^H«^•^;;-^^«»■^^»t.|3r,•,rJ«!aDfr'r'^■r i'jH'.i»5»i>»iUiie;t 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. 6 SOUTHAMPTON-STREET, STRAND, LONDON; AND 27 BROAD-STREET, OXFORD. 1899, J,,. 3? "'i.e Gi "n, Y^vc^^ ut^vA>u€ 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 Chris- tian 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 excellen- tiam, 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 Pan- taenus and Ammonius. J3ut we do not need to base our proof on mere viii Dionysiiis the Areopaglte supposition. Routh gives two fragments of Pan- taenus. 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 Him- self, as Cause, the Divine Being pre-holds and pre- comprehends 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. Pantsenus teaches the same : *' Neither does He know things sensible sensibly (ala-dTjTwi), nor things intelligible intellectually. For it is not possible that He, Who is above all things, should comprehend things being, after things being (Kara ra ovra), but we affirm that He knows things being, as His own volitions .... yea, as His own volitions, Almighty God knows things being, since by willing (deXcov), He made all things being." In Mystic Theology, c. V., Dionysius says, " Al- mighty God does not know existing things, ^im exist- ing." The teaching of Ammonius-Saccus is the same ; Ammonius uses the word ^ovXrjixa, Dionysius and Pantaenus, OfXrifxaTa, of God, as Source of Creation. mid the Alexandi'ine School. ix But, though the known fragments of Pantaenus are few, we possess abundant writings of two pupils^ Clement of Alexandria and Origen, from which we may gather the teaching of their master. Clement speaks of Pantaenus as his " great instructor and collaborator." Such is the similarity between the writings of Clement and Dionysius, that some have hazarded the conjecture that Clement the Philosopher, mentioned by Dionysius, was Clement of Alexandria ! I give only one familiar illustration. Clement writes : " As then, those riding at anchor at sea, drag the anchor, but do not drag it to themselves, but them- selves to the anchor, thus those who are drawn to God in the gnostic life, find themselves unconsciously led to God." Dionysius, D. N., c. III. s. i, says, " or, as if after we have embarked on ship, and are holding on to the cable, attached to some rock, we do not draw the rock to us, but ourselves, and the ship, to the rock. Wherefore, before everything, and especially theology, we must begin with prayer ; not as though we ourselves were drawing the power, which is everywhere, and nowhere present, but as, by our godly reminiscences and invocations, con- ducting ourselves to, and making ourselves one with It." Origen confessed that Pantaenus was his superior in the philosophy of the schools, and that he moulded his teaching upon the model of Pantaenus. Do the writings of Origen bear the stamp of Dionysius and Hierotheus? Origen, on the resurrection of the body, says, " For how does it not seem absurd x - Dionysius the Areopaglte that this body which has endured scars for Christ, and, equally with the soul, has borne the savage torments of persecutions, and has also endured the suffering of chains, and rods, and has been tortured with fire, beaten with the sword, and has further suffered the cruel teeth of wild beasts, the gallows of the cross, and divers kinds of punishments, — that this should be deprived of the prizes of such contests. If forsooth, the soul alone, which not alone conten- ded, should receive the crown, and its companion the body, which served it with much labour, should attain no recompense, for its agony and victory, — how does it not seem contrary to all reason, that the flesh, resisting for Christ its natural vices, and its innate lust, and guarding its virginity with im- mense labour, — that one, when the time for rewards has come, should be rejected as unworthy and the other should receive its crown? Such a fact would undoubtedly argue on the part of God, either a lack of justice or a lack of power." Dionysius (E. H., c. VII.) says, "Now the pure bodies of the holy souls, enrolled together as yoke-fellows, and fellow travellers, which together strove during the divine contests, throughout the Divine Life, in the unmoved steadfastness of the souls, will together receive their own resurrection. For, having been made one with the holy souls, to which they were united during this present life, by having become members of Christ, they will receive in return the godlike and incor- ruptible immortality and blessed inheritance." Dio- nysius (D. N., c. VI. s. 2) says, " what is still more and the Alexandi'ine School. xi divine, It promises to transfer our whole selves (I mean souls and bodies, their yoke-fellows), to a perfect life and immortality. Others again do this injustice to bodies, that, after having toiled with the holy souls, they unjustly deprive them of the holy retributions, when they have come to the goal of their most divine course." " For if the man have passed a life dear to God in soul and body, the body which has contended throughout the Divine struggles will be honoured together with the devout soul." To shew that Origen knew the works of Hiero- theus, we give an extract from his letter to Gregory : " Would that you might both participate in and continually augment this part, so that you may not only say, ' we are partakers of Christ,' but also partakers of God." Papias % Bishop of Hierapolis (fragment V.) says, " the Presbyters, the disciples of the Apostles, say that this is the gradation and method of those who are saved, and that they advance through steps of this nature, and that, moreover, they ascend through the Spirit to the Son, and through the Son to the Father ; and that, in due time, the Son will yield up His work to the Father." Who the Presbyters^ the disciples of the Apostles were, we may gather from the three last chapters of the " Book of Hierotheus ^" in which the very same doctrine is taught. Is it not, then, a legitimate inference, that when Photius says "that a c. 140. b Br. Mus. {Ad. Rich. 7189), xii Dionysius the Areopagite Pantasnus was a pupil of the Presbyters who had seen the Apostles ^^'' he designated Hierotheus and Dionysius the Areopagite, generally known under that title ? Ammonius-Saccus was born of Christian parents in Alexandria, and died in that city, a.d. 242. Anastasius Sinaita calls him "the Wise," and Hierocles, " the taught of God." Besides being famous for his expositions of Holy Scripture, he wrote the " Diatesseron," or " Harmony of the Gospels, '' contained in the Bib. Patrum. In a.d. 236, he wrote the agreement between Moses and Jesus. He was the great conciliator, who sought the good in every system, and to make all one in Christ. Pressense beautifully describes him as a man who wished to believe and to know — to adore and to comprehend — to conciliate the Greek Philosophy wuth the Mysteries of the East. He wrote a commentary on the golden verses of Pythagoras, which Hierocles published, as well as reproduced his other works. The titles of his books, mentioned by Photius, such as "Providence" and "Free Will," recall those of the lost books of Dionysius, of which we have only a summary in his known works. (Cod. 251 — 214.) Ammonius was surnamed Saccus from having been a corn carrier. Virgil, Shakespere, Milton, were great geniuses in themselves, but when we know the sources from which they drew, we can better understand their achievements. Dionysius was indebted to Hierotheus — Ammonius and the Alexandrine School. xiii drew from Dionysius. This we shall shew, not as we might, by his works as described by Photius, but from Plotinus, his disciple, in order that we may have the prevailing proof, to some minds, of testi- mony not necessarily Christian. Plotinus was born in Lycopolis, a.d. 205, and died in Campagna, a.d. 270. At the age of 29, he began to search for truth, in the schools of Alexandria. He wandered from teacher to teacher, but could fmd no rest until he was persuaded to go and hear Ammonius-Saccus. After listening to him, he ex- claimed, *' This is what I sought." Plotinus remained under him eleven years, until the death of Ammonius, a.d. 242. In a.d. 244, Plotinus began to teach in Rome. Plotinus was not a refined scholar. Porphyry, therefore, committed his teaching to writing. Porphyry was regarded as the greatest enemy to the Christian Faith in the early centuries. Persecutors burned the bodies of Christians, but Porphyry sought to undermine their faith in the Holy Scriptures, by quibbles of unbelief, which have been revived to-day as "New Criticism." Porphyry wrote against the Holy Scriptures with a bitterness engendered by a conviction of their truth. Now, it is a startling fact, that though the teaching of Plotinus comes to us through Porphyry, there is not a word in the Enneades, in which the teaching of Plotinus is given, against the Christian Faith. It is true that Eutochius published another version of the teaching of Plotinus, on the ground that his teaching was coloured by Porphyry, but we xiv Dionysius the Areopagite prefer to rest our proof on Porphyry, as not being prejudiced in favour of the truth. Let us then first see what Plotinus teaches re- specting the Holy Trinity. He says, " We need not go beyond the three Hypostaseis " (Persons). It is true that Plotinus presents that Trinity as "One," "Mind," and "Soul," whereas Dionysius gives the formula " Father, Son, and Spirit." Occasionally Plotinus uses "Logos" instead of "Mind." But even this substitution of "One" for "Father" may be traced to Dionysius, who speaks of the Triad, ^vapxiKT) and even ivapx'- Ibid. 8. c ibid. 1 2 Dionysius the Areopagite I will also add, that which seems to be more dis- honourable than all, and the most incongruous, viz. that distinguished theologians have shewn it to us as representing Itself under the form of a worm''. Thus do all the godly-wise, and interpreters of the secret inspiration, separate the holy of holies ^ from the uninitiated and the unholy, to keep them un- defiled, and prefer the dissimilar description of holy things, so that Divine things should neither be easily reached by the profane, nor those who diligently contemplate the Divine imagery rest in the types as though they were true ; and so Divine things should be honoured by the true negations, and by comparisons with the lowest things, which are diverse from their proper resemblance. There is then nothing absurd if they depict even the Heavenly Beings under incongruous dissimilar similitudes, for causes aforesaid. For probably not even we should have come to an investigation, from not seeing our way, — -not to say to mystic meaning through an accurate enquiry into Divine things, — unless the deformity of the descriptions representing the Angels had shocked us, not permitting our mind to hnger in the discordant representations, but rousing us utterly to reject the earthly proclivities, and accus- toming us to elevate ourselves through things that are seen, to their supermundane mystical meanings. Let these things suffice to have been said on account of the material and incongruous descriptions of the holy Angels in the Holy Oracles. And next, it is ^ Ps. xxii. 6. * 0740 Tuv ayiwi'. on the Heavenly Hierarchy. i 3 necessary to define what we think the Hierarchy is in itself, and what benefit those who possess a Hierarchy derive from the same. But let Christ lead the discourse — if it be lawful to me to say — He Who is mine, — the Inspiration of all Hierarchical revelation. And thou, my son, after the pious rule of our Hierarchical tradition, do thou religiously listen to things religiously uttered, becoming inspired through instruction in inspired things; and when thou hast enfolded the Divine things in the secret recesses of thy mind, guard them closely from the •profane multitude as being uniform, for it is not lawful, as the Oracles say, to cast to swine the unsullied and bright and beautifying comeliness of the intelligible pearls. ♦ CAPUT HL What is Hierarchy ? and what the use of Hierarchy ? Section I. Hierarchy is, in my judgment, a sacred order and science and operation, assimilated, as far as attainable, to the likeness of God, and conducted to the illuminations granted to it from God, ac- cording to capacity, with a view to the Divine imi- tation. Now the God-becoming Beauty, as simple, as good, as source of initiation, is altogether free from any dissimilarity, and imparts its own proper light to each according to their fitness, and perfects in most Divine initiation, as becomes the undeviat- ing moulding of those who are being initiated har- moniously to itself. 14 Dionysius the Areopagite Section II. The purpose, then, of Hierarchy is the assimila- tion and union, as far as attainable, with God, hav- ing Him Leader of all religious science and opera- tion, by looking unflinchingly to His most Divine comeliness, and copying, as far as possible, and by ' perfecting its own followers as Divine images, mirrors most luminous and without flaw, receptive of the primal light and the supremely Divine ray, and de- voutly filled with the entrusted radiance, and again, spreading this radiance ungrudgingly to those after it, in accordance with the supremely Divine regu- lations. For it is not lawful for the Mystic Rites of sacred things, or for things religiously done, to practise anything whatever beyond the sacred regu- lations of their own proper function. Nor even must .they attempt otherwise, if they desire to attain its deifying splendour, and look to it religiously, and are moulded after the example of each of the holy minds. He, then, who mentions Hierarchy, denotes a certain altogether Holy Order, an image of the su- premely Divine freshness, ministering the mysteries of its own illumination in hierarchical ranks, and sciences, and assimilated to its own proper Head as far as lawful. For each of those who have been called into the Hierarchy, find their perfection in being carried to the Divine imitation^ in their own proper degree; and, what is more Divine than all, in becoming a ^ Eph. V, I. ( on the Heavenly Hierarchy. 15 fellow-worker o with (}od, as the Oracles say, and in shewing the Divine energy in himself manifested as far as possible. For it is an Hierarchical regu- lation that some are puriaedand that others purify'' ; that some are enlightened and others enlighten * ; that some are perfected and others perfect ; the Divine imitation will fit each one in this fashion. The Divine blessedness, to speak after the manner of men, is indeed unstained by any dissimilarity*^, and is full of invisible light ^ — perfect °\ and needing no perfection ; cleansing, illuminating, and perfect- ing, yea, rather a holy purification, and illumination, and perfection — above purification, above light, pre- eminently perfect, self-perfect source and cause of every Hierarchy, and elevated pre-eminently above every holy thing. Section IH. It is necessary then, as I think, that those who are being purified should be entirely perfectec], with- out stain, and be freed from all dissimilar confusion; that those who are being illuminated should be filled with the Divine Light, conducted to the habit and faculty of contemplation in all purity of mind ; that those who are being initiated should be separated from the imperfect, and become recipients of that perfecting science of the sacred things contemplated. Further, that those who purify should impart, from their own abundance of purity, their own proper holi- ness ; that those who illuminate, as being more '. Now Divine manifestations were made to the pious as befits revelations of God, that is to say, through certain holy visions analogous to those who see them. Now the all-wise Word of God (Theologia) naturally calls Theophany that par- ticular vision which manifests the Divine similitude depicted in itself as in a shaping of the shapeless, from the elevation of the beholders to the Divine Being, since through it a divine illumination comes to the beholders, and the divine persons themselves are religiously initiated into some mystery. But our illustrious fathers were initiated into these Divine visions, through the mediation of the Heavenly Powers. Does not the tradition of the Oracles describe the holy legislation of the Law, given to Moses, as coming straight from God, in order that it may teach us this truth, that it is an outline of a Divine and holy legislation ? But the Word of God, in its Wisdom, teaches this also — that it came to us through Angels, as though the Divine regulation were laying down this rule, that, through the first, the second are brought to the Divine Being. For not only witli regard to the superior and inferior minds, but even for those of the same rank, this Law has- been established by the "superessential supreme ordinance, that, within each Hierarchy, there are first, and middle, and last ranks and powers, and that the more divine are instructors y John i. 18 ; I John iv. 12 ; l I'im. vi. 16. 3Q Dionysius the Areopagite and conductors of the less, to the Divine access, and illumination, and participation. Section IV. But I observe that Angels first were initiated in the Divine mystery of the love of Jesus towards man, then, through them, the gift of its knowledge passed to us. Thus, for example, the most divine Gabriel instructed Zachariah^, the Hierarch, that the son who was to be born to him, beyond hope, by Divine grace, should be a prophet of the ^ God-incarnate work of the Lord Jesus, to be manifested to the world for its salvation, as becomes the Divine goodness ; and he revealed to Mary ^, how, in her, should be born the supremely Divine mystery of the unutterable God- formation. Yet another Angel instructed Joseph^, how, in very truth, should be fulfilled the things Divinely pronnsed to his ancestor David. Another declared glad tidings to the shepherds ^, as being purified by their separation from the multitude, and their quiet life, and, with him, a multitude of the Heavenly Host announced to those on earth that often-sung doxology. Let us then ascend to the highest manifestations of light contained in the Oracles, for I perceive that even Jesus Himself S the superessential Cause of the super-heavenly Beings, when He had come to our condition, without change \ did not overstep die good order which becomes s. ^ Luke i. II — 20. * di^Spi/cTjs rov 'ItjcoC deoupyia ^ Luke i. 26 — 38. c Matt. i. 20 — 23. ** Luke ii. 8—14 * Phil. ii. 6 — 8. ^ irohs rh Kaf>' ^uas afxera^oAws. on the Heavetily Hierarchy. 2 1 mankind, which Himself arranged and took, but readily subjected Himself to the dispositions of the Father and God, through Angels ; and, through their mediation, was announced to Joseph the de- parture of the Son to Egypt s, which had been arranged by the Father, and again the return to Judaea "^ from Egypt. And tlu-ough Angels we see Him subjecting Himself to the Father's decrees. For I forbear to speak, as addressing one who knows the teaching of our hierarchical tradition, both concerning the Angel ^ who strengthened the Lord Jesus, or that even Jesus Himself, when He had come to manifest the good work of our bene- ficent salvation, was called ^ Angel ' of Great Coun- sel. For, as He Himself says, after the manner of an Angel, " Whatsoever He heard from the Father, He announced to us'"." CAPUT V. For what reason all the HeavcJily Beings are called^ in common., Angels. This, then, in our judgment, is the reason for the appellation Angelic in the Oracles. We must now, I suppose, enquire for what reason the theo- logians call all" the Heavenly Beings together "An- gels ; " but when they come to a more accurate K Matt. ii. 13, *> Ibid. 19, 20. • Luke xxii. 43. ^ C. ii. 30. ' Isa. ix. 6. " John xv. 15. ° Ps. ciii. 20 ; Matt. XXV. 31. 2 2 Dio7iysms the Areopagite description of the supermundane orders, they name exclusively, ^' angelic rank," that which completes the full tale of the Divine and Heavenly Hosts. Before this, however, they range pre-eminently, the Orders of Archangels, and the Principalities, the Authorities, and Powers, and as many Beings as rthe revealing traditions of the Oracles recognize as superior to them °. Now, we affirm that throughout every sacred ordinance the superior ranks possess the illuminations and powers of their subordinates, but the lowest have not the same powers as those who^ are above them. The theologians also call the most holy ranks of the highest Beings " Angels," for they also make known the supremely Divine illumination. But there is no reason to call the lowest rank of the celestial Minds, Principalities, or Thrones, or Seraphim. For it does not possess the highest powers, but, as it conducts our inspired Hierarchs to the splendours of the Godhead known to it ; so also, the saintly powers of the Beings above it are conductors, towards the Divine Beine. of that Order which completes the Angelic Hier- archies. Except perhaps some one might say this also, that all the angelic appellations are common, as regards the subordinate and superior communication of all the celestial powers towards the Divine like- ness, and the gift of light from God. But, in order that the question may be better investigated, let us reverently examine the saintly characteristics set forth respecting each celestial Order in the Oracles. ** Isa. vi. 2. 071 the Heavenly Hierarchy, 23 CAPUT VI. Which is the first Order of the Heavenly Beings ? which the middle ? and ivhich the last ? How many, and of what sort, are the Orders of the supercelestial Beings, and how the Hierarchies are classified^ amongst themselves, I affirm, the deifying Author of their consecration alone distinctly knows ; and further, that they know their own pro- per powers and illuminations, and their sacred and supermundane regularity. For it is impossible that we should know the mysteries of the supercelestial Minds and their niost holy perfections, except, some one might say, so far as the Godhead has revealed to us, through them, as knowing perfectly their own condition. We, then, will utter nothing as from ourselves, but whatever angelic visions have been gazed upon by the holy Prophets of God, we, as initiated in these, will set forth as best we can. The Word of God has designated the whole Heavenly Beings as nine, by appellations, which shew their functions. These our Divine Initiator divides into three threefold Orders. He also says that that which is always around God is first, and is declared by tradition to be united closely and immediately to Him, before all the rest. For he says that the teaching of the Holy Oracles declares, that the most Holy Thrones, and the many-eyed^ and many- w4nged'' hosts, named in the Hebrew tongue Cheru- bim^ and Seraphim*^, are established immediately P T^Kovvrai. 1 Ezek. i. i8. • ' Ibid. 6. * Ibid. X. ' Isa. vi. 2. 2 4 D tony silts the Areopagife around God, with a nearness superior to all. This threefold order, then, our illustrious Guide spoke of as one, and of equal rank, and really first Hierarchy, than which there is not another more Godlike or immediately nearer to the earliest illu- minations of the Godhead. But he says that which is composed of the Authorities, and Lordships, and Powers is second ; and, as respects the lowest of the Heavenly Hierarchies, the Order of the Angels and Archangels and Principalities is third. CAPUT VH. Coficerning the Seraphim and Cherubim and Thrones, and concerning their first Hiera?'chy . Section I. We, whilst admitting this as the arrangement of the holy Hierarchies, affirm, that every appellation of the celestial Minds denotes the Godlike characteristic of each ; and those who know Hebrew affirm, that the holy design? tion of the Serapliim denotes either that they are kindling or burning; and that of Che- rubim, a fulness of knowledge or stream of wisdom. Naturally, then, the first (order) of the Heavenly Hierarchies is ministered " by the most exalted Beings, holding, as it does, a rank which is higher than all, from the fact, that it is established imme- diately around God, and that the first-wrought Di- vine manifestations and perfections pass earlier to " i^povy^lTai. on the Heavenly Hierai'chy. 25 it, as being nearest. They are called, then, " Burn- ing," and Thrones, and Stream of Wisdom — by a name which sets forth their Godlike conditions. The appellation of Seraphim plainly teaches their ever moving around things Divine, and constancy, and warmth, and keenness, and the seething of that persistent, indomitable, and inflexible perpetual mo- tion, and the vigorous assimilation and elevation of the subordinate, as giving new life and rekindling them to the same heat ; and purifying through fire and burnt-oflering, and the light-like and light-shed- ding characteristic which can never be concealed or consumed, and remains always the same, which de- stroys and dispels every kind of obscure darkness. But the appellation of the Cherubim denotes their knowledge and their vision of God, and their readi- ness to receive the highest gift of light, and their power of contemplating the super-Divine comeliness in its first revealed power, and their being filled anew with the impartation which maketh wise, and their ungrudging communication to those next to them, by the stream of the given wisdom. The appellation of the most exalted and pre-eminent Thrones denotes their manifest exaltation above every grovelling inferiority, and their supermundane tendency towards higher things ; and^ their unswerv- ing separation from all remoteness ; and their in- variable and firmly-fixed settlement around the verit- able Highest, with the whole force of their powers ; and their receptivity of the supremely Divine ap- proach, in the absence of all passion and earthly 2 6 Dionysius the Areopagite tendency, and their bearing God ; and the ardent expansion of themselves for the Divine receptions. Section II. This, then, is the revelation of their names, so far as we can give it ; and we ought to say what we think their Hierarchy is. For I suppose we have sufficiently shewn above, that the purpose of every Hierarchy is an unswerving devotion to the divine imitation of the Divine Likeness, and that every Hierarchical function is set apart for the sacred re- ception and distribution of an undefiled purification, and Divine Light, and perfecting science. And now I pray that I may speak worthily of the most exalted Minds — how the Hierarchy amongst them is exhibited through the Oracles. One must consider, then, that the Hierarchy is akin, and in every respect like, to the first Beings, who are established after the Godhead, who gave them Being, and who are marshalled, as it were, in Its very vestibule, who surpass every unseen and seen created power. We must then regard them as pure, not as though they had been freed from unholy stains and blemishes, nor yet as though they were unreceptive of earthly fancies, but as far exalted above every stain of remissness and every inferior holiness, as befits the highest degree of purity — es- tablished above the most Godlike powers, and cling- ing unflinchingly to their own self-moved and same- moved rank in their invariable love of God, conscious in no respect whatever of any declivity to a worse 071 the Heavenly Hierarchy. 27 condition, but having the unsuUied fixity of their own GodHke identity — never liable to fall, and always unmoved; and again, as "contemplative," not con- templators of intellectual symbols as sensible, nor as being led to the Divine Being by the varied texture of holy representations written for meditation, but as being filled with all kinds of immaterial know- ledge of higher light, and satiated, as permissible, with the beautifying and original beauty of super- essential and thrice manifested contemplation, and thus, being deemed worthy of the Communion with Jesus, they do not stamp pictorially the deifying similitude in divinely-formed images, but, as being really near to Him, in first participation of the knowledge of His deifying illuminations ; nay more, that the imitation of God is given to them in the highest possible degree, and they participate, so far as is allowable to them, in His deifying and philan- thropic virtues, in the power of a first manifestation ; and, likewise as " perfected," not as being illumi- nated with an analytic science of sacred variety, but as being filled with a first and pre-eminent deifi- cation, as beseems the most exalted science qf the works of God, possible in Angels. For, not through other holy Beings, but being ministered from the very Godhead, by the immediate elqvation to It, by their power, and rank, surpassing all, they are both established near the All-Holy without any shadow of turning, and are conducted for contemplation to the immaterial and intelligible comeliness, as far as permissible, and are initiated into the scientific 28 Dionysius the Areopiigite methods of the works of God, as being first and around God, being ministered, in the highest degree, from the very source of consecration. Section III. This, then, the theologians distinctly shew (viz.) that the subordinate Orders of the Heavenly Beings are taught by the superior, in due order, the deifying sciences ; and that those who are higher than all are illuminated from Godhead itself, as far as permissible, in revelations of the Divine mysteries. For they in- troduce some of them as being religiously instructed, by those of a higher rank, that He, Who was raised to Heaven ^ as Man, is Lord of the Heavenly Powers and King of Glory ; and others, as questioning Jesus Himself, as desiring to be instructed in the science of His Divine work on our behalf, and Jesus Him- self teaching them immediately, and shewing to them, at first hand, His beneficent work out of love to man. For "I," He says, "am speaking of righteous- ness and judgment of Salvation 5^." Now I am as- tonished that even the first of the Beings in Heaven, and so far above all, should reverently strive after the supremely Divine illuminations, as intermediate Beings. For they do not ask directly, " Wherefore are Thy garments red^?" but they first raise the question among themselves, shewing that they desire to learn, and crave the deifying knowledge, and not anticipating the illumination given after a Divine procedure. » Ps. xxiv. 7 — lo. y Isa. Ixiii. i. ' Ibid. 2. on the Heave fily Hieraixhy. 29 Tlie first Hierarchy, then, of the Heavenly Minds is purified, and enHghtened, and perfi^cted, by being ministered from the very Author of initiation, through its elevation to It immediately, being filled, ac- cording to its degree, with the altogether most holy purification of the unproachable Light of the pre- perfect source of initiation, unstained indeed by any remissness, and full of primal Light, and per- fected by its participation in first-given knowledge and science. But to sum up, I may say this, not inappropriately, that the reception of the supremely Divine Science is, both purification, and enlighten- ment, and perfecting, — purifying, as it were, from ignorance, by the knowledge of the more perfect revelations imparted to it according to fitness, and enlightening by the self- same Divine knowledge, through which it also purifies, that which did not before contemplate the things which are now made manifest through the higher illumination ; and per- fecting further, by the self-same Light, through the abiding science of the mysteries made clearly manifest. Section IV. This, then, according to my science, is the first rank of the Heavenly Beings whicJi encircle and stand immediately around God ; and without sym- bol, and without interruption, dances round His eternal knowledge in the most exalted ever-moving stability as in Angels ; viewing purely many and blessed contemplations, and illuminated with simple 30 Dioijysiiis the Areopagite and immediate splendours, and filled with Divine nourishment, — many indeed by the first-given pro- fusion, but one by the unvariegated and unifying oneness of the supremely Divine banquet, deemed worthy indeed of much participation and co-opera- tion with God, by their assimilation to Him, as far as attainable, of their excellent habits and ener2:ies, and knowing many Divine things pre-eminently, and participating in supremely Divine science and know- ledge, as is lawful. Wherefore the Word of God has transmitted its hymns to those on earth, in which are Divinely shewn the excellency of its most exalted illumination. For some of its members, to speak after sensible perception, proclaim as a "voice ot many waters," " Blessed is the glory of the Lord from His place ^ ;" and others cry aloud that fre- quent and most august hymn '^ of God, " Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord of Sabaoth, the whole earth is full of His glory *^." These most excellent hymnologies of the supercelestial Minds we have already unfolded to the best of our ability in the " Treatise concerning the Divine Hymns," and have spoken sufficiently concerning them in that Treatise, from which, by way of remembrance, it is enough to produce so much as is necessary to the present occasion, namely, " That the first Order, having been illuminated, from this the supremely Divine goodness, as permissible, in theological science, as a Hierarchy reflecting that Goodness transmitted to those next after it," teach- ing briefly this, "That it is just and right that the ^ Ezek. iii. 12. *• OeoXoylat/. * Isa. i. 3. 071 the Heavenly Hierarchy. 31 august Godhead — Itself both above praise, and all-praiseworthy — should be known and extolled by the God-receptive minds, as is attainable ; for they as images of God are, as the Oracles ^^ say, the Di- vine places of the supremely Divine repose ® ; and further, that It is Monad and Unit tri-subsistent f, sending forth His most kindly forethought to all things being, from the super-heavenly Minds to the lowest of the earth ; as super-original Origin and Cause of every essence, and grasping all things super- essentially in a resistless embrace. CAPUT VIII. Concerning Lordships and Powers and Authorities^ and concerning their middle Hierarchy . Section I. Let us now pass to the middle Order of the Heavenly Minds, gazing, as far as we may, with supermundane eyes upon those Lordships, and the truly terrible visions of the Divine Authorities anil Powers. For each appellation of the Beings above us manifests their God-imitating characteristics of the Divine Likeness. I think, then, that the explanatory name of the Holy Lordships denotes a certain un- slavish elevation, free from all grovelling subserviency, as becomes the free, not submitting itself in any way whatever to one of the tyrannical dissimilarities, as a cruel Lordship ; superior to every kind of cring- ing slavery, indomitable to every subserviency, and elevated above every dissimilarity, ever aspiring to ^ Isa. Ixvi. I. ' Acts vii. 49. ' llcb. i. 3. y 32 Dionysiiis the Areopagife the true Lordship, and source of Lordship ; and moulding, as an image of goodness, itself, and those after it, to its Lordly bearing, as attainable, turning itself wholly to none of the things that vainly seem, but to the Lordly Being, and ever sharing in the Lordly likeness of God, to its utmost ability ; and the appellation of the Holy Powers denotes a certain courageous and unflinching virility, for all those Godlike energies within them — not feebly weak for the reception of any of the Divine illuminations vouchsafed to it — vigorously conducted to the Divine imitation, not forsaking the Godlike movement through its own unmanliness, but unflinchingly look- ing to the superessential and powerful-making power, and becoming a powerlike image of this, as far as is attainable, and powerfully turned to this, as Source of Power, and issuing forth to those next in degree, in gift of Power, and in likeness to God ; and that the appellation of the Holy Authorities, of the same rank as the Divine Lordships and Powers, (denotes) the beautiful and unconfused good order, with regard to the Divine receptions, and the discipline of the supermundane and intellectual authority, not using the authoritative powers imperiously for base pur- poses, but conducted indomitably, with good order, towards Divine things, and conducting those after it benignly, and assimilated, as far as permissible, to the x\uthoritative Source of authority, and making this visible, as is possible to Angels, in the well-ordered ranks of the authoritative power within it. The middle Order of the Heavenly Minds having these Godlike characteristics, is purified and illuminated on the Heavenly Hierarchy, 33 and perfected in the manner described, by the Divine illuminations vouchsafed to it at second hand, through the first Hierarchical Order, and passing through this middle as a secondary manifestation. Section II. No doubt, as regards that message, which is said to pass through one angel to another, we may take it as a symbol of a perfecting completed from afar, and obscured by reason of its passage to the second rank. For, as men skilled in our sacred initiations say, the fulness of Divine things manifested directly to ourselves is more perfecting than the Divine con- templations imparted through others. Thus, I think, the immediate participation of the Angelic ranks elevated in first degree to God, is more clear than those perfected through the instrumentality of others. Wherefore by our sacerdotal tradition, the first Minds are named perfecting, and illuminating, and purifying Powers of the subordinate, who are conducted, throu,2:h them, to the superessential Origin of all things, and participate, as far as is permissible to them, in the consecrating purifications, and illumi- nations, and perfections. For, this is divinely fixed absolutely by the Divine source of order that, through the first, the second partake of the su- pren:iely Divine illuminations. This you will find declared by the theologians in many ways. For, when the Divine and Paternal Love towards man whilst chastening, in a startling manner. His people Israel, for their religious preservation, after delivering them D 34 Dionysius the Areopagite to terrible and savage nations for correction, by various leadings of His guided people to better things, both liberated them from their misery, and mildly led them back, through His compassion, to their former state of comfort ; one of the theolo- gians, Zechariah, sees one of the first Angels, as I think, and near God, (for the Angelic appellation is common, as I said, to them all), learning from God Himself the comforting words, as they are called, concerning this matter ; and another Angel, of inferior rank, advancing to meet the first, as for reception and participation of enlightenment ; then, by him in- structed in the Divine purpose as from a Hierarch, and charged to reveal to the theologian that Jeru- salem should be abundantly occupied by a multitude of people^. And another theologian, Ezekiel, says that this was righteously ordained by the glorious Deity Itself, seated above the Cherubim ^. For Paternal Love towards man, conducting Israel as we have said through chastisement to better things, by a righteous- ness worthy of God, deemed right to separate the guilty from the guiltless. This is first revealed to one after the Cherubim ^ ; him who was bound about the loins with a sapphire J, and wore displayed the robe coming down to the feet, as a Hierarchical symbol. But the Divine Government enjoins the other Angels, who bore the battle-axes ^, to be in- structed from the former, as to the Divine judgment in this matter. For, to one. He said that he should K Zech. i. 8—17. »> Ezek. ix. 3. ' Ibid. 3. J Ibid. X. I. ^ Ibid. ix. 2. on the Heavenly Hierarchy. 35 go through the midst of Jerusalem, and place the sign upon the forehead of the innocent men, but to the others; "Go into the city after him and strike, and draw not back your eyes, but to every one upon whom is the sign draw not near." What would any one say concerning the Angel, who said to Daniel ', " The word has gone forth ? " or concerning him the first, who took the fire from the midst of the Cherubim, or what is more remark- able than this for shewing the good order amongst the Angels, that the Cherubim casts the fire into the hands "" of him who wears the sacred vestment ; or concerning Him Who called the most divine Gabriel, and said to him, " Make this man under- stand the vision"," or whatever else is recorded by the holy theologians concerning the Godlike order of the Heavenly Hierarchies ; by being assimilated to which, as far as possible, the discipline of. our Hierarchy will have the Angelic comeliness, as it were, in reflection, moulded through it, and con- ducted to the superessential Source of order in every Hierarchy. ♦ CAPUT IX. Concer?iing the Principalities, Archangels^ and Angels^ and concerning their last Hierarchy. Section I. There remains for our reverent contemplation a Division which completes the Angelic Hierarchies, * Dan. ix. 23. ■" Ezek. x. 2—7. " Dan. viii. 16. 36 Diofiysitis the Areopagite that divided into the Godhke PrincipaHties, Arch- angels, and Angels. And I think it necessary, to declare first the meaning of their sacred appellations to the best of my ability. For that of the Heavenly Principalities manifests their princely and leading function, after the Divine example, with order re- ligious and most befitting the Princely, and their being wholly turned to the super-princely Prince, and leading others in princely fashion, and being moulded, as far as possible, to that prince-making Princedom Itself, and to manifest its superessential princely order, by the regularity of the princely powers. Section II. The (Order) of the Holy Archangels is of the same rank with the heavenly Principalities. For there is one Hierarchy and Division, as I said, of them and the Angels. But since there is not a Hierarchy which does not possess first and middle and last powers, the holy order of Archangels oc- cupies the middle position in the Hierarchy between the extremes, for it belongs alike to the most holy Principalities and to the holy Angels ; to the Prin- cipalities because it is turned in a princely fashion to the superessential Princedom, and is moulded to It . as far as attainable, and unites the Angels after the fashion of its own well-regulated and mar- shalled and invisible leadings ; and it belongs to the Angels, because it is of the messenger Order, receiving hierarchically the Divine illuminations from on the Heavenly Hierarchy. 37 the first powers, and announcing the same to the Angels in a godly manner, and, through Angels, manifesting to us, in proportion to the religious aptitude of each of the godly persons illuminated. For the Angels, as we have already said, complete the whole series of Heavenly Minds, as being the last Order of the Heavenly Beings who possess the Angelic characteristic ; yea, rather, they are more properly named Angels by us than those of higher degree, because their Hierarchy is occupied with the more manifest, and is more particularly con- cerned with the things of the world. For the very highest Order, as being placed in the first rank near the Hidden One, we must consider as directing in spiritual things the second, hiddenly; and that the second, which is composed of the holy Lord- ships and Powers and Authorities, leads the Hier- archy of the Principalities and Archangels and Angels, more clearly indeed than the first Hierarchy, but more hiddenly than the Order after it, and the revealing order of the Principalities, Archangels, and Angels, presides, through each other, over the Hierarchies amongst men, in order that the eleva- tion, and conversion, and communion, and union with God may be in due order ; and, further, also that the procession from God vouchsafed benignly to all the Hierarchies, and passing to all in common, may be also with most sacred regularity. Hence, the Word of God has assigned our Hierarchy to Angels, by naming Michael as Ruler of the Jewish people, and others over other nations. For the ^S Dlonysius the Areopagite Most High established borders of nations according to number of Angels of° God. Section III. But if any one should say, " How then were the people of the Hebrews alone conducted to the ^^ supremely Divine illuminations?" we must answer, that we ought not to throw the blame of the other nations wandering after those which are no gods upon the direct guidance of the Angels, but that they themselves, by their own declension, fell away from the direct leading towards the Divine Being, through self-conceit and self-will, and through their irrational P veneration for things which appeared to them worthy of God. Even the Hebrew people are said to have suffered the same thing ; for He says, " Thou ^ hast cast away knowledge of God, and hast gone after thine own heart "■." For neither have we a life governed by necessity, nor on account of the free will of those who are objects of pro- vidential care, are the Divine rays of the providential illumination blunted ; but the inaptitude of the mental visions makes the overflowing light-gift of the paternal goodness, either altogether unpartici- pated or inpenetrable to their resistance, or makes the participations of the one fontal ray, diverse, small, or great, obscure, or brilliant, although that ray is one and simple, and always the same and ever overflowing; for even if, over the other nations (from " 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