Homilies 2.5–2.38

And Peter, greatly pleased at this, answered: “Already the correction of you has reached its end, since you have recognized the greatness of the unerring prophecy, without which no one can obtain the supreme good. For though there are many and various good things among those that are or can come to be, the most blessed of all, whether it is eternal life, or lasting health, or perfect understanding, or light, or joy, or incorruption, or anything else that is or can be an excellent good in the nature of things, cannot be obtained otherwise than by first knowing things as they are; and one cannot attain that knowledge otherwise than by first recognizing the Prophet of the truth.”

“Now the Prophet of the truth is he who always knows all things: things past as they happened, things present as they are happening, things to come as they will be; sinless, merciful, alone entrusted with guiding men to the truth. Read, and you will find that those who thought they had found the truth by themselves did not. For this is the proper work of a prophet, to reveal the truth, as it is the sun's proper work to bring the day. Therefore all who ever desired to know the truth but did not have the good fortune to learn it from him died still seeking it without finding it. For how could one who seeks the truth receive it from his own ignorance? Even if he found it, not recognizing it, he would pass it by as though it were not. Nor again will he be able to lay hold of the truth from another who professes to have it, but likewise out of ignorance, except only in matters of conduct, and then only such conduct as can be known by reasonableness, which gives each one, from his not wishing to be wronged, the knowledge that he ought not to wrong another.”

“All, then, who have ever sought the truth, trusting that they could find it by themselves, have been ensnared. This is what happened both to the philosophers of the Greeks and to the more learned of the barbarians. For, applying themselves by conjecture to visible things, they made pronouncements about things unseen, thinking that whatever occurred to them was true. As though they knew the truth, those who are still seeking the truth reject some of the notions that occur to them and confirm others, as though they knew, while not knowing which are true and which false. And those who are still seeking the truth lay down doctrines about the truth, not knowing that he who seeks the truth cannot learn it from his own error. For, as I said, he cannot recognize it even when it is present, since he does not know it.”

“What persuades each one who seeks to learn by himself is not at all the truth, but what pleases him. Since, then, one thing pleases one and another another, one man holds one thing as true and another another. But the truth is what seems good to the Prophet, not what is pleasant to each. For the one would be many, if what pleases were true, which is impossible. For this reason also the lovers of words among the Greeks, not lovers of wisdom, approaching things by conjecture, laid down many and various doctrines, thinking that the internal consistency of their premises was the truth, not knowing that, since they had set down false first principles for themselves, their conclusions agreed only with their principles.”

“Therefore one must set everything aside and entrust oneself to the Prophet of the truth alone, whom we can all judge, whether he is a prophet, even if we are altogether unlearned, unskilled in sophistries, inexperienced in geometry, and uninitiated in music. For God, as the guardian of all, has made the finding of him easy for all, so that neither barbarians should be too weak to find him nor Greeks unable. The way of finding him is easy indeed; and it is this.”

“If he is a prophet, he is able to know how the world came to be, and what happens in it, and what will be at the end. If he has foretold something to us which we have known to have come to pass at last, we rightly believe him, from what has already happened, that what is to come will also come to pass, as one who not only knows but foreknows. To whom, then, having even a little understanding, is it not plain that one must believe him above all others concerning what God has decided, him who alone of all men knows without having learned? Therefore, if anyone will not grant to such a one, I mean one who has foreknowledge through the divinity of the Spirit in him, that he knows the truth, but grants knowledge to someone else, is he not lacking in sense, having granted to one who is not a prophet what he would not grant a prophet to know?”

“Therefore before all things one must seek the Prophet with all judgment by means of the prophetic promise; and having known him, follow without hesitation the other words of his teaching; and, confident about what is hoped for, live by that first judgment, knowing that he who said these things has not the nature to lie. Therefore, if afterwards anything he has said seems to us not well said, we must know that it was not said badly, but that we have not understood what is well. For ignorance does not rightly judge knowledge, just as knowledge by nature cannot truly judge foreknowledge; but foreknowledge gives knowledge to the ignorant.”

“Therefore, my dear Clement, if you wish to know the things that concern God, you may learn them from him alone, because he alone knows the truth. For if any of the others knows anything, he has received it from him or from his disciples. And this is his will and true proclamation: that there is one God, whose work the world is, who, being righteous, will surely one day render to each according to his deeds.”

“For it is altogether necessary that one who says that God is righteous by nature should also believe that the souls of men are immortal. Otherwise, where is his righteousness, when some who have lived piously have been ill-treated and sometimes violently killed, while some who have been utterly impious, having lived in luxury and costly living, died the common death of men? Since, then, God, beyond all contradiction, being good, is also righteous, and he will not be known to be righteous otherwise than if the soul is immortal after its separation from the body, so that the wicked man, having come into Hades, as one who received his good things here, may be punished there for his sins, while the good man, punished here for his sins, may there, as in the bosom of the righteous, be made heir of good things: since, then, God is righteous, it is plain to us both that there is a judgment and that souls are immortal.”

“But if anyone, as Simon the Samaritan thinks, will not grant to God that he is righteous, to whom can one still grant it, or even that it can come to be? For if the root of all things does not have it, one must necessarily conclude that it cannot be found in human nature, as in the fruits. If it is found in men, how much more in God! But if righteousness is found nowhere, neither with God nor with men, then neither is unrighteousness at all. But righteousness exists; for it is because righteousness exists that anything is called unrighteous; just as, when something is compared with righteousness and found to be contrary to it, it is called unrighteousness.”

“Hence, then, God, teaching men the truth of the things that are, being himself one, divided all extremes in pairs and as opposites. From the beginning, being himself the one and only God, he made heaven and earth, day and night, light and fire, sun and moon, life and death. Among these he made man alone free in his own choice, with the capacity to become righteous or unrighteous. For him also he reversed the order of the pairs, setting before him first the small things and afterwards the great, such as world and age. The present world is temporary, but the one to come is everlasting; first comes ignorance, then knowledge. So too he ordered the leaders of prophecy. For since the present world is female, bringing forth souls as a mother bears children, while the age to come is male, receiving his own children as a father, therefore in this world the prophets come after, as sons of the age to come, having the knowledge of men. If men of piety had understood this mystery, they would never have gone astray; and even now they would have known that Simon, who is now making a stir among everyone, is a fellow-worker of error and deceit. The account of the prophetic rule is as follows.”

“As in the beginning God, being one, like a right hand and a left, made first the heaven and then the earth, and so in order established all the pairs; but with men he no longer does so, but reverses all the pairs. For whereas with him the first things are the better and the second the lesser, with men we find the opposite: the first worse, the second better. Straightway, then, from Adam, who was made in the image of God, there came first the unrighteous Cain, and second the righteous Abel. Again, from the man whom you Greeks call Deucalion, two images of spirits were sent out, I mean of the unclean and of the clean: the black raven, and second the white dove. And from Abraham, the founder of our nation, two first sons were born: first Ishmael, then Isaac, who was blessed by God. And from Isaac himself likewise again two: Esau the impious and Jacob the pious. So in order came first, as firstborn to the world, the high priest, and then the lawgiver.”

“Likewise the pair that ought to have come with Elijah was willingly left over for another time, having resolved to enjoy it at another, fitting time. Therefore he who was among those born of women came first, and then he who was among the sons of men came second. Following this order, one can understand to whom Simon belongs, who came before me first to the Gentiles, and to whom I belong, who came after him and followed him as light follows darkness, knowledge ignorance, and healing disease. So, as the true Prophet has told us, a false gospel must first come by some deceiver, and then, after the destruction of the holy place, a true gospel must be secretly sent abroad for the correction of the heresies that are to come. And after this, at the end, Antichrist must again come first, and then our true Christ, Jesus, appear; and after this, when the eternal light has risen, all the things of darkness will vanish.”

“Since, then, as I said, some do not know the rule of the pairs, they do not understand who Simon is, who went before me. For if he were known, he would not be believed; but now, being unknown, he has been wrongly believed. He who does the deeds of those who hate has been loved; the enemy has been received as a friend; though he is death, he has been longed for as a saviour; though he is fire, he has been thought to be light; though he is a deceiver, he is listened to as one who speaks the truth.” When I, Clement, heard this, I said: “I should like to learn who this man is who is so great a deceiver.” And Peter said: “If you wish to learn, you can know it from those from whom I too have learned everything about him accurately.”

“There is among us a certain Justa, a Syrophoenician, a Canaanite by race, whose little daughter was gripped by a grievous disease. She came to our Lord crying out and begging him to heal her little daughter. But he, though entreated by us as well, said: ‘It is not lawful to heal the Gentiles, who are like dogs, because they use various foods and practices, since the table of the kingdom has been given to the sons of Israel.’ Hearing this, and asking to share, like a dog, in the crumbs that fall from that same table, she changed what she was, living in the same way as the sons of the kingdom, and obtained healing for her daughter, as she had asked. For he who at first would not heal her as a Gentile, because it was not lawful, would not have healed her had she remained a Gentile and continued in the same way of life.”

“She, then, having taken up the lawful way of life, was cast out of her own house, together with the daughter who had been healed, by her husband, who thought otherwise than we do. But she, keeping faith with her covenants, and being well off, herself remained a widow, and gave her daughter in marriage to a man who was well disposed to the true faith, and poor. And being bereft of her daughter also by reason of the marriage, she bought two boys and educated them, and had them in the place of sons. These, having been educated together with Simon the magician from boyhood, have learned all about him. For so great was their friendship that they were eager to join with him in everything he wished.”

“They met Zacchaeus, who had come to stay here, and received from him the word of the truth; repenting of their former innovations, they quickly condemned Simon, whose every secret they knew. As soon as I arrived here, they came to me with the woman who had brought them up and were commended to me by him; and from then on they have always been with me, enjoying the teachings of the truth.” Having said this, Peter sent for them and bade them set out for me accurately everything about Simon. And they, calling God to witness that they would tell no lie, set it out.

Aquila began to speak first, as follows: “Listen, our dearest brother, so that you may know accurately everything about the man: whose son he is, who he is, and from where; what it is that he does, and how, and why. This Simon is the son of Antonius and Rachel, a Samaritan by race, from the village of Gitthae, six schoeni from the city. Having trained himself thoroughly in Alexandria, and become very powerful in magic, and being puffed up, he wishes to be thought a supreme power, above even the God who created the world. And sometimes, hinting that he himself is the Christ, he calls himself the Standing One. He uses this title as one who will stand for ever, and has no cause of corruption so that his body should fall. And he says neither that God, who created the world, is the Most High, nor does he believe that the dead will be raised. He rejects Jerusalem and puts forward Mount Gerizim instead. He proclaims himself in place of our true Christ. The things of the Law he allegorizes according to his own presuppositions. And he says there will be a judgment, but does not expect one; for if he were persuaded that he would be judged by God, he would not dare to be impious even toward God himself. Hence some, not knowing that he uses piety as a veil to steal away the things of the truth, and faithfully believing the hope and judgment of which he speaks in some fashion, are perishing.”

“And his entry into the teaching of religion came about in this way. There was a certain John, a day-baptist, who was also the forerunner of our Lord Jesus, according to the rule of the pairs. And as the Lord had twelve apostles, bearing the number of the twelve months of the sun, so also he had thirty chief men, filling out the monthly reckoning of the moon. In that number there was one woman, called Helen, so that not even this might be without design. For a woman, being half a man, left the number thirty incomplete, as with the moon, whose course in the month does not make a complete circuit. Of these thirty the first and most esteemed with John was Simon; and the reason he did not become head after John's death was this.”

“He had gone away to Egypt to practise magic when John was killed; and Dositheus, desiring the leadership, spread a false report of Simon's death and succeeded to the head of the sect. Not long afterwards Simon returned and, laying strong claim to the position as his own, met Dositheus; yet he did not demand the position, knowing that one who has already obtained leadership is not removed against his will. Therefore, with pretended friendship, he gave himself for a while to the second place under Dositheus. But after a few days, being ranked among the thirty fellow-disciples, he began to slander Dositheus secretly as not handing on the teachings faithfully; and he said that he did this not out of envy but out of ignorance. And once Dositheus, perceiving that Simon's artful slander was undermining the opinion the many had of him, so that they no longer thought him to be the Standing One, came in anger to the usual meeting-place, found Simon, and struck him with a rod; but the rod seemed to pass through Simon's body as though through smoke. Astonished at this, Dositheus said to him: ‘If you are the Standing One, I too worship you.’ When Simon said, ‘I am,’ Dositheus, knowing that he himself was not the Standing One, fell down and worshipped; and, ranking himself with the twenty-nine chief men, he set Simon in his own place of repute. And so, not many days later, while Simon stood, Dositheus himself fell and died.”

“Simon, taking Helen with him, goes about and, as you see, stirs up the crowds even to this day. He says that he has brought this Helen down from the highest heavens to the world, as being the mistress, the all-mother being and Wisdom, for whose sake, he says, Greeks and barbarians fought, having imagined an image of the truth; for she who truly is was then with the first God. Allegorizing plausibly such things, fashioned together with Greek myths, he deceives many, especially by doing many marvellous wonders, so that if we had not known that he does them by magic, we too would have been deceived. But since we were his fellow-workers at first, while in doing such things he did no injury to the cause of religion, now that in his great madness he has begun to try to deceive those who are pious, we have withdrawn from him.”

“For he even began to commit murder, as he himself disclosed to us, as a friend to friends: that he separated the soul of a child from its own body by secret oaths, to be his helper in producing the apparitions he wished; and he painted the boy's likeness on an image, which he keeps set up in the inner room where he sleeps. He says that he once formed this boy out of air by divine transformations, and, having drawn his form, gave him back again to the air. And he explains how he did it, thus. First, he says, the spirit of the man, turned into the nature of heat, drew in and absorbed the surrounding air like a cupping-glass; then, when it had come within the form of the spirit, he turned it into water; and since it could not be poured out, because of the cohesion of the spirit, he said he changed the air in it into the nature of blood; and the blood, congealing, made flesh; and then, when the flesh had solidified, he produced a man not from earth but from air. And so, having persuaded himself that he could make a new man, he said that he reversed the transformations and gave him back again to the air. In telling this to others he was believed; but by us, who were present at the rite, he was piously disbelieved. Therefore, condemning him for impiety, we withdrew from him.”

When Aquila had said this, his brother Nicetes said: “It is necessary, Clement our brother, that I should recall what Aquila has left out. First, God is witness that we did nothing impious together with him, but only watched as he did it. As long as he displayed harmless tricks, we even enjoyed them; but when he said that he did by divinity what was done by magic, to deceive the pious, we no longer put up with him, although he promised us much: first, that statues of us would be thought worthy of temples, that we would be regarded as gods and worshipped by the crowds, glorified by kings, thought worthy of public honours, and enriched with boundless wealth.”

“These things, and others thought greater than these, he promised us, if only, remaining with him, we would keep silent about the evil of his undertaking, so that his deceit might prosper. Yet we did not agree; rather, we advised him to cease from such madness, saying to him: ‘Simon, we remember our friendship with you from boyhood and, out of affection, advise you what is to your advantage. Cease from such daring. You cannot be a god. Fear the God who truly is; know that you are a man and that the time of your life is short. Even if you become very rich or even become king, in the short time of your life little comes to be enjoyed; and what is gained impiously quickly flees and secures eternal punishment for the one who dared it. Therefore we advise you to fear God, by whom the soul of each is to be judged for what it has done here.’”

“On hearing this he laughed. And when we said, ‘Why do you laugh at us when we advise you for your good?’ he said: ‘I laugh at your foolish supposition that you believe the soul of man is immortal.’ And I said: ‘We do not wonder, Simon, that you try to deceive us, but we are astonished by what reasoning you deceive even yourself. Tell me, Simon: even if no one else has been fully assured that the soul is immortal, surely you and we have: you, as having separated one from a human body, conversed with it, and commanded it; and we, as having been present, heard the command, and clearly seen what was ordered.’ Simon said: ‘I know what you are saying; but you do not know what you are talking about.’ And Nicetes said: ‘Since you know, say it; but if you do not know, do not think that by saying that you know and we do not, you can deceive us. For we are not such children that you can sow in us a crafty suspicion that you know some secret, and so, tormented with desire, take us and keep us in your power.’”

“And Simon said: ‘That I separated a soul from a human body, I know that you know; but that it is not the soul of the dead man that serves me, since it does not exist, but some demon who pretends to be the soul is at work, this I know you do not know.’ And Nicetes said: ‘We have heard many incredible things in our life, but we did not expect to hear anything more senseless than this. For if a demon pretends to be the soul of the dead, what need is there for the soul to be separated from the body? Did we not ourselves, being present, hear you adjuring the soul of the body? And how, when one is adjured, does another, who was not adjured, obey as though in fear? And when you were once questioned by us why the attendances sometimes cease, did you not say that a soul, having completed the time above the earth which it was to spend in the body, goes to Hades? And did you not add that the souls of those who died their own natural death, since they go straight to Hades and are kept under guard there, are not easily allowed to come?’”

“When Nicetes had said this, Aquila himself said again: ‘I should like to learn from you this one thing, Simon: whether it is a soul or a demon that is adjured, what does it fear, that it does not disregard the oaths?’ And Simon said: ‘Because it knows that it will suffer punishment if it disobeys.’ And Aquila said: ‘Then if the soul comes when adjured, there is also a judgment. If, then, souls are immortal, there is certainly also a judgment. And if you say that those adjured for an evil deed are condemned when they disobey, how are you not afraid to compel them, since those compelled are punished for disobedience? For that you have not yet suffered for what you have done is because there is not yet a judgment, when you will pay the penalty for what you compelled, while what was compelled will be pardoned, as having honoured the oath above the evil deed.’ Hearing this, he was enraged, and threatened us with death unless we kept silent about what he was doing.”

When Aquila had said this, I, Clement, asked what, then, were the wonders that he does. And they told me that he makes statues walk; he rolls on fire and is not burned; sometimes he even flies; he makes loaves out of stones; he becomes a serpent, is transformed into a goat, becomes two-faced, changes himself into gold; he opens locked doors, melts iron, and at dinners presents images of every kind of form; he makes the vessels in his house be seen moving as if of themselves to serve him, those who carry them not being seen. I was amazed as I heard them say this; and many bore witness that they had themselves been present and seen such things.

When this had been said, the good Peter himself also began to speak: “You must perceive, brothers, the truth of the rule of the pairs, from which whoever does not depart cannot be led astray. For since, as we have said, we see all things existing in pairs and as opposites, and as first comes night, then day; first ignorance, then knowledge; first disease, then healing: so the things of error come first into life, and then the truth comes after, as the physician after the disease. For instance, when our God-loving nation was about to be redeemed from the ill-treatment of the Egyptians, first, through the rod that was turned into a serpent, which was given to Aaron, the plagues came; and then the healings were brought by the prayers of Moses. And now, when the Gentiles are about to be redeemed from the worship of idols, wickedness again, as though it were reigning, has anticipated and first sent its own ally, like a serpent, this Simon whom you see, doing wonders to astonish and deceive, not healing signs for conversion and salvation. Therefore you too must understand from the wonders that are done who is the worker of whom. If he does useless wonders, he is a servant of wickedness; but if he does beneficial ones, he is a leader of the good.”

“Useless, then, are the signs that you yourselves have said Simon did: I mean making statues walk, rolling on burning coals, becoming a dragon, being transformed into a goat, flying in the air, and all such things, which, not being done for the healing of men, are by nature apt to deceive many. But the signs of compassionate truth are kind to men, such as you have heard that the Lord did, and that I after him accomplish by prayers. Most of you stand here as witnesses: some freed from all kinds of disease, others from demons; some restored in their hands, others in their feet; some who have recovered their eyes, others their hearing; and all else that a man can do who has become possessed of a spirit that loves mankind.”

When Peter had said this, toward dawn Zacchaeus came in to us, greeted us, and said to Peter: “Simon postpones the discussion to tomorrow, for today happens to be his sabbath, which comes every eleven days.” And Peter answered him: “Tell Simon: let it be as you wish; and know that we are ready to meet you, by God-loving providence, whenever you wish.” And Zacchaeus, having heard this, went out to deliver the answer.

But he, seeing me despondent, asked the reason and learned from me that it came from nothing else than the postponement of the discussion. He said: “He who has come to believe, my dear Clement, that the world is governed by the good providence of God is not vexed at whatever things befall, since he has granted that under the ordering of the Higher things come to an outcome that is for the best. Hence, knowing that God is righteous, and living with a good conscience, he knows how by right reason to shake off from his soul whatever grief befalls, because it must come to fulfil some unknown good. And now, do not let the postponement of the discussion by Simon the magician grieve you; for perhaps by the providence of God it has come about for your benefit. Therefore, since you are one of our own, I will not hesitate to tell you.”

“Some of our companions are with Simon by pretence, as though persuaded by his most godless error, so that, learning his plans, they may reveal them to us, in order that we may be able to deal suitably with a clever man. And now I have learned from them what arguments he intends to use in the discussion. Knowing this, I gave thanks to God, and I called you blessed because of the postponement of the discussion. For, being equipped by me before the discussion concerning the arguments he is to bring forward to unsettle the ignorant, you will be able to be a hearer who does not stumble.”

“For the Scriptures have taken in many falsehoods against God, for this reason. When the prophet Moses, by the will of God, had handed on the Law, together with its explanations, to certain chosen men, seventy in number, so that they too might instruct those of the people who wished, not long afterwards the Law, when it was written down, took in certain falsehoods also, against the Law of God who made heaven and earth and all things in them; the Evil One having dared to work this for some just reason. And this happened by design and judgment, so that it might be shown who dare to listen gladly to what is written against God, and who, out of love for him, not only disbelieve what is said against him but will not even bear to hear it at all, even if it should be true, judging it far safer to run a risk for a faith that speaks well of God than to live with an evil conscience by blasphemous words.”