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to the Word of wisdom, so that as mind is to wisdom and as reason is to the Word, being related and kindred, the created might rather have communion well with the Creator, as it exists according to the Creator's image and likeness. What living being do I mean by this? I certainly told you man, a rational being among the irrational, as one who is twofold from both sensibles and intelligibles. This one alone in the midst of created things knows God, and to this one alone is God apprehensible to the mind, though inapprehensible, he is seen though unseen, and grasped though ungraspable. How apprehensible and how inapprehensible, and how mixed unmixedly? How? tell me, explain these things. How can I explain to you the inexplicable, (174) how can I tell you the ineffable? Nevertheless, pay attention and I will speak: the sun shines its rays; I speak to you of this sensible one, for the other you have not yet seen; you see at least its rays and they are apprehensible to your eyes. But the light of your eyes was joined to your eyes; now tell me as I ask: How then is your light joined to the rays, is it in an unmixed mixture or are they confused with each other? I know: you will both say unmixed and confess mixed and you will tell me the light is apprehensible, when your eyes are opened and well-purified.

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πρός τόν λόγον τῆς σοφίας, ἵν᾿ ὡς νοῦς πρός τήν σοφίαν καί ὡς λόγος πρός τόν λόγον συγγενῶς τε καί οἰκείως ἔχον μᾶλλον σχῇ καλῶς καί κοινωνίαν τό κτισθέν μετά τοῦ κτίστου, ὡς τοῦ κτίστου κατ᾿ εἰκόνα καί ὁμοίωσιν ὑπάρχον. Ποῖον τοῦτο λέγω ζῷον; Ἄνθρωπόν σοι πάντως εἶπον λογικόν ἐν τοῖς ἀλόγοις ὡς διπλοῦν ἐξ ἑκατέρων αἰσθητῶν καί νοουμένων. Οὗτος μέσον τῶν κτισμάτων τόν Θεόν γινώσκει μόνος, τούτῳ μόνῳ ὁ Θεός δέ κατά νοῦν ληπτός ἀλήπτως, καθορᾶται ἀοράτως καί κρατεῖται ἀκρατήτως. Πῶς ληπτῶς καί πῶς ἀλήπτως, πῶς δέ καί μικτῶς ἀμίκτως; Πῶς; εἰπέ μοι, φράσον ταῦτα. Πῶς τά ἄφραστά σοι φράσω, (174) πῶς τά ἄρρητά σοι εἴπω; Ὅμως πρόσεχε καί λέξω˙ λάμπει ἥλιος ἀκτῖνας˙ αἰσθητόν τοῦτον σοί λέγω, τόν γάρ ἄλλον οὔπω εἶδες˙ τάς γοῦν τούτου βλέπεις ἀκτῖνας καί ληπταί εἰσι τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς σου. Τό δέ φῶς τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν σου συνημμένον ἦν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς σου˙ ἄρτι λέξον ἐρωτῶντι˙ Τό οὖν φῶς σου ταῖς ἀκτῖσι πῶς ὑπάρχει συνημμένον, ἐν ἀμίκτῳ μίξει ἔστιν ἤ συγκέχυνται ἀλλήλοις; Οἶδα˙ ἄμικτα καί λέξεις καί μικτά ὁμολογήσεις καί ληπτόν τό φῶς μοι εἴπῃς, ὀφθαλμῶν ἀνεῳγμένων καί καλῶς κεκαθαρμένων.