hidden God by intellectual and obscure researches, carefully guarding them from the participation and defilement of the uninitiated, and reverently sharing holy things with the holy alone, by a holy enlightenment. For thus, as the Word of God^ has taught us who feast at His Banquet, even Jesus Himself — the most supremely Divine
68 Dioiiysius the Areopagite
Mind and superessential, the Source and Essence, and most supremely Divine Power of every Hierarchy and Sanctification and Divine operation — illuminates the blessed Beings who are superior to us, in a manner more clear, and at the same time more intellectual, and assimilates them to His own Light, as far as possible ; and by our love of things beautiful elevated to Him, and which elevates us, folds together our many diversities, and after perfecting into a uniform and Divine life and habit and operation, holily bequeaths the power of the Divine Priesthood ; from which by approaching to the holy exercise of the priestly office, we ourselves become nearer to the Beings above us, by assimilation, according to our power, to their abiding and unchangeable holy steadfastness ; and thus by looking upwards to the blessed and supremely Divine'' self of Jesus, and reverently gazing upon whatever, we are permitted to see, and illuminated with the knowledge of the visions, we shall be able to become, as regards the science of Divine mysteries, purified and purifiers ; images of Light, and workers with God, perfected and perfecting.
Section H.
Then what is the Hierarchy of the Angels ^ and Archangels, and of supermundane Principalities and Authorities, Powers and Lordships, and Divine Thrones, or of the Beings of the same ranks as the Thrones — which the ^Vord of God declares to c o.\)Tr\v. auyTjv.
Then what is the Hierarchy of the Angels ^ and Archangels, and of supermundane Principalities and Authorities, Powers and Lordships, and Divine Thrones, or of the Beings of the same ranks as the Thrones — which the ^Vord of God declares to c o.\)Tr\v. auyTjv. or apxvy' ^ See Epistle to Trallians,
071 the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy. 69 be near, and always about God, and with® God, naming them in the Hebrew tongue Cherubim and Seraphim — by pondering the sacred ranks and divisions of their Orders and Hierarc]:Hes, you will find in the books we have written — not as befits their dignity but to the best of our ability — and as the Theology of the most holy Scriptures guided, when they extolled their Hierarchy. Nevertheless, it is necessary to say this, that both that, and every Hierarchy extolled now by us, has one and the same power, throughout the whole Hierarchical transaction ; and that the Hierarch himself, according to his essence, and analogy, and rank, is initiated in Divine things, and is deified and imparts to the subordinates, according to the meetness of each for the sacred deification which comes to him from God ; also that the subordinates follow the superior, and elevate the inferior towards things in advance ; and that some go before, and, as far as possible, give the lead to others ; and that each, as far as may be, participates in the truly Beautiful, and Wise, and Good, through this the inspired and sacerdotal harmony.
But the Beings and ranks above us, of whom we have already made a reverent mention, are both incorporeal, and their Hierarchy is Uoth intelligible and supermundane ; but let us view our Hierarchy, comformably to ourselves, abounding in the variety of the sensible symbols, by which, in proportion to our capacity, we are conducted, hierarchically e John i. I.
yo Di07iysius the Areopagite according to our measure, to the uniform deification — God and Divine virtue. They indeed, as minds, think, according to laws laid down for themselves ; but we are led by sensible figures to the Divine contemplations, as is possible to us. And, to speak truly, there is One, to Whom all the Godlike aspire, but they do not partake uniformly of this One and the Same, but as the Divine balance distributes to each the meet inheritance.