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he makes loaves of bread, becomes a serpent, is transformed into a goat, becomes two-faced, changes into gold, opens locked doors, loosens iron, at dinners he presents phantoms of all kinds of shapes, he makes the vessels in the house be seen moving auto- matically for service, while those carrying them are not seen. Hearing them say these things, I was amazed. And they testified that they themselves had witnessed many such things while present. When these things had been said thus, the good Peter himself also began to speak: You must understand, brothers, the truth of the rule of pairing, from which if one does not depart, he cannot be led astray. For since, as we have said, we see all things existing in pairs and opposites, and as first night, then day, and first ignorance, then knowledge, and first sickness, then healing, so first the things of error come into life, and then thus the truth comes after, as the physician to the sickness. For example, when our God-beloved nation was about to be redeemed from the affliction of the Egyptians, first through the staff that became a serpent, which was given to Aaron, the plagues came to be, and then thus by the prayers of Moses the healings were brought about. And now also, as the Gentiles are about to be redeemed from the worship of idols, wickedness again, as if it were reigning, taking the initiative first, has sent its own serpent, as it were, as an ally, whom you see, Simon, doing wonders for astonishment and deceit, not healing signs for conversion and salvation. Therefore you must understand from the wonders that are done who the doers are, whose workman each is. If he does useless wonders, he is a minister of wickedness; but if he does beneficial things, he is a leader of the good. Now, useless signs are all the things you yourselves have said Simon has done. And I mean his making statues walk, and his rolling on burning coals, and becoming a dragon, being transformed into a goat, flying into the air, and whatever such things, which are not done for the healing of men, have the nature to further deceive many. But the signs of the merciful truth are philanthropic, which you have heard the Lord has done and which I, after him, accomplish by prayers; of which most of you who are present are witnesses, some having been delivered from all kinds of diseases, others from demons, others having their hands straightened, others their feet, others having recovered their eyes, others their hearing and whatever other things a man can do, having become a possession of the philanthropic spirit. When Peter had said these things, towards dawn Zacchaeus came in to us, and having greeted us, said to Peter: Simon postpones the inquiry until tomorrow; for today happens to be his sabbath which occurs every eleventh day. And to this Peter answered: Tell Simon: Do as you wish, with the knowledge that we, whenever you wish, by God-loving providence, are ready to meet you. And Zacchaeus, having heard these things, went out to convey the answer. But he, seeing me disheartened, and having inquired the cause, and having learned from me that it was from no other source than from the postponement of the inquiry, said: He who has understood that the world is governed by the good providence of God, O dear Clement, is not himself vexed at the things that happen in any way, being persuaded that by the dispensation of the superior one things receive their outcome beneficially; whence it is right for him

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ἄρτους ποιεῖ, ὄφις γίνεται, εἰς αἶγα μεταμορφοῦται, διπρόσωπος γίνεται, εἰς χρυσὸν μεταβάλλεται, θύρας κεκλεισμένας ἀνοίγει, σίδηρον λύει, ἐν δείπνοις εἴδωλα παντοδαπῶν ἰδεῶν παρίστησιν, τὰ ἐν οἰκίᾳ σκεύη ὡς αὐτό- ματα φερόμενα πρὸς ὑπηρεσίαν βλέπεσθαι ποιεῖ τῶν φερόντων οὐ βλεπο- μένων. ταῦτα αὐτῶν λεγόντων ἀκούων ἐθαύμαζον. ἐμαρτύρουν δὲ πολλὰ τὰ τοιαῦτα αὐτοὶ παρόντες ἱστορηκέναι. Τούτων οὕτως ·ηθέντων ὁ καλὸς Πέτρος καὶ αὐτὸς τοῦ λέγειν ἤρξατο· Συνορᾶν ὑμᾶς δεῖ, ἀδελφοί, τοῦ τῆς συζυγίας κανόνος τὴν ἀλήθειαν, οὗ μὴ ἀφιστάμενός τις οὐκ ἔχει πλανηθῆναι. ἐπεὶ γάρ, ὡς ἔφαμεν, δυικῶς καὶ ἐναντίως πάντα ἔχοντα ὁρῶμεν καὶ ὡς πρώτη νύξ, εἶτα ἡμέρα, καὶ πρῶτον ἄγνοια, εἶτα γνῶσις, καὶ πρῶτον νόσος, εἶτα ἴασις, οὕτως πρῶτα τὰ τῆς πλάνης τῷ βίῳ ἔρχεται, εἶθ' οὕτως τὸ ἀληθὲς ἐπέρχεται, ὡς τῇ νόσῳ ὁ ἰατρός. αὐτίκα γοῦν τοῦ θεοφιλοῦς ἡμῶν ἔθνους ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν Aἰγυπτίων κακουχίας μέλλοντος λυτροῦσθαι, πρῶτον διὰ τῆς ὀφιωθείσης ·άβδου, ἥτις τῷ Ἀαρὼν ἐδόθη, αἱ νόσοι ἐγίνοντο, καὶ εἶθ' οὕτως εὐχαῖς Μωυσέως αἱ ἰάσεις ἐπεφέροντο. καὶ νῦν δὲ τῶν ἐθνῶν μελλόντων ἀπὸ τῆς κατὰ τὰ εἴδωλα λυτροῦσθαι θρησκείας, ἡ κακία πάλιν, ὡς αὐτὴ βασιλεύουσα, προλαβοῦσα πρῶτον τὸν ἑαυτῆς ὥσπερ ὄφιν ἔπεμψε σύμμαχον, ὃν ὁρᾶτε Σίμωνα, ποιοῦντα θαυμάσια πρὸς κατάπληξιν καὶ ἀπάτην, οὐ σημεῖα ἰατικὰ πρὸς ἐπιστροφὴν καὶ σωτηρίαν. διὸ καὶ ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ τῶν γινομένων τεράτων τοὺς ποιοῦντας νοεῖν δεῖ τίς τίνος ἐστὶν ἐργάτης. ἐὰν ἀνωφελῆ ποιῇ τέρατα, κακίας ἐστὶν ὑπουργός· ἐὰν δὲ ἐπωφελῆ πράττῃ, τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ ἐστιν ἡγεμών. τὰ μὲν οὖν ἀνωφελῆ ἐστιν σημεῖα, ὅσα αὐτοὶ Σίμωνα εἰρήκατε πεποιηκέναι. λέγω δὲ τὸ ἀνδριάντας αὐτὸν ποιεῖν περιπατεῖν καὶ τὸ ἐπ' ἀνθράκων αὐτὸν πεπυρωμένων κυλίεσθαι καὶ δράκοντα γίνεσθαι, εἰς αἶγα μεταμορφωθῆναι, εἰς ἀέρα πτῆναι, καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτά τινα, εἰς ἴασιν ἀνθρώπων μὴ γινόμενα, προσαπατᾶν φύσιν ἔχει πολλούς. τὰ δὲ τῆς οἰκτίρμονος ἀληθείας σημεῖά ἐστι φιλάνθρωπα, ἅτινα ἠκούσατε τὸν κύριον πεποιηκότα κἀμὲ μετ' ἐκεῖνον εὐχαῖς κατορθοῦντα· ὧν οἱ πλεῖστοι παρεστήκατε, οἱ μὲν νόσων παντοίων ἀπαλλαγέντες, οἱ δὲ δαιμόνων, οἱ δὲ ὀρθωθέντες χεῖρας, οἱ δὲ πόδας, οἱ δὲ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἀπολαβόντες, οἱ δὲ τὰς ἀκοὰς καὶ ἄλλα ὅσα ἄνθρωπος ποιεῖν δύναται, φιλανθρώπου πνεύματος ἴδιος γενόμενος. Ταῦτα τοῦ Πέτρου εἰπόντος ὑπὸ τὸν ὄρθρον ἐπεισιὼν ἡμῖν Ζακχαῖος προσαγορεύσας ἔφη Πέτρῳ· Ἀνατίθεται Σίμων τὴν ζήτησιν εἰς τὴν αὔριον ἡμέραν· ἡ γὰρ σήμερον τὸ δι' ἕνδεκα ἡμερῶν αὐτοῦ τυγχάνει σάββατον. καὶ πρὸς τοῦτο ὁ Πέτρος ἀπεκρίνατο· Λέγε Σίμωνι· Ἐπιτέλει ὡς θέλεις μετὰ τοῦ γινώσκειν ὅτι σοι ἡμεῖς, ὅτε βούλει, θεοφιλεῖ προνοίᾳ ἀπαντᾶν ἑτοίμως ἔχομεν. καὶ ὁ μὲν Ζακχαῖος ταῦτα ἀκούσας ἀντιβάλλειν ἐξῄει τὴν ἀπόκρισιν. ὁ δὲ ἰδών με ἀθυμοῦντα καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν πυθόμενος καὶ μαθὼν παρ' ἐμοῦ οὐκ ἄλλοθέν ποθεν οὖσαν ἢ ἀπὸ τῆς κατὰ τὴν ζή- τησιν ἀναβολῆς ἔφη· Ἀγαθῇ θεοῦ προνοίᾳ ὁ προειληφὼς διοικεῖσθαι τὸν κόσμον, ὦ φίλε Κλήμης, αὐτὸς οὐκ ἄχθεται ἐπὶ τοῖς ὁπώσποτε ἀπαν- τῶσιν πράγμασιν, ἀποδεδωκὼς ὅτι ὑπὸ τῆς τοῦ κρείττονος οἰκονομίας συμφερόντως τὰ πράγματα τὴν ἔκβασιν λαμβάνει· ὅθεν δίκαιον αὐτὸν