LETTER VI. To Sopatros [72] --Priest.

The Divine gloom is the unapproachable light in which God is said to dwell [66] . And in this gloom, invisible [67] indeed, on account of the surpassing brightness, and unapproachable on account of the excess of the superessential stream of light, enters every one deemed worthy to know and to see God, by the very fact of neither seeing nor knowing, really entering in Him, Who is above vision and knowledge, knowing this very thing, that He is after all the object of sensible and intelligent perception, and saying in the words of the Prophet, "Thy knowledge was regarded as wonderful by me; It was confirmed; I can by no means attain unto it [68] ;" even as the Divine Paul is said to have known Almighty God, by having known Him as being above all conception and knowledge. Wherefore also, he says, "His ways are past finding out [69] and His Judgements inscrutable," and His gifts "indescribable [70] ," and that His peace surpasses every mind [71] , as having found Him Who is above all, and having known this which is above conception, that, by being Cause of all, He is beyond all.

[66] 1 Tim. vi. 6.
[67] Ib. i. 17.
[68] Ps. cxxxix. 6.
[69] Rom. xi. 33.
[70] 2 Cor. ix. 15.
[71] Phil. iv. 7.

Do not imagine this a victory, holy Sopatros, to have denounced [73] a devotion, or an opinion, which apparently is not good. For neither--even if you should have convicted it accurately--are the (teachings) of Sopatros consequently good. For it is possible, both that you and others, whilst occupied in many things that are false and apparent, should overlook the true, which is One and hidden. For neither, if anything is not red, is it therefore white, nor if something is not a horse, is it necessarily a man. But thus will you do, if you follow my advice, you will cease indeed to speak against others, but will so speak on behalf of truth, that every thing said is altogether unquestionable.

[72] Acts xx. 4; Rom. xvi. 21.
[73] Tit. iii. 9.