" Deut. xxxii. 8. p afaXoycv. I suggest &\oycp.
^ Hosea iv, 6. ' Jer. xvi. 12. ;
on the Heavenly Hierarchy . 39
whom we also have emerged to that boundless and
bounteous sea of Divine Light, which is readily-
expanded for the ready reception of all), certain not-
alien gods were wont to preside ; yet there is one
Head of all, and to this, the Angels, who religiously
direct each nation, conduct those who follow them.
Let us consider Melchizedek ^ as being a Hierarch,
most dear to God ; (not of gods which are not, but
of the truly most high God) ; for the godly - wise
did not call Melchizedek simply dear to God, but
also Priest, in order that they may clearly shew
to the wise, that not only was he himself turned
to the true God, but further that he was guide to
others, as Hierarch of the elevation to the true and
only Godhead.
Section IV.
Let me also recall this to your Hierarchical judg-
ment— that both to Pharaoh *, from the Angel who
presided over the Egyptians, and to the Babylonian "
Prince, from his own Angel, the watchful and ruling
care of the Providence and Lordship over all, was
interpreted in visions ; and for those nations, the
worshippers of the true God were appointed leaders,
for the interpretation of things shaped by Angelic
visions revealed from God through Angels to holy
men akin to the Angels, Daniel and Joseph. For
there is one Prince and Providence over all.
And never must we think that the Godhead is
leader of Jews by lot *, and that Angels, inde-
• Gen, xiv. 18 ; Heb. vii. I. * Gen. xli. I — 7.
" Dan. ii. I. * ctTroKK-qpcoTiKus.
40 Z) tony sins the Areopagite
pendently, or as of equal rank, or in opposition,
or that certain other gods, preside over the other
nations. But that particular phrase of the Divine
AVord must be accepted according to the follow-
ing sacred intention ; not as though God had di-
vided government amongst men, with other gods,
or Angels, and had been elected by lot to the
government and leadership of Israel, but in this
sense — whilst the one Providence of Highest over
all, assigned all mankind, savingly, to the directing
conduct of their own Angels, yet Israel, almost
alone in comparison with all, turned himself^ to
the Light-ffift, and reco2;nition of the true Lord-
Hence the Word of God, as shewing that Israel
elected himself for the worship of the true God,
says this, "He became^ Lord's portion;" and as
indicating that he was assigned equally with the
other nations, to one of the holy Angels, for the
recognition, through him, of the Head of all, said
"That Michael^ became leader of the (Jewish)
people," demonstrating distinctly that there is one
Providence of the whole, superessentially established
above all the powers, unseen and seen, and that
all the Angels who preside over each nation, elevate,
as far as possible, those who follow them with a
willing mind, to It as their proper Head.
y iiri(TTpa<piVTos — iVi(TTpa<p4vros (?). ^ Deut. xxxii. 9.
' Dan. X. 21.
on the Heavenly Hierarchy. 41
CAPUT X. v./
A Repetition and Sunwiary of the Angelic discipline.
Section I.
We have concluded, then, that the most reverend
Order of the Minds around God, ministered by the
perfecting illumination through its immediate ele-
vation to it, is purified, and illuminated, and per-
fected by a gift of light from the Godhead, more
hidden and more manifest — more hidden, indeed,
as being more intelligible, and more simplifying,
and more unifying ; more manifest, as being a first
gift and a first manifestation, and more complete,
and more affused to it as transparent. And from
this (Order) again, in due degree, the second, and
from the second, the third, and from the third, our
Hierarchy, is reverently conducted to the super-
original Origin and End of all good order, accord-
ing to the self-same law of well-ordered regularity,
in Divine harmony and proportion.
Section 1 1.
Now all Angels are interpreters of those above
them, the most reverend, indeed, of God, Who
moves them, and the rest, in due degree, ot
those who have been moved by God.- For, to such
an extent has the superessential harmony of all
things provided for the religious order and the
regulated conduct of each of the rational and in
tellectual beings, that each rank of the Hierarchies
has been placed in sacred order, and we observe
42 Dionysiiis the Areopagite
every Hierarchy distributed into first, and middle,
and last Powers. But to speak accurately, He dis-
tinguished each Division itself, by the same Divine
harmonies ; wherefore the theologians say that the
most Divine Seraphim cry one to another^, in-
dicating distinctly, as I think by this, that the first
impart their knowledge of divine things to the
second.
Section IH.
I might add this not inappropriately, that each
heavenly and human mind has within itself its own
special first, and middle, and last ranks, and powers,
manifested severally in due degree, for the aforesaid
particular mystical meanings of the Hierarchical
illuminations, according to which, each one par-
ticipates, so far as is lawful and attainable to him,
in the most spotless purification, the most copious
light, the pre-eminent perfection. For there is no-
thing that is self-perfect, or absolutely without need
of perfecting, except the really Self-perfect and pre-
eminently Perfect.
Caput Xl
For what reasoji all the Heave?ily Be'uigs^ in conmion, are called Heavenly Foivers.
Section I.
Now that we have defined these things, it is
worthy of consideration for what reason we are
accustomed to call all the Angelic Beings together,
^ Isa. vi. 3.
on the Heavenly Hierarchy, '45
Heavenly Powers. For it is not possible to say,
as we may of the Angels, that the Order of the
holy Powers is last of all. The Orders of the
superior Beings share in the saintly illumination
of the last; but the last in no wise of the first;
and on this account all the Divine Minds are called
Heavenly Powers, but never Seraphim and Thrones
and Lordships. For the last do not enjoy the whole
jcharacteristics of the highest. For the Angels, and
those above the Angels — Archangels, and Princi-
palities, and Authorities, — placed by the Word of
Gcd after the Powers, are often in common called
by us, m conjunction with the other holy Beings,
Heavenly Powers.
Section II.
But we affirm that, whilst often using the appel-
lation, Heavenly Powers, for all in common, we do
not introduce a sort of confusion of the character-
istics of each Order. But, inasmuch as all the
Divine Minds, by the supermundane description
given of them, are distributed into three, — into es-
sence, and power, and energy, — when we speak of
them all, or some of them, indiscriminately, as
Heavenly Beings or Heavenly Powers, we must con-
sider that we manifest those about whom we speak
in a general way, from their essence or power sever-
ally. For we must not apply the superior character-
istic of those holy Powers, whom we have already
sufficiently distinguished, to the Beings which are
entirely inferior to them, so as to overthrow the
unconfused order of the Angelic ranks. For accord-
44 Dioiiysius the Areopagite
ing to the correct account which we have already
frequently given, the superior Orders possess abund-
antly the sacred characteristics of the inferior, but
the lowest do not possess the superior completeness
of the more reverend, since the first-manifested
illuminations are revealed to them, through the
first Order, in proportion to their capacity.
CAPUT XII.
Why the Hierarchs amongst men are called Angels.
Section I.
But this is sometimes also asked by diligent
contemplators of the intelligible Oracles ; Inasmuch
as the lowest Orders do not possess the complete-
ness of the superior, for what reason is our Hierarch
named by the Oracles, "Angel of the Sovereign
Lord ' } "
Se;ction II.
Now the statement, as I think, is not contrary
to what has been before defined ; for we say
that the last lack the complete and pre-eminent
Power of the more reverend Divisions ; for they par-
ticipate in the partial and analogous, according to
the one harmonious and binding fellowship of all
things. For example, the rank of the holy Cheru-
bim participates in higher wisdom and knowledge,
but the Divisions of the Beings beneath them, par-
ticipate, they also, in wisdom and knowledge, but
nevertheless partially, as compared with them, and
« Mai. ii. 7.
071 the Heave?ily Hierarchy. 45
in a lower degree. For the participation of wisdom
and knowledge throughout is common to all the
minds which bear the image of God ; but the being
near and first, or second and inferior, is not common,
but, as has been determined for each in its own
degree. This also one might safely define respect-
ing all the Divine Minds ;> for, as the first possess
abundantly the saintly characteristics of the inferior,
so the last possess those of the superior, not indeed
in the same degree, but subordinately. There is,
then, as I think, nothing absurd, if the Word of
(iod calls our Hierarch, Angel, since he participates,
according to his own capacity, in the messenger
characteristic of the Angels, and elevates himself,
as far as attainable to men, to the likeness of their
revealing office.
Section III.
But you will find that the Word of God calls
gods, both the Heavenly Beings above us, and the
jnost beloved of God, and holy men amongst us '^,
although the Divine Hiddenness is transcendently
elevated and established above all, and no created
Being can properly and wholly be said to be like
unto It, except those intellectual and rational Beings
who are entirely and wholly turned to Its Oneness
as far as possible, and who elevate themselves in-
cessantly to Its Divine illuminations, as far as attain-
able, by their imitation of God, if I may so speak,
according to their power, and are deemed worthy
of the same divine name.
** Kx(;cl. vii. I ; Ps. Ixxxii. 6.
4^ ~ Dionysius the Areopagite
CAPUT XIII.
'For what reasoti the Prophet Isaiah is said to have been purified by the Seraphim.
Section I.
Come, then, let us examine this as best we can,
why the Seraphim is said to be sent to one of
the Theologians; for some one may object, that
not one of the inferior Angels, but he, the enrolled
amongst the most reverend Beings, cleanses the
Prophet.
Section II.
Some, then, affirm that, according to the definition
already given of the mutual relation of all the
Minds, the Logion^ does not name one of the
highest around God, as having come for the cleans-
ing of the Theologian, but that some one of the
Angels, placed over us as a sacred Minister of
the Prophet's cleansing, is called by the same name
as the Seraphim, on the ground that the removal
of the faults spoken of, and the restoration of him
who was cleansed for the Divine mission, was
through fire ; and they say that the Logion ^ speaks
simply of one of the Seraphim, not one of those
who are established around God, but one of the
Powers set over us for the purpose of cleansing.
Section III.
Now another man brought forward to me a by no means foolish defence of the present position.
* Isa. vi. 6, 7. ^ Ibid. 7.
on the Heavenly Hierarchy. /^i
For he said that that great one, whoever he was, —
the Angel who formed this vision for the purpose
of teaching the theologian Divine things, — referred
his own cleansing function to God, and after God,
to the first working Hierarchy. And was not this
statement certainly true? For he who said this,
affirmed that the supremely Divine Power in visiting
all, advances and penetrates all irresistibly, and yet
is invisible to all, not only as being superessentially
elevated above all, but as secretly transmitting its
providential energies to all ; yea, rather, it is mani-
fested to all the intellectual Beings in due degree,
and by conducting Its own gift of Light to the
most reverend Beings, through them, as first, It
distributes in due order to the subordinate, ac-
cording to the power of each Division to bear the
vision of God ; or to speak more strictly, and
through familiar illustrations (for if they fall short
of the Glory of God, Who is exalted above all,
yet they are more illustrating for us), the distri-
bution of the sun's ray passes with easy distribu-
tion to first matter, as being more transparent than
all, and, through it with greater clearness, lights
up its own splendours ; but when it strikes more
dense materials, its distributed brilliancy becomes
more obscure, from the inaptitude of the materials
illuminated for transmission of the gift of Light,
and from this it is naturally contracted, so as to
almost entirely exclude the passage of Light. Again,
the heat of fire transmits itself chiefly to things that
are more receptive, and yielding, and conductive