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| Chapter XLV
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Chapter XLV.
But let us see further what the things are which
he proposes to teach us, if indeed we can comprehend them, since he
speaks of us as being “utterly wedded to the flesh;”
although if we live well, and in accordance with the teaching of Jesus,
we hear this said of us: “Ye are not in the flesh, but in
the Spirit, if the Spirit of God dwelleth in you.”4786
He says also that we look upon nothing
that is pure, although our endeavour is to keep even our thoughts free
from all defilement of sin, and although in prayer we say,
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit
within me,”4787
so that we may
behold Him with that “pure heart” to which alone is granted
the privilege of seeing Him. This, then, is what he proposes for
our instruction: “Things are either intelligible,
which we call substance—being; or visible, which we call
becoming:4788
| 4788 γένεσις. For the
distinction between οὐσία and γένεσις, see
Plato’s Sophista, p. 246. | with the
former is truth; from the latter arises error. Truth is the
object of knowledge; truth and error form opinion. Intelligible
objects are known by the reason, visible objects by the eyes; the
action of the reason is called intelligent perception, that of the eyes
vision. As, then, among visible things the sun is neither the eye
nor vision, but that which enables the eye to see, and renders vision
possible, and in consequence of it visible things are seen, all
sensible things exist and itself is rendered visible; so among things
intelligible, that which is neither reason, nor intelligent perception,
nor knowledge, is yet the cause which enables the reason to know, which
renders intelligent perception possible; and in consequence of it
knowledge arises, all things intelligible, truth itself and substance
have their existence; and itself, which is above all these things,
becomes in some ineffable way intelligible. These things are
offered to the consideration of the intelligent; and if even you can
understand any of them, it is well. And if you think that a
Divine Spirit has descended from God to announce divine things to men,
it is doubtless this same Spirit that reveals these truths, and it was
under the same influence that men of old made known many important
truths. But if you cannot comprehend these things, then keep
silence; do not expose your own ignorance, and do not accuse of
blindness those who see, or of lameness those who run, while you
yourselves are utterly lamed and mutilated in mind, and lead a merely
animal life—the life of the body, which is the dead part of our
nature.”E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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