his doth my initiation into the teaching of the divine
Scriptures teach me to be the real meaning of the kingdom of Heaven; to
approach the vision of the blessed and life-giving Trinity, and to be
illumined with his unapproachable light, and with clearer and purer
sight, and with unveiled face, to behold as in a glass his unspeakable
glory. But, if it be impossible to express in language that glory,
that light, and those mysterious blessings, what marvel? For they had
not been mighty and singular, if they had been comprehended by reason
and expressed in words by us who are earthly, and corruptible, and
clothed in this heavy garment of sinful flesh. Holding then such
knowledge in simple faith, believe thou undoubtingly, that these are no
fictions; but by good works be urgent to lay hold on that immortal
kingdom, to which when thou hast attained, thou shalt have perfect
knowledge.

"As touching thy question, How it is that we have heard the words of
the Incarnate God, know thou that we have been taught all that
appertaineth to the divine Incarnation by the Holy Gospels, for thus
that holy book is called, because it telleth us, who are corruptible
and earthly, the 'good spell' of immortality and incorruption, of life
eternal, of the remission of sins, and of the kingdom of heaven. This
book was written by the eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word, and of
these I have already said that our Lord Jesus Christ chose them for
disciples and apostles; and they delivered it unto us in writing, after
the glorious Ascension of our Master into Heaven, a record of his life
on earth, his teachings and miracles, so far as it was possible to
commit them to writing. For thus, toward the end of his volume, saith
he that is the flower of the holy Evangelists, 'And there are also many
other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written
every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the
books that should be written.'

"So in this heavenly Gospel, written by the Spirit of God, is recorded
the history of his Incarnation, his manifestation, his miracles and
acts. Afterward, it telleth of the innocent suffering which the Lord
endured for our sake, of his holy Resurrection on the third day, his
Ascent into the heavens, and of his glorious and dreadful second
coming; for the Son of God shall come again on earth, with unspeakable
glory, and with a multitude of the heavenly host to judge our race, and
to rew