Cod. ms. bibl. Univers. Lipsien. 188, membran., sec. XIII. | A.
Cod. ms. Vat. 177, membran., sec. XIV. | B.
Cod. ms. Sorbonn. 1355 bibl. Reg. Parisiensis, membran., sec. XIII. | C.
Cod. ms. bibl. Univers. Lipsien. 188, membran., sec. XIII. | A.
Cod. ms. Vat. 177, membran., sec. XIV. | B.
Cod. ms. Sorbonn. 1355 bibl. Reg. Parisiensis, membran., sec. XIII. | C.
Expositiones super Ierarchiam ecclesiasticam S. Dionysii
265DINCIPIT PROLOGUS SECUNDI LIBRI.
Secundus vero liber, cui est inscriptio de ecclesiastica Ierarchia Floss, var. lect. A ierarchya., humanae naturae, Salvatoris nostri sanguine redemptae, unitatem denuntiat, ad similitudinem videlicet caelestis sacerdotii, quantum possibile est, mortalibus adhuc ordinatam. Cujus summus pontifex est ipse, qui eam sibi per gratiam suam Floss, var. lect. Sic C, suam in cod. A m. glossatoris supra adscr. coadaptavit, qui etiam totius ierarchiae, caelestium quidem et terrestrium, principium est et medium et finis, ad quem omnia referuntur. Haec itaque nostra ierarchia instar caelestis tripartita est, scilicet in tres ierarchias. Quarum prima temporali 266Dquidem ordine, ultima vero dignitate legale fit Floss, var. lect. C, sit. sacerdotium. Quod in variis Floss, var. lect. Sic C, A vanis. valde et Floss, var. lect. et om. C obscuris symbolis per legislatorem Moysen plane carnali adhuc populo litteraeque, non spiritui servienti distributum est. Cujus maximus character erat tabernaculum illud in Arabico monte figurate monstratum. Secunda vero, quae et media, sacerdotium, quod nunc est, Ecclesiam dico Novi Testamenti, sub gratia quidem constitutam, partim symbolis visibilium sacramentorum dispositam, partim vero veritatis contemplatione perfectam. Et est finis praeteritae primae, initium vero futurae ierarchiae, quae est tertia, nunc ex parte inchoata in primitiis contemplationis, perficienda vero post gloriam futurae resurrectionis, 267Aquando visibilium sacramentorum velaminibus sublatis ipsam veritatem perspicua claritate Floss, var. lect. Sic C, A veritate. contemplabimur. Ideoque praesens, ut diximus, ecclesiastica Floss, var. lect. Sic C, A praesens ut diximus ecclesiastica. ierarchia media est inter legalem praeteritam et caelestem futuram, quoniam non solum aeternarum rerum symbola peragit et visibiliter considerat, ut legalis praeterita, sed et spiritualem eorum intelligentiam investigare invenireque non cessat, ut caelestis futura.
Epygramma Floss, var. lect. Sic C, A epigrammata. in beatum Dionysium in hoc de ecclesiastica ierarchia.
Symbola divinorum mirabilium sacrorum uniformi ratione.
In singularitatem resolvisti unius luminis unam claritatem.
267BDionysii Floss, var. lect. Hic incipit cod. Vat. Areopagitae episcopi Athenarum ad Tymotheum episcopum de ecclesiastica Floss, var. lect. ecclesiastica om. A. ierarchia secundus liber sic incipit Floss, var. lect. secundus liber sic incipit om. C..
Ad beatum Tymotheum secundum scripsit librum magnus Areopagita Dionysius de ecclesiastica ierarchia, id est, de ecclesiastico sacro principatu, distincte per capitula, quae infra sequuntur, elegantissime mysticum sacramentum prius Floss, var. lect. A sacrament(u?)m prius prius ponens. ponens, et sic singulas singulis capitulis mysticorum sacramentorum theorias subjungens. In quibus ostendit, cuncta, quae in ecclesiasticis sacramentis et sacratissimis mysteriorum consecrationibus fiunt Floss, var. lect. B sacramentis consecrationibus misteriorum fuerit., angelico ministerio secundum convenientiam uniuscujusque ordinis una cum ministris altaris, et praecipue ierarcha Floss, var. lect. B ierarchia., id est sacerdote, qui unus de angelis Floss, var. lect. Sic C, B qui unius de angelis, A qui unus angelis. 267Csecundum fas efficitur, caelitus operari; maxime in Floss, var. lect. in om. B. ministerio sancti sacrificii Dominicae passionis sanctissimi principatus militiae caelestis 268Acum consortibus suis in proprio ordine et laudis officio semper assistunt, et in consecratione sacratissimi chrismatis, quae uniformis et uniordo Floss, var. lect. uni ordo. symbolis est sanctissimae eucharistiae. In qua videlicet chrismatis initiatione Floss, var. lect. B u(n?)itiacione. ordinem Seraphim benignum Jesum, qui in omnibus sanctissimus Floss, var. lect. A s(c/a)nctissimis. sanctificat seipsum pro nobis, et omni sanctificatione nos Floss, var. lect. C omni nos sanctificatione. replet in ipso perfectos, atque ex Floss, var. lect. Sic C., ex om. AB. Deo natos, circumstare Floss, var. lect. B circumstante., et multilauda illa ymnologia, quam propheta Seraphim se audisse clamare describit, eundem Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum intelligibiliter laudare, obsequentibus etiam ceteris angelorum choris, et sensualiter Alleluia concinentibus, liquido manifestat.
Haec insunt in hoc de ecclesiastica ierarchia totum 268Bcapitula VII.
I. Quae sit ecclesiasticae ierarchiae traditio, et quae ejusdem speculatio.
II. De perficiendis in baptismate.
III. De perficiendis in synaxi.
IV. De perficiendis in miro et in ipso offerendis.
V. De sacerdotalibus confirmationibus.
VI. De perficiendorum ordinibus.
VII. De perficiendis in dormientibus Floss, var. lect. Quae sub numeris I-VII hic habentur, in A supra post epigrammata extant..
Praecumbentium capitulorum doctrinam secundum duplicem perficit modum. Primum enim exponit hoc : quomodo perficitur mysterium Floss, var. lect. A ministerium. capituli ; ac deinde theoria quadam traditionem : utputa 268Cmysterii illuminationis expositio primum, deinde secunda theoria ejus, iterum Floss, var. lect. A item. mysterii synaxeos expositio, deinde theoria ejus, et eodem modo de ceteris.
Cetera desiderantur.
Expositions on the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy of Saint Dionysius
265DHERE BEGINS THE PROLOGUE OF THE SECOND BOOK.
The second book, then, whose inscription is on the ecclesiastical Hierarchy, announces the unity of human nature, redeemed by the blood of our Saviour, a unity ordered, namely, after the likeness of the heavenly priesthood, as far as is possible, for those still mortal. Its high priest is he himself, who fitted it to himself through his grace, who is also the beginning and middle and end of the whole hierarchy, of heavenly things indeed and earthly, to whom all things are referred. This our hierarchy, therefore, after the manner of the heavenly, is threefold, that is, into three hierarchies. Of which the first, in temporal 266Dorder indeed, but last in dignity, is made the legal priesthood. Which was distributed in very various and obscure symbols through the lawgiver Moses to a people still plainly carnal, and serving the letter, not the spirit. Its greatest character was that tabernacle shown figuratively on the Arabian mountain. The second, which is also the middle, the priesthood which now is, the Church of the New Testament I mean, established indeed under grace, ordered partly by the symbols of visible sacraments, but partly perfected by the contemplation of truth. And it is the end of the past first, but the beginning of the future hierarchy, which is the third, now begun in part in the first-fruits of contemplation, but to be perfected after the glory of the future resurrection, 267Awhen, the veils of the visible sacraments taken away, we shall contemplate the truth itself with transparent clarity. Therefore the present ecclesiastical hierarchy, as we have said, is the middle between the past legal and the future heavenly, since it not only performs and visibly considers the symbols of eternal things, as the past legal, but also does not cease to search out and find their spiritual understanding, as the future heavenly.
Epigram on blessed Dionysius in this book on the ecclesiastical hierarchy.
The symbols of divine wondrous sacred things by uniform reason.
Into singularity thou hast resolved the one brightness of one light.
267BOf Dionysius the Areopagite, bishop of Athens, to Timothy the bishop, on the ecclesiastical hierarchy, the second book begins thus.
To blessed Timothy the great Areopagite Dionysius wrote the second book on the ecclesiastical hierarchy, that is, on the ecclesiastical sacred principate, distinctly by chapters, which follow below, most elegantly setting down the mystical sacrament first, and so subjoining to the several chapters the several theoriae of the mystical sacraments. In which he shows that all things which are done in the ecclesiastical sacraments and in the most sacred consecrations of the mysteries are worked from heaven by angelic ministry, according to the fitness of each order, together with the ministers of the altar, and especially the hierarch, that is, the priest, who is made one of the angels 267Caccording to what is right; most of all, in the ministry of the holy sacrifice of the Lord's passion, the most holy principalities of the heavenly host 268Awith their consorts in their own order and office of praise always stand by, and in the consecration of the most sacred chrism, which is uniform and of one order with the symbols of the most holy eucharist. In which initiation of the chrism, namely, he clearly shows that the order of the Seraphim stands around the kindly Jesus, who, most holy in all things, sanctifies himself for us, and fills us with every sanctification, perfected in him, and born of God, and with that much-praising hymnology, which the prophet describes that he heard the Seraphim cry, praises intelligibly the same our Lord Jesus Christ, the other choirs of angels also attending, and sensibly singing Alleluia together.
These are in this book on the ecclesiastical hierarchy, in all 268Bseven chapters.
I. What is the tradition of the ecclesiastical hierarchy, and what its speculation.
II. On things to be perfected in baptism.
III. On things to be perfected in the synaxis.
IV. On things to be perfected in the chrism, and things to be offered in it.
V. On the priestly confirmations.
VI. On the orders of those to be perfected.
VII. On things to be perfected over those who sleep What is given here under the numbers I–VII stands in A above, after the epigrammata..
The teaching of the preceding chapters he carries out according to a twofold mode. For first he sets this out: how the mystery of the chapter is performed; and then, in a certain theoria, the tradition: for instance, 268Cfirst the exposition of the mystery of illumination, then secondly its theoria, again the exposition of the mystery of the synaxis, then its theoria, and in the same way concerning the rest.
The rest is wanting.