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

(38) If you please, we shall also use a faint example for the purpose of the argument. 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 itself is, but was inexperienced and had not tasted it; and you explain to him the things concerning the nature of waters and that, you say, water is good, suggesting lakes and wells and seas of rivers; but he asked to learn its nature, its form, its quality, its very quantity and how it moves and from where it has its beginning and how it is poured out through all things and does not fail. What would you have answered to these things to the one asking you? I for my part think, then, that even if you were exceedingly penetrating and most contemplative in mind, you would in no way have had the strength to represent in speech its beginning and substance and movement, nor would you have been able in any way to teach its 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 graspable substance we are thus not able to say anything or to interpret in speech to those who ask us what its nature is and from where or from what forms it has its composition, how would any one of the angels or of all the saints ever have the strength at all to teach those who are ignorant about the things of God and the things concerning him, what he who gave substance to the universe is like, and what are the things of his substance and glory? No one, in any way. But he who has been deemed worthy to see God in some way in the unapproachable glory of his infinite and divine light, in the manner we have said before, will not need the teaching of another; for he has him whole within himself, remaining and moving and speaking 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 otherwise it is impossible to see him, except through the (39) strict keeping of his commandments, not being corrupted, that is, by neglect and contempt of their practice in any way at all, but being preserved and practiced fittingly and diligently. Therefore, "and as many as walk according to this rule" "will not be found far from the kingdom of heaven," but according to the proportion of their diligence and practice with readiness and in joy, either sooner or later, more or less, they will receive the reward of the vision of God and they 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.

THE THIRD THEOLOGICAL (DISCOURSE) (40)

And that, whatever the Father is, this also is the Son, and whatever the Son is, this also is the Holy Spirit, and that these three are one spirit, of equal honor, of one substance, and on one throne.

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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.