Chapter VIII.--Simon and Peter Continue the Discussion.
And Simon said: "My original stipulation with you was that I should prove from the Scriptures that you were wrong in maintaining that we ought not to speak of many gods." Accordingly I adduced many written passages to show that the divine Scriptures themselves speak of many gods." And Peter said: "Those very Scriptures which speak of many gods, also exhorted us, saying, The names of other gods shall not ascend upon thy lips.' [1276] Thus, Simon, I did not speak contrary to what was written." And Simon said: "Do you, Peter, listen to what I have to say. You seem to me to sin in speaking against them, [1277] when the Scripture says, [1278] Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the rulers of thy people.'" And Peter said: "I am not sinning, Simon, in pointing out their destruction according to the Scriptures; for thus it is written: [1279] Let the gods who did not make the heavens and the earth perish.' And He said thus, not as though some had made the heavens and were not to perish, as you interpreted the passage. For it is plainly declared that He who made them is one in the very first part of Scripture: [1280] In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And it did not say, the gods.' And somewhere else it says, [1281] And the firmament showeth His handiwork.' And in another place it is written, [1282] The heavens themselves shall perish, but Thou shalt remain for ever.'"
[1276] Josh. xxiii. 7, LXX.
[1277] Namely, the gods.
[1278] Ex. xxii. 28. The mss. omit theous, though they insert it in the passage as quoted a little before this. One ms. reads "the ruler" with our version.
[1279] Jer. x. 11.
[1280] Gen. i. 1.
[1281] Ps. xix. 1.
[1282] Ps. cii. 26, 27.
Chapter IX.--Simon Tries to Show that the Scriptures Contradict Themselves.
And Simon said: "I adduced clear passages from the Scriptures to prove that there are many gods; and you, in reply, brought forward as many or more from the same Scriptures, showing that God is one, and He the God of the Jews. And when I said that we ought not to revile gods, you proceeded to show that He who created is one, because those who did not create will perish. And in reply to my assertion that we ought to maintain that there are gods, because the Scriptures also say so, you showed that we ought not to utter their names, because the same Scripture tells us not to utter the names of other gods. Since, then, these very Scriptures say at one time that there are many gods, and at another that there is only one; and sometimes that they ought not to be reviled, and at other times that they ought; what conclusion ought we to come to in consequence of this, but that the Scriptures themselves lead us astray?"
Chapter X.--Peter's Explanation of the Apparent Contradictions of Scripture.
And Peter said: "They do not lead astray, but convict and bring to light the evil disposition against God which lurks like a serpent in each one. For the Scriptures lie before each one like many divers types. Each one, then, has his own disposition like wax, and examining the Scriptures and finding everything in them, he moulds his idea of God according to his wish, laying upon them, as I said, his own disposition, which is like wax. [1283] Since, then, each one finds in the Scriptures whatever opinion he wishes to have in regard to God, for this reason he, Simon, moulds from them the forms [1284] of many gods, while we moulded the form of Him who truly exists, coming to the knowledge of the true type from our own shape. [1285] For assuredly the soul within us is clothed with His image for immortality. If I abandon the parent of this soul, it also will abandon me to just judgment, making known the injustice by the very act of daring; [1286] and as coming from one who is just, it will justly abandon me; and so, as far as the soul is concerned, I shall, after punishment, be destroyed, having abandoned the help that comes from it. But if there is another god, first let him put on another form, another shape, in order that by the new shape of the body I may recognise the new god. But if he should change the shape, does he thereby change the substance of the soul? But if he should change it also, then I am no longer myself, having become another both in shape and in substance. Let him, therefore, create others, if there is another. But there is not. For if there had been, he would have created. But since he has not created, then let him, as nonexistent, leave him who is really existent. [1287] For he is nobody, [1288] except only in the opinion of Simon. I do not accept of any other god but Him alone who created me."
[1283] [This statement of the subjective method of interpretation is in curious harmony with the prevalent theory of this work respecting the mixture of error and truth in the Scriptures.--R.]
[1284] ideas.
[1285] morphes.
[1286] Probably tolmemati should be changed into hormemati, or some such word: making known that an act of injustice has been committed by taking its departure.
[1287] This might possibly be translated, "let him leave him who exists to him who exists;" i.e., let him leave the real God to man, who really exists.
[1288] Wieseler proposes, "for he exists to no one."