S. “But if you had possessed the spirit of truth, you would have seen all facts whatsoever as they are. For he who possesses a thing can surely employ it freely for all purposes which are not contrary to the nature of that thing; can he not?”
P. “Of course he can. But if I did not possess the spirit of truth, how could I see any truth whatsoever?”
S. “Suppose, dear boy, that instead of your possessing it, it were possible for it to possess you; and possessing you, to show you as much of itself, or as little, as it might choose, and concerning such things only as it might choose: would not that explain the dilemma?”
P. “It would assuredly.”
S. “Let us see, then, whether this spirit of truth may not be something which is capable of possessing you, and employing you, rather than of being possessed and employed by you. To me, indeed, this spirit seems likely to be some demon or deity, and that one of the greatest.”
P. “Why then?”
S. “Can lifeless and material things see?”
P. “Certainly not; only live ones.”
S. “This spirit, then, seems to be living; for it sees things as they are.”
P. “Yes.”