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and of identity, and unceasingly established in himself, for the sake of the salvation of all, by providential processions He extends the illuminations of goodness to all, and is present to all, not departing from his own established place; so also the bishop, in imitation of God as far as is symbolically possible, remaining in his own station, that is (14E_350> of the ecclesiastical authority, goes forth with a providence of love for humanity to secondary things, that is, to condescend to the one who is converting, and teaches him, and anoints, and seals, and having baptized imparts the gift. But all these things, as liturgical, are secondary to his authority. Having fulfilled, therefore, all these secondary things, he returns again to the altar, representing symbolically before God that, although he went forth providentially to secondary things for the sake of the salvation of the one who approached, yet he did not cease from doing his own things and being in his own sphere, that is, in the heights of the contemplation of God, but from divine things, instead of from the sacred liturgy concerning the newly-illumined, to divine things, as it were to the height of theological contemplation he returns again, being led and transported to that which seems good to the Holy Spirit. These things he also says a little later in the contemplation of the mystery of communion.

Through water: For by water the impure things are cleansed. C. § 1. Intimating: That the interpretations must also be made for those who hear;

and that the many are unhearing of such mysteries, which he calls the multitude.

§ 2. One-formed of the multitude: He calls the God-formed "one-formed," but of the multitude, of the many and unholy.

In the *On Intelligibles*: That a treatise on intelligibles and sensibles was composed by him, and what it contains.

§ 3. Let us say then: Contemplations. Of the noetic beings: He speaks of two evils of the noetic beings; for either they completely fall away from the

divine light, loving evil, or having despised the measure of illumination given to them, and having boldly attempted to surpass it, and having failed to grasp that which exceeds their power, they will certainly also fail to attain the measure given to them, the divine light remaining unalterable everywhere.

Self-chosen: Note that every noetic vision and power (14E_352> whether of angels or of men is self-chosen and self-determined; and how it becomes evil.

It has been detached: Just as "to have been joined together" signifies "to be fitted together," so also "to have been detached" signifies "to have fallen away from harmony and congenital union"; but sometimes the word also signifies "to be suspended." Here, however, it is taken according to the former meaning.

Whether of the moderate: From the image of the sensible light you will adapt what has been said to the commensurate measure of the divine thoughts; since it is also written, "Do not seek what is higher than you; consider what has been commanded to you"; for in these things he calls the commensurate "measure."

Of those things indeed which are unsuitable: Of those not in harmony with it, as being superior. To this the divine: Of what the bishop is a type. To those approaching: Here it is clear that he teaches to those who hear. § 4. Aware: Note that the first gift from accurate

teaching one acquires is to know oneself, so that one may keep that which is in the law, "take heed to yourself," as also the divine Basil said; for thus for the time being he imitates the angels who know themselves.

Running up to the visible: Here he calls the visible the contemplable, that is, the knowable; and running up, that is, being wholly moved towards seeing; and he calls the sacred gift being aware of oneself.

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καί ταυτότητος, καί ἀνεκφοιτήτως εἰς ἑαυτόν ἱδρυμένος, σωτηρίας ἕνεκα πάντων ταῖς προνοητικαῖς προόδοις ἐπί πάντα τάς τῆς ἀγαθότητος ἐλλάμψεις ἐκτείνει, καί πᾶσι πάρεστι τῆς ἰδίας ἱδρύσεως οὐκ ἀποστάς· οὕτω καί ὁ ἐπίσκοπος, κατά μίμησιν ὡς δυνατόν συμβολικῶς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐπί τῆς ἰδίας στάσεως μένων, τουτέστι (14Ε_350> τῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς ἀρχῆς, πρόεισι προνοίᾳ φιλανθρωπίας ἐπί τά δεύτερα, τουτέστιν εἰς τό κατιέναι πρός τόν ἐπιστρέφοντα, καί διδάσκει αὐτόν, καί χρίει, καί σφραγίζει, καί μεταδίδωσι τοῦ δώρου βαπτίσας. Ταῦτα δέ πάντα ὡς λειτουργικά δεύτερά εἰσι τῆς ἀρχῆς αὐτοῦ. Πληρώσας οὖν τά δεύτερα πάντα, πάλιν ἐπάνεισιν ἐπί τό θυσιαστήριον, παριστῶν συμβολικῶς ἐπί τοῦ Θεοῦ ὅτι, καίτοι προελθών προνοητικῶς εἰς τά δεύτερα τῆς τοῦ προσελθόντος ἕνεκα σωτηρίας, ὅμως οὐκ ἀπέστη τοῦ τά οἰκεῖα πράττειν καί ἐν τοῖς αὐτοῦ εἶναι, τουτέστιν ἐν τοῖς τῆς περί Θεόν θεωρίας ὑψώμασιν, ἀλλ' ἀπό θείων, ἀντί τοῦ ἐκ τῆς τῶν περί νεοφωτίστων ἁγίας λειτουργίας, εἰς θεῖα, οἱονεί πρός τό τῆς θεολογικῆς θεωρίας ὕψος πάλιν ἐπιστρέφει, πρός τό τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δοκοῦν ἀγόμενος καί μεταγόμενος. Ταῦτα καί μετά βραχέα φησίν ἐν τῇ θεωρίᾳ τοῦ μυστηρίου τῆς κοινωνίας.

Τῇ δι' ὕδατος: Τῷ γάρ ὕδατι τά ἀκάθαρτα καθαίρονται. Γ'. § 1. Αἰνισσομένη: Ὅτι πρός τούς ἀκούοντας δεῖ καί τάς ἑρμηνείας

ποιεῖσθαι· καί ὅτι οἱ πολλοί ἀνήκοοί εἰσι τῶν τοιούτων μυστηρίων, ὅπερ λέγει πληθύν.

§ 2. Ἑνοειδῆ τῆς πληθύος: Ἑνοειδῆ φησι τήν θεοειδῆ, πληθύος δέ, τῶν πολλῶν καί ἀνιέρων.

Ἐν τῇ Περί νοητῶν: Ὅτι περί νοητῶν καί αἰσθητῶν σύγγραμμα αὐτῷ πεπόνηται, καί τί περιέχει.

§ 3. Λέγωμεν τοίνυν: Θεωρίαι. Τῶν νοερῶν: ∆ύο κακίας λέγει τῶν νοερῶν· ἤ γάρ τελείως ἀφίστανται τοῦ

θείου φωτός, ἐρῶσαι τῆς κακίας, ἤ τό δοθέν αὐταῖς τῆς ἐλλάμψεως μέτρον περιφρονήσασαι, καί ὑπερβῆναι τοῦτο τολμηρῶς ἐπιχειρήσασαι, καί τό ὑπερβαῖνον τήν δύναμιν αὐτῶν καταλαβεῖν ἀτονήσασαι, ἀποτεύξονται πάντως καί τοῦ δοθέντος αὐταῖς μέτρου, τοῦ θείου φωτός ἀναλλοιώτου μένοντος πανταχοῦ.

Αὐθαίρετος: Σημείωσαι, ὅτι πᾶσα νοερά ὄψις καί δύναμις (14Ε_352> εἴτε ἀγγέλων εἴτε καί ἀνθρώπων αὐθαίρετός ἐστι καί αὐτεξούσιος· καί πῶς ἐν κακίᾳ γίνεται.

Ἀπήρτηται: Ὥσπερ τό συνηρτῆσθαι δηλοῖ τό συναρμόσθαι, οὕτω καί τό ἀπηρτῆσθαι τό ἐκπεπτωκέναι τῆς ἁρμογῆς καί τῆς συμφυΐας· ἔσθ' ὅτε δέ καί τό ἐκκρεμᾶσθαι ἡ λέξις δηλοῖ. Ἐνταῦθα μέντοι κατά τό πρότερον σημαινόμενον εἴληπται.

Εἴτε τοῦ μετρίως: Ἐξ εἰκόνος τοῦ αἰσθητοῦ φωτός ἐπί τό τῶν θείων νοήσεων σύμμετρον ἁρμόσεις τό εἰρημένον· ἐπεί καί γέγραπται, «ὑψηλότερά σου μή ζήτει· ἅ προσετάγη σοι, ταῦτα διανοῦ»· μέτρον γάρ ἐν τούτοις τό σύμμετρον λέγει.

Τῶν μέν ἀνοικείων: Τῶν μή ἐναρμοζόντων αὐτῇ, ὡς ὑπερεχόντων. Πρός ταύτην ὁ θεῖος: Τίνος τύπος ὁ ἐπίσκοπος. Προσιοῦσιν ταῖς: Ὧδε σαφῶς, ὅτι πρός τούς ἀκούοντας διδάσκει. § 4. Ἐπιγνώμονες: Σημείωσαι, ὅτι πρῶτον δῶρον ἐκ τῆς ἀκριβοῦς

διδασκαλίας κτᾶταί τις τό ἐπιγνῶναι ἑαυτόν, ἵνα τό ἐν τῷ νόμῳ φυλάξῃ, «πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ», ὡς καί ὁ θεῖος ἔφη Βασίλειος· οὕτω γάρ τέως μιμεῖται ἀγγέλους τούς γινώσκοντας ἑαυτούς.

Ὁρατόν ἀνατρέχων: Ὁρατόν ἐνταῦθα τό θεωρητόν, ἤγουν ἐπιστητόν λέγει· ἀνατρέχων δέ, τουτέστιν ὅλος κινούμενος ἐπί τό ὁρᾷν· ἱερόν δέ δῶρόν φησι τό εἶναι ἑαυτοῦ ἐπιγνώμονα.