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they forget the labors of virtue, but are renewed in vigorous desire for the remaining divine and incorruptible goods.

And the holy Gospel, in general, is a symbol of the consummation of this age, but in particular, for those who have believed, it denotes the complete disappearance of the ancient error; for the practical, the mortification and consummation of the law and mindset according to the flesh; and for the gnostic, the gathering 14__146 and reference of the many and various logoi to the most comprehensive Logos, once the more discursive and variegated natural contemplation has been completed and finished for them.

And the descent of the high priest from the throne and the dismissal of the catechumens, in general, signifies the second coming from heaven of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ and the separation of sinners from the saints and the just recompense according to the worth of each; but in particular, for those who have believed, the perfect assurance in faith, which God the Word produces, coming invisibly, by which every thought still faltering in any way regarding the faith, in the manner of a catechumen, is driven out from them; for the practical, perfect dispassion, by which every impassioned and unenlightened thought is removed from the soul; and for the gnostic, the comprehensive knowledge of the things known, by which all images of material things are expelled from the soul.

And the closing of the doors, and the entrance of the holy Mysteries and the divine kiss and the proclamation of the Symbol of faith, in general denotes the passing away of sensible things and the manifestation of intelligible things, and the new teaching of the divine mystery concerning us, and the universal identity of concord, unanimity, and necessity that will come to be among all, toward one another and toward God, and the thanksgiving for the ways in which we were saved; but in particular for the faithful, the progress from the faith of error to the teaching in dogmas and initiation and harmony and piety. For the first is denoted by the closing of the doors, the second by the entrance of the holy things, the third by the kiss, and the 14__148 fourth by the proclamation of the Symbol; for the practical, the transition from action to contemplation of those who have closed their senses and gone outside the flesh and the world by the rejection of the activities related to them, and the ascent from the mode of the commandments to their principle, and the affinity and union of the commandments themselves according to their proper principles with the powers of the soul, and the state suitable for theological thanksgiving; and for the gnostic, from natural contemplation to the simple understanding of intelligible things, according to which they no longer pursue the divine and ineffable Logos through the senses or any of the phenomena, and the union of its powers with the soul, and the simplicity that grasps the logos of providence uniformly according to the intellect.

And the unceasing sanctifying doxology of the Trisagion by the holy angels in general signifies the equal state, conduct, and harmony of the heavenly and earthly powers in the divine doxology, which will come to be at the same time and together in the age to come, when the human body, having been made immortal by the resurrection, no longer weighs down the soul with its corruption nor is weighed down by it, but through its change to incorruption has received the power and fitness to receive God's presence; but in particular, for the faithful, the theological contest with the angels according to faith, for the practical, a splendor of life equal to the angels, as is possible for humans, and the vigor of theological

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ἀρετῆς ἐπιλανθάνονται πόνων, πρὸς δὲ τὴν τῶν λειπομένων θείων καὶ ἀκηράτων ἀγαθῶν νεάζουσι εὔτονον ἔφεσιν.

Τὸ δὲ ἅγιον Εὐαγγέλιον γενικῶς μὲν σύμβολόν ἐστι τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, ἰδικῶς δὲ τῶν μὲν πιστευσάντων δηλοῖ τὸν παντελῆ τῆς ἀρχαίας πλάνης ἀφανισμόν, τῶν δὲ πρακτικῶν τὴν νέκρωσιν καὶ συντέλειαν τοῦ κατὰ σάρκα νόμου τε καὶ φρονήματος, τῶν δὲ γνωστικῶν τὴν πρὸς τὸν συνεκτικώτατον λόγον τῶν πολλῶν καὶ διαφόρων λόγων συναγωγήν 14__146 τε καὶ ἀναφοράν, συντελεσθείσης αὐτοῖς καὶ περατωθείσης τῆς διεξοδικωτέρας καὶ ποικιλοτέρας φυσικῆς θεωρίας.

Ἡ δὲ τοῦ ἀρχιερέως ἀπὸ τοῦ θρόνου κατάβασις καὶ ἡ τῶν κατηχουμένων ἐκβολὴ γενικῶς μὲν σημαίνει τὴν ἀπ᾽ οὐρανοῦ δευτέραν τοῦ μεγάλου Θεοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ παρουσίαν καὶ τὸν ἀπὸ τῶν ἁγίων ἀφορισμὸν τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν καὶ τὴν δικαίαν πρὸς τὴν ἑκάστου ἀξίαν ἀμοιβήν, ἰδικῶς δέ, τὴν τελείαν ἐν πίστει τῶν πιστευσάντων πληροφορίαν, ἣν ποιεῖ παραγινόμενος ἀοράτως ὁ Θεὸς καὶ Λόγος, δι᾽ ἧς πᾶς ἔτι καθ᾽ ὁτιοῦν σκάζων κατὰ τὴν πίστιν λογισμός, κατηχουμένου τρόπον, αὐτῶν ἀπελαύνεται· τῶν δὲ πρακτικῶν τὴν τελείαν ἀπάθειαν, δι᾽ ἧς πᾶς ἐμπαθὴς καὶ ἀφώτιστος λογισμὸς τῆς ψυχῆς ἀπογίνεται· τῶν δὲ γνωστικῶν τὴν συνεκτικὴν ἐπιστήμην τῶν ἐπεγνωσμένων, δι᾽ ἧς πᾶσαι τῶν ὑλικῶν αἱ εἰκόνες τῆς ψυχῆς ἐκδιώκονται.

Ἡ δὲ κλεῖσις τῶν θυρῶν, καὶ ἡ τῶν ἁγίων Μυστηρίων εἴσοδος καὶ ὁ θεῖος ἀσπασμὸς καὶ ἡ τοῦ Συμβόλου τῆς πίστεως ἐκφώνησις, γενικῶς μὲν δηλοῖ τὴν τῶν αἰσθητῶν πάροδον καὶ τὴν τῶν νοητῶν φανέρωσιν, καὶ τὴν καινὴν τοῦ περὶ ἡμᾶς θείου μυστηρίου διδαχήν, καὶ τὴν πρὸς πάντας πάντων ἑαυτούς τε καὶ τὸν Θεὸν γενησομένην ὁμονοίας καὶ ὁμογνωμοσύνης καὶ ἀνάγκης ταὐτότητα, καὶ τὴν ἐφ᾽ οἷς ἐσώθημεν τρόποις εὐχαριστίαν· ἰδικῶς δὲ τῶν μὲν πιστῶν τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς πλάνης πίστεως εἰς τὴν ἐν δόγμασι διδαχὴν καὶ μύησιν καὶ ὁμοφωνίαν καὶ εὐσέβειαν προκοπήν. Τὸ γὰρ πρῶτον ἡ τῶν θυρῶν δηλοῖ κλεῖσις, τὸ δεύτερον δὲ ἡ τῶν ἁγίων εἴσοδος, τὸ δὲ τρίτον ὁ ἀσπασμός, καὶ τὸ 14__148 τετάρτον ἡ ἐκφώνησις τοῦ Συμβόλου· τῶν δὲ πρακτικῶν, τὴν ἀπὸ πράξεως εἰς θεωρίαν μυσάντων τὰς αἰσθήσεις καὶ ἔξω σαρκὸς καὶ κόσμου γενομένων διὰ τῆς ἀποβολῆς τῶν κατ᾽ αὐτὰς ἐνεργειῶν μετάθεσιν, καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ τρόπου τῶν ἐντολῶν εἰς τὸν λόγον αὐτῶν ἀνάβασιν, καὶ τὴν αὐτῶν τῶν ἐντολῶν κατὰ τοὺς οἰκείους λόγους συγγενῆ πρὸς τὰς δυνάμεις τῆς ψυχῆς οἰκειότητά τε καὶ ἕνωσιν, καὶ τὴν πρὸς θεολογικὴν εὐχαριστίαν ἐπιτήδειον ἕξιν· τῶν δὲ γνωστικῶν τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς φυσικῆς θεωρίας εἰς τὴν τῶν νοητῶν ἁπλῆν κατανόησιν, καθ᾽ ἣν οὐδαμῶς δι᾽ αἰσθήσεως ἤ τινος τῶν φαινομένων ἔτι τὸν θεῖον καὶ ἄρρητον μεταδιώκουσι λόγον, καὶ τὴν πρὸς τὴν ψυχὴν τῶν αὐτῆς δυνάμεων ἕνωσιν, καὶ τὴν κατὰ νοῦν ἑνοειδῶς συλλαμβάνουσαν τὸν τῆς προνοίας λόγον ἁπλότητα.

Ἡ δὲ τοῦ Τρισαγίου ἄπαυστος τῶν ἁγίων ἀγγέλων ἁγιαστικὴ δοξολογία γενικῶς μὲν σημαίνει τὴν ἅμα τε καὶ ἐν ταὐτῷ γενησομένην κατὰ τὸν αἰῶνα τὸν μέλλοντα τῶν οὐρανίων καὶ ἐπιγείων δυνάμεων ἴσην καὶ πολιτείαν καὶ ἀγωγὴν καὶ συμφωνίαν τῆς θείας δοξολογίας, ἀθανατισθέντος τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τοῦ σώματος διὰ τῆς ἀναστάσεως καὶ μηκέτι βαροῦντος τὴν ψυχὴν τῇ φθορᾷ καὶ βαρουμένου, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς εἰς ἀφθαρσίαν ἀλλαγῆς πρὸς ὑποδοχὴν παρουσίας Θεοῦ λαβόντος καὶ δύναμιν καὶ ἐπιτηδειότητα· ἰδικῶς δὲ τῶν μὲν πιστῶν τὴν πρὸς ἀγγέλους κατὰ τὴν πίστιν θεολογικὴν ἅμιλλαν, τῶν δὲ πρακτικῶν τὴν ἰσάγγελον, ὡς ἐφικτὸν ἀνθρώποις, κατὰ τὸν βίον λαμπρότητα καὶ τὴν εὐτονίαν τῆς θεολογικῆς