And Peter said:  “If this is the case, you are acting most impiously.  For if it belongs to the Son, who arranged heaven and earth, to reveal His unrevealed Father to whomsoever He wishes, you are, as I said, acting most impiously in revealing Him to those to whom He has not revealed Him.”  And Simon said:  “But he himself wishes me to reveal him.”  And Peter said:  “You do not understand what I mean, Simon.  But listen and understand.  When it is said that the Son will reveal Him to whom He wishes, it is meant that such an one is to learn of Him not by instruction, but by revelation only.  For it is revelation when that which lies secretly veiled in all the hearts of men is revealed unveiled by His God’s own will without any utterance.  And thus knowledge comes to one, not because he has been instructed, but because he has understood.  And yet the person who understands it cannot demonstrate it to another, since he did not himself receive it by instruction; nor can he reveal it, since he is not himself the Son, unless he maintains that he is himself the Son.  But you are not the standing Son.  For if you were the Son, assuredly you would know those who are worthy of such a revelation.  But you do not know them.  For if you knew them, you would do as they do who know.”

E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH