Ante-Nicene Fathers • VOLUME 8
The Twelve Patriarchs, Apocrypha, Clementine Homilies & More
SECTION 81
Chapter XVII.--Not Admitted by All.
Chapter XVII.--Not Admitted by All. Then Simon, interrupting his discourse, said: "They do rightly who say that there is no evil." Then Peter answered: "We do not propose to speak of this now, but only to state the fact that the existence of evil is not universally admitted. But the second question that you should have asked is…
848 wordsSECTION 82Chapter XXI.--Freedom of the Will.
Chapter XXI.--Freedom of the Will. Then said Peter: "I advise that the first inquiry be, whether it be in our power to know whence we are to be judged." But Simon said: "Not so; but concerning God, about whom all who are present are desirous to hear." Then Peter: "You admit, then, that something is in the power of the will: onl…
794 wordsSECTION 83Chapter XXIV.--God the Author of Good, Not of Evil.
Chapter XXIV.--God the Author of Good, Not of Evil. To this Peter answered: "Since, then, you confess that you are ignorant, now learn. Your question demanded our deliverance on two matters that are contrary to one another. For every motion is divided into two parts, so that a certain part is moved by necessity, and another by …
831 wordsSECTION 84Chapter XXVII.--The Visible Heaven: Why Made.
Chapter XXVII.--The Visible Heaven: Why Made. But Simon, perceiving that Peter was clearly assigning a reason from the head of prophecy, from which the whole question is settled, declined that the discourse should take this turn; and thus answered: "Give me an answer to the questions that I put, and tell me, if that visible hea…
947 wordsSECTION 85Chapter XXXI.--Diligence in Study.
Chapter XXXI.--Diligence in Study. But on the following day, Peter, as usual, rising before dawn, found us already awake and ready to listen; and thus began: "I entreat you, my brethren and fellow-servants, that if any of you is not able to wake, he should not torment himself through respect to my presence, because sudden chang…
921 wordsSECTION 86Chapter XXXV.--Learning Before Teaching.
Chapter XXXV.--Learning Before Teaching. To this Simon replied: "Then truth is not the property of all, but of those only who know the art of disputation, which is absurd; for it cannot be, since He is equally the God of all, that all should not be equally able to know His will." Then Peter: "All were made equal by Him, and to …
952 wordsSECTION 87Chapter XXXVIII.--God's Justice Shown at the Day of Judgment.
Chapter XXXVIII.--God's Justice Shown at the Day of Judgment. Then Simon: "How can one and the same being be both good and righteous?" [691] Peter answered: "Because without righteousness, goodness would be unrighteousness; for it is the part of a good God to bestow His sunshine and rain equally on the just and the unjust; [692…
845 wordsSECTION 88Chapter XLII.--"Full of All Subtlety and All Mischief."
Chapter XLII.--"Full of All Subtlety and All Mischief." But Peter, when he heard him speak thus, grinding his teeth, and rubbing his forehead with his hand, and sighing with profound grief, said: [696] "Armed with the cunning of the old serpent, you stand forth to deceive souls; and therefore, as the serpent is more subtile tha…
812 wordsSECTION 89Chapter XLV.--A Home-Thrust.
Chapter XLV.--A Home-Thrust. But Simon hearing this, and being smitten by his conscience, changed colour and became bloodless; for he was afraid, if he denied it, that his house would be searched, or that Peter in his indignation would betray him more openly, and so all would learn what he was. Thus he answered: "I beseech thee…
752 wordsSECTION 90Chapter XLVIII.--Attempts to Create a Disturbance.
Chapter XLVIII.--Attempts to Create a Disturbance. To this speech of Simon, Peter answered: "Do not meddle with the things that belong to others; for that you are a magician, you have confessed and made manifest by the very deeds that you have done; but our Master, who is the Son of God and of man, is manifestly good; and that …
856 wordsSECTION 91Chapter LII.--False Signs and Miracles.
Chapter LII.--False Signs and Miracles. Then Niceta said: "I give you abundant thanks, O most clement Peter; but this is what I desire to learn, how Simon, who is the enemy of God, is able to do such and so great things? For indeed he told no lie in his declaration of what he has done." To this the blessed Peter thus answered: …
724 wordsSECTION 92Chapter LV.--Ten Commandments Corresponding to the Plagues of Egypt.
Chapter LV.--Ten Commandments Corresponding to the Plagues of Egypt. "On account of those, therefore, who by neglect of their own salvation please the evil one, and those who by study of their own profit seek to please the good One, ten things have been prescribed as a test to this present age, according to the number of the te…
845 wordsSECTION 93Chapter LIX.--Good and Evil in Pairs.
Chapter LIX.--Good and Evil in Pairs. "For, as I was beginning to say, [706] God has appointed for this world certain pairs; and he who comes first of the pairs is of evil, he who comes second, of good. And in this is given to every man an occasion of right judgment, whether he is simple or prudent. For if he is simple, and bel…
769 wordsSECTION 94Chapter LXII.--The Christian Life.
Chapter LXII.--The Christian Life. But Peter said: "Who is he that is earnest toward instruction, and that studiously inquires into every particular, except him who loves his own soul to salvation, and renounces all the affairs of this world, that he may have leisure to attend to the word of God only? Such is he whom alone the …
776 wordsSECTION 95Chapter LXIV.--Declaration of Simon's Wickedness.
Chapter LXIV.--Declaration of Simon's Wickedness. When he who had returned from Simon had thus spoken, Peter ordered him to sit down in the court. And he himself going forth, and seeing immense crowds, far more than on the previous days, stood in his usual place; and pointing out him who had come, began to discourse as follows:…
878 wordsSECTION 96Chapter LXVII.--Invitation to Baptism.
Chapter LXVII.--Invitation to Baptism. When he had given them these and such like precepts, he made proclamation to the people, saying: "Since I have resolved to stay three months with you, if any one desires it, let him be baptized; that, stripped of his former evils, he may for the future, in consequence of his own conduct, b…
733 wordsSECTION 97Chapter LXX.--Departure of the Twelve.
Chapter LXX.--Departure of the Twelve. Therefore, on the day appointed, when they had ranged themselves before Peter, they said: "Do not think, O Peter, that it is a small grief to us that we are to be deprived of the privilege of hearing you for three months; but since it is good for us to do what you order, we shall most read…
797 wordsSECTION 98Chapter LXXIV.--Farewell to Cæsarea.
Chapter LXXIV.--Farewell to Cæsarea. Peter therefore ordered the letter to be read to the people; and after the reading of it, he addressed them and gave them full instructions about everything, but especially that they should obey Zacchæus, whom he had ordained bishop over them. Also he commended the presbyters and the deacons…
779 wordsSECTION 99Book IV.
Book IV. Chapter I.--Halt at Dora. Having set out from Cæsarea on the way to Tripolis, we made our first stoppage at a small town called Dora, because it was not far distant; and almost all those who had believed through the preaching of Peter could scarcely bear to be separated from him, but walked along with us, again and ag…
962 wordsSECTION 100Chapter IV.--The Harvest Plenteous.
Chapter IV.--The Harvest Plenteous. Then Peter, filled with admiration, said: [721] "You see, brethren, how every word of the Lord spoken prophetically is fulfilled. For I remember that He said, The harvest indeed is plenteous, but the labourers are few; ask therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He would send out labourers in…
845 wordsSECTION 101Chapter VII.--The Sick Healed.
Chapter VII.--The Sick Healed. But when he saw that the crowds had, like the waters of a great river, poured over the narrow passage, he mounted upon a pillar which happened to stand near the wall of the garden, and first saluted the people in a religious manner. But some of those who were present, and who had been for a long t…
875 wordsSECTION 102Chapter XII.--Translation of Enoch.
Chapter XII.--Translation of Enoch. "But [731] that He might show that these things were done on account of the ungrateful, He translated to immortality a certain one of the first race of men, because He saw that he was not unmindful of His grace, and because he hoped to call on the name of God; [732] while the rest, who were s…
823 wordsSECTION 103Chapter XVI.--Why They Wish to Possess Men.
Chapter XVI.--Why They Wish to Possess Men. "Now that the demons are desirous of occupying the bodies of men, this is the reason. They are spirits having their purpose turned to wickedness. Therefore by immoderate eating and drinking, and lust, they urge men on to sin, but only those who entertain the purpose of sinning, who, w…
887 wordsSECTION 104Chapter XX.--Folly of Idolatry.
Chapter XX.--Folly of Idolatry. "And yet who can be found so senseless as to be persuaded to worship an idol, whether it be made of gold or of any other metal? To whom is it not manifest that the metal is just that which the artificer pleased? How then can the divinity be thought to be in that which would not be at all unless t…
793 wordsSECTION 105Chapter XXIV.--Why God Permits Evil.
Chapter XXIV.--Why God Permits Evil. "But you will meet me by saying, Even if it has come to this through freedom of will, was the Creator ignorant that those whom He created would fall away into evil? He ought therefore not to have created those who, He foresaw, would deviate from the path of righteousness. Now we tell those w…
877 wordsSECTION 106Chapter XXVIII.--Tower of Babel.
Chapter XXVIII.--Tower of Babel. "But the foolish men who were then, whereas they ought to have abandoned the opinion which they had conceived of him, inasmuch as they had seen it confuted by his mortal punishment, extolled him the more. For raising a sepulchre to his honour, they went so far as to adore him as a friend of God,…
964 wordsSECTION 107Chapter XXXIII.--The Weakest Christian More Powerful Than the Strongest Demon.
Chapter XXXIII.--The Weakest Christian More Powerful Than the Strongest Demon. "Is it, then, that we are of another and a superior nature, and that therefore the demons are afraid of us? Nay, we are of one and the same nature with you, but we differ in religion. But if you will also be like us, we do not grudge it, but rather w…
794 wordsSECTION 108Chapter XXXVI.--The Garments Unspotted.
Chapter XXXVI.--The Garments Unspotted. "But the ways in which this garment may be spotted are these: If any one withdraw from God the Father and Creator of all, receiving another teacher besides Christ, who alone is the faithful and true Prophet, and who has sent us twelve apostles to preach the word; if any one think otherwis…
845 wordsSECTION 109Chapter III.--Faith and Unbelief.
Chapter III.--Faith and Unbelief. "Whereas therefore some men suffer, and others cure those who suffer, it is necessary to know the cause at once of the suffering and the cure; and this is proved to be nought else than unbelief on the part of the sufferers, and faith on the part of those who cure them. For unbelief, while it do…
985 wordsSECTION 110Chapter VIII.--Desires of the Flesh to Be Subdued.
Chapter VIII.--Desires of the Flesh to Be Subdued. "But the sole cause of our wanting and being deprived of all these things is ignorance. For while men do not know how much good there is in knowledge, they do not suffer the evil of ignorance to be removed from them; for they know not how great a difference is involved in the c…
914 wordsSECTION 111Chapter XII.--Call of the Gentiles.
Chapter XII.--Call of the Gentiles. "But this happened by the providence of God, that the knowledge of this good One should be handed over to the Gentiles, and those who had never heard of Him, nor had learned from the prophets, should acknowledge Him, while those who had acknowledged Him in their daily meditations should not k…
920 wordsSECTION 112Chapter XVI.--God Alone a Fit Object of Worship.
Chapter XVI.--God Alone a Fit Object of Worship. "Oh! into what wretched plight the understanding of men has fallen! For if it is reckoned the greatest folly to fear the dead, what shall we judge of those who fear something that is worse than the dead are? For those images are not even to be reckoned among the number of the dea…
885 wordsSECTION 113Chapter XIX.--His Second Suggestion.
Chapter XIX.--His Second Suggestion. "Again, the wicked serpent suggests another opinion to men, which many of you are in the habit of bringing forward,--that there is, as we say, one God, who is Lord of all; but these also, they say, are gods. For as there is one Cæsar, and he has under him many judges,--for example, prefects,…
1,043 wordsSECTION 114Chapter XXIII.--Third Suggestion.
Chapter XXIII.--Third Suggestion. "Through the mouths of others also that serpent is wont to speak in this wise: We adore visible images in honour of the invisible God. [766] Now this is most certainly false. For if you really wished to worship the image of God, you would do good to man, and so worship the true image of God in …
905 wordsSECTION 115Chapter XXVI.--Sixth Suggestion.
Chapter XXVI.--Sixth Suggestion. "But it is said: We do better, who give thanks both to Himself, and to all with Him. In this you do not understand that there is the ruin of your salvation. For it is as if a sick man should call in for his cure at once a physician and poisoners; since these could indeed injure him, but not cure…
770 wordsSECTION 116Chapter XXIX.--God's Care of Human Things.
Chapter XXIX.--God's Care of Human Things. "But perhaps some of you will say, God has no care of human things; and if we cannot even attain to the knowledge of Him, how shall we attain to His friendship? That God does concern Himself with the affairs of men, His government of the world bears witness: for the sun daily waits upo…
826 wordsSECTION 117Chapter XXXII.--True Religion Calls to Sobriety and Modesty.
Chapter XXXII.--True Religion Calls to Sobriety and Modesty. "But I protest to you with the clear voice of preaching, that, on the contrary, the religion of God calls you to sobriety and modesty; orders you to refrain from effeminacy and madness, and by patience and gentleness to prevent the inroads of anger; to be content with…
713 wordsSECTION 118Chapter XXXV.--Judgment to Come.
Chapter XXXV.--Judgment to Come. "But he does not receive these things as true who does not believe that there is to be a judgment of God, and therefore, being bound by the pleasures of the present life, is shut out from eternal good things; and therefore we do not neglect to proclaim to you what we know to be necessary for you…
806 wordsSECTION 119Chapter II.--Much to Be Done in a Little Time.
Chapter II.--Much to Be Done in a Little Time. When he had said this, as very many had already assembled in the accustomed place of the garden to hear him, Peter went forth; and having saluted the crowds in his usual manner, began to speak as follows: [776] "Since, indeed, as land neglected by the cultivator necessarily produce…
812 wordsSECTION 120Chapter V.--How the Fight Begins.
Chapter V.--How the Fight Begins. "But if any one say, How does it seem right for men to be separated from their parents? I will tell you how. Because, if they remained with them in error, they would do no good to them, and they would themselves perish with them. It is therefore right, and very right, that he who will be saved …
804 wordsSource & rights
Historical text source: Christian Classics Ethereal Library. The downloaded text itself records Public Domain.