J" Gospels. 3 Acts and Epistles. ^ Psalms.
* ivdtws ItpoAoyovaiv.
on the Ecclesiastical Hiei'archy. 95
Section V.
When, then, the comprehensive melody of the
holy Hymns has harmonized the habits of our souls
to the things which are presently to be ministered,
and, by the unison of the Divine Odes, as one
and concordant chorus of holy men, has estab-
lished an accord with things Divine, and them-
selves^, and one another, the things, more strained
and obscure in the intellectual language of the
mystic Psalms, are expanded by the most holy
lections of the inspired writings, through more full
and distinct images and narratives. He, who de-
voutly contemplates these, will perceive the uniform
and one conspiration, as being moved by One, the
supremely Divine Spirit. Hence, naturally, in the
history of the world, after the more ancient^ tra-
dition, the new Covenant is proclaimed ; the inspired
and Hierarchical order teaching this, as I think,
that the one affirmed the Divine works of Jesus,
as to come ; but the other accomplished ; and as
that described the truth in figures, this shewed it
present. For the accomplishment, within this, of
the predictions of that, established the truth, and
the work of God is a consummation of the Word
of God.
Section VI.
Those who absolutely have no ear for these sacred initiations do not even recognize the images, — ■
^ Republic, lib. iv. ad finem. Dulac, p. 426-7. y The Law and the Prophets.
g6 Dionysius the Areopagite
unblushingly rejecting the saving revelation of the
Divine Birth, and in opposition to the Oracles reply
to their destruction, " Thy ways I do not wish to
knovv^"
Now the regulation of the holy Hierarchy permits
the catechumens, and the possessed, and the peni-
tents, to hear the sacred chanting of the Psalms,
and the inspired reading of the all-Holy Scriptures ;
but it does not invite them to the next religious
services and contemplations, but only the eyes of
the initiated. For the Godlike Hierarchy is full of
reverent justice, and distributes savingly to each,
according to their due, bequeathing savingly the
harmonious communication of each of the things
Divine, in measure, and proportion, and due time.
The lowest rank, then, is assigned to the cate-
chumens, for they are without participation and
instruction in every Hierarchical initiation, not even
having the being in God by Divine Birth, but are
yet being brought to^ Birth by the Paternal Oracles,
and moulded, by life-giving formations, towards the
blessed introduction to their first life and first light
from Birth in God. As, then, children after the
flesh, if, whilst immature and unformed, they should
anticipate their proper delivery, as untimely born and
abortions, will fall to earth without life and without
light ; and no one, in his senses, would say from
what he saw, that they, released from the darkness
of the womb, were brought to the light (for the
2 Job xxi. 14. a See Plato, Thet. i. 114, 115. Dulac, 429.
on the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy. 97
medical aiithoritv, which is learned in the functions
of the body, would say that light operates on things
receptive of light) ; so also the all-wise science of
religious rites brings these first to delivery, by the
preparatory nourishment of the formative and life-
giving Oracles ; and when it has made their person
ripe for Divine Birth, gives to them savingly, in
due order, the participation in things luminous and
perfecting ; but, at present, it separates things per-
fect from them as imperfect, consulting the good
order of sacred things, and the delivery and life
of the catechumens, in a Godlike order of the Hier-
archical rites.
Section VII.
Now the multitude of the possessed indeed is
unholy, but it is next above the catechumens, which
is lowest. Nor is that which has received a certain
participation in the most holy offices, but is yet
entangled by contrary qualities, whether enchant-
ments or terrors, on a par, as I think, with the
altogether uninitiated and entirely uncommunicated
in the Divine initiations ; but, even for them, the
view and participation in the holy mysteries is con-
tracted, and very properly. For, if it be true that
the altogether godly man, the worthy partaker of the
Divine mysteries, the one carried to the very summit
of tlie Divine likeness, to the best of his powers,
in complete and most perfect deifications, does not
even perform the things of the flesh, beyond the
most necessary requirements of nature, and then as
98 Dio7tystus the Areopagite
a parergon, but will be, at the same time, a temple,
and a follower, according to his ability, of the
supremely Divine Spirit, in the highest deification,
implanting like in like ; — such an one as thjs
would never be possessed by opposing phantoms
or fears, but will laugh them to scorn, and when
they approach, will cast them down and put them
to flight, and will act rather than comply, and
in addition to the passionless and indomitableness
of his own character, will be seen also a physician
to others, for such "possessions" as these ^ ; (and
/ think further, yea, rather, I know certainly that
the most impartial discrimination of Hierarchical
persons knows more than they *", that such as are
possessed with a most detestable possession, by
departing from the Godlike life, become' of one
mind and one condition with destructive den>ons,
by turning themselves from things that really are,
and undying possessions, and everlasting pleasures,
for the sake of the most base and impassioned Tolly-
destructive to themselves; and by desiring and
pursuing the earthly variableness, and the perish-
able and corrupting pleasures, and the unstable
comfort in things foreign to their nature, not real
but seeming;) these then, first, and more properly
than those, were shut out by the discriminating
authority of the Deacon ; for it is not permitted
to them to have part in any other ^ holy function
than the teaching of the Oracles, which is likely
to turn them to better things. For, if the super-
b evepyriiJ.aTwv, ^ The energoumenoi.
071 the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy. 99
mundane Service of the Divine Mysteries excludes
those under penitence, and those who have already
attained it, not permitting anything to come near
which is not completely perfect, and proclaims, and
this in all sincerity, that " I am unseen and uncom-
municated by those who are in any respect imper-
fectly weak as regards the summit of the Divine
Likeness" (for that altogether most pure voice scares
away even those who cannot be associated with
the worthy partakers of the most Divine mysteries) ;
how much more, then, will the multitude of those
wh'o are under the sway of their passions be un-
hallowed and alien from every sight and partici-
pation in the holy mysteries. When, then, the un-
' initiated in the mysteries, and the imperfect, and
with them the apostates from the religious life,
and aftei\ them, those who through unmanliness
are prone to the fears and fancies of contrary
influences, as not reaching through the persistent
and indomitable inclination towards godliness, the
stability and activity of a Godlike condition ; then,
in addition to these, those who have separated in-
deed from the contrary life, but have not yet been
cleansed froiii its imaginations by a godly and pure
habit and love, and next, those who are not al-
together uniform, and to use an expression of the
Law, " entirely without spot and blemish," when
these have been excluded from the divine temple
an<l the service which is too high for them, the
all-holy ministers and loving contemplators of things
all-holy, gazing reverently upon the most pure rite,
loo Dionysius the Areopagite
sing in an universal Hymn of Praise ^ the Author
and Giver of all good, from Whom the saving
mystic Rites were exhibited to us, which divinely
work the sacred deification of those being initiated.
Now this Hymn some indeed call a Hymn of Praise,
others, the symbol of worship, but others, as I think,
more divinely, a Hierarchical thanksgiving, as giving
a summary of the holy gifts which come to us from
God. For, it seems to me the record ^ of all the
works of God related to have been done for us in
song, which, after it had benevolently fixed our
being and life, and moulded the Divine likeness
in ourselves to beautiful archetypes, and placed us
in participation of a more Divine condition and
elevation ; but when it beheld the dearth of Divine
gifts, which came upon us by our heedlessness, is
declared to have called us back to our first condi-
tion, by goods restored, and by the complete as-
sumption ^ of what was ours, to have made good the
most perfect impartation of His own, and thus to
have given to us a participation in God and Divine
things.
Section VHI.
When the supremely Divine love towards Man
has thus been religiously celebrated, the Divine
Bread is presented, veiled, and likewise the Cup
of Blessing, and the most Divine greeting is de-
d vfivoXoyia Ka6o\iKfj. The whole Psalter is said in Liturgy of St. James before celebration.
® Liturgy of Dionysius, p. 191. ^ Incarnation.
on the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy.
lOI
voutly performed, and the mystic and supermundane
recital of the holy-written tablets. For it is not
possible to be collected to the One, and to par-
take of the peaceful union with the One, when
people are divided amongst themselves. For if,
being illuminated by the contemplation and know-
ledge of the One, we would be united to an uni-
form and Divine agreement, we must not permit
ourselves to descend to divided lusts, from which
are formed earthly enmities, envious and passionate,
against that which is according to nature. This
unified and undivided life is, in my opinion, estab-
lished by the holy service of the " peace," which es-
tablishes like in like, and separates the Divine and
unified visions from things divided. The recital of
the holy tablets after the " peace " proclaims those
who have passed through life holily, and have
reached the term of a virtuous life without falter-
ing, urging and conducting us to their blessed con-
dition and Divine repose, through similarity to them,
and, announcing them as living, and, as the Word
of God says, " not dead, but as having passed from
death to a most divine life ^."
Section IX.
But observe that they are enrolled in the holy
memorials, not as though the Divine memory were
represented under the figure of a memorial, after
the manner of men ; but as one might say, with
^ I John iii. 14.
102 Dionysius the A7'eopagite
reverence towards God, as beseems the august and
unfailing knowledge in God of those who have
been perfected in the likeness of God. For "He
knoweth," say the Oracles, "them that are His^\"
and "precious, in the sight of the Lord, is the death
of His saints^, "death of saints," being said, instead
of the perfection in hohness. And bear this reli-
giously in mind, that when the worshipful symbols
have been placed on the Divine Altar, through
which (symbols) the Christ is signified and partaken,
there is inseparably present the reading of the re-
gister of the holy persons, signifying the indivisible
conjunction of their supermundane and sacred union
with Him. When these things have been ministered,
according to th6 regulations described, the Hierarch,
standing before the most holy symbols, washes his
hands with water, together wdth the reverend order
of the Priests. Because, as the Oracles testify, when
a man has been washed, he needs no other washing,
except that of his extremities J, i.e. his lowest ; through
which extreme cleansing he will be resistless and
free, as altogether uniform, in a sanctified habit of
the Divine Likeness, and advancing in a goodly
manner to things secondar)^, and being turned again
uniquely to the One, he will make his return, w^ith-
out spot and blemish, as preserving the fulness and
completeness of the Divine Likeness.
li 2 Tim. ii. 19. i Ps. cx\a, 15.
J John xiii. 10.
071 the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy. 103
Section X.
There was indeed the sacred laver, as we have
said, in the Hierarchy of the Law ^ ; and the pre-
sent cleansing of the hands of the Hierarch and the
Priests suggests it. For it behoves those who ap-
proach the most hallowed service to be purified even
to the remotest imaginations of the soul, through
likeness to it, and, as far as possible, to draw nigh ;
for thus they will shed around more visibly the
Divine manifestations, since the supermundane
flashes permit their own splendour to pass more ■
thoroughly and brilliantly into the brightness of
mirrors like themselves. Further, the cleansing of
the Hierarch and the Priests to their extremities,
i.e. lowest, takes place before the most holy symbols,
as in the presence of Christ, Who surveys all our
most secret thoughts, and since the utmost purifi-
cation is established under His all-surveying scrutiny,
and most just and unflinching judgment, the Hierarch
thus becomes one with the things Divine, and, when
he has extolled the holy works of God, he ministers
things most Divine, and brings to view the things
being sung ^