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And were you neither inside nor outside? As ungraspable, I am not inside, (172) but as graspable, I am outside; but being uncircumscribed, I am neither inside nor outside. For inside what is the creator, and of what, tell me, is he outside? I bear all things within, as holding together all creation; and I am outside all things, being separate from all things. For how will the creator of creatures not be outside all things? And I who exist before all things and fill the universe as full, how shall I not also be, having created, in all my creatures? For I was everywhere in the universe as superabundant and I fill all things, having created them. Understand what I say to you! I did not change place when I created, nor was I united with the things that were created; but being uncircumscribed, where will you ever say that I am? I do not speak to you bodily, but understand me with the mind. But seeking me spiritually you will find me uncircumscribed, and again according to this, nowhere, neither inside nor outside, even if I am everywhere and in all things impassibly and without confusion; (173) and according to this I am outside all things, because I was also before all things. But let us leave this whole creation which you see, because it does not partake of reason and justly has no kinship with reason, being deprived of all mind. Let us give, then, a kindred living being

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καί οὐδ᾿ ἔσω ἦς οὐδ᾿ ἔξω; Ὡς μέν ἄληπτος οὐκ ἔσω, (172) ὡς ληπτός δ᾿ ἔξω πέλω ἀπερίγραπτος δ᾿ ὑπάρχων οὔτε ἔσω οὔτε ἔξω. Τίνος γάρ ὁ κτίστης ἔσω, ποίου δέ, εἰπέ μοι, ἔξω; Πάντα ἔνδον περιφέρω ὡς συνέχων πᾶσαν κτίσιν˙ πάντων ἔξω δέ τυγχάνω, πάντων ὤν κεχωρισμένος. Ὁ γάρ κτίστης τῶν κτισμάτων πῶς οὐκ ἔσται πάντων ἔξω; Ὁ πρό πάντων δέ ὑπάρχων καί πληρῶν τό πᾶν ὡς πλήρης, πῶς οὐκ ἔσομαι καί κτίσας ἐν τοῖς κτίσμασί μου πᾶσι; Πανταχοῦ καί γάρ ὑπῆρχον ἐν τῷ πᾶν ὡς ὑπερπλήρης καί πληρῶ τά πάντα κτίσας. Νόει ἅπερ φθέγγομαί σοι! Οὐ μετέστην τόπου κτίσας, οὐδ᾿ ἡνώθην τοῖς κτισθεῖσιν˙ ἀπερίγραπτον δέ ὄντα ποῦ ποτέ με φήσεις εἶναι; Οὐ σωματικῶς σοι λέγω, ἀλλά νοητῶς μοι νόει. Ζητῶν δέ πνευματικῶς με ἀπερίγραπτον εὑρήσεις, οὐδαμοῦ δ᾿ αὖ κατά τοῦτο, οὐδέ ἔσω οὐδέ ἔξω, εῖ καί πανταχοῦ καί ἐν πᾶσιν ἀπαθῶς καί ἀσυγχύτως˙ (173) κατά τοῦτο δ᾿ἔξω πάντων, ὅτι καί πρό πάντων ἤμην. Ἀλλ᾿ ἀφήσωμεν τήν κτίσιν ὅλην ταύτην ἥνπερ βλέπεις, ὅτι λόγου οὐ μετέχει καί δικαίως πρός τόν λόγον οἰκειότητα οὐκ ἔχει, νοῦ παντός ἐστερημένη. ∆ῶμεν οὖν οἰκεῖον ζῷον