TO THE FELLOW PRESBYTER TIMOTHY, DIONYSIUS

 being illuminated super-cosmically by them for the hymns of the Godhead and being conformed to the sacred hymnologies, so as to see the divine lights

 For all knowledges are of things that are and have their limit in things that are, but It is beyond all essence and is removed from all knowledge. <5>

 <7> Thus, therefore, to the Cause of all and which is above all, both the nameless will apply and all the names of the things that are, so that it may

 the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will, and that It is the Spirit that gives life? That the ent

 to the one-principled Trinity also is common the super-essential existence, the super-divine divinity, the super-good goodness, the identity beyond al

 has partaken of the Word, unless someone might say according to the good-pleasing and man-loving common will and according to all the transcendent and

 Jesus, he says in his compiled Theological Outlines: <10> The all-causing and fulfilling Godhead of the Son, which preserves the parts in harmony with

 <III.> <1> And first, if you please, let us investigate the name Good, which reveals the whole procession of God's emanations, invoking the Good-Pri

 to the hierarchs, when we too, as you know, both yourself and many of our sacred brethren, had gathered for the sight of the life-originating and God-

 communions, the unconfused distinctions, the powers of the subordinate that lead up to the superior, the providences of the senior for the secondary,

 moves and nourishes and increases and perfects and purifies and renews. And light is the measure and number of hours, of days, and of all our time. Fo

 impartations and as calling all things to itself, whence it is also called Beauty, and as gathering all in all into one, and Beautiful as being All-Be

 the beautiful and the good is that which is beyond all rest and motion. Wherefore every rest and motion and that from which and in which and to which

 <12> And yet it has seemed to some of our sacred writers that the name 'eros' is even more divine than that of 'agape'. And the divine Ignatius also w

 an eternal circle through the Good, from the Good and in the Good and to the Good, moving about in an unerring convolution and in the same and accordi

 Whence then is evil? one might say. For if evil does not exist, virtue and vice are the same thing, and the whole is the same as the whole, and the pa

 irrational desire, in this it neither exists nor desires existing things, but it nevertheless partakes of the good by virtue of the faint echo itself

 simply nor in respect to time. <22> But neither is evil in angels. For if the good-like angel proclaims the divine goodness, being secondarily by part

 <24> But would someone say that souls are evil? If, because they associate with evil things providentially and for salvation, this is not evil, but go

 <30> To speak concisely The good is from one and the whole cause, but the evil from many and partial deficiencies. God knows evil, insofar as it is g

 goodnesses. <34> Therefore evil is not a being, nor is evil in beings. For evil, as evil, is nowhere. And the coming-to-be of evil is not according to

 manifestation of the all-perfect providence of the one God, and those of the more universal and the more particular things of the same. <3> And yet on

 <6> Therefore, the Essential Super-Goodness, putting forth the first gift, that of being itself, is praised by the first and most ancient of participa

 For if our sun, although the substances and qualities of sensible things are many and various, yet it, being one and shining a uniform light, renews a

 godlike and unchangeable immortality and the unwavering and unswerving perpetual motion, extending through an abundance of goodness even to the life o

 and is the cause of being of Wisdom itself, both of the whole and of each particular. <2> From it the intelligible and intellectual powers of the ange

 the cause of all things. Therefore God is known both in all things and apart from all things. And God is known through knowledge and through unknowing

 to be power-in-itself, both by being beyond-power and by bringing forth other powers, infinitely many times the infinite number of existing powers, an

 of the age, as having fallen away from none of the things that are, but rather both surpassing and pre-eminent over all beings according to a supra-es

 is defined and all inequality, which is a privation of the equality in each of them, is banished. For if anyone were to take inequality to mean the di

 We said the neck was opinion, as between the rational and irrational the breast, spirit the belly, desire the legs and feet, nature, using the name

 the return to him of those who have proceeded from him. <10> But if one should take the divine name 'Same' from the Oracles, or 'Justice,' in the sens

 beings, inasmuch as He is both before eternity and above eternity and His kingdom is a kingdom of all the ages. Amen. <ΧI.> <1> Come now, let us c

 and would never willingly wish to be at rest. And if he who says these things says that otherness and distinction are the particularity of each of the

 self-deification, of which beings, partaking according to their own nature, both are and live and are divine, and are and are called, and the others l

 It is therefore Perfect not only as being self-complete and defined in itself by itself in a single form and most perfect whole through whole, but als

 And not even the name of Goodness do we offer to It as being applicable, but from a yearning to conceive and speak something about that ineffable Natu

the beautiful and the good is that which is beyond all rest and motion. Wherefore every rest and motion and that from which and in which and to which and for the sake of which. For "from him and through him" are both all substance and life, and of mind and soul and of all nature the smallnesses, the equalities, the majesties, all measures and the proportions of beings and harmonies and mixtures, the wholes, the parts, every one and multitude, the connections of the parts, the unities of every multitude, the perfections of the wholes, the quality, the quantity, the magnitude, the infinite, the comparisons, the distinctions, all infinity, every limit, all bounds, the orders, the excellences, the elements, the forms, all substance, all power, all activity, all state, all sensation, all reason, all intellection, all contact, all knowledge, all union. And simply, every being is from the beautiful and the good and in the beautiful and the good and to the beautiful and the good it is returned. And all things, whatever is and comes to be, is and comes to be through the beautiful and the good. And all things look to it and are moved by it and are held together. And for its sake and through it and in it is every paradigmatic, final, creative, formal, elemental principle, and simply every principle, every cohesion, every limit. Or that I may say summarily: All beings are from the beautiful and the good, and all non-beings are super-essentially in the beautiful and the good, and it is the principle and end of all things, super-primal and super-perfect, because "From him and through him" and in him "and to him are all things," as the sacred word says. Therefore the beautiful and the good is to all things desirable and lovely and beloved, and for its sake and on account of it the inferior things love the superior things with a striving love, and things of the same rank love their equals with a social love, and the superior love the inferior with a providential love, and each loves itself with a cohesive love, and all things, desiring the beautiful and the good, do and will all things that they do and will. And the true word will be bold to say this also, that the Cause of all things himself, through an excess of goodness, loves all things, makes all things, perfects all things, holds all things together, brings all things back, and divine Love is also the good of the Good for the sake of the Good. For that love which produces good in beings, pre-existing superabundantly in the Good, did not allow him to remain barren in himself, but moved him to exercise his creative power in the superabundant generation of all things. <11> And let no one think that we are honoring the name of love contrary to the Scriptures. For it is irrational, I think, and foolish not to attend to the power of the meaning, but to the words. And this is not characteristic of those who wish to understand divine things, but of those who receive mere sounds and hold these outside, impassable to their ears, not wishing to know what such and such a word signifies, and how one must clarify it through other equivalent and more expressive words, but being attached to unintelligible elements and letters and syllables and unknown words which do not pass into the intelligent part of their soul, but buzz about outside their lips and ears. As if it were not permitted to signify the number four by twice two, or straight-lined figures by right-angled figures, or the mother-city by the fatherland, or any other of the things which signify the same thing by many parts of speech. It is necessary to know, according to right reason, that we use elements and syllables and words and writings and speeches for the sake of the senses. So that when our soul is moved by its intellectual activities towards intelligible things, the senses are superfluous along with sensible things, just as are the intellectual powers, when the soul, having become godlike through an unknowable union, projects itself by eyeless projections to the rays of the unapproachable light. But when the mind hastens to be stirred up through sensible things to contemplative insights, the more manifest transmissions of the senses, the clearer words, the more distinct of visible things are by all means more valuable. So that when the things set before the senses are not distinct, not even they will be able to present the sensible things well to the mind. But lest we seem to say these things as though altering the divine scriptures, let those who slander the name of love hear them: "Love her," he says, "and she will keep you"; "fence her about, and she will exalt you; honor her, that she may embrace you," and all other things that are hymned in the erotic theologies.

καλὸν καὶ ἀγαθὸν τὸ ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν στάσιν καὶ κίνησιν. ∆ιὸ πᾶσα στάσις καὶ κίνησις καὶ ἐξ οὗ καὶ ἐν ᾧ καὶ εἰς ὃ καὶ οὗ ἕνεκα. Καὶ γὰρ «ἐξ αὐτοῦ καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ» καὶ οὐσία καὶ ζωὴ πᾶσα καὶ νοῦ καὶ ψυχῆς καὶ πάσης φύσεως αἱ σμικρότητες, αἱ ἰσότητες, αἱ μεγαλειότητες, τὰ μέτρα πάντα καὶ αἱ τῶν ὄντων ἀναλογίαι καὶ ἁρμονίαι καὶ κράσεις, αἱ ὁλότητες, τὰ μέρη, πᾶν ἓν καὶ πλῆθος, αἱ συνδέσεις τῶν μερῶν, αἱ παντὸς πλήθους ἑνώσεις, αἱ τελειότητες τῶν ὁλοτήτων, τὸ ποιόν, τὸ ποσόν, τὸ πηλίκον, τὸ ἄπειρον, αἱ συγκρίσεις, αἱ διακρίσεις, πᾶσα ἀπειρία, πᾶν πέρας, οἱ ὅροι πάντες, αἱ τάξεις, αἱ ὑπεροχαί, τὰ στοιχεῖα, τὰ εἴδη, πᾶσα οὐσία, πᾶσα δύναμις, πᾶσα ἐνέργεια, πᾶσα ἕξις, πᾶσα αἴσθησις, πᾶς λόγος, πᾶσα νόησις, πᾶσα ἐπαφή, πᾶσα ἐπιστήμη, πᾶσα ἕνωσις. Καὶ ἁπλῶς πᾶν ὂν ἐκ τοῦ καλοῦ καὶ ἀγαθοῦ καὶ ἐν τῷ καλῷ καὶ ἀγαθῷ ἔστι καὶ εἰς τὸ καλὸν καὶ ἀγαθὸν ἐπιστρέφεται. Καὶ πάντα, ὅσα ἔστι καὶ γίνεται, διὰ τὸ καλὸν καὶ ἀγαθὸν ἔστι καὶ γίνεται. Καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸ πάντα ὁρᾷ καὶ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ κινεῖται καὶ συνέχεται. Καὶ αὐτοῦ ἕνεκα καὶ δι' αὐτὸ καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ πᾶσα ἀρχὴ παραδειγματική, τελική, ποιητική, εἰδική, στοιχειώδης καὶ ἁπλῶς πᾶσα ἀρχή, πᾶσα συνοχή, πᾶν πέρας. Ἢ ἵνα συλλαβὼν εἴπω· Πάντα τὰ ὄντα ἐκ τοῦ καλοῦ καὶ ἀγαθοῦ, καὶ πάντα τὰ οὐκ ὄντα ὑπερουσίως ἐν τῷ καλῷ καὶ ἀγαθῷ, καὶ ἔστι πάντων ἀρχὴ καὶ πέρας ὑπεράρχιον καὶ ὑπερτελές, ὅτι «Ἐξ αὐτοῦ καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ» καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ «καὶ εἰς αὐτὸ τὰ πάντα», ὥς φησιν ὁ ἱερὸς λόγος. Πᾶσιν οὖν ἐστι τὸ καλὸν καὶ ἀγαθὸν ἐφετὸν καὶ ἐραστὸν καὶ ἀγαπητόν, καὶ δι' αὐτὸ καὶ αὐτοῦ ἕνεκα καὶ τὰ ἥττω τῶν κρειττόνων ἐπιστρεπτικῶς ἐρῶσι καὶ κοινωνικῶς τὰ ὁμόστοιχα τῶν ὁμοταγῶν καὶ τὰ κρείττω τῶν ἡττόνων προνοητικῶς καὶ αὐτὰ ἑαυτῶν ἕκαστα συνεκτικῶς, καὶ πάντα τοῦ καλοῦ καὶ ἀγαθοῦ ἐφιέμενα ποιεῖ καὶ βούλεται πάντα, ὅσα ποιεῖ καὶ βούλεται. Παῤῥησιάσεται δὲ καὶ τοῦτο εἰπεῖν ὁ ἀληθὴς λόγος, ὅτι καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ πάντων αἴτιος δι' ἀγαθότητος ὑπερβολὴν πάντων ἐρᾷ, πάντα ποιεῖ, πάντα τελειοῖ, πάντα συνέχει, πάντα ἐπιστρέφει, καὶ ἔστι καὶ ὁ θεῖος ἔρως ἀγαθὸς ἀγαθοῦ διὰ τὸ ἀγαθόν. Aὐτὸς γὰρ ὁ ἀγαθοεργὸς τῶν ὄντων ἔρως ἐν τἀγαθῷ καθ' ὑπερβολὴν προϋπάρχων οὐκ εἴασεν αὐτὸν ἄγονον ἐν ἑαυτῷ μένειν, ἐκίνησε δὲ αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ πρακτικεύεσθαι κατὰ τὴν ἁπάντων γενητικὴν ὑπερβολήν. <11> Καὶ μή τις ἡμᾶς οἰέσθω παρὰ τὰ λόγια τὴν τοῦ ἔρωτος ἐπωνυμίαν πρεσβεύειν. Ἔστι μὲν γὰρ ἄλογον, ὡς οἶμαι, καὶ σκαιὸν τὸ μὴ τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ σκοποῦ προσέχειν, ἀλλὰ ταῖς λέξεσιν. Καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἔστι τῶν τὰ θεῖα νοεῖν ἐθελόντων ἴδιον, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἤχους ψιλοὺς εἰσδεχομένων καὶ τούτους ἄχρι τῶν ὤτων ἀδιαβάτους ἔξωθεν συνεχόντων καὶ οὐκ ἐθελόντων εἰδέναι, τί μὲν ἡ τοιάδε λέξις σημαίνει, πῶς δὲ αὐτὴν χρὴ καὶ δι' ἑτέρων ὁμοδυνάμων καὶ ἐκφαντικωτέρων λέξεων διασαφῆσαι, προσπασχόντων δὲ στοιχείοις καὶ γραμμαῖς ἀνοήτοις καὶ συλλαβαῖς καὶ λέξεσιν ἀγνώστοις μὴ διαβαινούσαις εἰς τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτῶν νοερόν, ἀλλ' ἔξω περὶ τὰ χείλη καὶ τὰς ἀκοὰς αὐτῶν διαβομβουμέναις. Ὥσπερ οὐκ ἔξον τὸν τέσσαρα ἀριθμὸν διὰ τοῦ δὶς δύο σημαίνειν ἢ τὰ εὐθύγραμμα διὰ τῶν ὀρθογράμμων ἢ τὴν μητρίδα διὰ τῆς πατρίδος ἢ ἕτερόν τι τῶν πολλοῖς τοῦ λόγου μέρεσι ταὐτὸ σημαινόντων. ∆έον εἰδέναι κατὰ τὸν ὀρθὸν λόγον, ὅτι στοιχείοις καὶ συλλαβαῖς καὶ λέξεσι καὶ γραφαῖς καὶ λόγοις χρώμεθα διὰ τὰς αἰσθήσεις. Ὡς ὅταν ἡμῶν ἡ ψυχὴ ταῖς νοεραῖς ἐνεργείαις ἐπὶ τὰ νοητὰ κινεῖται, περιτταὶ μετὰ τῶν αἰσθητῶν αἱ αἰσθήσεις ὥσπερ καὶ αἱ νοεραὶ δυνάμεις, ὅταν ἡ ψυχὴ θεοειδὴς γενομένη δι' ἑνώσεως ἀγνώστου ταῖς τοῦ ἀπροσίτου φωτὸς ἀκτῖσιν ἐπιβάλλει ταῖς ἀνομμάτοις ἐπιβολαῖς. Ὅταν δὲ ὁ νοῦς διὰ τῶν αἰσθητῶν ἀνακινεῖσθαι σπεύδει πρὸς θεωρητικὰς νοήσεις, τιμιώτεραι πάντως εἰσὶν αἱ ἐπιδηλότεραι τῶν αἰσθήσεων διαπορθμεύσεις, οἱ σαφέστεροι λόγοι, τὰ τρανέστερα τῶν ὁρατῶν. Ὡς ὅταν ἀτράνωτα ᾖ τὰ παρακείμενα ταῖς αἰσθήσεσιν, οὐδὲ αὐταὶ τῷ νῷ παραστῆσαι τὰ αἰσθητὰ καλῶς δυνήσονται. Πλὴν ἵνα μὴ ταῦτα εἰπεῖν δοκῶμεν ὡς τὰ θεῖα λόγια παρακινοῦντες, ἀκουέτωσαν αὐτῶν οἱ τὴν ἔρωτος ἐπωνυμίαν διαβάλλοντες· «Ἐράσθητι αὐτῆς», φησί, «καὶ τηρήσει σε»· «περιχαράκωσον αὐτήν, καὶ ὑψώσει σε· τίμησον αὐτήν, ἵνα σε περιλάβῃ», καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα κατὰ τὰς ἐρωτικὰς θεολογίας ὑμνεῖται.