n I Cor. ii. 9. ° Ps. Ixxxviii. 5.
P 2 Tim. i. 10. <l Ps. xvi. lo.
86 Dionysius the Areopagite
fast the hope of the beautiful rewards, as being
enrolled under a good Lord and Leader of the
awards : and when after following: in the Divine
footsteps of the first of athletes, through goodness,
he has overthrown, in his struggles after the Divine
example, the energies and impulses opposed to his
deification, he dies with Christ — to speak mystically
— to sin, in Baptism.
Section VIL
And consider attentively, I pray, with what ap-
propriateness the holy symbols are presented. For
since death is with us not an annihilation of being,
as others surmise, but the separating of things united,
leading to that which is invisible to us, the soul
indeed becoming invisible through deprivation of
the body, and the bod}^, through being buried in
earth in consequence of one of its bodily changes,
becoming invisible to human ken, appropriately, the
whole covering by water would be taken as an image
of death, and the invisible tomb. The symbolical
teaching, then, reveals in mystery that the man
baptized according to religious rites, imitates, so
far as Divine imitation is attainable to men, by the
tliree immersions in the water, the supremely Divine
death of the Life-giving Jesus, Who spent three
days^' and three nights in the tomb, in Whom,
according to the mystical and secret teaching of
the sacred text, the Prince of the world found
nothinoj ^.
^ TptrjfjLfpovvKTOv racpris. - ^ John xiv. 30.
on the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy. 87
Section VIII.
Next, they throw garments, white as light, over
the man initiated. For by his manly and Godlike
insensibility to contrary passions, and by his per-
sistent inclination towards the One, the unadorned
is adorned, and the shapeless takes shape, being
made brilliant by his luminous life.
But the perfecting unction of the Muron makes
the man initiated of good odour, for the holy per-
fecting of the Divine birth unites those who have
been perfected to the supremely Divine Spirit. Now
the * overshadowing which makes intelligibly of a
good savour, and perfect, as being most unutterable,
I leave to the "mental consciousness of those who
are deemed worthy of the sacred and deifying partici-
pation of the Holy Spirit within their mind.
At the conclusion of all, the Hierarch calls the
man initiated to the most Holy Eucharist, and
imparts to him the communion of the perfecting
mysteries.
CAPUT III.
/. Concerning things acconplished in the Synaxis.
Courage, then, since we have made mention of
this (Eucharist) which we may not pass over to
celebrate any other Hierarchical function in pre-
ference to it. For according to our illustrious
' iirKpolT-qais. ^ iiriyvwuai vofpws.
88 Dionysiiis the Areopagite
Leader, it is ^ " initiation of initiations," and one
must first lay down the Divine description of it,
before the rest, from the inspired and hierarchical
science of the Oracles, and then be borne by the
supremely Divine Spirit to its sacred contemplation.
First, let us reverently consider this ; for what
reason that, which is common also to the other
Hierarchical initiations, is pre-eminently attributed
to it, beyond the rest; and it is uniquely called,
" Communion and Synaxis," when each consecrating
function both collects our divided lives into uniform
deification, and gives communion and union with
the One, by the Godlike folding together of our
diversities. Now we affirm that the Perfecting by
the communications of the other Hierarchical sym-
bols springs from the supremely Divine and per-
fecting gifts of it. For it scarcely ever happens,
that any Hierarchical initiation is completed w^ithout
the most Divine Eucharist, as head of the things
done in each, ministering the collecting of the
person initiated to the One, and comj)leting his
communion with God, by the Divinely transmitted
gift of the perfecting mysteries. If, then, each of
the Hierarchical initiations, being indeed incom-
plete, will not make perfect our communion and
our gathering to the One, even its being initiation
is precluded on account of the lack of completeness.
Now since the imparting of the supremely Divine
mysteries to the man initiated is the head and
tail of every initiation, naturally then the Hier*
on the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy. 89
archical judgment hit upon an appellation proper
to it, from the truth of the facts. Thus, for instance,
with regard to the holy initiation of the Divine
birth ; since it imparts first-Light, and is head of
all the Divine illuminations, we celebrate the true
appellation from the enlightening effected. For,
though it be common to all Hierarchical functions
to impart the gift of sacred light to those initiated,
yet it y gave to me the power to see first, and through
its first light I am enlightened to gaze upon the
other religious rites. Having said this, let us mi-
nutely investigate and examine hierarchically the
accurate administration and contemplation of the
most pure initiation, in every particular.
// Mystej'ion ^ of Synaxis, that is, Comnm?iion.
The Hierarch, having completed a reverent prayer,
near the Divine Altar, starts with the incensing,
and proceeds to every part of the enclosure of the
sacred place ; he then returns to the Divine Altar,
and begins the sacred chanting of the Psalms, the
whole ecclesiastical assembly chanting, with him,
the sacred language of the Psalter. Next follows
the reading of the Holy Scriptures by the Leitourgoi.
After these readings the catechumens quit the sacred
enclosure, as well as the " possessed," and the
5" Baptism, Ap, C. lib. 3, c. 16.
2 See Traicte de la Liturgie ou S. Messe selon I'usage et la forme des apostres, et de leur disciple Sainct Denys, Apostre des Fran9ois, par. Glib. Genebrard, archevesque d'Aix.
90 DioJiysius the Areopagite
penitents. But those who are deemed worthy of
the sight and participation of the Divine Mysteries
remain. Of the Leitourgoi, some stand near the
closed gates of the sanctuary, whilst others perform
some other duty of their own rank. But chosen
members of the ministering Order with the Priests
lay the holy Bread and the Cup of Blessing upon
the Divine Altar, whilst the universal Song* of
Praise is being professed beforehand by the whole
body of the Church. Added to these, the Divine
Hierarch makes a sacred prayer, and proclaims the
holy Peace to all. When all have kissed each other,
the mystical proclamation of the holy tablets is
performed. When tlie Hierarch and the Priests
have washed their hands in water, the Hierarch
stands in the midst of the Divine Altar, and the
chosen Deacons alone, with the Priests, stand around.
The Hierarch, when he has sung the sacred works
of God, ministers things most divine, and brings
to view the things sung, through the symbols rever-
ently exposed^, and when he has shewn the gifts
of the works of God °, he first proceeds to the sacred
participation of the same, and turns and exhorts
the others. Wlien he has received and distributed
the supremely Divine Communion, he terminates
with a holy thanksgiving ; whilst the multitude have
merely glanced at the Divine symbols alone, he
is ever conducted by the Divine Spirit, as becomes
^ Ap. C. lib. 8, s. 12, Lit. of Dionysius, p, 189. ^ As in Denmark. c 0eoup'>twf— Divine Mysteries?
071 the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy. 9 1
a Hierarch, in the purity of a Godlike condition,
to the holy sources of the things performed, in
blessed and intelligible visions.
///. ContemplatioJi.
• Section I.
Here then, too, O excellent son, after the images,
I come in due order and reverence to the Oodlike
reality of the archetypes, saying here to those yet
being initiated, for the harmonious guidance of their
souls, that tlie varied and sacred composition of the
symbols is not without spiritual contemplation for
them, as merely presented superficially. For the
most sacred chants and readings of the Oracles
teach them a discipline of a virtuous life, and pre-
vious to tin's, the complete purification from de-
structive evil ; and the most Divine, and comnion,
and peaceful distribution of one and the same, both
Bread and Cup, enjoins upon them a godly fellow-
ship in character, as having a fellowship in food,
and recalls to their memory the most Divine Supper,
and arch-symbol of the rites performed, agreeably
with which the Founder of the symbols Himself
excludes, most justly, him who had supped with
Him on the holy things, not piously^' a"nd in a manner
suitable to his character; teaching at once, clearly
^ John xiii. ii. St. Cyprian thought Juflas was excluded ; St. Augustine not. See Cornelius a Lapide on John xiii. 11 Ap. C. 5, s. 14.
92' Dionysius the Areopagite
and Divinely, that the approach to Divine mysteries
with a sincere mind confers, on those who draw nigh,
the participation in a gift according to their own
character.
Section II.
Let us, then, as I said, leave behind these things,
beautifully depicted upon the entrance of the in-
nermost shrine, as being sufficient for those, who are
yet incomplete for contemplation, and let us pro-
ceed from the effects to the causes ; and then, Jesus
lighting the way, we shall view our holy Synaxis,
and the comely contemplation of things intelligible,
which makes radiantly manifest the blessed beauty
of the archetypes. But, oh, most Divine and holy
initiation, uncovering the folds of the dark mysteries
enveloping thee in symbols, be manifest to us in
thy bright glory, and fill our intellectual visions with
single and unconcealed light.
Section III.
We must, then, in my opinion, pass within the All
Holy Mysteries, after we have laid bare the intelligible
of the first of the votive gifts, to gaze upon its God-
like beauty, and view the Hierarch, divinely going
Avith sweet fragrance from the Divine Altar to the
furthermost bounds of the holy place, and again
returning to it to complete the function. For
the Blessedness, supremely Divine above all, even
if, through Divine goodness. It goes forth to the
communion of the holy who participate in It, yet
on the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy . 93
It never goes outside its essential unmoved position
and steadfastness ; and illuminates all the Godlike in
due degree, being always self-centred, and in no-
wise moved from its own proper identity; so, too,
the Divine initiation (sacrament) of the Synaxis,
although it has a unique, and simple, and enfolded
Source, is multiplied, out of love towards man, into
the holy variety of the symbols, and travels through
the whole range of the supremely Divine description ;
yet uniformly it is again collected from these, into
its own proper Monady, and unifies those who are
being reverently conducted towards it. In the same
Godlike manner, the Divine Hierarch, if he benignly
lowers to his subordinates his own unique Hier-
archical science, by using the multiplicities of the
holy enigmas, yet again, as absolute, and not to
be held in check by smaller things, he is restored to
his proper headship ® without diminution, and, when
he has made the intellectual entry of himself to the
One, he sees clearly the uniform raiso?is cVetre^ of
the things done, as he makes the goal of his philan-
thropic progress to things secondary the more Di-
vine ° return to things primary.
Section IV.
The chanting of the Psalms, being co-essential
with almost all the Hierarchical mysteries, was not
likely to be separated from the most Hierarchical of
all. For every holy and inspired Scripture sets forth
e ipxTji^. ^ \6yov5. s Hieracles, p. 41.
94 Diotiysius the Areopaglte
for those meet for deification, either the originated
beginning ^^ and ordering of things from God; or
the Hierarchy i and pohty of the Law; or the dis-
tributions^ and possessions of the inheritances of
the people of God ; or the understanding of sacred
judges \ or of wise kings, or of inspired Priests : or
philosophy^" of men of old time, unshaken" in en-
durances of tiie things let loose in variety and
multitude ; or the treasures of wisdom for the conduct
of life ; or songs and inspired "" pictures of Divine
Loves ; or the declaratory predictions ^ of things to
come; ^or the Theandric works of Jesus ^; or the
God-transmitted ^ and God - imitating polities and
holy teachings of His Disciples, or the hidden and
mystic gaze of the beloved and divinely sweet of the
disciples, or the supermundane theology of Jesus ;
and implanted them in the holy and Godlike in-
structions of the mystic rites. Now the sacred de-
scription of the Divine Odes*, whose purpose is
to sing the words and works of God throughout,
and to praise the holy words and works of godly
men, forms an universal Ode and narrative of things
Divine, and makes, in those who inspiredly" recite
it, a habit suitable for the reception and distribution
of every Hierarchical mystery.
^ Genesis i. i Leviticus and Deut. ^ Numbers.
^ Judges and Kings. i" Proverbs and Wisdom. ^i Job.
o Canticles. P Prophets. 1 di'Spucos 'ItjctoD deovpylas.