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the cherubim and seraphim and the other orders, are made like one another according to the pre-eminent form, which form in the case of intelligibles is, a kind of underlying immaterial matter, being life, and the very form which each of the intelligibles is. But God is not so in relation to the things from him; for the cause is not like the effects. And what I have said about the intelligibles, understand also about our intellectual souls.

(14S_322> For on the one hand, concerning things of the same rank: He says 'of the same rank' meaning of the same nature, from which the likeness is reciprocal, for example Peter is like Paul according to nature, and conversely Paul is like Peter. But in the case of a man and his image, the same principle does not apply; for the principle of essence is not the same for both, which he called the pre-eminent form of the like. But a man is also said in another way not to be like his own image, because the image was made in the likeness of the man, and not the man in its likeness. So, therefore, also in the case of the cause and the things from it, reciprocity is not to be admitted; to be reciprocal is when things can equally be said by those who handle the contrary argument, for example if that which is in the womb is a living being, and the contrary, if that which is in the womb is not a living being. So says Clement at the beginning of the fifth Stromata, just as here also. If, therefore, things of the same rank are like, and from the contrary, if things of the same rank are not like.

Of self-likeness: It is the custom of the great Dionysius to say that God, in relation to effects, is Being-itself and the hypostasis of to-be-itself; and that he is Likeness-itself and the hypostasis of self-likeness. He says these things, not as if affirming that God himself is one life, and that another substantial life has been produced, and as it were some hypostasis apart from God, in which those who partake of life participate, but as he himself explains in the eleventh chapter, God is called Life-itself and Power-itself, and Likeness-itself, and such things, as being this principially, and divinely, and causally; for of these he is truly the fount, and he is the hypostasis of Life-itself and of Self-likeness and of such things, as bestowing participably to those who are first among beings (14S_324> and participate in this gift. For all things partake of such things in a way proper to themselves; the first and highest of the intelligible creatures principially, and those that follow in a subordinate way. And above we said that likeness is the unity of all things, according to which all things participate in that which is in the same state and in the same way, unto a harmony, by participation in the first cause. But he said 'possible', for the imitation is not complete, nor universal.

§ 7. That which is lacking: falling short. § 8. And what about the divine standing: Standing and sitting [mean] the same thing

he means; for by 'standing' he does not mean the notion of becoming upright from being bent in a seat, but he called the unshakable and unchangeable nature of God a firm standing; just as 'sitting' means to be perpetually and incomprehensibly in the unnameable kingdom and repose. And indeed in Scripture, he is said to rise up from sitting, as in, «Arise, O Lord, confront them»; and again as passing from standing to sitting, in: «for you will mount your horses», and, «your riding is salvation»; and again: «he mounted a cherub and flew», and especially: «you sat on the throne, judging righteousness», and, «God sits on his holy throne». But these things are not carnal, but in a godlike manner.

§ 9. And proceeding to all things: God is said to proceed to and move upon all things, as in Jeremiah: «I am a God at hand, and not far off»; and again: «who is over all and through all», and especially: «if I ascend to heaven, you are there», and what follows. And in the theophanies: «bow your heavens and come down», and, «God has gone up with a shout».

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τά χερουβίμ καί σεραφίμ καί λοιπαί τάξεις, ὁμοιοῦνται ἀλλήλοις κατά τό προηγούμενον εἶδος, ὅπερ εἶδος ἐπί τῶν νοητῶν ἐστιν, οἵα τις ὑποκειμένη ὕλη ἄϋλος ζωή οὖσα, καί αὐτό τό εἶδος ὅ ἐστιν ἕκαστον τῶν νοητῶν. Ὁ δέ Θεός οὐχ οὕτω πρός τά ἐξ αὐτοῦ· οὐ γάρ ὅμοιον τό αἴτιον τοῖς αἰτιατοῖς. Ὅ δέ εἶπον ἐπί τῶν νοητῶν νόησον καί ἐπί τῶν νοερῶν ἡμῶν ψυχῶν.

(14S_322> Ἐπί μέν γάρ τῶν ὁμοταγῶν: Ὁμοταγῶν φησι τῶν ὁμοφυῶν, ἐξ ὧν ἡ ὁμοιότης ἀντιστρέφει, οἷον Πέτρος Παύλῳ ὅμοιος κατά τήν φύσιν, καί ἀντιστρόφως Παῦλος Πέτρῳ ὅμοιος. Ἐπί δέ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καί τῆς τούτου εἰκόνος οὐχ ὁ αὐτός λόγος· οὐ γάρ ὁ τῆς οὐσίας λόγος ὁ αὐτός ἐπ' ἀμφοῖν, ὅπερ ἐκάλεσε προηγούμενον ὁμοίου εἶδος. Ὁ δέ ἄνθρωπος καί ἑτέρως λέγεται οὐχ ὅμοιος τῇ ἰδίᾳ εἰκόνι, ὅτι ἡ εἰκών μέν πρός τήν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου γέγονεν ὁμοιότητα, καί οὑχί ὁ ἄνθρωπος πρός τήν ταύτης. Οὕτως οὖν καί ἐπί τοῦ αἰτίου καί τῶν ἐξ αὐτοῦ, μή δεκτόν εἶναι τό ἀντιστρέφειν· ἀντιστρέφειν δέ ἐστιν, ἅ καί τοῖς τόν ἐναντίον χειρίζουσι λόγον ἐπίσης ἔστιν εἰπεῖν, οἷον εἰ ζῶον τό κατά γαστρός, καί τό ἐναντίον, εἰ οὐ ζῶον τό κατά γαστρός. Οὕτω φησίν ὁ Κλήμης ἐν ἀρχῇ τοῦ πέμπτου Στρωματέων, ὥσπερ οὖν καί ἐνταῦθα. Εἰ οὖν ὅμοια τά ὁμοταγῆ, καί ἐκ τοῦ ἐναντίου, εἰ οὐχ ὅμοια τά ὁμοταγῆ.

Τῆς αὐτοομοιότητος: Ἔθος ἐστί τῷ μεγάλῳ ∆ιονυσίῳ, τόν Θεόν λέγειν ἐπί τῶν αἰτιατῶν αὐτόν εἶναι τό αὐτοόν καί τοῦ αὐτοεῖναι ὑποστάτην· καί αὐτόν εἶναι τήν αὐτοομοιότητα καί τῆς αὐτοομοιότητος ὑποστάτην. Φησί δέ ταῦτα, οὐχ ὡς ἑτέραν μέν φάσκων ζωήν αὐτόν τόν Θεόν, ἑτέραν δέ παρῆχθαι ζωήν οὐσιώδη, καί οἷον εἴ τινα ἐνυπόστατον παρά τόν Θεόν, ἧς μετέχει τά τῆς ζωῆς μετέχοντα, ἀλλ' ὡς αὐτός ἑαυτόν ἑρμηνεύει ἐν τῷ ἑνδεκάτῳ κεφαλαίῳ, αὐτοζωή καί αὐτοδύναμις, καί αὐτοομοιότης, καί τά τοιαῦτα λέγεται ὁ Θεός, ὡς ἀρχικῶς τοῦτο ὤν, καί θεϊκῶς καί αἰτιατικῶς· τούτων γάρ αὐτός τῷ ὄντι πηγαῖός ἐστι, τῆς δέ αὐτοζωῆς ἐστιν ὑποστάτης καί αὐτοομοιότητος καί τῶν τοιούτων, ὡς μεθεκτῶς αὐτοῖς τοῖς πρώτως ἐν τοῖς οὖσι (14S_324> τῆς δωρεᾶς ταύτης μετέχουσι χορηγῶν. Πάντα γάρ οἰκείως ἑαυτοῖς μετέχει τῶν τοιούτων· αἱ μέν πρῶται καί ἀνώταται τῶν νοητῶν κτίσεις ἀρχηγικῶς, τά δέ ἑξῆς ὑποβατικῶς. Ὁμοιότητα δέ καί ἄνω ἔφημεν τήν τῶν ὅλων ἑνότητα, καθ' ἥν τά ὅλα τοῦ κατά τό ὡσαύτως ἔχοντος καί κατά τά αὐτά εἰς σύμπνοιαν μετέχει, κατά μετουσίαν τοῦ πρώτου αἰτίου. 'Ἐνδεχόμενον' δέ εἶπεν, οὐ γάρ τελείως, οὐδέ καθ' ὅλου ἡ μίμησις.

§ 7. Τό ἀποδέον: Ἀπολεῖπον. § 8. Τί δέ καί περί τῆς θείας στάσεως: Τήν στάσιν καί τήν καθέδραν τό αὐτό

δέχεται· στάσιν γάρ οὐ τήν εἰς τό ὀρθόν γενέσθαι ἀπό τοῦ συγκεκάμφθαι ἐν τῇ καθέδρᾳ ὑπόνοιάν φησιν, ἀλλά τό ἀκλόνητον καί ἀμετάτρεπτον τοῦ Θεοῦ βεβαίαν στάσιν ἐκάλεσεν· ὡς καί τό καθῆσθαι τό ἐν τῇ ἀνωνομάστῳ βασιλείᾳ, καί ἀναπαύσει διαρκῶς καί ἀκαταλήπτως ἔχειν. Καί μήν ἐν τῇ Γραφῇ, ὡς ἀπό τοῦ καθῆσθαι ἀνιστάμενος εἴρηται, ὡς ἐν τῷ, «ἀνάστηθι, Κύριε, πρόφθασον αὐτούς»· καί πάλιν ὡς ἀπό στάσεως ἐπί τῷ καθῆσθαι μεταβαίνων, ἐν τῷ· «ὅτι ἐπιβήσῃ ἐπί τούς ἵππους σου», καί, «ἡ ἱππασία σου σωτηρία»· καί αὖθις· «ἐπέβη χερουβίμ καί ἐπετάσθη», μάλιστα δέ τό· «ἐκάθισας ἐπί θρόνου, ὁ κρίνων δικαιοσύνην», καί, «ὁ Θεός κάθηται ἐπί θρόνου ἁγίου αὐτοῦ». Ταῦτα δέ οὐ σαρκικῶς, ἀλλά θεοειδῶς.

§ 9. Καί ἐπί πάντα προϊόντα: Ἐπί πάντα προϊών καί κινούμενος λέγεται ὁ Θεός, ὡς ἐν τῷ Ἰερεμίᾳ· «Ἐγώ Θεός ἐγγίζων, καί οὐχί πόρρωθεν»· καί πάλιν· «ὁ ἐπί πάντων καί διά πάντων», καί μάλιστα· «ἐάν ἀναβῶ εἰς τόν οὐρανόν, σύ ἐκεῖ», καί τά ἑξῆς. Ἐν δέ ταῖς θεοφανείαις· «κλῖνον οὐρανούς σου καί κατάβηθι», καί, «ἀνέβη ὁ Θεός ἐν ἀλαλαγμῷ».