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But now the: For from the divine Scriptures we are purified and illuminated towards the sacred divine birth; and from the synaxis and the rite of myron we are perfected with understanding. Note here too the triadic division being similarly indicated. The priestly order is divided into the purificatory, the illuminative, and the perfecting.

§ 4. Or not also the perceptible things: As in the case of glass receiving the sun, which he also said above; and as one can see in the case of fire or light, the one shining through thin and transparent bodies and also the thicker and non-luminous ones, and the fire, through easily flammable matter, setting ablaze even natures unsuitable for participation in it.

It shines upon: That is, the activity of the hierarch. It is therefore of these things: The "is" must be taken as common; for it is implied for

all things in the passage. Of things that see God, that to those: Note that the hierarch is first divinely illumined,

then imparts to those under him, then perfects these with what he imparts of the illumination.

§ 5. It is indeed first. It must be noted how the same order is first and last. But that of the hierarchical: Concerning the power of the orders. Thus one must understand the

things set forth, that while all things performed sacerdotally have their reference to the hierarch, as he accomplishes these through the orders under him, to whom he also gave (14E_404> the power to accomplish these things, nevertheless, the sanctification of the myron and the consecration of the altar and the ordination of priests have been assigned to the hierarch exclusively for personal performance, and not through the ministry of others, which he also called perfecting images of the divine power; and by "wholeness" he means all the orders, as he immediately explains.

But these are: That is, those that perfect the holy bread into the body of Christ, and the cup into holy blood, and the water into holy purification, and the unilluminated into adoption as a son, and all the rest likewise.

For if also toward the sacred things: Note that it is not for presbyters, whom he also calls priests, to hallow and perfect the myron, nor to perfect an altar, so that he might also offer upon it, nor indeed to ordain. For the hierarch alone does these things, without which the presbyter will neither baptize, nor offer, but will minister in the rites previously perfected by the bishop.

A consecration: That is, an ordination. Unitively: Singly. The sciences: That the teaching power of the mysteries belongs to the hierarchs

is fitting. § 6. But that of the priests: What the order of the priests is, that is, of the presbyters. It itself acts: That is, the order of the priests. But that of the ministers: What the order of the ministers is, that is, of the deacons. It cleanses: How the deacons cleanse. Whence concerning the sacred: A contemplation of purification. But note that it is the deacons' role

to unclothe and unbind those being baptized, and to stand them facing west, and again to move them to the east.

(14E_406> Wherefore also to the sacred: Note that the deacons then kept the doors, but now the subdeacons do;

§ 7. It has been shown, therefore: A recapitulation.

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Νῦν δέ τήν: Ἐκ γάρ τῶν θείων Γραφῶν καθαιρόμεθα καί ἐλλαμπόμεθα πρός τήν ἱεράν θεογενεσίαν· ἐκ τῆς συνάξεως δέ καί τῆς τοῦ μύρου τελετῆς ἐπιστημόνως τελειούμεθα. Σημείωσαι καί ἐνταῦθα ὁμοίως δηλουμένην τήν τριαδικήν διαίρεσιν. ∆ιαιρεῖται ἡ ἱερατική διακόσμησις εἰς καθαρτικήν, φωτιστικήν, τελειωτικήν.

§ 4. Ἤ οὑχί καί τάς αἰσθητάς: Ὡς ἐπί τῆς ὑέλου δεχομένης τόν ἥλιον, ὅπερ καί ἀνωτέρω εἶπε· καί οἷον ἐπί τοῦ πυρός ἤ τοῦ φωτός ἔστιν ἰδεῖν, τοῦ μέν διά τῶν ἀραιῶν καί διαφανῶν σωμάτων καταλάμποντος καί τά παχύτερα καί ἀλαμπῆ, τοῦ δέ πυρός διά τῆς εὐκαταπρήστου ὕλης καί τάς ἀνεπιτηδείους πρός μετουσίαν αὐτοῦ ἐκπυροῦντος φύσεις.

Ἐλλάμπει: Ἡ ἐνέργεια τοῦ ἱεράρχου δηλονότι. Τούτων οὖν ἐστι: Κατά κοινοῦ ληπτέον τό ἐστί· προσυπακούεται γάρ ἐπί

ὅλων τῶν ἐν τῷ τόπῳ. Θεοπτικῶν, τό τοῖς: Σημείωσαι, ὅτι θεοπτικῶς ὁ ἱεράρχης πρῶτον

ἐλλάμπεται, εἶτα μεταδίδωσι τοῖς ὑπ' αὐτόν, εἶτα τελειοῖ τούτοις, οἷς μεταδίδωσι τῆς ἐλλάμψεως.

§ 5. Πρώτη μέν ἐστι. Σημειωτέον, πῶς ἡ αὐτή πρώτη καί ἐσχάτη τάξις. Ἡ δέ τῆς ἱεραρχικῆς: Περί τῆς τῶν τάξεων δυνάμεως. Οὕτω δέ χρή νοῆσαι τά

προκείμενα, ὅτι πάντα μέν τά ἱερατικῶς τελούμενα εἰς τόν ἱεράρχην τήν ἀναφοράν ἔχει, ὡς αὐτοῦ διά τῶν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ταγμάτων ταῦτα ἐνεργοῦντος, οἷς καί παρέσχε (14Ε_404> τήν δύναμιν τοῦ ταῦτα ἐνεργεῖν, ὅμως ἐν ἐξαιρέτῳ τῷ ἱεράρχῃ πρός αὐτουργίαν, καί οὐ διά τῆς ἑτέρων ὑπουργίας ἀποκεκλήρωται ὁ τοῦ μύρου ἁγιασμός καί ἡ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου καθιέρωσις καί ἡ τῶν ἱερατικῶν χειροτονία, ἅτινα καί τελεσιουργούς εἰκόνας τῆς θείας δυνάμεως ἀπεκάλεσεν· ὁλότητα δέ φησι πάσας τάς τάξεις, ὡς εὐθύς ἐπεξηγεῖται.

Αὗται δέ εἰσι: Τουτέστιν αἱ τελειοῦσαι τόν ἅγιον ἄρτον εἰς σῶμα Χριστοῦ, καί τό ποτήριον εἰς ἅγιον αἷμα, καί τό ὕδωρ εἰς ἁγίαν κάθαρσιν, καί τόν ἀφώτιστον εἰς υἱοθεσίαν, καί πάντα τά λοιπά ὁμοίως.

Εἰ γάρ καί πρός τῶν ἱερῶν: Σημείωσαι, ὅτι καί ἁγιάσαι καί τελειῶσαι τό μύρον οὐκ ἔστι πρεσβυτέρων, οὕς καί ἱερεῖς καλεῖ, ἀλλ' οὔτε θυσιαστήριον τελειῶσαι, ἵνα καί προσενέγκῃ ἐπ' αὐτοῦ, οὔτε μήν χειροτονῆσαι. Ταῦτα γάρ μόνος ὁ ἱεράρχης ποιεῖ, ὧν ἐκτός ὁ πρεσβύτερος, οὔτε βαπτίσει, οὔτε προσοίσει, ἀλλ' εἰς τά προτελεσθέντα ὑπό τοῦ ἐπισκόπου ἱερουργήσει.

Ἁγιστείαν: Ἤτοι χειροτονίαν. Ἑνιαίως: Μονομερῶς. Τάς ἐπιστήμας: Ὅτι ἡ διδασκαλική τῶν μυστηρίων δύναμις τοῖς ἱεράρχαις

ἁρμόζει. § 6. Ἡ δέ τῶν ἱερέων: Τίς ἡ τῶν ἱερέων τάξις, ἤγουν τῶν πρεσβυτέρων. Αὐτή δρᾷ: Ἡ τῶν ἱερέων τάξις δηλονότι. Ἡ δέ τῶν λειτουργῶν: Τίς ἡ τῶν λειτουργῶν τάξις, τουτέστι τῶν διακόνων. Ἀποκαθαίρει: Πῶς ἀποκαθαίρουσιν οἱ διάκονοι. Ὅθεν ἐπί τῆς ἱερᾶς: Θεωρία τῆς καθάρσεως. Σημείωσαι δέ, ὅτι τῶν διακόνων

ἐστί τό ἀποδύειν καί ὑπολύειν τούς βαπτιζομένους, καί πρός δυσμάς ἱστᾷν, καί αὖθις πρός ἀνατολήν μετάγειν.

(14Ε_406> ∆ιό καί ταῖς ἱεραῖς: Σημείωσαι, ὅτι οἱ διάκονοι τότε τάς θύρας εἶχον, νῦν δέ οἱ ὑποδιάκονοι·

§ 7. ∆έδεικται τοίνυν: Ἀνακεφαλαίωσις.