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the conversion of those being introduced from unbelief to faith, and from wickedness to virtue, and from ignorance to knowledge.

But the readings that take place after this, in general, signify the divine wills and counsels, according to which it is necessary for all to be instructed and to conduct their lives; but specifically, the teaching and progress in faith of those who have believed; and for those engaged in the life of practice, the firm disposition according to virtue; according to which, keeping to the divine law of the commandments, they stand manfully and unshakably against the schemes of the devil, and escape the opposing energies; and for those engaged in the life of contemplation, the state according to contemplation; according to which, collecting to the best of their ability the spiritual principles of sensible things and of the (708) providence over them, they are unerringly borne towards the truth.

And the divine melodies of the hymns, the divine pleasure and delight which comes to be in the souls of all; by which being mystically strengthened, they forget the past labors of virtue; and are renewed with a vigorous desire for the remaining divine and incorruptible goods.

And the Gospel, in general, is a symbol of the consummation of this age; but specifically, for those who have believed, it indicates the complete disappearance of the ancient error; for those engaged in the life of practice, the mortification and consummation of the law and mindset according to the flesh; and for those engaged in the life of contemplation, the gathering and reference of the many and various principles to the most comprehensive principle, once the more detailed and variegated natural contemplation has been completed and perfected for them.

But the descent of the high priest from the throne, and the dismissal of the catechumens, signifies in general 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 specifically, the perfect assurance in faith of those who have believed, which the God-Logos effects by coming invisibly; through which every thought still limping in any way with regard to faith, in the manner of a catechumen, is driven out from them; for those engaged in the life of practice, perfect dispassion, through which every impassioned and unenlightened thought is removed from the soul; and for those engaged in the life of contemplation, the comprehensive knowledge of things known, through which all images of material things are expelled from the soul.

But 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 indicates the passing away of sensible things, and the manifestation of intelligible things, and the new teaching of the divine mystery concerning us, and the identity of concord, unanimity and love of all towards all, both themselves and God, that will come to be, and the thanksgiving for the ways in which we were saved; but specifically, for the faithful, the progress from simple faith to teaching and initiation in the doctrines, and unanimity and piety; for the first, the closing of the doors, indicates. The second, the entrance of the holy things; the third, the kiss; and the fourth, the proclamation of the symbol; for those engaged in the life of practice, having closed their senses and become outside of the flesh and the world through the rejection of the (709) energies according to them, the transition from action to contemplation, and the ascent from the mode of the commandments to their principle; and the kinship and union of the commandments themselves, according to their proper principles, with the powers of the soul, and the disposition suitable for theological thanksgiving; and for those engaged in the life of contemplation, from natural contemplation to the simple understanding of intelligible things; according to which in no way through sense perception or any

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ἀπιστίας εἰς πίστιν, καί ἀπό κακίας εἰς ἀρετήν, καί ἀπό ἀγνωσίας εἰς γνῶσιν εἰσαγομένων ἐπιστροφήν.

Τά δέ γινόμενα μετ᾿ αὐτήν ἀναγνώσματα, γενικῶς μέν, τά θεῖα θελήματά τε καί βουλήματα, καθ᾿ ἅ χρή τούς πάντας παιδεύεσθαί τε καί πολιτεύεσθαι, μηνύει· ἰδικῶς δέ, τήν κατά τήν πίστιν διδασκαλίαν καί προκοπήν τῶν πιστευσάντων· καί τῶν πρακτικῶν τήν κατ᾿ ἀρετήν παγίαν διάθεσιν· καθ᾿ ἥν τῷ θείῳ νόμῳ στοιχοῦντες τῶν ἐντολῶν ἀνδρικῶς τε καί ἀκλονήτως ἴστανται πρός τάς μεθοδείας τοῦ διαβόλου, καί τάς ἀντικειμένας ἐνεργείας διαδιδράσκουσι· καί τῶν γνωστικῶν τήν κατά θεωρίαν ἕξιν· καθ᾿ ἥν τούς τῶν αἰσθητῶν καί τῆς ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῖς (708) προνοίας πνευματικούς κατά δύναμιν συλλεγόμενοι λόγους, ἀπλανῶς πρός τήν ἀλήθειαν φέρονται.

Τά δέ θεῖα τῶν ᾀσμάτων μελίσματα, τήν ἐγγινομένη ταῖς ἁπάντων ψυχαῖς θείαν ἡδονήν καί τερπνότητα· καθ᾿ ἥν μυστικῶς ῥώννύμεναι, τῶν μέν παρελθόντων τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐπιλανθάνονται πόνων· πρός δέ τήν τῶν λειπομένων θείων καί ἀκηράτων ἀγαθῶν, νεάζουσι εὔτονον ἔφεσιν.

Τό δέ Εὐαγγέλιον, γενικῶς μέν σύμβολόν ἐστι τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου· ἰδικῶς δέ, τῶν μέν πιστευσάντων δηλοῖ τόν παντελῆ τῆς ἀρχαίας πλάνης ἀφανισμόν· τῶν δέ πρακτικῶν, τήν νέκρωσιν καί συντέλειαν τοῦ κατά σάρκα νόμου τε καί φρονήματος· τῶν δέ γνωστικῶν, τήν πρός τόν συνεκτικώτατον λόγον τῶν πολλῶν καί διαφόρων λόγων συναγωγήν τε καί ἀναφοράν, συντελεσθείσης αὐτοῖς καί περατωθείσης τῆς διεξοδικωτέρας καί ποικιλωτέρας φυσικῆς θεωρίας.

Ἡ δέ τοῦ ἀρχιερέως ἀπό τοῦ θρόνου κατάβασις, καί ἡ τῶν κατηχουμένων ἐκβολή, γενικῶς μέν σημαίνει τήν ἀπ᾿ οὐρανοῦ δευτέραν τοῦ μεγάλου Θεοῦ καί Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ παρουσίαν, καί τόν ἀπό τῶν ἁγίων ἀφορισμόν τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν· καί τήν δικαίαν πρός τήν ἑκάστου ἀξίαν ἀμοιβήν· ἰδικῶς δέ, τήν τελείαν ἐν πίστει τῶν πιστευσάντων πληροφορίαν, ἥν ποιεῖ παραγινόμενος ἀοράτως ὁ Θεός Λόγος· δι᾿ ἧς πᾶς ἔτι καθ᾿ ὁτιοῦν σκάζων κατά τήν πίστιν λογισμός κατηχουμένου τρόπον, αὐτῶν ἀπελαύνεται· τῶν δέ πρακτικῶν, τήν τελείαν ἀπάθειαν, δι᾿ ἧς πᾶς ἐμπαθής καί ἀφώτιστος λογισμός τῆς ψυχῆς ἀπογίνεται· τῶν δέ γνωστικῶν, τήν συνεκτικήν ἐπιστήμην τῶν ἐπεγνωσμένων, δι᾿ ᾗς πᾶσαι τῶν ὑλικῶν αἱ εἰκόνες τῆς ψυχῆς ἐκδιώκονται.

Ἡ δέ κλεῖσις τῶν θυρῶν, καί ἡ τῶν ἁγίων μυστηρίων εἴσοδος, καί ὀ θεῖος ἀσπασμός, καί ἡ τοῦ συμβόλου τῆς πίστεως ἐκφώνησις, γενικῶς μέν δηλοῖ τήν τῶν αἰσθητῶν πάροδον, καί τήν τῶν νοητῶν φανέρωσιν, καί τήν καινήν τοῦ περί ἡμᾶς θείου μυστηρίου διδαχήν, καί τήν πρός πάντας πάντων ἑαυτούς τε καί τόν Θεόν γενησομένην ὁμονοίας και ὁμογνωμοσύνης καί ἀγάπης ταυτότητα, καί τήν ἐφ᾿ οἷς ἐσώθημεν τρόποις εὐχαριστίαν· ἰδικῶς δέ, τῶν μέν πιστῶν τήν ἀπό τῆς ἁπλῆς πίστεως εἰς τήν ἐν δόγμασι διδαχήν καί μύησιν, καί ὁμοφωνίαν καί εὐσέβειαν, προκοπήν· τό γάρ πρῶτον, ἡ τῶν θυρῶν δηλοῖ κλεῖσις. Τό δεύτερον δέ, ἡ τῶν ἁγίων εἴσοδος· τό δέ τρίτον, ὁ ἀσπασμός· καί τό τέταρτον, ἡ ἐκφώνησις τοῦ συμβόλου· τῶν δέ πρακτικῶν, τήν ἀπό πράξεως εἰς θεωρίαν μυσάντων τάς αἰσθήσεις καί ἔξω σαρκός καί κόσμου γενομένων διά τῆς ἀποβολῆς τῶν (709) κατ᾿ αὐτάς ἐνεργειῶν, μετάθεσιν, καί τήν ἀπό τοῦ τρόπου τῶν ἐντολῶν εἰς τόν λόγον αὐτῶν ἀνάβασιν· καί τήν αὐτῶν τῶν ἐντολῶν κατά τούς οἰκείους λόγους συγγενῆ πρός τάς δυνάμεις τῆς ψυχῆς οἰκειότητά τε καί ἕνωσιν, καί τήν πρός θεολογικήν εὐχαριστίαν ἐπιτήδειον ἕξιν· τῶν δέ γνωστικῶν, τήν ἀπό φυσικῆς θεωρίας εἰς τήν τῶν νοητῶν ἁπλῆν κατανόησιν· καθ᾿ ἥν οὐδαμῶς δι᾿ αἰσθήσεως ἤ τινος