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an indefinite expanse of sea waters, at night standing by the shore and holding a shining lamp, he beholds. For of the whole of those infinite seas, how much do you think such a one sees? Certainly little or nothing. Nevertheless, he sees accurately and unerringly what the water is like, even if he cannot say of what kind it is. And he knows that what he sees is the sea, and that it is a vast expanse, and that for him to see the whole of it is among the impossible things; but the whole, even if he does not see it, he seems somehow to behold from the part and to infer the infinity of the waters.

(38) But if it seems good, let us also use a faint example for the purpose of our discourse. If, then, a man blind in his eyes should be found who has never seen a spring of water, or not knowing what this water is itself, and was inexperienced and had not tasted it; and you were to explain to him about the nature of waters and that, you say, water is good, suggesting lakes and wells and seas of rivers; and he were to ask to learn its nature, its form, its quality, its very quantity and how it moves and whence it has its origin and how it is poured out for ever and does not fail. What would you have answered to your questioner concerning these things? I for my part think that, even if you were extremely perceptive and most contemplative in mind, you would in no way have been able by word to represent its origin and essence and movement, nor would you have been able at all to teach what it is in quantity and quality to one who is inexperienced in the partaking and contemplation of such a thing. But if concerning a flowing and visible and tangible substance we are thus unable to say anything or to interpret by word to our questioners what its nature is and whence or from what forms it has its composition, how will any of the angels or of all the saints ever be able at all to teach those who are ignorant concerning God and the things pertaining to Him, what He who gave substance to the universe is like, and what are the things of His essence and glory? No one, in any way. But he who has been counted worthy to see God even a little in the unapproachable glory of His infinite and divine light, in the way we have said before, will not need the teaching of another; for he has Him whole abiding and moving and speaking within himself, and initiating him into His hidden mysteries according to the most holy saying spoken by Him: "My mystery," He says, "is for me and for mine."

But it is impossible to see Him otherwise than through the (39) precise keeping of His commandments, that is, not being corrupted in any way at all by negligence and contempt for their practice, but being preserved and practiced fittingly and zealously. Therefore, "and as many as walk according to this rule," "they will not be found far from the kingdom of heaven," but according to the proportion of their zeal and their practice with eagerness and in joy, whether more swiftly or more slowly, more or less, they will receive the reward of the vision of God and will become partakers of the divine nature and gods by grace and will be called sons of God in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be the glory and the power with the Father and the all-holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

THEOLOGICAL DISCOURSE THREE (40)

And that, whatever the Father is, this is also the Son, and whatever the Son is, this is also the Holy Spirit, and that these are one spirit, of equal honor, of one essence, and enthroned together.

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πέλαγος ἀόριστον ὑδάτων θαλάσσης, ἐν νυκτί παρά τῶν αἰγιαλόν ἱστάμενος καί λαμπάδα φαίνουσαν κρατῶν, καθορᾷ. Τοῦ γάρ ὅλου τῶν ἀπείρων ἐκείνων θαλασσῶν πόσον οἴει ὁρᾶν τόν τοιοῦτον; Πάντως μικρόν ἤ οὐδέν. Πλήν ὅμως ἀκριβῶς βλέπει τό ὕδωρ ὁποῖον καί ἀπλανῶς, εἰ καί μή ἐφικνεῖται εἰπεῖν ποταπόν. Καί οἶδε μέν ὅτι θάλασσα τό ὁρώμενον καί ὅτι πέλαγος ἀχανές καί ὅτι θεαθῆναι ὅλον ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ τῶν οὐκ ἐνδεχομένων ἐστί· τό δέ ὅλον, εἰ καί μή ὁρᾷ, ἀλλά δοκεῖ πως καθορᾶν ἀπό τοῦ μέρους καί τό ἄπειρον τῶν ὑδάτων τεκμαίρεσθαι.

(38) Εἰ δοκεῖ δέ, καί παραδείγματι ἀμυδρῷ τῷ σκοπῷ τοῦ λόγου χρησόμεθα. Ἐάν οὖν ἄνθρωπός τις πηρός τάς ὄψεις μή θεασάμενός ποτε πηγήν ὕδατος εὑρεθῇ, ἤ τοῦτο αὐτό τό ὕδωρ ὁποῖόν ἐστι μή εἰδώς, ἦν δέ ἄπειρος τούτου καί ἄγευστος· αὐτός δέ ἐξηγοῦ τούτῳ τά περί τῆς φύσεως τῶν ὑδάτων καί ὅτι, φησί, καλόν τό ὕδωρ, λίμνας καί φρέατα καί θαλάσσας ποταμῶν ὑποτιθέμενος· ὁ δέ ἤρετο μαθεῖν τήν φύσιν, τήν ἰδέαν, τήν ποιότητα, αὐτήν αὐτοῦ τήν ποσότητα καί πῶς κινεῖται καί πόθεν τήν ἀρχήν ἔχει και πῶς διά παντός ἐκχεῖται καί οὐκ ἐκλείπει. Τί πρός ταῦτα ἄν τῷ πυνθανομένῳ σου ἀπεκρίθης; Ἔγωγε οὖν οἶμαι, κἄν εἰ λίαν διαβατικώτατος ἦσθα καί θεωρητικώτατος τήν διάνοιαν, οὐδαμῶς παραστῆσαι τῷ λόγῳ ἴσχυσας τήν τούτου ἀρχήν καί οὐσίαν καί κίνησιν, οὐδ᾿ ὁποῖόν ἐστι τῇ ποσότητι καί ποιότητι διδάξαι τόν ἀπείρως περί τήν μέθεξιν καί θεωρίαν ἔχοντα τοῦ τοιούτου κἄν ποσῶς ἠδυνήθης. Εἰ δέ περί ῥεούσης καί ὁρωμένης καί κρατουμένης οὐσίας οὕτως οὐκ ἐφικνούμεθά τι εἰπεῖν ἤ διερμηνεῦσαι τῷ λόγῳ τοῖς πυνθανομένοις ἡμῶν, τίς ἐστιν ἡ φύσις αὐτῆς καί πόθεν ἤ ἐκ ποίων εἰδῶν τήν σύστασιν ἔχει, πῶς ἄν τις τῶν ἀγγέλων ἤ τῶν ἁπάντων ἁγίων τούς ἀγνοοῦντας τά περί Θεοῦ καί τά κατ᾿ αὐτόν διδάξαι, οἷός ἐστιν ὁ τό πᾶν οὐσιώσας καί τίνα τά τῆς οὐσίας καί δόξης αὐτοῦ, ἰσχύσει κἄν ὅλως ποτέ; Οὐδείς ἄν οὐδαμῶς. Ὁ δέ γε ἰδεῖν κἄν ποσῶς ἀξιωθείς τόν Θεόν ἐν τῇ ἀπροσίτῳ δόξῃ τοῦ ἀπείρου καί θείου φωτός αὐτοῦ τῷ τρόπῳ ᾧ προειρήκαμεν, διδασκαλίας ἑτέρου οὐ δεηθήσεται· ἔχει γάρ αὐτόν ὅλον ἐν ἑαυτῷ μένοντα καί κινούμενον καί λαλοῦντα καί μυσταγωγοῦντα αὐτόν τά κεκρυμμένα τούτου μυστήρια κατά τό ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ εἰρημένον ὁσιώτατον λόγιον· "Τό μυστήριόν μου, φησίν, ἐμοί καί τοῖς ἐμοῖς".

Ἄλλως δέ θεάσασθαι τοῦτον ἀμήχανον εἰ μή διά τῆς (39) τῶν ἐντολῶν αὐτοῦ ἀκριβοῦς φυλακῆς, μή παραφθειρομένης δηλονότι τῇ ἀμελείᾳ καί καταφρονήσει τῆς ἐργασίας αὐτῶν ἐν μηδενί μηδαμῶς, ἀλλά διατηρουμένης καί ἐργαζομένης ἐμμελῶς καί σπουδαίως. Τοιγαροῦν "καί ὅσοι τῷ κανόνι τούτῳ στοιχήσουσιν" "οὐ μακράν εὑρεθήσονται τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν" ἀλλά κατά ἀναλογίαν τῆς σπουδῆς καί τῆς μετά προθυμίας καί ἐν χαρᾷ ἐργασίας αὐτῶν, ἤ συντομώτερον ἤ βραδύτερον, πλεῖον ἤ ἔλαττον, τόν μισθόν τῆς θεοπτίας κομίσονται καί κοινωνοί θείας γενήσονται φύσεως καί θεοί καί θέσει καί υἱοί Θεοῦ χρηματίσουσιν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καί τό κράτος σύν τῷ Πατρί καί τῷ παναγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καί ἀεί καί εἰς τούς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων· ἀμήν.

ΘΕΟΛΟΓΙΚΟΣ ΤΡΙΤΟΣ (40)

Καί ὅτι, εἴ τι ὁ Πατήρ, τοῦτο καί ὁ Υἱός, καί εἴ τι ὁ Υἱός, τοῦτο καί τό Πνεῦμα τό Ἅγιον, καί ὅτι ἕν ταῦτα πνεῦμα ὁμότιμον, ὁμοούσιον καί ὁμόθρονον.