The Works of Dionysius the Areopagite — trans. John Parker

interpreting the Divine Will. Further, as the Oracles affirm, he uttered that sacred and divine confession, not as self-moved \ nor as though flesh and blood had revealed it, but moved by God Who revealed to him the spiritual meaning of Divine things. The inspired Hierarchs then must so exercise their separations and all their Hierarchical i John XX. 22, 23. ^ Matt. xvi. 19. • Ibid. 17.

158 Diojiysiiis the Arcopagite powers as the Godhead, the Supreme Initiator,, may move them ; and the others must so cHng to the Hierarchs as moved by God, in what they may do hierarchically, " For he who despiseth you," He says, " despiseth Me '"."

Section VIII.

Let us now proceed to that, which follows the prayer mentioned. When the Hierarch has finished it, he first salutes the fallen asleep, and next, all who are present ; for dear and honoured by all Godlike men is he who has been perfected in a Divine life. After the salutation, the Hierarch pours the oil upon the man fallen asleep. And remember, that during the sacred Birth from God, before the most Divine Baptism, a first participation of a holy symbol is given to the man initiated — the oil of Chrism — after the entire removal of the former clothing ; and now, at the conclusion of all, the Oil is poured upon the man fallen asleep. Then indeed the anointing with the Oil summoned the initiated to the holy contests ; and now the Oil poured upon him shews the fallen asleep to have struggled, and to have been made perfect, throughout those same contests.

Section IX.

When the Hierarch has finished these things, he' places the body in an honourable chamber, with

" Luke X. 16.

on the Ecclesiastical Ilieraj'chy. 159 other, holy bodies of the same rank. For if, in soul and body, the man fallen asleep passed a life dear to God, there will be honoured, with the dqvout soul, the body also, which contended with it throughout the devout struggles. Hence the Divine justice gives to it, together with its own body, the retributive inheritances, as companion and participator in the devout, or the contrary, life. Wherefore, the Divine institution of sacred rites bequeaths the supremely Divine participations to them both — to the soul, indeed, in pure contemplation and in science of the things being done, and to the body, by sanctifying the whole man, as in a figure with the most Divine Muron, and the most holy symbols of the supremely Divine Communion, sanctifying the whole man, and announcing, by purifications of the whole man, that his resurrection will be most complete.

Se;ction X.

tifying the whole man, as in a figure with the most Divine Muron, and the most holy symbols of the supremely Divine Communion, sanctifying the whole man, and announcing, by purifications of the whole man, that his resurrection will be most complete.

Se;ction X.

Now, as regards the consecrating invocations, it is not permitted to explain them in writing, nor may we bring their mysterious meaning, or the powers from God working in them, from secrecy to publicity; but, as our sacred tradition holds, by learning these, through quiet instructions, and being perfected to a more Godlike condition and elevation, through Divine love and religious exercises, thou wilt be borne by the consecrating enlightenment to their highest science.

i6o Dionysiiis the Areopagite

SECTION XI.

Now the fact that even children, not yet able to understand the things Divine, become recipients of the holy Birth in God, and of the most holy symbols of the supremely Divine Communion, seems, as you say, to the profane, a fit subject for reasonable laughter, if the Hierarchs teach things Divine to those not able to hear, and vainly transmit the sacred traditions to those who do not understand. And this is still more laughable — that others, on their behalf, repeat the abjurations and the sacred compacts. But thy Hierarchical judgment must not be too hard upon those who are led astray, but, persuasively, and for the purpose of leading them to the light, reply affectionately to the objections alleged by them, bringing forward this fact, in accordance with sacred rule, that not all things Divine are comprehended in our knowledge, but many of the things, unknown by us, have causes beseeming God, unknown to us indeed, but well known to the Ranks above us. Many things also escape even the most exalted Beings, and are known distinctly by the All-Wise and Wise-making Godhead alone. P'urther, also, concerning this, we aflirm the same things which our Godlike initiators conveyed to us, after initiations from the early ° tradition. For they say, what is also a fact, that

^ dpxa''«s. See Acts xv. 7, 21, 16; and Archbishop Trench. Yet even Dupin ignorantly alleged that word as proof Post- Apostolic. Nov. Bib. p. lOO ; C. ii. 41.

on the Ecclesiastical Hieraixhy, i6i infants, being brought up according to a Divine institution, will attain a religious disposition, exempt from every error, and inexperienced in an unholylife. When our Divine leaders came to this conclusion, it was determined to admit infants upon the following conditions, viz.

g to a Divine institution, will attain a religious disposition, exempt from every error, and inexperienced in an unholylife. When our Divine leaders came to this conclusion, it was determined to admit infants upon the following conditions, viz. : that the natural parents of the child presented, should transfer the child to some one of the initiated, — a good teacher of children in Divine things, — and that the child should lead the rest of his life under him, as under a godfather and sponsor, for his religious safe-keeping. The Hierarch then requires him, when he has promised to bring up the child according to the religious life, to pronounce the renunciations and the religious professions, not, as they would jokingly say, by instructing one instead of another in Divine things ; for he does not say this, " that on behalf of this child I make, myself, the renunciations and the sacred professions," but, that the child is set apart and enlisted ; i.e. I promise to persuade the child, when he has come to a religious mind, through my godly instructions, to bid adieu wholly to things contrary, and to profess and perform the Divine professions. There is here, then, nothing absurd, in my judgment, provided the child is brought up as beseems a godlike training, in having a guide and religious surety, who implants in him a disposition for Divine things, and keeps him inexperienced in things contrary.

The Hierarch imparts to the child the sacred symbols, in order that he may be nourished by

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1 62 Dionysius the Areopagite^ o^r.

them, and may not have any other life but that which always contemplates Divine things ; and in religious progress become partaker of them and have a religious disposition in these matters, and be devoutly brought up by his Godhke surety. So great, my son, and so beautiful, are the uniform visions of our Hierarchy, which have been presented to my view; and from others, perhaps, more contemplative minds, these things have been viewed, not only more clearly, but also more divinely. And to thee, as I fancy, more brilliant and more divine beauties will shine forth, by using the foregoing stepping-stones to a higher ray.